Karma ||H.S||

Chapter 45

"Paisley Hayes?" Harry's Mom stands in the doorway, and apparently remembers me. It shouldn't surprise me that she knows who I am, considering I was Harry's first girlfriend, and I recall just how much she liked me. She used to gush over how thrilled she was that her only son had found a smart girl who made him as happy as I made him. And as I stand here trying not to make eye contact with green eyes that resemble her sons, I wonder if she knows what I did to him. I wonder if she knows that Harry and I go to school together and that we've been reunited, and that we've spent the last six months together. "How are you, doll? Come in! Harry will be thrilled to see you!"

"I—um," I stutter. "Is he home?" I'm unsure if I want to go into their house, so I don't move a muscle, keeping my eyes drawn to the ground before me, despite how happy she looks to see me. She clearly hasn't got a clue as to what has happened between us.

"Does he know you're back in town?" she asks. "It's been so long since you've seen each other." She pulls me into the house and closes the door behind me. "Oh my goodness! What on earth happened to you?"

"I—uhh." I'm at a loss for words, and I can feel my cheeks start to heat up in embarrassment. Why did I come over here? This was a mistake.

"Hmm—" She looks at me curiously, brushing the hair out of my face and taking a good look at the black and blue spread out on the side of my face. "Harry has a black eye right now, too."

"He what?" I ask, finally allowing myself to look at her. "Is he alright?"

"It's not quite as bad as yours is though." Her eyes widen, as if coming to a realization about something. "You're her, aren't you?"

"Who?"

"The girl Harry has been seeing at school," she answers, the smile returning to her face. "I should have known it was you. He talks about this girl exactly the same way he did about you in high school—I should have known. Now tell me, what did the two of you get into, that caused these black eyes of yours."

I don't say anything. I don't know what to say. I want to get out of here and pretend I never came over here. What the hell was I thinking?

"So secretive, the two of you have gotten," she says, crossing her arms. "I'm happy you are back together! That's so nice! I always loved you for him!"

"Oh, well—we aren't—" I sigh, looking back to the ground, unable to finish the sentence. If I don't say it out loud, there's no possible way it's true.

"Who's here, Mom?" Harry's voice comes from the top of the stairs, and I take a deep breath realizing the time has come to face him.  She moves to the side, allowing me to be in his line of vision, as I listen to him walk down the wooden staircase, without looking away from the floor.

"Harry, why didn't you tell me you were—"

"What are you doing here?" The anger in his voice startles me and my eyes instantly shoot up to look at him, revealing the look on his face resembles the tone in his voice. But it immediately changes to a wide eyed, mouth gaping stare, as I watch him rush down the rest of the stairs, pushing past his mom and brushing the hair out of my face without missing a beat. "What happened to your face?"

It takes me a second to realize Harry is standing before me. Close to me. Touching my skin, as he takes in the colors on my face. He sounds worried. Uneasiness etched into his features. I feel like the world is spinning as I stare into his eyes, but quickly come back from it, moving my face and stepping back from him. "What happened to yours?"

"What happened to your face, Paisley?" he asks, this time with force. 

"No!" I say loudly. "You don't get to ask questions Harry. I deserve answers. You don't!"