51.
"He's down for the count!" I yelled.
I had Harry on his stomach, sat on his lower back just above his bum with a knee either side of his waist.
I felt strangely accomplished, pinning his right arm around to his back which was bent at the elbow. My once obsessive viewing of police reality programmes had provided me with the knowledge in detaining an individual. Despite all the playful fighting it did make me wonder if Harry had been in this position before; wrestled to the ground by law enforcement and cuffed before being escorted to a waiting riot van.
It was thrilling to hold the dominating position for once, but I could tell he was holding back, allowing me indulge in our game. Our differing strength became apparent when Harry's phone began to ring. The release of his wrist was all too easy for my liking, but I refused to move from my comfy seated position.
"Easy." Harry jolted in surprise as I fumbled in the back pocket of his jeans.
I would be lying if I said I declined the opportunity to feel up his bum in doing so. A quick glance to the screen confirmed it was one of Harry's friends. I slid the lock across and pressed the phone to my ear.
"Hi Hayley."
"Bo." Harry wriggled beneath me.
I leant my weight forward a little more, taking his arm once again.
"Ah, Bo. You're actually the one I wanted to talk to. I tried to call you but your phone is off."
It sounded as if she was a little preoccupied, clattering could be heard until she moved away from the noise and a door closed.
"Oh yeah, I need to charge it."
The last few words rose in pitch, giggling as Harry sharply jutted his hips from the floor; a failed attempt rid himself of the nuisance. Hayley didn't seem to notice, continuing with the conversation.
"Just wondering if you had your outfit sorted for Friday night. I'm going shopping tomorrow, wanted to see if you'd like to come?"
"That would be great."
"Bo." Harry interrupted.
I skilfully placed the phone between my ear and shoulder, using my extra hand to restrain Harry fully.
"Is everything alright? Where's Harry?" Hayley voiced her curiosity.
"He's indisposed at the moment." I laughed, struggling to keep the phone to my ear whilst continuing to pin his wrist behind his back.
"Ha ha, very funny." Harry grumbled into the carpet.
"Well, I'll meet you outside the coffee shop opposite the cinema at one."
"Is it alright if I bring some friends along?"
"Of course, I'll see you all there." She cheerfully spoke.
"See you tomorrow."
I hung up the phone, leaning forward once again to pepper teasing kisses to Harry's right cheek. It took me a little by surprise at the rough growl that reverberated through his throat in annoyance.
"Now, now." I calmed "Don't go all werewolf on me."
"I'll bite you." He coarsely countered.
I was about to reply with a witty come back, but it was no use. My eyes squeezed closed and in that time Harry had negotiated his escape, pinning me to the carpet. It was astonishing, if not a little frightening at just how easily he turned the situation around.
"Oww!" I shrieked.
The phone my fingers had clutched bounced on the cushioned floor. I shrugged up my shoulders as Harry remerged from the curve of my neck, a weak attempt at protecting my skin from another attack of teeth and lips.
"I warned you. I prefer this position anyway." He smugly spoke.
"Did you just let me win?"
I couldn't prevent the disappointed tone bubbling through. There was no question he had been lenient with me, but I hadn't realised the amount of patience Harry had given. It was kind of sweet.
"Intellectually you have me pinned, but when it comes to the physical..."
My hand cupped his cheek as he hovered over me. The glow of his eyes warmed with my touch. He didn't give himself enough credit.
"I think you're smart."
A wide grin commenced before dipping and kissing the end of my nose.
"And I'd let you win any day."
I lightly shoved at his chest to test his statement and sure enough he shifted with my force to roll to his back. The TV was still quietly humming in the background, Harry sitting up and leaning against the front of the sofa. I was encouraged with a playful smile to crawl to him and settle between his bent legs. We sat in that position for a short time, Harry's head resting upon my shoulder as I tapped away on my phone, stretching the wire over the sofa as it charged. Not two minutes later and I had received texts in confirmation of my friends' attendance for the shopping trip.
"Are you going out with Hayley?"
"Yeah, tomorrow."
"Do you want a lift?" Harry absentmindedly offered, the majority of his attention still on the TV screen.
We had spent the last two and half hours watching 'Supernatural', a show that I had pestered him into trying. It amused me at just how quickly he had become immersed, to the point of hushing me so he could hear the dialogue.
"Lucy, Charlotte and Zoe are coming, too." I quietly informed him.
"Uh, that's fine, I can take them as well."
I pressed a kiss to his cheek, knowing full well he hadn't completely recovered from his last meeting with them. What with the interrogation and their attempt to make Harry prove his occupation.
***
"Are you ready to go?" Harry called up to my room.
"Hang on, hang on!"
I always left getting organised to the last minute for some reason, rushing around my room and collecting items that would be useful on a trip to the shops. Seconds later I caught a glimpse of Harry blocking the doorway, his line of sight followed me as I jogged back over to my dresser. He looked like a spectator at a tennis match.
"You told me you were good to go." He commented.
"Yeah, well I thought of something else."
He waited for me to charge back toward the bathroom before crossing the obstacle course that was my bedroom floor and taking a seat on the mattress. I watched in the mirror as Harry thumbed through the pages of the note book I had accidently left open.
"What's this?" He peered up, his palms making the object look smaller.
"Nothing."
I tucked the paper plane pendent into the neck of my shirt, making my way over to him and holding my hand out for the note book. My gesture was ignored, Harry exploring the penned words further.
"You've been writing?"
"Yeah, but it's not very good." I excused, reaching again.
He stood abruptly, holding my possession higher than my arms would allow.
"Harry." I complained.
He disregarded the scolding in my tone, strolling over to the far side of the room, eyes scanning the page. I cursed him for being so tall.
"Eyes alight with fire..." He frowned, absorbing the rest of the writing in quiet before a knowing grin transformed his face. "Is this me?" Harry asked excitedly.
"No." I hastily countered, jumping for the words on the page.
He easily avoided my attempt, raising it higher once again. I had a feeling he was enjoying this.
"It sounds like me."
"It's not you. It's just a story." I countered quickly.
I desperately shoved at his chest, taking him by surprise and toppling us backwards onto the mattress. His advantageous height no longer loomed over me, my body scrabbling over his to pry the book from his fingers. Once successful I rolled off, clamping the pages shut and placing it into my bag.
"What's it for?" He innocently inquired, propping himself up on his elbows.
"We're going to be late." I casually spoke, looking to my watch and turning to walk to the door.
I was half way down the stairs when Harry caught up, folding the denim jacket I had forgotten and placing it over my bag.
"Thanks." I smiled.
"Are you not going to tell me, Bo?" He sounded a little amused.
I ceased my movement at the front door, spinning to observe him. Hands were buried deep in his pockets, hair scruffily swept back, a tight black t-shirt clinging to his torso.
"You don't have to tell me, I'm, well, I'm just interested." He explained almost timidly.
Harry reached around me, twisting the handle and opening the door. The sun was warm, speckling across my skin through the small gaps in the leafy trees. My keys were taken and he locked the house up whilst I strolled down the path.
"You know I said I wanted to do a writing course at uni."
"Mm." Harry acknowledged, replacing my keys and taking my hand.
The conversation had surfaced a couple of times, Harry participated in discussions, but he was never fully engaged. I think that part of his brain shut down. The idea of university and moving away kind of went hand in hand. It was a topic neither of us were that comfortable with.
"Well, I thought that maybe they would want to read something of mine...if I got an interview."
