Even If It Hurts -H.S. AU

54

I take a deep breath as Harry opens the door to my office. I step past him and am greeted with a chorus of heys and welcome backs.

I greet everyone as I walk past, Harry trailing along behind me, but when I come to Phoebe's desk, she's not there. My stomach sinks a little in disappointment. I actually missed her terribly while we were gone.

I reach behind me, holding my hand out to Harry, which he immediately takes. He raises his eyebrows at me and I shrug, deciding I don't care if the girls know we're together. I've had enough secrets to last a lifetime, and I don't want Harry to be one anymore.

I guide him across the room with me and push open my personal office door. I squeeze his hand and scream when a loud noise reverberates around the room as soon as I step through the doorway.

Standing in front of my desk is Phoebe and Cam, both of them with party poppers in their hands. A banner hung on the wall behind them reads Welcome Back! in perfect penmanship that unmistakably belongs to Phoebe. I'm sure his only task was to help her hang it.

"Welcome home!" Phoebe shouts and drops her spent popper to the floor before she runs to give me a hug.

"You scared me." I giggle and hug her back tightly, before I let her go.

I look over to find Cam and Harry greeting each other, and pull away from Phoebe to join them. I lean into Cam's side and he wraps his arm around my shoulders.

"I trust you took good care of my girl while I was gone?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It looks like she's run you ragged, mate." Harry teases and Cam shoves his shoulder playfully.

"I'm glad you're back, so hopefully she won't be running around like a mad woman all the time." He says.

"She was like that long before I got her." I laugh softly and turn to look at Phoebe, who is staring at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"Why do you sound like you just stepped off the set of a John Wayne movie?" She blurts out and I furrow my eyebrows at her. I turn to look at Harry and my mouth drops open a little when I see him trying to stifle a laugh with his hand.

"Harry!" I yell his name as a laugh tumbles out of my mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"If I had made you aware of it, it would've stopped." He explains, stepping back from me when I step toward him playfully.
"It had been a long time since I heard your full accent. I missed it."

"Is that what she usually sounds like?!" Phoebe asks, completely shocked.

"Imagine being a room with her family," Harry says, his dimples popping in his cheeks, "the lot of them all talking at once, it's mad."

"Says you!" I defend myself and Harry raises his eyebrows at me. "The Irish and English accents flying around your house. Not to mention how weird Macy sounds with an Irish dad, English mom and she goes to an American school. I was fighting for my life trying to figure out what that girl was saying half the time."

Harry throws his head back, laughing loudly, and the rest of us can't help but join him.

"We missed you guys." Cam says when we manage to catch our breath. I look up to meet his soft eyes, and smile at him.
"We could grab some lunch?" He offers. "My treat."

Harry and I look at each other and he nods.

"We'd love that." I agree. "I just have to run upstairs for something and then we can go."

All three of them follow me out of my office, and up the stairs to my apartment, like little ducklings. I assumed Harry would come with me, but I didn't think Cam and Phoebe would follow too.