hooked // harry hook

chapter thirteen - the big question

I nervously sat through my final midterm through the quarter. It was my calculus test, and everything seemed semi-comprehensible. Carlos and I had done a super long study session with Doug and had crammed for the test for hours last night, completing dozens of problems and trying to live through it. But the time had come, and I was bubbling in the final question on my test. I exhaled in relief and closed my test booklet, gathering my things before walking over to Mr. Rio and submitting my test.

"How do you feel?" he asked, taking the test from my hand. "Uh, I feel okay. I studied a lot for this so I'm hoping for a passing grade." I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. I excused myself before walking out of the class and giggling in relief. I was done with midterms and ready to go back home for winter break. Speaking of, I still had to ask Harry if he wanted to come with me to my family's beach vacation. It was definitely a big step, meeting the family, but it was something I felt comfortable doing.

Harry and I were approaching four months into our relationship and things were going really well. I trusted him with every inch of my being and I only hoped that he could trust me in the same way. I know he didn't really have the option to return home for break, considering home would be the Isle, so I was genuinely hopeful that he would accept my invitation. I didn't think my family would be judgmental of him, since my father was once viewed as a wanted criminal. I think they'd both understand that there's more to the person then meets the eye.

What I was really excited for was Harry meeting my sister. She was a bit older than me, going on 22 years old, but she was loads of fun. Growing up, she was everything I wanted to be. We've grown apart since I've been away at Auradon, but seeing her is always the best. She was engaged to this really cool noble guy from our kingdom. They met when she found him injured at an event in the castle. Nevertheless, they were both really happy and loved spending time together. They had sort-of adopted our dogs as their makeshift children, which was pretty funny.

I never thought I could find a love like theirs, and here I was with Harry. Even though I was only 18, I knew what Harry and I had was real. I waited for him to get back from midterms in his room, watching some TV to pass the time. The news was mainly filled with Mal and Ben doing their royal duties, mostly diplomatic trips to visit other kingdoms and network himself as Auradon's new king. I heard he was doing a pretty good job keeping it together despite his extremely hectic schedule. Mal had kinda let the pressure get to her last year, but she was back and was handling everything with grace.

Harry walked through the door around half an hour later and smiled when he saw me. "How were finals?" I asked, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. "Pretty good. Chemistry was a breeze. What about you?" he asked, leaning over and pecking my lips lightly. "I crashed in Carlos' room yesterday while we were cramming for Calc. And I honestly thought I was a goner, but it wasn't horrible." I admitted with a shrug. Harry slipped off his jacket and shoes before sliding his shirt over his head. He changed out of his jeans and into a pair of sweatpants before crashing on the bed next to me.

"Babe, I have to ask you something." I said, running my fingers over his chest. He hummed in response, taking my hand and leaving small kisses on it. "So, for winter break I'm going home to my family and we're taking our annual beach trip." I said cautiously, watching his expressions as he listened to me. "I was thinking, why don't you come with us?" I mumbled, biting my lip nervously. "Seriously?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know, it's a little fast to meet my family, but I was just thinking that-" I started. "No, no. It's great, Vee. I'd love to go with you." he interrupted me with a smile. I sighed and giggled, pressing my lips against his.

"So, what do I have to prepare for? What's your family like?" he asked, twirling the ends of my hair with his finger. "Well, mom is really cool. She's kinda hyper and loves to watch the stars. My dad seems pretty serious, but it's all for show. He'll like you a lot. My sister, Luna, is a queen. I worship the ground she walks on. Actually, she's probably the scariest of the bunch. She's gonna grill you for sure." I warned. He smiled as he watched me talk about the family I missed so much. I was so excited to see everyone and I just couldn't contain my happiness. Everything just became ten times better because Harry was coming with me.

"We have two dogs, Mila and Zig, who are the cutest dogs ever. I don't know if Luna's fiancee is coming, but his name is Fernando. He's really laid back and is into cool music." I continued, absentmindedly running my fingers through Harry's hair. "Sounds like it'll be a great time." he said, wrapping his arms around me and pressing his lips against mine. "I hope so. We go every year and it's always really fun. I'm so glad you're coming." I admitted in between kisses. "How could I possibly pass up the offer to join a beautiful girl at the beach?" he joked, making me giggle. "I love you." I mumbled against his lips.