Look at Me - H.S.

~ Chapter 32 ~

Harry's POV

Standing on the step outside my front door, I bend over and place my hands on my knees. The sweat from my forehead is dripping onto the light grey surface beneath me, causing little dark spots to appear. I count them as I try to calm my breathing.

In...One...Two...Three...Out...One...Two...Three.

I love running, especially this early in the morning when the streets are quiet and although the sun isn't fully awake yet, the sky is bright and the heat in the air is starting to get more intense. There's no way CJ will be awake yet so I try to be as quiet as possible as I open the door and step in, closing it behind me as I wait for the soft click of the latch to signal it's locked securely. The icy breeze from the air conditioning is a welcome relief on my sticky skin so I bask in it for a couple of minutes. The glorious ache in my muscles, that spreads throughout my body after every run, is the perfect reminder that I pushed myself that little bit further today and I mentally give myself a pat on the back for it.
I untie the lace on each of my running shoes and toe them off, kicking them to the side of the entrance way.
I'll deal with them later, they stink!
Right now I need water and a shower, in that order.

Padding towards the kitchen I glance around and can't help the content smile on my face. Seeing some of Cassie's belongings scattered around makes me feel just that. Content. I really love having her with me and I'm trying so hard not to count down the days until she leaves because this place is going to feel so empty without her. Eight days, that's all we have left.
Shit, I said I wasn't going to do that!
I've lived here for quite a while, on my own too but never ever felt alone. This is a dream house but somehow she makes it feel like a home. Wherever she is feels like home. As I pause and let that sink in for a minute, the dryness of my mouth reminds me where I was headed and I open the fridge, grab a bottle of water and chug it, emptying it before taking another breath.

I have somewhere I want to take her today but I'm not sure if she'll be up for it. The studio. I'm taking her to the studio and somehow I'm going to get her to sing on one of my tracks. I just need to come up with a plan first. My friends Tom and Tyler are meeting me there. I've told them about Cassie and they're eager to meet her, even more so since I told them about her amazing voice. There's one track in particular that I wrote for my last album but it didn't make the cut so, we're adding it to the next one. It's missing something and I think my lovely little CJ could be it. Like I said, I just need a plan.

Heading up the stairs and towards my bedroom, I stop and place my ear against Cassie's door. There's not a single sound coming from her room so she's definitely still sleeping. It's barely 7am so I should have time to get showered and make breakfast before I wake her up. I continue down the hall, through my bedroom and into my bathroom. Opening the glass door of the shower cubicle, I flip the lever to start the water flow from the overly large shower head that descends from the ceiling. While it warms up, I strip my sweaty clothes from my body, the clip from my hair and turn to face the mirror. After a quick flex of my biceps and an approving nod to myself I step into the glass box, that's now filled with steam, and under the warm water, letting the heat relax my muscles. The groan that rumbles in my throat is unavoidable. This is fucking heaven. But, I have a plan to execute, once I've thought of one, so I don't have all day. I wash and condition my hair, slather my favourite body wash all over myself and rinse everything off before turning off the water and leaving my self made steam room. I dry myself with a towel and grab my pot of moisturiser.

What? Men moisturise! No one likes flaky old skin, you know? Plus, it keeps my tattoos looking fresh.

Anyway, pampering done I grab some underwear, ripped jeans and an old band T. Comfort is key, my friends.
Now dressed and somewhat ready for the day, it's time to create a mini feast for my favourite roomie. Her favourite is a bowl of fruit with some granola and Greek yogurt so, that's what she shall have.