No Control • hs

twenty-eight

I fly back out to South Carolina tonight because I have work tomorrow morning. My mom and I just went to Starbucks, I got a caramel macchiato and my mom got the same thing.

I love it at home, there's no threat from Niall and Zayn and no chaos from Harry. Even more notifications come up on my phone, but this time some of them are from Liam and Louis.

Liam- Peyton, you need to come home, Harry needs you in his life. You are everything to him. He loves you more than you could even imagine.

Louis- Harry hasn't come out of the apartment since Friday, it's now Wednesday. Please come back, for Harry's sake.

Harry- Peyton, come back, my life is not complete without you. I screwed up, and I won't screw up again. Be at my apartment door Thursday night at 8:00 I'll know that you love me. If you are not, I'll move on to someone else.

I grab my phone and dial my mom's number. My mom doesn't pick up. "I'm on my way to the airport," I speak into my phone "someone needs me tonight and I will make this up to you soon, love you." I slip my phone in my bag and practically speed to the car rental place by the airport. I don't have any time but to run to the gate I need to be at. I then realize my flight isn't until 7:00 pm. I have to pay extra money just to get a 5:00 flight.

"Do you have any flights to South Carolina I can get right now?" I ask, out of breath.

"Yes, they are boarding right now."

"Okay, I need a ticket."

"Well, which class would you like, we have-"

"I just need a ticket, I don't care what class, what seat, or what row. All I need is a ticket."

"We have a third class-"

"Okay thanks." I pry the ticket out of her hand and walk through the gate. Now all I can do is wait.

***

We land and its 7:30, it took way longer than expected because of weather and turbulence.

My car is still in the airport parking lot. I try not to speed, but I'm at least 15 mph over the speed limit. I park in the apartment complex parking garage. It's now 7:55, five more minutes. The elevator slowly ascends to his floor and its 7:59 when I step in front of his door. The clock strikes 8:00 and I see the doorknob turn slowly then the door opens fully.

"D.amn" Harry says, breathlessly.

***

"Okay, so, the day you left, I got fired from the coffee shop."

"What?" My eyes widen. "How do you get fired, did you not make the coffee hot enough?" We were well over the apologizing period, it was now 2:00am and we sat in Harry's bedroom like I had never left.

"They found out about the days I skipped and they didn't want me anymore." Harry takes a sip of his cheap coffee.

"Have you found another job yet?"

"Well, not exactly, I have been looking though."

"What about the preschool?" I trace my fingers over his knobby knuckles.

"I don't know, you probably don't want me working with you anymore anyways."

"Well, I don't really mind."

Harry shrugged. "As long as I get payed, I'm in."

"You can come to work with me on Monday and we'll see what openings they have." We sit in silence and soak up the emptiness that fills the space. Gradually, sleep deprivation takes over us and I fall asleep with my head on his stomach, our bodies laying perpendicular. I wake up to the sun hitting the sheets, creating a warm amber color that falls across the whole bed. Harry toys with my hair and I am tempted to close my eyes again and fall right back into a deep sleep. I decide against it and turn my body so that I can face Harry.

A smile grows across his face. "Good morning."
And that, my friends, is the most comforting sight I ever did see.

***

"I have to go take back my hotel room key." Harry and I sit on his couch now, on our fifth cup of cheap coffee in the last 24 hours.

"I can come with you, if you want." Harry offers.

"You're driving then." I say, then we are off to the hotel. I'm in charge of the music and he is in charge of driving. He always makes sure that I have songs he knows on the playlist so he can sing along with me and not feel left out. We finish the chorus of "Treasure" by Bruno Mars as we pull up to the hotel. We get out and go inside, hand in hand for the first time in a while.

Susana, the front desk lady, and I exchange information. "Would you like to make sure you have everything from your room before you turn this in?" Susana asks, holding out my room key.

"Might as well." Harry and I go to the room with 36b above it and I unlock the door. I turn to look under the bed, and then I get up and walk towards Harry. "Looks like I have everythi-" Harry  grabs my neck and pulls my head closer to his in a kiss. He picks me up , I wrap my legs around his back, and then he lies my back on the soft, messy sheets of the hotel bedroom. Harry takes his shirt off, then breaks our kiss to fold it. I give him an annoyed glance.

"What? This shirt wrinkles very easily."

"Put that back on, I have to go turn in my key." Harry sighs and slips his shirt back on.

"Way to ruin the moment." Harry says, opening the door. I slap him with the back of my hand, and walk out.

"You ruined the moment the second you started folding that shirt."