The Fate of Serendipity

Chapter 11

When I get back to the house, Harry still isn't there, which means that he probably wasn't stupid and walked the rest of the way home.  My mind is still running a thousand miles per hour at Harry's words. My mom is at work right now, but when she gets home, I'm going to ask her about the adopting crap that Harry was spewing out in the car.  I swear, he does everything he can to get on my nerves.  I don't know if I believe him about the whole kidnapping thing, but it's not my fault either way.  And not only that, why did he kiss me?  I haven't had a guy touch me other than Wes since the thing with Asher last year, and it wasn't because I didn't want anyone to touch me, but it was that I couldn't handle a guy touching me without me cringing in disgust.  I couldn't describe how I felt when Harry leaned forward and planted one on me.  When he pulled me over onto his lap, before I started freaking out, it was like I felt safe, and I thought I would never be able to feel that way again until today.  I wish I didn't have to feel it with Harry, but even when he lifted his fist up, I knew he wouldn't hit me.

I decide to go up to my room to get my homework to do on the coffee table downstairs to wait for my mom to get home.  Four hours later, when I'm finished with homework, I pull out my battered copy of The Great Gatsby and read before I doze off to sleep on the couch.

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When I awaken again, my book is lying on the coffee table, and someone has thrown a blanket on me and put a pillow behind my head.  I open my eyes to the sound of loud murmurs coming from the kitchen.

"-can't be mad at her forever, Harry," I hear my mom's voice drift over to the living room from the kitchen.

"I'm trying, Ellie.  Just thinking about her before made me so angry, but now that I've met her, I forget why I hated her in the first place.  When I was walking home after she kicked me out of the car, I knew I shouldn't have said that things I said.  I had a lot of time to contemplate what I said to her, and I know she doesn't deserve any of it.  I want to hate her, but she's not easy to hate," Harry huffs.  Wow, did I just hear Harry say that he doesn't hate me?

"She kicked you out of her car?  I'll have to talk to her about that.  Anyway, you guys would actually find that you have a lot in common once you stop your bickering and get to know each other.  Harry, what happened before happened a long time ago, and it'd be best for everyone if you would just let it go.  I know she'll forgive you for whatever you said and I can tell you don't hate her as much as you used to anymore; no one could hate my baby girl," Mom says proudly.  Wait...what? How does Mom know what happened between me and Harry?  Did he tell her?  Silence falls on the house for a few seconds before my mom speaks up again.

"Oh, and Harry, give her the blankets that are next to the couch.  The ones you put on her have been collecting dust in the cupboard for years."  I hear my mom walk up the stairs and shut her bedroom door.

With my eyes closed, I hear Harry go over to the side of the couch and grab a blanket from the pile.  He carefully takes the old blankets off of me and tosses the other blanket onto my still form and tucks them into the sides of the couch.  I feel his gaze on me for a couple of seconds, and I'm just about to drift off to sleep again when I hear him whisper, "I'm sorry, Maya" and walk up the stairs to his room. Wow, who knew Harry had a caring side?  I twist and turn on the couch until I get into a comfortable position and doze off to sleep again.

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When I wake up once again, the house is quiet; I'm guessing Harry and my mom are still in their rooms.  I get up off the couch and fold the blankets, all the while humming to myself.  I yawn and stretch my arms while walking to the kitchen to get some water.  I grab a glass from the top cabinet and walk over to fridge to fill it up when I feel a rush of air dash past me.