We approached his car, stopping at the passenger door. His playful mood had taken a sudden turn, now appearing a little distant.
"No, that's a good idea." He agreed quietly.
His smile was weak, but I appreciated the gesture.
"If I secured a place somewhere and moved away, I could come home at the weekends, or you could come and see me." I suggested, waiting for his response.
"Yeah." He lightly nodded squeezing at my hand.
"It would be easy.."
"Bo." Harry interrupted.
I silenced my voice, peering at him. A visible gulp was taken, his thumb tapping against the back of my hand.
"Can we talk about something else?"
"Of course." The passenger door was opened and I climbed in. "Sorry, I'm boring you." I joked.
He leaned into the space between us, face nearing mine. The defeat in his eyes was instantly recognisable.
"It's not that." Harry hushed against my cheek, his lips following suit and placing a small kiss.
***
"Dear lord."
Harry's eyes were blown wide as my three friends came barrelling towards us. Happy giggling ensued before I was engulfed in a four-way hug. Apparently we had been neglecting Harry as multiple pairs of eyes followed the sound of a male clearing his throat. Harry looked a little bewildered, now the focus of attention. A pink tongue nervously swiped over his lips whilst he combed his fingers through the gradually developing quiff.
"Hi, Harry." Lucy smiled, releasing me from the tight embrace.
"Hey, girls. You want a lift?" He asked, opening the back door to the Range Rover.
"That would be great."
He appeared stunned as he received a half hug from Zoe before she climbed in.
***
We came to an abrupt halt, pulling up beside the curb. Harry escaped from the apparently claustrophobic confines seconds later.
"Never again." Harry stumbled from the car in fear.
"It wasn't that bad." I rolled my eyes before joining him out on the pavement.
The girls bundled out of the vehicle, crossing the road and continuing the animated conversation, oblivious to the bewildered male.
"I'm pretty sure they use that as a form of torture in some countries." Harry breathed, referring to the content of car ride into town.
His palm pressed to the side of the Range Rover, collecting himself after the, in his words, "traumatic experience". The back of his left hand swiped across his brow, ridding himself of the anxiousness that had gather on his forehead in droplets.
"Don't be silly."
"Seriously Bo, I don't ever want to hear about Jeremy Renner's arse, or the art of bikini waxing again."
I couldn't help but laugh, I'd never seen him so flustered. He'd probably learnt more about what groups of females discuss in that short car ride, than he had in his entire life. And my friend's certainly hadn't held back on account of Harry.
"You don't need to worry, we weren't expecting you to join in." I poked at his side.
"And thank Christ for that." He sighed in relief.
"Come here." I coaxed, pressing my lips to his.
We'd had barely untied in a kiss before my friends were heckling from across the road.
"Come on, Bo! You can suck his face off later, we've got shopping to do!"
Heat flushed to my cheeks, hiding my face and leaning my head on Harry's shoulder. His chest rumbled in laughter.
"Go have fun."
"Thank you." I kissed his cheek.
We turned as Charlotte called over.
"Thanks for the lift, Harry!"
He didn't say anything, just lifted his hand in acknowledgement.
***
We'd met Hayley, done the introductions and were well into the shopping expedition when I noticed a presence behind me.
"Bo."
"Mm." I hummed, absentmindedly flicking through some of the clothes on display.
"Do you like Tom?" Hayley asked curiously.
The inquiry transported me back to the time when Harry had asked me a similar question. Granted, I had no concern or worry over what she might do upon receiving my answer (unlike the way Harry had acted). But it still made me feel a little strange.
"He's always been nice to me." I replied, nudging the hangers along the rail. "Why?"
"No reason." She timidly smiled with a shake to her head.
The length of her black hair was plaited over one shoulder, twiddling the end nervously. I'd been jealous of Hayley's flawless complexion since we'd first met, her dark skin, spot free and beautifully smooth.
"Tell me." I nudged her shoulder playfully.
Brown eyes shyly glanced from my face to the tank top she held up. I followed as Hayley walked over to the mirror, swaying slightly and judging if the clothing suited her.
"I kind of like him."
"Really?" I grinned into the reflection.
"Yeah."
"I think he'd be good for you." I encouraged. " Have you told anyone else?"
"No." She bit her lip, sharply turning to me. "And please don't tell Harry, he'll just take the piss."
Her anxiousness was relieved as I placed my hand on her arm, reassuring her that the secret would stay with me.
"No he won't. He'd probably want to set you two up." I joked.
We reconvened with the others, taking our findings into the dressing room and trying clothes on. It made me laugh as items were passed along the tops of our individual neighbouring cubicles; a top that didn't quite look right on one girl, was recommended to the other through our chain of communication.
When we revealed our outfits, I noticed that a number of clothes Zoe entered with were now being styled by Lucy.
"That one looks nice." Zoe gestured to Charlotte.
"Thanks!"
"Hey Bo." I turned upon hearing my name. "Try these on."
I was handed a pair of denim shorts. They were somewhat smaller than I would usually wear, but I decided to humour her and took them back into my cubicle along with the dress I had selected earlier. We carried on chattering, our conversations not stunted by the partitions between us.
"Bo, have you got your bikini?" Hayley questioned.
"Sorry?" I instantly twisted my head to her voice, even though there was a thin barrier between us.
"Your bikini, for the party." When I remained quiet with confusion she carried on. "It's a pool, garden, house party." She excitedly spoke. "Did Harry not tell you?"
"No." I struggled to wriggle dress on, cursing and bumping my head on one of the hangers.
"Oh, well maybe it slipped his mind."
I was sceptical to Harry's convenient lapse in memory over the dress code. He had no intention of informing me.
"Do you have one?"
"Nothing I would want Harry to see me in." I joked, giving up with the silly dress whose zip refused to do up.
"Well, maybe we could find one today."
Hayley's suggestion was interrupted with a shriek from the cubicle to the right. Laughing ensued which made me all the more curious. I drew back my curtain to find Hayley had the same ponderings. We soon discovered what all the noise was about, Lucy had Charlotte down on the floor, struggling to button up her friend's skinny jeans as she sucked in her stomach.
"Keep going!" Charlotte encouraged a panting Lucy. "We're nearly there."
"Bo, don't just laugh, help me."
My dress was still unzipped at the back but I got down onto my knees and aided in the giggling mess on the floor. Zoe and Hayley found the whole situation rather amusing, looking on from the curtained entrance. Our commotion had attracted numerous other eyes, women having a quiet laugh at our group's expense.
"We did it!" Charlotte exclaimed, reaching out for support to try and stand.
I felt like the whole of the women's changing room might burst out in applause as Charlotte oddly walked over to the full length mirror. I shook my head in amusement, entering my enclosed space once again and negotiating the removal of the uncooperative dress. I had just about wiggled it to my hips when giggling tittered outside.
"Bo, try this on."
I took the hanger from the mysterious hand which floated in the small gap of curtain.
"What is it?" I questioned, holding the nearly transparent clothing at arm's length.
"Something for you to wear, and Harry to admire." Another voice laughed.
As I twisted the material back and forth it suddenly hit me, all lace and frills. I was thankful for the heavy curtain between us, at least they couldn't see the embarrassed blush to my cheeks.
"Ugh, I hate you guys."
My scolding was shortly followed be shrieks of laughter.
52.
