Delicate

Chapter 35

HARRY STYLES

As I begin backing out of my driveway past the gate, I check the street over both shoulders and notice the two paparazzi waiting for me in their cars. I'm alone, but they capture that too and I'm sure they're going to assume Haven and I broke up since this is the third day they've seen me without her. What they don't know is that she's been busy packing and moving out of her apartment and into her new house.

Despite how much I hate having them follow me around, I'm relieved that the attention is on me and she hasn't seen any of them at her place since she moved out, nor have they been at her house. My fear is that they're going to find her house just as they eventually found her apartment and she's not going to feel safe if people know where she lives. At least you needed a key to get into her small apartment complex, but anyone can walk up to her house now. I haven't spoken to her about that yet so I don't scare her more, but I'm ready to have the conversation if we need to.

At Jeff's house, I enter in the code to park behind his gate and hop out to let myself inside the house. Glenne is gone at work but I follow the sound of the tap running in the open kitchen to my right to see Jeff rinsing a coffee mug.

"Hey," he shuts the water off and places the mug upside down. "You want a cup?"

"Please, yeah," I set my keys and wallet down on the counter and take a seat on one of the cushioned bar stools while I wait.

"How is your time off treating you?" He asks. "I tried to wait a full week before reaching out with business."

I laugh, knowing that must have been painful for him. "It's been good. It was nice having my mum and Gemma here last week, but I've been writing since they left and just spending time with Haven."

"Did she move yet?"

"Yeah, she's officially all moved in today so tonight's her first night in the house," I watch him fill the mug with straight black coffee, leaving it that way for me. "I haven't seen it in person yet, but I'm just anxious about the paparazzi."

"That's fair," he gestures for me to follow him over to the living room. "Has she said anything about it?"

"Not really," I kick my Vans off to extend my legs and rest my feet on the coffee table in front of me. "I know she kept saying that the house is a bit more private since the front is mostly covered by trees, but she hasn't said she's scared about them finding out where she lives. That's all me."

"Well, it might not be illegal for them to photograph her coming out, but it's not like they can photograph her inside her house or step onto the property," he reminds me. "Is there a reason she didn't just move in with you? Or did you not want that?"

I laugh into my mug. "No, I wanted it. She didn't."

Annoyingly amused, he smiles with raised brows. "No?"

"Fuck off," I mutter, which only makes him laugh.

"Can I ask why?"

"She said that she doesn't want to live with anyone until she either has children with them or they're engaged to be married."

His expression shifts into something more surprised just like I was to hear that. "Sort of a refreshingly outdated look on it, right?"

"I guess," I take another sip. "I'm not mad that she doesn't want to live with me, but I have no doubts that I want her to and now I feel like it puts us in a weird position because to get what I want I'd have to marry or have kids with her. It's not that I don't want either of those things with her because I can see it clearly already, but it's about the timing. I'm not ready for kids or marriage."