Gold Rush

Chapter 14

"I will look at you across any room and think you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen for as long as I breathe."

                                                                                                                            - A.R Asher

The lights in my apartment glowed warmly against the backdrop of a cool evening. Aspen and Nikos were on the couch, radiating that effortless kind of chemistry I could tell was genuine. Nikos was exactly the kind of guy I imagined for her—charming, funny, and with a confidence that seemed to put everyone at ease. Louis, meanwhile, sat next to me, leaning in just close enough that I could feel the heat of his arm against mine. The flirtation between us was easy, natural, and fun, though part of my attention drifted toward the door, wondering if Harry would show.

The doorbell rang, and Aspen, eyes bright, mouthed, "He's here." I rolled my eyes but smiled, making my way to answer it.

Harry stepped inside, alone.

"Where's Colette?" I asked, keeping it casual, though curiosity tugged at the edges of my voice.

"She's... busy," Harry shrugged, avoiding my gaze. "Work stuff."

"Right," I nodded, but there was something in his tone, an excuse just thin enough to be suspicious. I introduced him to Louis, watching closely for Harry's reaction.

"Louis, this is Harry. Harry, this is Louis," I said, emphasizing Louis's name just a bit, curious to see how Harry would handle it.

"Nice to meet you," Louis said, extending his hand with a friendly grin.

"Likewise," Harry replied, shaking Louis's hand. There was a beat of silence before I added casually, "Louis is in a band. They're heading out on an arena tour next week."

"Oh, that's cool," Harry said, disinterested, his eyes flicking over to me briefly. "What band is that again?"

"Voyager!" I replied, "They're getting huge!"

Harry furrowed his brow, feigning ignorance. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Louis chuckled lightly, not pushing it. I felt the tension settle into the air, an undercurrent that only I seemed to notice.

Aspen, ever the social butterfly, clapped her hands. "Alright, who's ready for some Pictionary?"

We all gathered around, splitting into teams. Since Harry was alone, I ended up partnering with both him and Louis at different points in the game. Louis and I went first, sketching out a ridiculous drawing of a giraffe that somehow morphed into a tree before he guessed it correctly. We laughed, shoulders brushing, our connection easy and fun.

But when it was Harry's turn, something shifted.

We worked together seamlessly, almost as if we were reading each other's minds. I drew the vaguest shape—a swirl that didn't seem to mean anything yet—and Harry immediately guessed, "Hurricane!"

"Yes!" I cheered, laughing, and we high-fived. Our hands lingered for a moment longer than necessary.

Aspen raised her eyebrows at me from across the room, and I knew she was watching, reading into the little moments between Harry and me.

Round after round, it became clearer: Harry was going out of his way to compete with Louis, and it wasn't just about winning. His guesses with me were sharper, faster, and whenever Louis and I got close or flirted, Harry's responses became more clipped.

"Okay, my turn!" Louis called, leaning into me as I began to draw.

He started making playful guesses—"A cat! A palm tree! Uh, your attempt at a cat climbing a palm tree?"—and I couldn't stop laughing. Harry, across the room, was watching, jaw tight, his fingers drumming restlessly against his knee.

Louis leaned closer, his hand brushing mine as he handed me the marker for the next round. "I think we've got this," he whispered.

"Definitely," I whispered back, a grin spreading across my face.

Harry's eyes narrowed. The next time it was his turn to guess, he became laser-focused, snapping, "Spaceship!" before I'd even finished drawing the outline. Another high-five between us—this time quicker, but no less charged.

Finally, the games wrap up, and people start to relax, retreating to different corners of the apartment. Aspen and Nikos are cuddled up on the couch, laughing with one of the other couples, while Louis is talking to Hannah and her fiancé near the window. Harry heads into the kitchen, and after a moment, I follow.

"You're doing okay?" I ask, grabbing a glass of water from the counter.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Harry says, though his tone is off. He glances toward Louis, who's still laughing with the others. "So... what's going on with you two?"

I pause, surprised by the question. "Louis? Oh, nothing serious."

Harry raises an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a half-smile. "Doesn't seem like nothing."

I lean back against the counter, studying him. There's something behind his words, something unsaid, but I'm not sure I want to be the one to drag it out. "It's really not. We've just been hanging out."

Harry nods, but he doesn't look convinced. "Right."

"Why? Jealous?" I tease, but it's meant to lighten the mood.

He looks at me, really looks at me, and for a second, I think he's going to say something serious. But instead, he sighs. "I should get going. Colette's probably waiting."

I frown, feeling a little disappointed. "You're leaving already? It's still early."

"Yeah. Sorry," he says, not meeting my eyes. "I had fun though."

"Me too," I say softly. "Don't be a stranger."

He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll see you."

As he turns to leave, I notice his jacket still slung over the back of one of my kitchen chairs. I pick it up, but by the time I look up, he's already out the door.

"Harry, wait! Your jacket—" But he's gone. I stand there for a moment, holding it, feeling the soft leather between my fingers, before tossing it over the back of the chair.

Louis walks in a minute later, his easy smile still in place. "Hey, what are you doing in here? Come on, we're gonna play Cards Against Humanity."

I grin and follow him back into the living room. I had a really great time with him the rest of the night but I couldn't help my mind from wandering back to Harry.

At the end of the night, I hugged Aspen goodbye and whispered in her ear, "I think NG is a keeper."

She shot me a wink and headed out the door wth Nikos. I turned to Louis, the only one left in my apartment, standing by the kitchen island with his Jacket in hand as if he was about to head out as well.

"You should stay," I said while stepping closer to him.

"Whatever the lady wants," he replied while setting his jacket back down, then stepping into me.

He locked eyes with me as he laid a hand on my face and planted a kiss on my lips. I kissed him back, and it felt nice, however, I couldn't stop a certain Brit from creeping into the back of my mind.