The thought of seeing Harry and the party that evening had gotten me through the day. I had spent most of it attempting to avoid Dan, and I was doing pretty well until he entered the storage room which had been my hiding place for most of the afternoon. The space I occupied was towards the back, the light on that particular row of shelves had needed to be changed about a month ago, meaning I had to work in shadows.
"Bo?" He called out.
The sound of soles on tiled flooring echoed around the space.
"Shoot." I mumbled, backing up further into one of the shelves.
My endeavour at covertness was ruined, stumbling over a box I had placed on the floor earlier. The commotion of CDs and records scattering across the chilly ground brought awareness to my presence. Dan was soon stood over me, his hair flopping over his forehead as he offered me a hand. I accepted, eager to brush the dust from my clothing.
My quiet "thank you" was received with a nod; after a few short seconds I turned away. I knew it was rude, but I didn't know what else to say, we hadn't exactly been on speaking terms lately especially after he had gone behind my back. He shouldn't have told Harry, not like that.
I bent down again, stacking the items that had been knocked from their elevated position, organising them into piles. It surprised me when an extra pair of hands proceeded to aid in the retrieval. The noticeable twitch to his mouth made me believe that he was preparing to communicate his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Bo." Dan burst out. "I know it wasn't my place to say, and I feel awful about it. But I was just worried about you. Harry had to know."
His abrupt confession left me somewhat bewildered. Dan appeared a little panicked with my lack of response, placing the record down and shifting to sit beside me. Both of our backs were to the shelving. I hadn't been expecting an apology, more concern had been given in the assumption of an imminent shouting match, but that never came about. I wasn't prepared.
"If I can do anything to make it up to you, I will." Dan offered.
I cautiously placed my hand over his that was resting upon his knee. I hoped the soft rejection of his attempt to entwine our fingers wasn't recognised by Dan. The gesture hadn't been meant in anything other than a friend.
"I was kind of annoyed with you at first." I admitted. "But I understand why you did it, you were just looking out for me and I really appreciate that, Dan."
The blue in his eyes seemed to lighten, relieved that what he'd done hadn't left a horrible brand on our relationship. I removed my hand from his, placing it in my lap.
"Can we go back to the way it was before? I like hanging out with you at work." He smiled.
"Of course, as long as you help me tidy this up." I gestured to the mess around us.
"Sure." He laughed.
The process was made much easier with an extra set of hands, placing the box back on the shelf and walking out onto the shop floor. I took notice of Dan's more reserved demeanour, a change in how he carried himself around me. Despite us burying our differences there was just something about the situation that normality couldn't reach. Maybe he was starting to realise just how far Harry and I were willing to go to make our relationship work.
"Are you doing anything after your shift?" Dan casually inquired, smiling at a customer as he handed them their change and receipt.
"Yeah, we're going to a party."
I shoved the replacement bags under till's shelved area, flicking my hair from my face once finished.
"We?"
Collecting the nuisance hair into one hand I brought it over my shoulder.
"Harry and I, apparently the house is out in the country somewhere."
Patting down my pockets I discovered the tube of lip balm I searched for. Pulling the cap off and twisting the bottom, I smoothed the stick over my lips. My eyes found Dan's, and I quickly came to realise just how intently he had been watching me. I replaced the tube, slipping it back into my pocket.
"That will be fun." He weakly smiled, the usual happy aura he projected dimmed a little.
"Are you doing anything?"
My hands pressed to the work surface at the back of the till area, attempting to hoist myself up to sit. To say it surprised me when Dan caught hold of my waist was an understatement. The shock resulted in me stupidly bumping my head on his shoulder. I winced, rubbing the sore area with my fingertips.
"Are you alright?"
His eyes widened in concern, palms still snuggly holding my hips. I nervously laughed, reassuring him it was fine, only then did he withdraw his presence. It felt nothing like Harry's touch, his was electrifying, brought butterflies to my stomach, warmed me. But with Dan there was just no spark.
"Think I'm meeting up with some friends to mess around on the basketball court."
"I didn't know you played."
"Yeah, I'm not amazing, but it's a lot of fun." The almost childlike excitement he displayed made me smile. "Do you know how to play?"
"Oh no, not really." I admitted.
It was mandatory in school P.E. lessons to take part in ball games, but I had never been very good at coordination. The majority of the time was spent on my bum. But if you gave me something to hit that ball with, say a racket or bat, now that I was good at.
"Maybe I could teach you how, get you scoring some hoops." He joked.
"I don't think basketball is my forte." I humorously replied, swinging my legs back and forth.
My laughter dissolved as I raised my head, Dan had stepped closer, his smile warm. I shifted slightly under his intense studying as an index swiped away stray strands of hair from across my eyes.
"We could work on that." He spoke softly.
***
Dan had insisted on waiting with me until my ride home had arrived. We chatted outside the shop for about 10 minutes before the familiar black vehicle pulled into the car park, becoming stationary in a spot where spaces still remained.
"Harry's here." I informed Dan.
"Oh ok. Well, I'll see you soon, Bo." Dan smiled, lightly stooping to envelop me in a friendly hug.
My eyes widened in alarm upon hearing a door slam, peering over his shoulder to discover Harry storming towards us. Thunderous determination drew him closer.
"Have a good weekend." I replied, rushing our goodbye.
Thankfully Dan had made it around the corner before the annoyed male became known to him. My boyfriend had walked straight passed, fingers barely catching the material covering his right arm.
"Why did he do that?" Harry admonished as he finally addressed me. "He knew I was here, why did he do that?"
His rhetorical questioning was left unanswered with my desperate plea to hold him back. I shoved at his shoulders in an attempt to get him moving in the way he just came. At times Harry's strength was a pain in the arse, mine was no match for his.
"Harry, please just get in the car."
Harry's reluctance was noted, his stubbornness felt as I practically dragged his resistant weight to the safety of the vehicle. He tugged away from my hold, grumpily entering the car.
"You're friends again now?"
I clambered up, resting in my seat and turning to him. The tell-tale sign of aggravation was displayed in the furrowing of his brow, the crease between the middle becoming prominent. All I wanted was sponge kisses to it and make it disappear.
"Yeah, we talked today."
"He didn't try anything, did he?" Harry flinched.
"No." I shook my head. "And I can be friends with whoever I want." I replied cuttingly, fed up with the constant argument.
Harry's eyes squeezed closed in frustration, hands tightly gripping the wheel, knuckles paling.
"I'm not saying you can't, obviously I'm not going to forbid you to do anything, that's crazy." He countered. "But come on, Bo. He's a fucking twat."
His aggression wasn't directed towards me, it was Dan. Harry didn't frighten me. I knew how to handle his tantrums.
"Harry!"
"He is!"
Our shouting had attracted passers-by, exiting the nearby shops and heading for their cars. They didn't need to know our business.
"You need to calm down now, or I'm not going anywhere with you." I scolded.
An amalgamation of hurt and anger consumed Harry's features, grunting in annoyance and turning away. The driver's door was swung open, feet touching the tarmac. The car shook with the abrupt slam and I was left in silence. I carefully observed the back of him through the window. His backside rested against the door as he leant over slightly, hands to his knees. Harry's torso deeply inhaled the air around him, fighting for the equilibrium he desperately clasped at.
I was ready to jump out of the vehicle when Harry suddenly shoved away from the car, frightened that he might pursue Dan. But I needn't have worried as he diverted his course in the opposite direction, striding over to the wall. The thoughts of doubt were pushed to back of my mind, climbing down from the car and following after Harry. When I reached him, his weight was supported by the low wall, palms flat to the top of the brick. His body was once again bent over slightly, head hung down.
