Hidden [h.s]

THIRTY ONE (EDITED)

When I wake in the morning, I'm laying lengthwise on the couch, wrapped snugly in a blanket. The events of the night before flood back to my memory; how Harry and I decided to be friends and we both fell asleep on the couch. He must have moved me when he woke.

I hear a hushed voice speaking around me.

"Yes, I got the goddamn note," Harry is saying. He must be on the phone. There's a pause. "Look, she has nothing to do with anything at all, so leave her alone." My heart rate accelerates.

"She's not part of this! What do I have to do for you to leave her be?"

A pause.

"I haven't told her shit, why can't you just listen to me?"

His voice raises slightly.

He sighs. "Fuck," He curses under his breath.

There's a short pause. "Alright, I'll be there by three."

I assume he hangs up, because a string of curses emits from him.

What note? What is he going to do today at three?

I yearn to find out, but I know I risk losing our newly found friendship if I snoop.

I stay with my thoughts for a while longer before falling back asleep.

After what seems like minutes later, the smell of eggs and bacon engulfs my senses and I sit up slowly, squinting at the time on the DVR.

10:42 am.

"Ah, you're up." Harry smiles at me from the kitchen where he fries sizzling strips of bacon on a pan. He wears a denim button down shirt with the top button undone and his usual dark jeans. Multiple necklaces hang around his neck his cheeks are flushed a healthy pink.

"About time, too," He says, placing some bacon on a plate next to the stove. "I though you'd gone into hibernation."

This nice side of Harry is one that I'm unaccustomed to, and it takes me a moment to respond. "You could have woken me," I say, standing from the couch. I look down at myself and realize I'm still wearing my jeans and cardigan from yesterday. I sigh.

"I went over and brought you some fresh clothes," Harry says, nodding past me at the coffee table. "Thought you'd want to change."

I look down at the coffee table and sure enough, fresh jeans and a top are neatly folded.

I pick them up, smiling a bit.

"Thanks," I say, stifling a laugh. Harry went into my apartment to get me fresh clothes? Who is this person and what have they done with Harry?

Harry raises an eyebrow at me. "Something funny?"

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I'll just go change." I lock myself in the bathroom and stare at my reflection.

I quickly change into the jeans and baby blue long sleeved shirt. I let my hair fall in its natural waves and exit the bathroom.

I remember the phone call I overheard early this morning.

I can't let him know I heard.

"So," I say as Harry hands me a plate of breakfast. "What are you doing today?"

Harry shrugs. "Not a lot," He says. "What about you?"

"I need to go grocery shopping," I tell him. Well, it is true. I'm pretty out of food, and I'll need it for the week.

"Sounds like a blast," Harry says, picking up his phone and scrolling through it.

I nod and continue eating. I want so badly to know where he's going this afternoon. It feels like it's eating me alive.

I help Harry clean my dishes when I'm done. He leans back against the counter and crosses his arms loosely over his chest.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," I say quietly.

He nods. "I am kind of the reason why all of that happened..." The corners of his mouth turn down.

"No, you're not," I say. "Don't blame yourself."

Harry doesn't say anything as I walk to the door, my clothes from yesterday folded in my arms.

"I guess I'll see you at work, then," I say to Harry.

He nods again and shoots me a half smile. I unlock my apartment and let myself in, gasping when I see the place.

Everything is neatly back in its place. The pillows are arranged perfectly on the couch, and the dishes are back in the cabinets. I walk into my bedroom. The bed is made and the pictures are all back on my table. The photo of Aaron and I has a crack straight down the center, though, dividing it in half. I frown. I'll have to get a new frame for that.

I put my things down and walk back into the living room. Harry most have done this when he came to get me fresh clothes. My eye catches on a piece of paper on the kitchen counter.

Rosie,

Sorry about the mess the other day. Thought you'd want some help cleaning up.

-Harry

The gesture is so nice I barely notice that he calls me 'Rosie'. I fold the note and put it in the pocket of my jeans.

I gather my things back up and exit my apartment, making sure to lock the door behind me. I get into my car and drive to the store. thinking of how I fell asleep next to Harry last night.

Would Aaron be upset? I mean, it's not like anything happened. I just fell asleep, and so did he. No big deal, right?

Yeah, but you've kissed Harry, my mind sneers. He kissed you, and you kissed him back.

I swallow. Should I tell Aaron? Would he get mad and break up with me?

I decide against it for the time being. With all the drama involving my apartment, I don't want to deal with an angry Aaron right now.

I park my car at the Safeway and walk into the store, pulling up my shopping list on my phone. I walk through the isles, pulling different foods from the shelves and putting them in my cart.

I'm deciding on what flavour to get of ice cream when I hear my name.

"Rose!"

I turn and meet the warm brown eyes of Liam. He smiles at me.

"Hi," I say, shooting him a smile.

"Fancy seeing you here," He says. "Picking out ice cream, I see."

I smile. "Yeah," I say. "Any suggestions?"

"They're all good to me," He says, shrugs.

I laugh. "I like mint chocolate chip."

"That's a good one."

When I first met Liam, he had mentioned he was friends with Harry. Hell, he had been on his way to Harry's.

"Liam," I say. "How long have you and Harry known each other?"

Liam squints, thinking. "About a year and a half," he says.

"Oh." I pause. "What...um, how does he know Niall?" Surely Liam must know Niall if they were playing poker together that night. And Niall obviously works with Harry in whatever it is Harry does outside of Crystal.

Liam raises an eyebrow at me. "They met through a mutual friend," He says.

"Hmm." I nod. Liam must think I'm insane for asking these odd questions. "I was just wondering."

"Right." Liam smiles again. "Well, I've got to run. See you around, Rose."

"Bye." I smile back at him as he turns and walks away. I notice he didn't buy anything.

I check the time. It's two o'clock. Whatever it is that Harry has to do is in an hour.

I move to check out my items.