Baby Lips

Chapter 31

I woke up in the middle of Harry’s bed. With all of Harry’s blankets and sheets and pillows surrounding me. With Harry’s sweater on. But with no Harry. 

My eyes narrowed in suspicion as I sat up in bed. Everything looked the same. Everything was in its place, but something felt different. I tossed my legs over the side of the bed and grabbed my leggings off the spot on the floor where they were tossed last night.  

I shivered as thoughts of Harry’s hands all over my skin flooded back into my brain, but quickly snapped out of my dream world and came back to reality. And the reality was that I seemed to have misplaced my Harry Styles. 

I poked my head in the bathroom only to see an empty toilet and shower and sink. I checked in the guest room that I was supposed to be sleeping in, yet that was also vacant. I spun out of the guest room and walked down the steps. Harry had probably just woken up before me and was being chatty with his mom or sister or just sitting in front of the television eating something with that blank stare on his face. 

But when I came downstairs I did not see Harry with his mouthful or talking to his family or any Harry at all. What I saw was Gemma, delicately wrapping her fingers around her tea cup and bringing it to her lips as her eyes scanned the glossy pages of the magazine she was flipping through. She looked up when she heard my footsteps. 

“Oh, good morning.” She sat down her cup and folded her hands together. I smiled at her and stepped closer. Like she was some kind of wild animal and she just gave me sign she was comfortable with my presence. 

“Hi.” I greeted her. “I-um, where’s Harry?” I stepped even closer. I didn’t want to push my luck and take a seat across from her just yet. But soon she nodded her head at the chair and I pulled it out and plopped down in front of her. 

“He went out with his friends for a bite to eat. And my mum went to go get some flour.” She shook her head. “Honestly, who forgets to buy flour when the next day is Christmas Eve?”  

I smiled a little bit. Things had been happening so fast that I almost forgot my birthday was tomorrow. And well, I guess Jesus’ birthday was soon too. But, mine was first!  

“Oh.” I replied. Gemma peeked up at me with a smirk on her face. She sighed and rested her chin on her hand. 

“Would you like to join mine and my mum’s baking festivities?” I laughed and nodded. Pretty much anything you thought an old woman would enjoy doing, I enjoyed as well. I guess you can say I’m an old soul but I just say that I’m boring. 

“Want some tea? Or coffee?” She asked scooting out of her chair. I sighed and decided I would go along with this new and very nice Gemma. And I secretly hoped she stayed. 

“Yeah,” I shook my hand through my hair. “Tea would be nice.” Gemma quickly smiled at me before pressing off her chair completely and fiddling with mugs and tea bags. 

And as she swore under her breath because the water was so hot, my mind wandered down the only path it could: Harry. 

It was a bit strange that he didn’t tell me he was going out. But then again, maybe he didn’t want to wake me because I looked so beautiful while I slept? Even though I knew that wasn’t true because let’s face it, Scarlett McVay looks like a snoring wild animal when she sleeps.  

So why did he just skip out so early? There is the possibility that he just wanted to see his friends. He hadn’t been home in ages and he probably missed his old chums. I settled with that reasoning. Mostly because it seemed the most logical and because Gemma was staring at me funny because I was staring into space; lost on that Harry path.