blue (book one) - h.s. ✔️ watty's 2019

chapter 10

It is finally Thursday and the most trivial part of my week is over. I've completed just about everything in my planner for this week - with the help of Kate. I lasso my things from the empty coffee shop, and head home for some much needed R&R.

As I am driving home, Alex sends me a text asking to pick up another gallon of milk. Apparently, Kate threw out the last one again.

Rolling my eyes, I get out ten dollars and head inside the nearest convenient store.

The little store has a very eerie vibe within it. It's just as small as it looks from the inside and just as empty.

I make my way to the sign labeled Dairy, playing the little game where you try to stay within each square as you walk. The freezer has a large variety of different kinds of milk: ten percent, twenty; pasteurized, non-dairy, so on and so forth.

I choose the one second to Alex's favorite in hopes he won't chug this one. The milk glass is cold to the touch and I nearly gasp at the contact.

In the next aisle, I hear the shatter of a few bottles and involuntarily, my legs move before my mind can catch up. As I round the aisle, my eyes immediately shift towards the mess.

Conveniently, there is a mop with its respective bucket a couple feet away, so I make way to grab it.

As I am wringing out the dirty mop, I hear a loud thud: he fell.

I hear him curse under his breath and instantly recognize the heavy accent from my time in the U.K.

"Parker?"

My body stills at the sound of my name. The voice, even its native accent, is beautiful.

Harry?

My thoughts are answered once I'm turned completely around to face him.

His hair is disheveled. He looks different. Tired? In spite of all of this, he still looks gorgeous. His eyes are brighter than they've ever been. The color distracts you from the dark circles around his eyes. His skin - as pale as ever - is covered by a light, black jacket. He's wearing his signature skinny jeans, and black combat boots.

Even from ten feet away, it's evident that his height is towering.

"Harry? Are you okay?" I don't know what else to say. My heart is racing a mile a second. My once crowded head is now empty. Quiet.

Panic floods his body visually and I almost think he's going to make a run for it.

"Stop!" I yell.

"Stop what?" His accent is heavy. Almost like a liquid velvet. Enchanting.

I stutter. My blood rushes to my face for yelling in the quiet, little store. I'm grateful that were the only ones here, if you don't count the cashier.

"Do you need help finding?" My voice wanders off on the word 'finding'.

What aisle is this exactly?

I'm stalling. Just to be in his presence makes my stomach turn flips. I hate that he has this control over me, but he does.

"And so soon," my sassy subconscious remarks.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Sir, these are the only pregnancy test we have in stock right now. They go by fast this time of year." The elderly cashier smiles at him.

My body chills considerably. I open my mouth to speak, but it feels like my tongue is being held back in my throat. Harry's eyes are calm and unreadable as he stares into mine.

We stay like this, staring at one another for what feels like an eternity before he opens his mouth to speak.

"Mind your own fucking business."

With that, he saunters to the front where the cashier has gone and the slamming of the store door, notifies me of his departure.

I WINCE AT HIS harsh words repeatedly as they replay thoughout my head. There are so many questions swarming my mind at the moment, and I hate that they decide to show up now.

My thoughts are interrupted by the opening and closing of my bedroom door.

"Hey, are you hungry? Alex and I are eating out tonight. You should come."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." I really do just want to be left alone to my thoughts right now. They are everywhere and some alone time would help tremendously.

After a few more complaints and an empty promise to go out tomorrow night, Kate finally gives up.

The girl sure is persistent.

As I'm diving back into the madness that is Harry, I am interrupted by the sound of my phone chiming.

The caller ID reads unknown and I hesitate to open it.

You should've come! Alex is already annoying me, the text reads. Kate.

Next time for sure! Sorry!

I close my phone and set it on top of my nightstand, making a mental note to save her name later.

Before I have time to think again my phone chimes again. I roll my eyes at Kate's attempts to make me feel bad for not coming.

As I open the text, the message confuses me.

Meet me at the park - H

Who is this?

I am sitting upright, legs crossed. My breaths are terribly loud in this quiet room. It can't be him. How did he get my number? Fear starts settling in with each passing second. It feels like hours before he texts again, despite his replying time being under a minute.

Harry.

I can literally feel the imprint of my heart within my chest. My breath is staggered.

Against my better judgement, I decide to go.

I change out of my pajamas and into something a little less comfortable: a random grey T-shirt coupled with a light, blue jean jacket. I slide on a pair of jeans that are tight around the waist, but the lower you go the more loose they are. I roll the bottoms up at the hem a couple of times and slide on my converse.

With a final look in the mirror, I accept my comfortable appearance and head downstairs. My mind is racing with a thousand questions that only Harry has the answers to. I contemplate writing them down, but decide against it. I look to the wall in the front entrance and am relieved once I see Alex's keys hanging up.

Thank God for Kate's strong nature.

I lock up the house and climb inside the spotless, black SUV.