Sweet Tooth [HS]

SIXTY THREE

Max stood in front of the mirror, her eyes wide as she looked at the stranger in the reflection. She felt like an alien to herself, like somebody torn out from a magazine or like a fantasy princess come to life.

The dress she had picked was like something out of a fairytale. It was this dazzling skin-tight thing, and it was nearly completely sheer so every dip and every dent in her frame was visible. And then it was covered in these crystals that caught in the light, glinting, so her very skin looked like it was on fire.

The body, the eyes, the sparkling dress - how could they belong to her?

She reached up and touched her face, watching as the reflection touched hers. Then she smoothed her hands down over her body, running over the curve of her waist, the slope of her hips and yes - the reflection did it too.

It was so strange, Max thought, as she stood there. How this was her, when she felt like an entirely different creature - a piece of plastic or a picture, crystallised, somehow, in reality.

She forced herself to breathe, her chest moving up and then down and it was the only thing that reminded her she was a human; that this was her.

"Max!"

She could hear Harry's footsteps and she blinked, snapping herself out of it.

"In here!" She called back, finding her voice as she tore her eyes away from the stranger in the reflection.

As she turned around the door opened and Harry came into view. Max's eyes widened even more. Because there he stood, bathed in the colours of the sunset, his eyes glinting as they locked onto hers. And he was all slicked back hair, razor sharp jawline, a tuxedo that just hung off of him and he looked - he looked delicious. Even more so when he bit his lip into his mouth, his white teeth biting down on the darkest red and fuck, Max wanted him.

"Holy shit, Max," he breathed, his eyes lowering down her body. He looked sort of in shock, his eyes darkening as they descended down her, his slow hands sort of suspended in the air.

"Do I look-"

"Fuck yes," Harry interrupted, sort of growling. His eyes locked on hers once again, his eyes so dark they were nearly black as he came towards her. Desire started clawing at her insides as he put his arms around her waist, and each pad of his fingertips felt like sparks on her skin, like electricity that ran through them and straight into her heart.

"You look beautiful, baby," he whispered lowly, his voice rasping deliciously. "We need to get out of here now or else we're not leaving at all."

The words made Max gulp. She felt like she was on a cusp, on a cliff - she was being consumed by his heady cologne and the sound of his voice and the feel of his fingertips, the sudden hardness she felt pressing into her - but no, she reminded herself.

She had not got this dressed up for nothing.

"Well lets go then," she giggled, pecking Harry once on the lips before scrambling out of his grip.

Max was shocked when she found Jack waiting for them outside. She remembered Arabella and Jacinta telling her that they were neighbours - that they could hear Harry's parties from their house - so why on earth were they driving?

"I thought they lived close?" Max said, turning to Harry.

Harry only shrugged, hooking his arm over Max's shoulders. "Why walk when you can drive?" He winked, and Max rolled her eyes.

"You are such a baby."

Harry did not reply, only squeezed her closer as they stepped out onto the driveway.