My effort was soon rewarded, enabling me to sit to the side of Harry on the wall. I left him for a few minutes, allowing his breathing to stabilise before raising my hand and combing my fingers between his hair.
"You alright?" I asked somewhat warily.
"Fine." He grumbled.
Visibly, he seemed more relaxed, leaning slightly into my touch. It amazed me how a simple gesture could provide such comfort, a tranquil state making itself know and releasing the tension in his muscles.
"That's good."
He stood to his full height, my hand falling to his chest. A frown was held, but this time it wasn't accompanied with pursed lips. Instead they were soft and pouted, attempting to find the right words.
"I didn't mean to..."
"I'm glad that you've calmed down." I interrupted his wavering sentence.
Guilt was all he had to offer me, remorse at raising his voice, for storming off. But I much preferred him to walk away rather than stay and let that anger boil over. Sometimes you just needed to remove yourself from the situation and apparently he was learning to do just that.
"It's alright."
I pressed a kiss to his cheek, a gesture to show all was well.
"We've got a party to go to, right?"
He lightly laughed, the dimples I loved making a welcomed appearance. Harry displayed his athletic boxing skill, dodging away as I failed in poking at the adorable features. Not that I was any sort of challenge for his training, he would always be too fast for me.
"We should get going." He grinned, making a drastic turn in mood.
I held Harry's forearm, hopping down from the wall and linking my hand with his to walk the short distance to the car. This time I was aided in negotiating my climb by a pair of warm hands, which cheekily patted my backside before I not-so-politely told Harry to clear off.
We'd driven back to my house in a somewhat happier mood, Harry already changed and waiting in my bedroom whilst I swapped outfits in the bathroom. Before emerging, I checked my appearance in the mirror, fixing a few stray strands of hair that hadn't been taken up in the ponytail. My fingers tugged at the hem of my new top, the pretty neckline scooping a little lower than I was used to. My friends had given it their approval, along with the denim shorts. I had applied some makeup, checking the mascara was waterproof before coating my lashes.
"Come on, Bo." Harry called.
"Hang on."
One last fleeting glance in the mirror confirmed I was ready, slipping out the bathroom door and into my bedroom. I paced out in front of Harry, heading straight for my bag. Even with my back turned I could sense the curious stare tingling over me. A squeak escaped my mouth when slender fingers tugged at the bottom of the denim shorts.
"What are you doing?" I questioned in surprise, boldly turning to face Harry.
A snapback was now taming the unruly flicks of curls, a tight black t-shirt clinging to his torso. He wore a dark checked shirt over the top, jeans and a pair of grey Nikes.
"Trying to find the rest of these shorts." He lightly tugged again.
I huffed in annoyance, batting his hands away.
"They're fine."
My reassurance refused to subdue the frown Harry wore. We stood together as he played with the end of my ponytail, running the hair through his fingers. My head fell forward, resting on his chest and listening to the thrum of his heart. It made me feel tired for some reason.
"Did you pick them out?"
Arms were now banded around my body, comforting and warm.
"No, Hayley did."
"Hmm." He pondered.
I fought my desire, pulling away. Harry's embrace still remained, cupping my elbows until I raised my arms to loop his neck. I rose up onto my tiptoes.
"Don't you like them?" I asked somewhat disappointed.
Despite my effort I still wasn't able to match his height, and by the subtle kink to his lips I knew Harry had taken notice. Of course he had.
"Love them, and I'm sure the rest of the guys at the party will do, too."
"But I don't care what anyone else thinks." A kiss followed my quiet words. "Just you."
I succeeded in making him laugh with the tap of my index to his nose, reaffirming my point. Once flat on my feet I wandered over to the wardrobe to find a cardigan to coordinate with the rest of my attire.
"What shoes are you wearing?"
"Don't know, thought I might go barefoot." I informed him with a fleeting wiggle to my toes.
I wore my favourite colour nail polish, sparkly navy blue. Harry seemed to like it as well.
"You're so funny." He mocked.
"I'm hilarious." I turned, purple cardigan in hand.
"Yeah, yeah, come on." Harry lightly encouraged, fighting the grin.
I watched him carefully yank out some sandals from the mess beneath my bed, holding them out to me as he got up from his knees. They looked smaller than usual cradled in his hands.
"I don't want to wear those." I mumbled.
"Pick something else then."
Despite what Harry endured during my outfit changes and faffing around, he remained somewhat patient with me when we got ready to go out. He never lost his cool, often picking bracelets up from the side and playing with them as he sprawled out on my bed. He was quite happy to wait and watch. This routine was probably new to him, never having to set aside extra time for a female. Especially an indecisive female.
"Are my Vans still at your flat?"
"No, I think we brought them back." Harry mused, scanning my room for the shoes.
Rolling from the bed, he rummaged in my overnight bag.
"Aha, here's one!" I exclaimed, lifting the shoe in the air after trawling through a pile of clothes.
"Got the other one."
Harry was already knelt before me, my legs dangling off the side of the bed.
"Can you put them on please?" I grinned on hope, assuming he would laugh in refusal.
"I don't think they'll fit me." Harry eyed the lace up shoe which he held.
"I meant on me!"
His joking made me giggle, nudging my foot into his lap. The right shoe was adorned with ease, Harrys tongue poking through his lips on concentration as he tied the bow before knotting it like the many times he had seen me carry out the action. I wiggled my toes at him, resting my foot on his thigh for him to lift and slip it into the remaining left of the pair.
"Hey." Harry warned as I swiped the hat from him.
I placed it on my head, the brim to the back just how he wore it. The laughter was unrestrained as Harry's hair was ruffled under my teasing.
"Ow, it's too tight."
He really could be a little too heavy handed at times. The laces were loosened slightly, Harry proceeding to tie the bow and knot again.
"How's that?"
"Good, thank you." I replied with a smile, admiring his work.
He rose to his feet, clasping hold of my ankles in response to my failed attempt at keeping him at bay.
"That's mine." He spoke in reference to the hat, reaching for it.
"We can share it." I offered.
"Nope."
His quick reply was coupled with playful kisses up the bare expanse of leg which was being held captive at the ankle. I soon recognised the gesture as a distraction, a ploy to draw my interest away and steal the hat.
"Let's go!"
***
Happiness churned in my stomach as Harry leaned in through the passenger window and pecked my cheek. He walked away with a grin, taking hold of the petrol pump and placing it into the open cap. I rested my chin in my palm, elbow propping me up as I watched him fill the car with fuel.
"Are there going to be many people there?" I enquired, poking my head out.
"Yeah, probably. Hayley's got quite a big house."
"Is it her house, or her parent's house?"
"It's her uncle's, but he's hardly ever there, that's why she stays around her friend's most of the time."
I deliberated over the information for a short while. Harry had watched the numbers flick up on the screen, squeezing the nozzle just enough to hit the amount he desired. Content with his effort, he placed the pump back in the hold.
"That's kind of sad." I spoke solemnly.
"What is?" He questions, rooting around for his wallet.
"That she doesn't really have anyone."
"She has us and everyone else." Harry shrugged. "Do you want anything from the station?"
He flicked his head in indication to the small petrol station shop, adjusting the snapback he wore as he waited for my reply.
"I'll come with you." I spoke, releasing the door handle.
"You don't have to, Bo. Do you want a drink?"
