Desolate - h.s. ✓

° seventeen °

     The following night I had gone over to Blair's as planned. Honestly, I was looking forward to spending time with my friends, but was still a little surprised that Ethan, Harry, and a few other boys were here. The boys were all playing chicken in one end of the pool, while my friends and I hung out at the other end. A few other girls were here that Blair had invited over, but they were down at the other end watching the game between the boys.

"Yes Alex, you got it, honey!" Lex shouted, clapping when he pushed my brother further.

"Ethan, let's go, you can do better than that!" I yelled, Harry and I making eye contact briefly before I continued cheering. "It's your fault if you lose too, Harry!"

"Shut up, Nikki!" they both called.

My friends laughed, but I rolled my eyes. After a couple more minutes, I got out of the pool, the boys taking a break for a minute so that the two on the bottom could have a quick rest of some sort. Grabbing a water out of the mini fridge, I opened it, sipping the water quickly. A few more people showed up, which I thought was odd, but Blair didn't appear surprised. She greeted them and pointed out the food and drinks while I continued to stand. Ella got up though, walking over to me and grabbing a water.

"Have you ever noticed the couple of scars on Harry?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know it's a weird question, but with you two getting to know one another, I was just curious."

"I haven't noticed any, no. Why?"

She glanced over, telling me not to look at that moment because he was looking right now. I felt my cheeks flush at the fact, but then Ella said he was no longer looking at me, and instead talking to someone else. Glancing over, the scars that Ella was talking about seemed to be hidden, my friend grumbling.

"They're under his left ... wait, no, his right armpit. Sorry, I was going by my directions."

Nodding, I shrugged. If Harry had not openly showed the marks to me, then I didn't think it was my business to pry. After all, that was why he liked me so much compared to other girls that wouldn't stop asking questions. Well, other girls and my brother. Sighing softly, I sipped my water more, watching as the boys began to chicken fight again. Although, somehow, Ethan got a good hit to Alex that sent him and the boy holding him up stumbling back. Ella and I cheered. The four boys high-fived, Alex claiming it was a lucky hit, which Ethan actually agreed with. Blair and Lex managed to make their way over to where Alex was, Ethan still chilling in the pool as Harry got out. Though he made a show of it, using his upper body strength to push himself out of the water almost effortlessly. Ella waved a goodbye as she walked away, Harry smirking at me as he made his way over.

"I thought you liked those high-waisted two pieces?" he questioned.

"Uh, these are nice. You can't tell me this one piece isn't cute."

"No it is," he agreed, taking the opportunity to glance me up and down very purposefully. "I'm just upset I don't get to see your cute little tummy."

Pushing him, Harry laughed. Ethan was too distracted by a couple of girls to pay attention to us talking, Harry stepping slightly closer. I felt my face redden when he reached up, his fingers brushing over the mark he had left just yesterday. It wasn't noticeable to anyone else, the love bite a lighter shade, though since he knew it was there, it was easier to tell.

"I want to give you more of those, but they're all going to be darker, and Angelo is going to leave you alone because you're mine."

I told him he was too cocky, and that there was absolutely no way I would ever allow him to touch me that way. In that moment, Harry picked me up, my eyes widening at the idea of what he was going to do to me. Not much later, I was shouting as he threw me into the pool. When I came up, I yelled that I hated him, the phrase becoming something questionable between the two of us. Ethan appeared angry, though I knew Harry had done it to be funny and not because he really hated me. However, he played along and acted like he was angry at something also.