Prove It (H.S)

Chapter Seventeen

Today is the day that Harry and I fly to Oregon and all I can think about is being home with my grandmother. My excitement is shown as I hum while carefully placing clothes in my suitcase. Harry is perched on my bed, staring at the ceiling, bringing nothing but a small duffle bag.

"You do know we're only going for two nights, right?" He remarks, raising his brows at my overly stuffed luggage. I roll my eyes and smile at him. "I like to be prepared. Besides, the clothes that are at my house already were left there for a reason." He chuckles at the disgusted face I make and folds his arms behind his back. "So," I begin, to break the silence as I pack my makeup,"have you spoken to Zayn since we bumped into him at the coffee stand?" Harry sighs and rubs his hand over his face.

"No, and I'm glad." I nod, zipping my suitcase closed. I stand and put my hands on my hips in satisfaction. "Well, I think we can go now." Harry hops to his feet and grabs my suitcase for me, along with his bag. "Finally!" He cheers, practically running out the door.

The drive to the airport is filled with Coldplay playing in the background and Harry groaning over the slow drivers in the typical LA traffic. Eventually, the car gets moving at a tolerable pace and Harry says,"So your parents know I'm coming, right?" His nervousness is adorable and the way he bites his lower lip practically has me drooling.

"Of course! And don't be so anxious, they'll love you!" He relaxes slightly, but I can still see the nerves running wild behind those emerald eyes. Harry pulls into the airport exit and I place my hand on his shoulder. "Here we go," he says.

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Harry's POV~

The flight was awful, Claire and I were stuck sitting with a snoring old man that flailed his arms every time the plane endured even the slightest turbulence. The only thing getting me through that was Claire's small whispers in my ear and light kisses on my jaw.

Fortunately, baggage claim went smoothly and now all that's left to do is wait for our car. Claire has explained to me that her parents couldn't pick us up because they wanted to prepare the house before we came, so they called us a car. How sweet.

As we wait in the humid Portland air, Claire wraps a thin arm around my waist, leaning into my side. I kiss the top of her head. She pulls away when a black SUV drives up next to us and a short, bald man hops out. "Ms.Hoffman?" Claire nods, smiling and the little man grins, grabbing our luggage and throwing it in the trunk. He then hurries and opens the door for us.

I can't help but laugh at the way his little legs have to rush around so quickly and Claire swats at my arm, causing me to laugh harder. We sit in the back, quietly, as the car pulls away from the airport. "You okay?" She asks, looking up at me, her blue eyes twinkling. "Yeah, are you?" She nods, flashing me a perfect smile. "Excited." I smile back at her and kiss her nose. "Good."

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The drive from the airport isn't too long, and I tip the tiny man, thanking him. When I walk around to the curb, as the car pulls away, Claire is staring at me, a mile long grin on her face. I look from her to the house she stands in front of. It's a decent sized brick house with lots of plants in the front landscaping. Quite charming.

I walk up to her, kissing her cheek and grabbing her hand as we walk up to the front door. I won't lie, my stomach is twisting and turning, worried of what her family will think of a random tattooed twenty-one year old standing beside their beloved daughter.

My worrying is cut short when the door swings open, revealing who I assume to be Claire's mother. She's quite stunning for a woman her age, and has a perfect smile, just like Claire. "Oh sweetheart! I'm so glad you're home!" The two of them exchange a long, tight hug. Their hair intertwining into a big blonde mess.

When they finally pull away, Claire places her hand on my back. "Mom, this is Harry." Her mother smiles at me, warmly and I reach my hand out for her to shake. "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs.Hoffman." She shakes my hand, placing her other on top of it. "Please, call me Ruth."

Ruth leads us into her home, and I'm impressed by the decorating. Everything is pristine, just like Claire's dorm. Well now I know where she got that from.

"Harry, this is my dad, Geoff Hoffman." Claire introduces me to her father, a tall, broad man, quite intimidating if I do say so myself. "Nice to meet you sir," I say after a big gulp. Geoff walks towards me and shakes my hand, quite a firm grip he's got. "Hello, Harry." He smiles, easing my nerves.

"Claire-Bear? Is that you?" Claire's eyes light up at the sound of the old woman's voice. "Grandma!" She runs to the small woman, slowly walking into the room. She has gray hair that's pulled back into a small bun, and ice-blue eyes just like Claire's. When they pull away from their sweet embrace, the woman's eyes dart to me and she smiles a wrinkled grin.

I walk over to her, Claire smiles at me reassuringly the whole time. "You must be Grace," I say, kissing the woman's cheek. "Indeed I am. You're Harry?" I nod, and she takes my hands in hers. "Quite the stunner, you've got here, Claire-Bear," she says, and everyone in the room laughs, including me.

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Geoff takes our luggage upstairs as Claire and her mother make their way to the kitchen to prepare a snack. That leaves Grace and I in the living room, alone. I look at her and she's staring at me, a sweet smile playing on her lips. I glance away nervously, rubbing my knees.

I can hear Claire's beautiful laugh coming from the other room and the sound makes me smile. Grace must notice this because she says,"She's something, isn't she?" I look at her again, her head is rested against the quilted chair she sits on. "Yes, she is."
She sits up a little straighter and her stare becomes a little more intense.

"Harry, I can tell you're a good man, so I know that this won't be hard for you, but please, please take care of my Claire-Bear. She loves you, I can tell by the way she looks at you. She loves you." I nod, smiling at these words. "Claire, believe it or not, does have a fragile heart, though, and I just want your word. Your word that you'll take care of that heart, and love it with all you have, because that's what she'll do with yours."

Grace's words sink into me and all I can do is nod. She leans back into the chair and I gather my courage to say,"I will, you have my word."