He grasped my hand, aiding me in the short jump down to the tarmac. I bumped into him as I closed the door a little too forcefully. I knew Harry would be wincing at my actions. Boys and their cars. A quiet apology was all it took and I was forgiven.
"I want to peruse the sweets." I informed him, leading the way to the entrance.
"Oh course you do." He mumbled in amusement behind me.
"I heard that."
The shop was small, a few refrigerated units at the back containing bottles of soft drinks. The products on the stands mainly consisted of sugary items, packets of crisps or the dwindling supply of dirty magazines; apparently everything you might need for a long car journey.
I cringed at the wink I was given, the guy stood next to me looked at little older than Harry, but not half as charming. Blonde hair was messily tousled back from brown eyes, a rounded stomach protruding from under his shirt. It's almost as if he wanted me to catch an eyeful of the magazine he held, the brunette on the front flaunting her cleavage.
A presence around my waist guided me further away, Harry stepping in between us both.
"Back off." He roughly instructed.
I decided to not call attention to the situation, continuing to distractedly scan for chocolate.
"Have you picked something?"
Harry was back and the suggestive male now gone. I softly bumped my forehead to his arm, squeezing at his hand. He took it as a thank you, reciprocating the gentle compress of my fingers.
"Umm." I moved forward, releasing our connection and selecting an item on display.
"M&M's?" I smiled in hope, holding a bag out in front of me.
Harry's nose scrunched up with my suggestion, pushing the hand away that contained my choice. The bag was still clutched between my fingers, curious to his rejection as I peered at him.
"I don't like the peanut ones."
I observed as he continued to scan through the selection of sweets on display. My arm slowly sunk down in defeat, the contents of the bag rattling slightly as it hit my leg.
"What? Why not?"
I hadn't meant for my voice to sound so hurt. Why was I getting emotional over chocolate? Or the more important question, why didn't he like peanuts?
"I don't like them, I prefer the chocolate ones." Harry admitted, shoving his hands into the front of his jean pockets and side stepping to the right, away from my uncomfortable stare.
I followed him, squeezing into the gap between his body and the display, determined in my choice.
"But there's no peanuts in them, you might as well just get Smarties." I dramatically called.
"I could go for some Smarties." His face lit up in excitement.
"Nooo, that's not what I meant."
Neither Harry or I had anticipated for it to take quite so long to choose something to share. We had spent a good 7 minutes surveying our options and we were no further forward.
"How about we get what you want, I suck the chocolate off and then you get the peanuts."
He grinned like it was the best idea in the world. So young and...happy, nothing like how I had seen him before, when his eyes would flare with anger before moving in and impacting his target with a solid blow to the face.
"So basically what I get out of this deal, is a peanut that's already been in your mouth?" I concluded in disgust.
"You said you liked peanuts."
"Not saliva covered ones, Harry." I shook my head.
"We share saliva all the time.."
His statement was cut off by a swift smack to the arm, a wince of playful complaint.
"Fine, I'll get plain, you get peanut."
"Sounds good to me." I smiled.
During our decision making process there had been an apparent rush for fuel, leaving us at the back of the lengthy queue. Harry held our chocolate as I linked our arms.
"Were you planning on letting me know the party was in a garden...with a pool?" I tested.
His body stiffened with my question. He knew.
"I mentioned it to you." Harry spoke, finding it difficult to look me in the eyes.
It was at that point he conveniently became preoccupied with back of the packaged sweets, index trailing down the table of nutritional information. I always found there wasn't much point counting the fat or calories, by the time you were finished absorbing the knowledge it would put you off actually eating it.
"No you didn't." I countered.
"Oh, well Hayley only just called me."
"When?"
"Uh, I think you were in the bathroom."
His weak story was changing by the second, becoming less and less believable.
Harry wasn't quick enough to prevent me from lifting the front of his black t shirt. His tan tummy came into view, but that wasn't what I was interested in this time. Harry protested in a rough call of my name. My fingers hastily hooked into the front of his tight jeans to pull them down just enough to confirm he wasn't wearing underwear.
"You've got trunks on. If Hayley only just phoned you back at my house you wouldn't have had time to change."
I released him, the fabric falling back into its previous job of covering Harry's tummy, much to my dissatisfaction.
"Coincidence?" He tested, smiling like a guilty child.
"Rubbish."
"You're not very good at swimming."
The shrug to his shoulders annoyed me, bending down to retrieve the bags of chocolate dropped in the struggle. It was silly, but I was a little embarrassed for him to point out one of my weaknesses.
"That doesn't mean I don't wantto swim."
I was surprised by his abrupt levelling out, snapping back up to face me.
"Well anyway, I thought you'd want to watch meget wet and swim around." Harry winked.
"As much fun as that sounds for me, I'll be getting in the pool as well."
"You can't." He gushed. "You don't have any swimming stuff."
It was then I realised his plan, he had no intention of informing me of the pool because he didn't want me to strip down. I couldn't help the small smile on my face as I tugged my top down a little to expose the material of the green bikini currently hugging my chest.
"You already knew?" Harry inquired quietly, head hung a little lower.
"Yes, Hayley told me when we were shopping."
Fingers looped into the neck of my top once more, nudging it down just enough for his eyes only.
"It's a bit small, isn't it?"
"Excuse me?" My eyebrows rose.
"If you jump up and down you'll fall out." He attempted to explain with example, gesturing to my bikini covered chest.
His hand retracted, gazing at me with oblivious thought. If harry had his way I would probably stay in a baggy jumper and jeans all year around. I decided to act on his point and make one of my own.
"Like this?" I asked before proceeding to spring up and down on the spot in front of him.
Eyes widened as Harry followed my movement, or more the movement of my chest.
"Alright, alright, I get it." He desperately admitted, halting me with heavy hands to my shoulders as I laughed.
53.
"Will you keep the t shirt on?"
The majority of Harry's attention was devoted to the road, surveying the other vehicles rushing by, but I knew his query raised something that was troubling him, no matter how casual he appeared. And even more so when I countered his question with one of my own, his nonchalant demeanour cracking.
"Are you going to wear yours in the pool?"
"No." He scoffed.
His abrupt objection implied that my suggestion was absurd.
"Well, don't expect me to either." I popped another M&M in my mouth. "I'm sure you'll have lots of girls staring at you, but I'm not going to complain."
Not aloud anyway, I would just mentally curse them in a warning to stay away. My desire to allow anyone the privilege of witnessing Harry remove his clothes was none existent. I'd seen the way he'd drawn female attention before, there was no effort involved on his part. He could have been wearing a plastic bin-bag and had the same reaction. However, there were times when no-one would dare approach him, times when the harsh edge to his eyes couldn't lure in the keenest of females.
But I'd be there. Even when they were consumed with his past. I'd still be by his side.
"Fine." He grumbled, flicking to another song on the connected ipod.
"Good boy." I teasingly patted his head before offering him a plain M&M as a reward.
"I'm not a dog, Bo."
The acceptance of chocolate seemed to negate the challenge in his tone.
"No," I began "not a dog, your resemblance is swayed much more to puppy."
The cooing voice I used seemed to agitate him, withdrawing a hand from the wheel to swat me away as I tried to pinch his cheek that was becoming increasingly pink.
"Be nice!" I called, dropping a few coloured sweets to the seat. "I meant it in an affectionate way."
"Bo, not in the car." Harry scolded.
