The Honesty Rule

3:: Matchmaker

I was the last into Wool on Tuesday morning. Harry and I hadn't seen the others since we came back from the hike, but I was most excited about seeing Harry. In the forty-eight hours since we'd been back in Melbourne, I'd spent most of my time thinking about Harry. I wanted to go back to the moment when were standing on top of the mountain, looking out to the gorgeous valley below, and we felt tired and a bit dizzy from all the hiking up the steeper of the two paths. He grabbed my hand and we stared at the view for what felt like the most amazing forever, and then he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back. In the year and a bit I'd known Harry, I'd never thought about him as anything but a friend, but on the way back in the car we talked about us and the future and everything else and now we're officially dating and maybe we're moving too fast but I don't care this just feels so right.

"Hey! Kate!" Chloe waved me over to the usual booth near the back of the cafe when she saw me walk in, and I sat down in the empty spot next to Harry. He grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed it, and I gave him a tiny smile.

"So! How was the hike?" Madeline asked Harry and I.

We both nodded. "It was so gorgeous, the views were amazing," I said.

"I got some pretty great photos," Harry added. I felt those happy-nervous butterflies in my stomach, knowing this conversation would eventually lead to our new relationship.

Harry talked about the hike for a bit more, telling the story of how we'd gotten stuck in that gas station bathroom. We ended up being stuck in there for most of the night; because when we went to call someone, and no ones phone was working. I thought Harry had his, which he had left in the car, and he thought I had had mine, which I did, but it only had two percent and it ran out before we even pressed call. And we'd left the portable charger in the car. Someone came into the bathroom at about one am, and let us out. By then, I was starving, but at least no one was hurt or dead.

Ten minutes later, Madeline asked "Kate, what's up with you? You haven't stopped smiling from the moment you walked in." I grinned, and my heart soared and simultaneously started to beat faster than it ever has before. I looked at Harry and we both nodded, as if to say 'yes, now is a good time.' Both Harry and I had wanted to live in our own little honeymoon phase bubble for as long as possible, but we had also decided it would be stupid to keep it from the others. We were all too close; and it wouldn't stay a secret for long, Chloe would guess. I'm surprised she hadn't already clicked.

"Well," Harry said.

"Well," I repeated, then giggled. Brilliant, I was turning into a giggly, heart-eyed moron.

"While we were away, Kate and I, well, we kind of..."

"We started dating!" I cut him off.

There was a second or two of silence where Madeline, Chloe and Hunter stared at us in shock, and then Chloe and Madeline broke into huge smiles, whilst Hunter grinned and gave Harry a high five. "You finally did it you little-" Hunter started, but Chloe whacked him upside the head.

"You finally did it?" I repeated, suddenly feeling very uneasy. I looked around at the others. They looked like they were trying not to laugh, but Harry looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

"Kate, I..." Harry sounded very nervous, which was kind of making me nervous. Why was he nervous?

"Harry's been desperately in love with you since we met you!" Chloe blurted out, obviously unable to contain herself any longer. She looks like she'd been busting to tell me for ages.

Harry loves me. Wait, what?

"What?" I asked out loud, confused and kind of really happy at the same time.