nicotine // h.s. au {uncompleted; editing}

Chapter 4.

Lyla

I panicked on the inside, waving my hand in front of his face, which made him shake his head and blink a few times, looking down at me and stepping in.

"Fuck it's cold out there," he muttered, and I took his jacket away from him. I stayed silent as I laid it on the kitchen counter and shut the front door. I watched him take a seat on my couch, following him quietly.

"What happened with Holly?" I asked, breaking the silence between us. As he looked up at me, I shut off the TV and sat in the seat beside the couch.

Harry let out a shakey breath before answering, rubbing his hand together. "Nothing," he said, looking back up at me, "Why?"

"No reason."

He half smiled, laying his head in his hand and fixating his eyes on the area of my legs. "You're jealous," he said, his other hand touching my knee softly. I moved away, as far as I can.

"Don't," I whispered, squinting my eyes at him. His smile disappeared for a moment.

"Why should I?" he whispered back. My heart felt like it could burst for some reason. I didn't really know what was going on.

"Why?" I repeated, "We haven't even told each other our names."

Harry shook his head. "Louis told me yours. Lyla. It's a beautiful name, you know."

I looked down, eyes fixed on his chest. The ink was spread to just his collarbones, decorated with what looked like stars and ribbons. He kept staring at me. I crossed my leg, and he instantly touched my foot with a gentle hand. I twitched. I couldn't wrap my head around this all. He had just...boned the girl who lived right beside me, and now he was here, his calloused hand moving up my leg. The most frightening part to this was what he would do if I didn't pull away soon. His hand was now on my knee, yet it stayed there.

"Lyla," Harry repeated softly. I shook my head, getting up and moving away from him.

"If you want to stay for the night, fine," I gave in, messing with the hem of my shirt, "but you have to stay here."

He shrugged, inked hand moving his bangs off his forehead. I moved to the bedroom, bringing back a blanket and a pillow.

"And don't go through any of the boxes, okay?"

Harry's eyes moved to one of the boxes, nodding.

I went back to my room with no other words, shutting the door behind me.

Harry

 I stared up at the ceiling, one arm underneath my head and one resting on my stomach. The pillow and blanket smelled just like Lyla, which only made me feel guilty for going over to Holly's and going at it. We really didn't even get as far as she wanted, or I was aiming for, but it would be enough for a while. But instead of picturing Holly here, I was picturing the girl in the bedroom beside me here. I didn't understand why she was so interesting. I wanted to know what would make her open up to me, so I could make her blush like back there and so we could be in that bedroom together, bodies pressed up against eachother. From how she responded, though, she probably was a virgin, but you never know. Maybe she had a bad past with men.

I sighed and flipped over on my side. I just couldn't sleep knowing she was in that room beside me. She could be naked for all I knew and I was stuck in the TV room. I groaned aloud, rubbing my hands down my face. Since I couldn't sleep, in my mind I planned of ways to get her to like me. By the end of it, I just felt like a loser. Maybe I should leave right now instead of waiting until morning, even though it was 10 degrees and snowing, and the fact that I walked here since it was much warmer earlier today. I started to wonder what time Lyla usually got up, since it was already about 5 AM. She seemed like an early riser, either way. My stomach rumbled and I sat up, looking over at the digital clock. 5:47. I got up with a 'humph', making my way to the refrigerator.

Sausage, milk, eggs. I turned around and went through the cabinent behind me. Pancake mix. Don't girls like guys who cook?