My venture to collect the escaping chocolate was accompanied by an eye roll. It was only the one time. One time I had spilt a bottle of coke in the passenger seat and now Harry was paranoid about allowing anything that could possibly be knocked over in the car. I was pretty sure that if we hadn't of needed to keep to a time schedule, Harry would have made me eat my chocolate outside before letting me settle next to him in his treasured vehicle.
***
"Bloody hell." I exclaimed.
My palms pressed to the window as Harry pulled into a gravel drive. It was safe to say I'd never seen a house like it, perhaps with the exception of something on TV. Harry had completely downplayed the size of the place, and the beauty.
"I know, right." Harry lightly laughed.
We pulled up onto the grass verge, a number of other cars, not all of them parked as neatly as Harry's, were lined up in all different colours. Although Harry's car was the only black one present.
Small stones crunched under my Vans as I walked around to the bonnet to meet Harry. My body fit closely to his, an arm securing me in place. His fingers splayed over my left shoulder, the action reaffirming his promise to keep me safe, always under his protection.
Our footsteps disturbed the gravel, the movement almost in time to the beat of heavy bass thumping through the otherwise silent countryside. My legs worked double speed, two steps to every long stride of Harry's as we neared the modern looking residence. It was a huge red brick building, music thundering against the window panes, pretty flower vines crawling up each side of the front door. Such a contrast. Thick hedges marked the boundaries running alongside the house and I wished I could revisit Hayley's home in the sun and without the disruptive music.
"Let's go around the back."
It was obvious he had been here before, guiding me to another entrance hidden from view on first approach. Harry's body moved in behind mine, encouraging me to the back door of the property.
"No point in knocking, just go in."
We were greeted with a huge smile, Hayley enveloping me in a hug before addressing Harry.
"I wondered when you two were getting here." She joked.
The blue of her summer dress complimented her darker skin tone, flaring her brown irises with a smile that reached her eyes.
"Thanks for inviting us."
"I'm glad you're here."
Hayley grabbed at my hand, guiding me through the mass of people to the other side of the kitchen. As always, Harry closely followed behind, his presence shadowing my movement. I had always imagined shadows to feel cold, blocking out the warmth of the sun and perhaps more sinisterly, condemning you to darkness. That was before I met Harry.
"Do you want a drink?" Hayley struggled to make her voice heard.
I nodded with a smile. A hand clamped to my shoulder as Harry leaned over me slightly to reach Hayley's ear. My endeavour to decipher the mouthed words was unsuccessful. But the significance of the hushed conversation dwindled as Harry parted seconds later.
"Of course not." She firmly replied.
I had a feeling Harry was educating her in my alcohol tolerance level, and from the small amount she poured into the glass it reaffirmed my suspicions. I didn't mind though, I had never been a massive drinker.
"Haz, there's beer over there."
"I'm driving."
"One won't hurt."
Mental agreement was made as Harry manoeuvred, a little carelessly, around the young people crowding the room. No-one appeared to mind being lightly bumped into, or maybe because they knew it was Harry. No individual would want to initiate an argument by telling him to "watch where you're going"; no good would come of it.
And thankfully nothing did. A boy Harry obviously knew removed the cap of the bottle, handing it to him with a playful punch to the shoulder; a punch that would have knocked me off balance. But Harry stood solidly returning the greeting and laughing. I scanned the faces, none of them recognisable. Harry sure had a lot of friends for someone supposedly scary as hell.
"Bo, do you want ice?"
I swivelled around to find Hayley holding out my glass with an oblivious smile. The clear alcohol had been topped up with fizzy lemonade, the tiny bubbles flittering to the top. My name was called again and it was only then I become acutely aware of where my eyes had wandered. The unassuming tray of ice cubes on the worktop that had just been retrieved from the freezer.
I held little control as my body reacted to the visual trigger. My skin prickled with the thought, frozen trails across my stomach, my back, my thighs. Contrasting heat flushed to my cheeks, mindlessly scolding myself as sinful images bombarded my imagination of the night before. The proposition of exploring something different; Harry with an ice-cube between his teeth. Enticing hands were kept at bay, refusing to make contact aside from the occasional unavoidable brush of cool lips. Chilling paths traced down my neck and the curve of my chest as I lay helplessly beneath him. Once melted with the tempting heat of Harry's mouth and my body, he took a new cube, continuing to torture me with patterns of iced shivers.
"You got a bit hot last time, let's see if we can cool you down."
Harry's dangerous words haunted me as I regretfully travelled back to what I had experienced in his bed. And he knew, presently stood leaning against the worktop, a bottle in hand. The cheeky glint sparkled and I knew Harry was fully aware of my blushing state and what exactly had initiated it. Mouth ends mischievously curved up, knowing what was being offered to me.
My desperate visuals were diverted, heart pounding. I squeezed my eyes closed, only to be greeted with the memory of Harry carefully encouraging an ice cube beyond my lips. I'd held it in fervour of my mouth until he kissed me and negotiated its release and transfer to his. It was safe to say I'd never experienced anything like it before, never been so incredibly hot and cold at the same time. My tunnelled vision had watched unbelievingly as the now smaller ice cube was placed into my belly button.
"When it's completely melted I get to kiss you again."
I had willed my body temperature to dramatically rise in those seconds, consumed with the thought of his lips on mine, willing to do anything for the solid ice to be reduced to water.
An easy touch broke me from the wandering mind, Hayley's friendly eyes slightly concerned at my temporary absence from the present moment.
"No, that's fine thanks." I politely refused.
My fingers wrapped around the glass, shifting towards to kitchen door and trying to conceal my embarrassment from the amused boy. Liquid lapped over the rim as a firm force lightly knocked into me. A recognisable hand skimmed my stomach before holding me to him.
"Are you sure you don't want ice?"
"Shut up." I muttered.
His enjoyment was muffled into my neck, puffing sniggers at my expense. I had no desire in informing everyone of our activities.
"You quite liked it last time though."
"Harry, if you don't shut up, I'm going shove the entire contents of that ice-cube tray down your pants." I threatened through gritted teeth.
"Mmm, maybe we could give that a go somewhere more private."
My free arm jolted back to elbow him in the stomach.
"Whoa, steady on, Love."
My head snapped up to be greeted by a boy in a white t-shirt, a smile beaming at the both of us. Brown hair, blue eyes and an undeniable happy aura. He too, had a bottle in his hand, most likely not his first by the way he leant on the doorframe for support. The shimmer of his eyes looked slightly glassy.
"Louis, this is Bo."
It gave me joy to detect the pride in Harry's voice as he introduced us, lightly squeezing my shoulder.
"It's nice to meet you, Louis."
I grasped the hand offered to me, his features instantly lighting up.
"For such a small person you've got a firm handshake," he laughed "bet you benefit from that, mate."
It didn't take me long to twig onto what was being suggested. I pulled my hand away, rolling my eyes at the immature humour. Not a great start on his part.
"You better shut your face before my foot connects with your arse."
The threat in Harry's voice was somewhat lacking, suggesting that this sort of behaviour wasn't uncommon when in the presence of a group of boys. Not that I expected anything else. I appreciated his acknowledgement though.
"What the hell have you been saying?"
Another male approached to the right of Louis, his dark hair quiffed up in a similar style. Tattoos littered his skin, but I didn't stare too long, not sure if he liked the attention the art drew. I didn't want to appear obnoxious.
"Zayn." He informed me.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Bo."
