The Maiden in Winter // Harry Styles Series #4

FIFTY EIGHT

~H~

(group text from Harry to Mitch and Sarah)

She forgave me. I told her everything. Cried like a bloody baby and she listened and forgave me and now I'm going to spend the night at her place because evidently my house stinks. We're going to come back and 'clean the hell out of it' tomorrow. I love her. She's perfect

(text from Mitch) 

That's cool man. Why don't you just get someone in to clean?

(text from Sarah) 

I'm glad things are ok. Alex is awesome, but nobody's perfect. Just keeping it real.

(text from Harry) 

Ok, not perfect. How about the best? She's the best girlfriend I've ever had. I'm not getting someone in to clean because it'll feel a hundred times better if I do it myself.

(text from Sarah) 

She told you that, didn't she?

(text from Harry) 

No.

(text from Sarah) 

Harry?

(text from Harry) Ok, yes.

(text from Mitch) 

No point in lying to S, man, trust me.

(text from Sarah) 

No point at all. Lol. Have a good sleepover at Alex's tonight.

(text from Mitch) 

Yeah, but not too much sleeping!

(text from Harry) 

Not too much, I promise. Love you both.

(text from Sarah) 

Love you.

(text from Mitch) 

Love you.

~A~

"Everything ok?" Harry was on his phone as we drove to my house.

"Just texting Sarah and Mitch. They knew I was going to see you tonight. I wanted them to know things are ok."

I was so glad he had them. He hadn't known them nearly as long as I'd known Andy, but their relationship was obviously just as close. Andy. What was I going to tell him? How was I going to explain Harry's behavior without revealing the thing that caused it?

That was something I could think about later. The present was for Harry, and Harry alone.

Nyx and Lux sniffed our guest hesitantly at first, then began to purr as he scratched between their ears and under their chins. They trailed behind us as we went upstairs, where Harry placed his bag on the low chair in a corner of my bedroom.

"Do they sleep with you?"

"Usually, but we can shut them out of the room tonight if you'd like."

"No, I don't mind." Lux was on the bed, rubbing fiercely against Harry, leaving great swathes of white hairs behind on his faded and frayed black Pleasing sweatshirt. "Maybe I should've worn white." He was brushing idly at the fur.

"If you had, Nyx would be the one loving on you. I'm pretty sure it's a conspiracy between them. Here," I said, as I pushed the cat gently away and pressed myself against the man in front of me. "Shall I take his place?"