The Bad Boy

Chapter 137

Harry's P.O.V.

The plane ride is long as f*** and Gemma's presence does nothing but irritate me. She sits next to the window, knees propped up on the seat in front of us, sketchbook and pencils on her lap. She's working on some drawing of a dress that looks outrageous to me, but the lady behind her complimented her on it so I guess it's not as bad as I thought. During the forever long ride I take time to read through the highlighted sections of Steph's After book. What she's highlighted worries me. It's things like, "My life before him was so simple and decided. Now after him....it's just after" and "You make me want to be good for you" and I know that second one wasn't talking about her...

FInally the plane touches down. It feels like they circled the airport an extra ten dozen times just to piss me off. Gemma jogs to keep up with me as I rush through the airport. We get a cab and I instruct it to drive me to Stephanie's apartment complex. Gemma purses her lips and gives me a look when I tell the cab driver where to go, but thankfully she doesn't say anything.

Stephanie's P.O.V.

Miles and I take a cab back to the apartment and I have him wait outside, keeping the cab running. I grab Harry's black duffel and throw in clothes and other little stuff I might need, as well as my laptop. I look around for my favorite book but I can't find it anywhere, so I just give up and run back down to the cab. Miles and I hop in and the cab speeds away. I feel the pressure on my chest decreasing with every foot we get away from the apartment complex. Seing Harry again would destroy all these walls I've started putting up and he'd be able to get to me. That would put mr right back into the place I finally got out of and I never want to go back there.

Too soon we arrive at Miles' apartment complex. He carries my bag up. It's a remodeled pencil factory, he tells me. We ride up in a freight elevator. Everything is concrete or brick and once we get inside I see it's the same way in his apartment. The floors are unfinished concrete and the walls are all red brick, the whole space is very open and it is perfectly Miles.

"It's so pretty." I say.

"It's nice enough. It gets kind of cold at night though." MIles points up and I look at the high ceiling and all the open ductwork. "I'm going to take this into the spare bedroom. Feel free to make yourself at home."

He disappears down a hallway and I survey the apartment's living area, kitchen, and dining area. There's a window next to the dining area letting in lots of natural light, even with the grey New York sky. I walk over and look out the window, seeing that Miles has a great view of central park.

"Steph? Did you hear me?" Miles hand on my shoulder brings me out of my trance.

"No, I'm sorry I was just thinking." I shake my head to clear my thoughts before turning to Miles. "This is really a lovely place you have here."

"Thank you." Miles smiles. "Is there anything you want to do or do you just want to hang out here?" 

"Can we just watch some TV or something? I need to be distracted." I suggest.

"Suer." Miles says and walks over to the over stuffed couch. We sit down and he clicks on the TV, propping his feet up on the coffee table. I tug off my shoes and cross my feet under me.

As much as I enjoy Miles' company, I find myself wishing it was Harry next to me so I could prop my feet up on his lap and watch him pretend to hate the TV show he let me choose when in reality he'll become addicted and want to watch the rest of the season...

I mentally slap myself. I can't keep thinking like this, especially if he's in town. We're entering dangerous territory. I need to get a rubber band to snap on my wrist....