We united for a second, repeating the action I had with Louis, only lightening my grip. I shook my head with a smile as Harry's friend let out a knowing laugh. I let them catch up for a few minutes, sipping on my drink as I listened in to the conversation. It was pretty evident that they'd known each other for a long time, maybe even from school as their chatter bounced from one to the other. I hung onto Harry's arm, moving further into his personal space when a stumbling body brushed by.
"Do you guys want to come and sit by the pool?" Hayley suggested.
I nodded, eager to explore more of her house. We became linked, a necessary attachment as we once again struggled through the dense groups. Upon travelling down the hall, I could make out a total of five rooms leading off, most of which were occupied.
The air in the garden was a welcome atmosphere, music continued to blast but with the freedom of the outdoors. The boys followed out behind us, lightly shoving each other in playful banter.
"And this is the pool." Hayley gestured.
"Wow. Everything is so big." I laughed.
The swimming pool was of a decent size, ringed with paving slabs and grass beyond. A cluster of people were already making splashes, dive-bombing into the clear water.
"It's not much fun on your own though."
It was hard not to detect the underlying tone of unhappiness, not just her words but in her body language. And I couldn't help but feel pity for her, no wonder she spent so much time around her friends' houses. I wouldn't want to be here on my own either.
"My uncle is away a lot."
"Harry said."
The conversation came to a close when I was introduced to a small group sat around on stripy garden furniture. I came to learn that they were girlfriends of the males I had met earlier. (Goodness knows how Louis had gotten a girlfriend.) Harry kept close by, occasionally drifting between clusters of people still with a beer in hand.
***
Louis' POV
"I think it's all the cute little things that make a difference." Nicole spoke.
Why had she never told me this? My collection of brownie points could have been stacked way higher if I'd have known about this earlier.
"Really?" I asked.
"Of course!"
There was a universal agreement among the girls as multiple heads nodded. Hmm, this was proving to be of valuable information. I cursed myself for not bringing a pen and paper with me. I wonder if I could get away with typing vital points down onto my phone. The idea was brushed aside as the attention soon turned to Bo, having stayed a little quiet during the conversation. This would be interesting.
"Bo, what do you and Harry do?"
It didn't matter which one of the girls had asked. I sniggered, knowing Harry wasn't really into the whole cute relationship stuff.
"That's not really Haz's area of expertise."
The girls gave me a disapproving look before waiting for the dark-haired female to speak.
"Umm." She looked a little hesitant to start off with, picking at the nail polish on her fingers. "We like to hold hands, Harry likes having his hair played with," Bo bit the inside of her cheek, peering over to where Harry stood with a group. "He gives me butterfly kisses and sometimes we stay up and just talk under the covers."
The chorus of "awws" caught Harry's awareness, turning to smile and walk over. He took a seat on the arm next to Bo and I noticed just how comfortable they looked with each other.
"What are butterfly kisses?"
Yet another thing I had never heard of. I guessed girls just made stuff up, surely it couldn't be a real thing. An image of a butterfly with lips floated into my mind.
"It's when you flutter your lashes against someone's skin. It's really cute." Hayley spoke up.
"That's not Harry's thing." I defended.
I could sense my friend's anxiousness rise as eyes turned to him. Bo tugged at his hand for him to sit down on the cushions closely to her right. Her whispers were undistinguishable to the rest of the group, Harry and Bo having their own little private conversation as she spoke secrets into his ear.
"Are you trying to ruin my reputation?" He frowned.
I knew he wasn't into it and this knowledge had me feeling a bit smug.
"No," she reassured.
"Don't pout."
A finger was tapped to her pleading lips in order to reduce the size of them. Bo's eyes drifted to mine for a second.
"Please. Louis doesn't believe me."
My friend released a defeated sigh. I witnessed, in somewhat surprise as Harry leant forward. Bo cupped the side of his face before he blinked his eyelids upon her cheek. She giggled, turning so their eyes could meet. Bo had transformed Harry into some soppy idiot. He'd have never have done that to any girl before. What the hell was going on?
"Why don't you ever do that with me?" Ruby huffed at Zayn.
I blocked out her whining to stare at the couple in disbelief. Bo and Harry held hands, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her knuckles. There were obvious size comparisons to be made, Harry towered above most people. That became more apparent when an arm was casually slung over her shoulders. She was small in height, a characteristic I'd taken note of when we were first introduced, but she certainly wasn't all that skinny. Not that that was a bad thing. Harry had never been particularly picky, as long as they were hot, he'd take them home. I bet after few drinks he'd spill, tell me how much he loved her. And then after a couple more beers it would get bit dirtier. I was bound to be privileged with the information concerning their romantic moments and just how well Bo's thighs were equipped for wrapping around Harry's hea...
"Haz, you're becoming a dork," Zayn jokingly pointed out.
I had to agree with him. The Harry I knew would have smashed your face in for knocking his elbow at the bar. Well, maybe not quite to that extreme.
"Well, I don't think you're a dork." Bo reassured, squeezing his hand.
She remained hugged against him, her arm now curled around his back.
"Bo, you have no standing in this discussion."
"Why?" She countered.
Wasn't it obvious?
"Because you're obviously going to think Harry is amazing regardless. You're biased because you're shagging him."
I expected her to retreat further into Harry, my comment embarrassing her. But it surprised me when I only got a slight speckle of pink. Instead she clasped her hand to Harry's thigh, squeezing the top of his leg. It was beyond weird to see him as someone's boyfriend.
"He's a pretty good shag as well." She replied quietly, eyes intently fixed on his face.
"Oi, oi!" Niall shouted.
54.
Louis's POV
"I'm telling you this as a friend. You're a soppy idiot."
I played with my beer bottle, noticing the liquid that sloshed around inside had begun to dwindle. The hope that Niall would have retrieved another one for me was scarce. He was in full on charm mode as he tried and failed to chat up the girls perched on the wall to our right.
"Why?" Harry laughed.
"Have you seen yourself lately? You've changed."
"I don't see that as a bad thing though," he replied, "I quite like it."
He'd softened up and it was because of her. Little doe-eyed Bo.
"You're turning a bit wet, mate. No-one is going to take you seriously if you carry on."
"I'm not a push over," he almost snarled in defence.
I cracked a smile as a solid fist thumped my shoulder. My hand clutched the bottle, determined to save the little remaining alcohol. The old Harry was still there, perhaps buried beneath a few squishy, pink hearts and god-awful flowers. But I don't think he could ever really put that behind him, not with that much raw emotion. I knew what was going on in that house when we were younger. You couldn't just bury all those memories, no matter how big the hole or the shovel.
"I haven't miraculously lost the ability to smash your face in," Harry continued to bite back.
I'd forgotten how easy it was to wind him up. He was a laid-back guy to get along with, but god forbid you insult his aptitude to throw a punch and you'd be laid out on the floor in a second. It took a lot longer for them to get up. I'd seen it happen.
"I don't doubt that," I lightly laughed.
He refused the beer I offered to get him. And when I made my way back, all be it slightly distracted and swaying, I could tell he was looking at her. I hung back a little, observing the unreserved attention given to the female that carefully tottered around the edge of the pool. She laughed as Hayley called up to her from the water, occasional splashes being exchanged in teasing play.
It surprised me when Bo's small stumble had Harry flinch in his seat, almost as if he was ready to jump up at a seconds notice. Bo regained her balance (or lack of it), falling back into her tip-toeing pattern. Bo must have sensed his concern upon her, because hair was flicked out with her intended movement. A small smile confirmed she was fine.
"What was that?"
