Limitless

Chapter 9

He kissed me.  He didn’t even hesitate.  I pulled away from the short kiss and sat for a moment, stunned. Harry laid back in his seat and reclined the chair, quickly falling asleep and leaving me to drive home in silence.

When we got to the apartment, I poked Harry in the stomach to wake him up.  He rolled around and rubbed his eyes. “Oh we’re here.” He began to get out of the car, but then turned to face me. “Thanks for taking me out.  I really needed a break from the neighborhood.”

I smiled and nodded while I picked a spot of dirt off of my jeans.

We both walked up to the apartment.  There were a few people still left at the party, just drinking and talking at this point, unless they were drunk in which they were then dancing sloppily and provocatively in the living room.  Harry left my side and immediately walked to his room and shut the door.  I looked around at the crowd for a moment more, jumping when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“You okay, Lou?” Louis was standing behind me holding a drink in either hand, and I assumed the second one was for Isabella. I nodded slowly.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.  Where’s Harry?”

I shrugged.

Louis began to frown. “Come here,” He said, nodding toward the front door.  We walked out of the apartment and leaned against the rail.  Louis handed me his second drink, and suddenly realizing just how dry my tongue was I gulped it all down quickly.

Louis waited a minute before he asked, “What happened?”

I told him all about what happened after I left.  I told him that I forced Harry off of a cliff, which he thought was the funniest thing ever.  I explained how we had so much fun and everything just felt right.  I told him about the waitress and Harry seducing her. “I just couldn’t believe it.  I guess I had just never seen him in action.”

“It’s weird, isn’t it!?” Louis asked excitedly.  “I’ve seen it too and it’ just… incredible.  Horrible, but incredible.”

I grinned and nodded, picking at a crack in my red cup. “But then we got in the car and he said something about a horrible taste in his mouth and he kissed me.”

Louis looked sideways at me, his eyes widening. “He did?”

I nodded slowly, pursing my lips.

“You don’t look too happy about it.”

I took a deep breath. “It wasn’t real.”

Louis furrowed his brow as he waited for me to explain a little more.

“Remember last week when Harry invited that girl Phoebe to the roof with us and she grabbed his face and kissed him?”

Louis paused and looked out over the dark playground as he struggled to remember.

"The girl with the ten dollar haircut." 

"Ohhhh! Her… yes I remember now."

“It was like that.  No feeling.  Just… getting the taste out of his mouth I guess.”

We both turned around as the door flew open behind us and a drunk couple stumbled out.  They attempted to support each other and make out at the same time that they were tripping down the stairs.  Louis shook his head and turned back to lean on the banister.

“I don’t know what’s up with him.  Usually he tells me everything, but he hasn’t mentioned anything about feelings for you.  I KNOW that they’re there.  I swear, I’m not pulling your leg.  I guess he just doesn’t know what to do with himself when he’s around you.  Be patient with him.”