summer love ∞ h. s.

0.7

i'm sorry that updates have been so slow. i'm just going through a lot right now. chapters will probably be smaller now. thanks for reading!

love,
wishie

∞

jasmine

The hotel room was more of a suite than actual room. There was a small kitchenette right inside the door, then a little living room area with a sofa, a chair, and a TV mounted on the wall. The fabric on the sofa had swirling beige patterns and it reminded me of the furniture at my late great grandmother's house.

"Is the couch comfy?" I inquired as I stepped past the kitchenette.

His deep chuckle from behind me made me smile, and fortunately he couldn't see my face. "Yeah, I suppose so."

I plopped down onto the cushion, resting my hands in my lap. I didn't feel awkward, surprisingly. I was actually quite comfortable. His presence calmed me. "Where are the others?"

"I managed to get out of a meet and greet," he replied, "so it's just you and I for now." I could feel his body heat as he sat down beside me, only a few inches away. "How are you feeling?"

I turned my head, raising my chin to look up at him. How was I feeling? I didn't really know. Before I'd entered this suite, I was bubbling with anxiety. But as soon as I'd seen his face, my nerves had calmed completely. Crazy, right? Totally insane.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I'm okay. Mostly everyone apologized for what they said last night, including my sister."

"You have a sister?"

It was strange; he seemed genuinely interested. Most guys I'd been around wouldn't have cared if I had a sister or not. It made me smile as I saw the wonder in his beautiful eyes.

"Yeah," I replied with a soft chuckle. "Her name's Renee and she's three years older than me."

His brow furrowed. "Did she say something on Twitter as well?"

I shook my head. "No, she bitched at me when I finally got home. I mean, she'd texted me before I found the Twitter stuff after the concert, so when I got home, I didn't even say anything to her. I just went straight to my room."

Worry masked his beautiful face suddenly. "Were your parents upset?"

My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. Surprisingly, I hadn't made any new friends since their passing, so the topic had never arisen. I hadn't even considered how I would explain such a thing to someone. Should I be blunt about it? Should I keep it short? Should I go into detail? I had no idea.

I think Harry could see the pain in my eyes, because his own widened. I spoke before he could; "They're. . .dead."

There was a painful moment of silence before I continued. "They both died in a car crash when I was nine."

His entire body stiffened. For a moment, neither of us moved or spoke. Then, slowly, he reached over and took my small hand in his. It reminded me of last night. But this was different; he was trying to comfort me.

He scooted closer, wrapping his other arm around me, pressing my against him in an embrace. "I'm so sorry," he whispered against my hair.

I closed my eyes, breathing in his scent. He smelled like cologne and lavender soap. I would never forget that smell.