"What?" Harry glanced up, following me as I took my seat beside him once more.
I nodded in the direction of Bo.
"Oh, Bo's not a very strong swimmer. I don't..I just don't want her falling in." He glanced to her once more. "We're going to swim together later."
My thought processes were interrupted.
"Oi, Haz!" A guy shouted down from the house. "Nailler!"
The jeering prompted Niall in the diversion of his entertaining conversation with his newly found lady friends. He tipped two fingers from his forehead in a confirmed salute before bidding farewell and joining Harry in the journey up to the house.
I'd been told to keep an eye on Bo. So when she wandered back over to the seating I was going to take the opportunity to question her on her plans for the future, where she saw herself in five years time and her intentions concerning young Harry. Politely, of course.
"So, you and Harry?" I began.
She had chosen the seat opposite mine and to the left, picking up the drink she'd left on the small garden table in the middle.
"What about us?" She smiled, before the glass was raised to her lips.
"Do you want his babies?"
I silently applauded for myself on the timing, midway between taking a slip and swallowing. What liquid she hadn't choked down was sprayed out in a cough. Points went to her for projection.
"I-umm, it's a bit early to be thinking about that. We haven't been dating all that long."
I shrugged off her answer. She seemed...sensible. Did Harry want sensible? I had always imagined him shacking up with some tattooed, pierced, not-afraid-to-throw-a-punch kind of girl. Bo was tame. Unless she had some sort of naughty ink creation hidden somewhere only Harry had explored. I was going off topic.
She shifted in her seat looking mighty uncomfortable. Time to move on.
"But would you want to get married?"
"I hadn't thought about it. I'd like to see him in a suit though."
Her posture transformed, leaning forward slightly as if gearing up for my next question.
"So, what do you do?"
I stretched my legs out, crossing my ankles whilst taking another swig of beer. It crossed my mind that I should probably steady my pace with the alcohol, but the thought soon shimmered away as the bubbles fizzed and my head began to swim.
"I work at a music place in town; we sell all the old vinyl records along with the new stuff."
Not quite as stuffy as I previously thought, maybe there's hope for her yet.
"With that Dan bloke?"
I scrunched my nose up in disgust. Harry had been less than reserved about his feelings toward the guy. I hadn't even met him and he sounded like an arse.
"Dan's a friend," Bo sternly replied.
I'd hit a nerve. I thought about pressing the subject further, but by the way her face hardened I didn't particularly want to discover the boundaries of the topic.
"Are you at uni?"
It confused me when her eyes and demeanour softened, Bo's tone lowering along with the mood apparently. Another touchy subject maybe?
"Has Harry talked to you?"
A few more people had floated away, and over to where some stupid guy had been dared to down another shot. I'd taken swimming lessons when I was younger, did the whole pyjamas in the pool thing, but I doubt I'd be able to fish him out in my current state. We'd both be bobbing around together.
Bo's eyebrows rose in prompt and it took me a few seconds to cotton on the conversation once more.
"About what?"
I think I was starting to slur.
"Oh, I guess not. I can tell he's not that keen on me going, but I'd love to take a writing course."
Hmm, trouble in paradise. At least she had plans to get away from this area. Not much prospect for someone with bigger dreams. That's what Harry and I had done, escaped from the looming ghosts of our old neighbourhood. Nothing much there for either of us, not now anyway.
"What do you do, Louis?"
I cleared my throat, not really prepared for her to reciprocate my attempt at probing questions. This was my interrogation, she couldn't just flip the situation. But as the self-inflicted intoxication progressed, there was little I could do to keep my mouth shut.
"I work for the police," I blurted.
"The police?"
Why did that answer always carry that sort of reaction? I wasn't going to drag her away in handcuffs.
"Don't look so nervous. I'm not an officer, I work with all the data, more of a techy guy."
"Oh, so you like computers? I'm not very good with them."
Bo smiled, tucking her legs up underneath her, the semi-tanned limbs resembling something of a pretzel. I was kind of hungry.
"It comes in handy with all my mates."
I couldn't have blamed her for her next question, I'd have asked too. It was almost instinctive.
"Why's that?"
My head was rattled with the shouted instruction to shrug it off, play it cool. But apparently my mouth was in no mood to have secrets kept.
"You can play around with stuff, wipe things off, add things in, search for people."
Oh shit.
My hand dramatically swiped up to clamp over my big mouth. Bo giggled, amused by the unintentional gesture to forcibly prevent another slip. I was an idiot.
"I wasn't supposed to tell you that," I desperately informed her.
The bottle slid through my slack fingers, clanking to the paved ground and rolling under the seat my bum was parked in.
"I won't tell anyone," She frowned.
"I could lose my job."
In my panicked fluster I hadn't realised our change in position; no longer separated by the small table between us. Bo sat to the right of me, my hand clasped in hers.
"It's alright, Louis. I'm not going to tell anyone else."
Her voice was soothing, and the glittering in the blue depths of her eyes reminded me of a promise between two young children. The kind you would seal with a pinky shake. She wasn't going to tell anyone. Maybe that's why Harry liked her. He trusted her. And with all the fucked up things he'd experienced, all the lies and secrets he'd kept close to his chest, Harry needed someone to confide in. It was Bo.
"You're alright, Bo," I jested in appreciation.
"Well gee, thanks," she mocked, releasing my hand.
I eased back further into the cushion, relieved that the admittance of foul play wouldn't stray any farther than our two-seater. I fought against the persistent need for words to fill the gaps between conversation. A fight I was drastically losing. Perhaps a couple more confessions couldn't hurt.
Bo's POV
I picked at a thread that had unwoven from the cushion beneath me, careful not to tug it any looser. The sharp turn Louis's head caused mine to meet his line of glassy vision.
"I've taken things off the system for your boy."
"Harry? What kind of things?"
I'd known for some time that Harry's actions were far from his angelic appearance. Despite his dimpled smile and soft kisses, there was much more to the gloved boxer.
"Now, that would be telling," Louis teased, "one did involve a car though, wasn't much left to investigate once Harry finished. It was around that flower park."
His features emitted a humoured testing vibe, curious as to how I would react. There hadn't been much vehicle related crime recently, a few stolen cars, but nothing major.
"What happened?"
"Harry held a grudge," he replied, "...and a lighter."
Fire?
"Wait, was that...was that the car in Rose Park? They said someone put a baseball bat to it and then set it alight," I recalled a little bewildered. "Was that, Harry?"
"Shhh." Louis grinned, holding his index to his lips like a child.
I'd seen that car. My friends and I had been walking to school through the park when a rather tall police officer had ushered us to a diverted path. He hadn't told us why the route was restricted or what was causing the inconvenience, but inquisitiveness is ripe in kids that age. We'd been stealth in our movements, patiently waiting until the officer had moved on to make a dash through the trees that ran alongside the road. We'd discovered a burnt out car, no windows, the bonnet and roof spectacularly caved in. It was a right mess. In the newspaper a couple of days later the police had begrudgingly admitted that they had no leads on any suspects to the crime, nothing to trace the culprit.
Vandal could be added to Harry's list of offences.
Images of a younger Harry fought for my attention; face blotched with smeared black marks, chest heaving as his eyes danced with the flames from the smouldering shell of a car. In my mind, his body weight rested on the bat he'd aided to convex the roof and bonnet. Such a troubled angel of a boy.
I had no time to question Louis on the matter because my name was being shouted at a distressed pitch.
