One

Chapter 3

The pungent odor of dust and morning coffee hits my nose as I close the thin door behind me. The scent doesn't usually cause my nose to crinkle in disgust and my lungs to reject the poisoned air, but the time I had spent at Harry's house caused my senses to adjust to his home's clean air. I cough into my shirt collar and make my way up the stairs, my fingertips brushing the railing. My bare feet stick to the floor as I make my way to the end of the hallway where my small bedroom is located. The second I open my door, my eyes meet Allie's, and she jumps to her feet.

"What the hell is going on Rae?" She's furious. "Who was the man who drove you here?"

I sigh and set my bags on my dresser. "Allie," I groan, "you're over-reacting."

"I am not!" She objects. "I just want answers. Now."

I silently make my way over to my bed and sit down. The gears in my brain are turning, forming a believable lie to tell her. "The man's name is Harry." I explain, "He's just some guy from back home." It's not exactly a lie. "We started talking and I guess we lost track of time. Since it was so late, he offered to let me stay, and I accepted his offer. Now I'm here."

Allie raises her eyebrows, her eyes staring at me intensely as if she is trying to decide if she should believe me. She finally gives in and groans, rubbing he eyes in exhaustion. "I'm going to bed." She states. "I was up all night worrying about you."

I can't help the smile that forces it's way onto my face. It amuses me how motherly Allie can be, even though she is my best friend.

After an agonizing hour of attempted sleep, I give up on trying to calm my restless body and turn my attention to the book on my nightstand. I remove my bookmark- a scrap of paper I ripped from a tattered notebook- and sweep my eyes across the page, searching for where I left off.

I soon become so engrossed by the fascinating story line that I don't notice when my door opens, then is closed, and I barely feel the bed dip underneath another person's weight.

"Gone with the wind?"

The raspy voice makes me jump. A hand is placed on my back, the rough callouses making contact with the skin below my shirt. I shudder, but do my best not to react. Gritting my teeth, I stare at the words on my page.

"Quite an old book, wouldn't you agree?" His hot breath fans against my neck as he whispers directly into my ear.

"It's a classic, Harry." Annoyed, I tilt my head to the side so that I can finally see him. I ignore the fact that the dim light sharpens his features, that the evening light brightens his eyes. The last rays of the sun reach him, showering him in gold.

I shake my head to rid it of my distracting thoughts. I had nearly forgotten that Harry's hand was at my back, but when his fingers begin to shamelessly roam higher, I swat him away.

"Don't touch me." I huff, standing from my bed to get away from him. Before I can get as far as I'd like to be, my wrist is grasped and I am yanked back towards the mattress, my body crashing against Harry's chest. I rise my hands and begin to push away from him, but his grip on me is too tight.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" His amused voice contains an underlying tone of disappointment. His smile falters for a moment but returns moments later.

"Because." I pout and quit struggling, my legs straddling Harry's hips. It was a childish answer and I know it, but I'm not going to give in to this stranger.

Harry's eyebrows scrunch together as he glares at me. "'Because' is not an answer, Rae." His hands tighten around my hips as he scolds me. "Tell me." He demands.