𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐒 two years ago, my life changed forever. All it took was one night to alter the rest of my life. I wasn't sure about a lot of things however, there are two things that I was absolutely certain on: what I wanted to wear and who...
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I'm half asleep when my door creaks open and a silhouette I know all too well stands in the doorframe.
I'm a light sleeper, from being in my line of work and then in prison, you learn that being aware while in your most vulnerable state is pretty helpful.
Harper stands in my doorframe and even without any lights on I can see her chest heaving up and down rapidly and off the bat, I know what's happened.
"George?" She cries softly, walking further into my room and closing the door behind her. I thought for a moment I was dreaming but when my bed dips as she sits down, I know I'm not.
"Yeah?" I pull back the covers on the side I wasn't sleeping on and wait for her to crawl beneath them.
I can tell she doesn't really want to—that I'm the last person who she'd want to go to for comfort which does hurt a bit but I'm the only one who knows. Well, me and my dad.
"Can I stay for a bit?" Harper doesn't wait for me to respond before she's beneath my covers and shaking.
It's then I'm aware of the fact I'm only wearing boxers while she's wearing a full pyjama set. Harper doesn't seem to care or even notice. She's too shaken up, too dazed from sleep.
I forget everything for a minute. I forget the past. I forget it all as I lay down behind her and hold her like I used to. Her body tenses for the briefest of moments when I reach around and pull her arms away from her face.
"You're alright," I press just a small, comforting kiss to the shell of her ear. "You're safe, Harper."
Her breathing seems to calm down a little bit as I continue reassuring her. Harper grips my arm as I snake it under her arm and hold it to me by her chest. I asked her once why she liked being held like that—with my arm as a sort of barrier. She told me she felt safe so I didn't ask any more questions and carried on holding her.
That night happened nearly ten years ago and it still plays on repeat in my mind almost every day. It was a Saturday, everyone was home from Herongate and so Alb decided to throw a house party in this very house.
It's bigger than our actual house and doesn't hold as many of our prized possessions—it was perfect. We were in year eight. I was just about fourteen, Harper was thirteen. It was in August and we hadn't started dating yet but I guess you could say we had. We kissed and felt each other up—there was an obvious attraction there.
Anyway, this party got out of control. Mum and Dad were in the Cotswolds or something at a spa, I can't really remember. Everyone from year eight to year twelve was at this party.
It didn't matter that the host was fourteen, he was a Forbes, our sister was Matilda Forbes and our cousin Carter West—any party Carter was at, you wanted to be at.
I remember being in the kitchen. I was leaning against the island eyeing up Harper who was talking with a few of her friends. She was wearing this little white dress—perfect for the summer. Every now and then, she'd glance over at me and hold such deep eye contact I thought I would come on the spot.
