Even If It Hurts -H.S. AU

8

This week has been pretty uneventful.

After Harry and I ran into each other on Saturday night, things have felt a little more comfortable around the office. We still don't see each other much, unless I'm asking him to approve something, or he's being nosey and finds something to poke his head in the office about.

He scared the hell out of me on Saturday. I wasn't expecting to see anyone, let alone him standing in the doorway. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it though. It felt really comfortable, almost like how things used to be between us when we first met, working at my dad's shop together.

His comment about my accent being gone really threw me. I started changing the way I talk about a year after I moved here. It's been so long, I honestly forgot. My slight southern accent reappears if I go home for the weekend or longer, but I have it back to normal by the time I return to work.

No one in my life here knows that about me, no one except Harry, apparently.

I've never taken Alex home to meet my family. They know about him, and how he was one of my first friends in the city, but not much else. When we started dating a little over year ago, I never told them. I had a trip planned to take him home with me, introduce him to Dad and Caspian as my boyfriend, but he got busy with work and couldn't come. I can't even say how relieved it made me. I just didn't want all the questions that would come with bringing a boyfriend home.

How long have you been together?

Are things pretty serious?

Do you think you'll get married?

What's his family like?

Do you live together?

How did you know you loved him?

Alex has never seemed bothered by me not taking him home with me. It's a very different life than he's used to anyway. We spend a good amount of time with his parents. They are nice enough, but sort of snobby. I always make sure I'm wearing one of the nicest things I own and have my hair freshly done when we go see them.

His father owns the firm he works at, and is the Attorney General of New York. I had no idea about this until he took me to his parents house for the first time and it was the closest thing to a mansion I'd ever seen. He didn't warn me, and we had just come from a day at the beach, so I was wearing my shortest shorts and a low cut tank top over my bikini.

I wanted to die.

His mom was gracious enough, but I didn't miss the judgmental once over she gave me before the too pleasant smile she always has appeared on her face. When they started grilling me about my career goals and found out I was a student at the Institute they perked up. Impressed to find out I was graduating early and already had an internship lined up for the summer.

I have a fine relationship with his parents, but still, I don't enjoy seeing them. I feel like I'm constantly being analyzed and criticized.

Things between Alex and I have gotten better since the conversation we had. Which honestly surprised me, because it's not like I really gave him much reassurance. It seems like thing are settling down. Alex and I are okay and Harry and I may have found a way to work comfortably together.

Maybe this will work out better than I thought.

I tried to talk to Harry the other night, feeling courageous, thanks to the half bottle of wine I drank. I'm actually relieved that he shut me down though. I don't know what the conversation would've been like, and I'm glad he didn't let me ruin the only friendly moment we've shared since seeing each other again.