Whoa. I haven't posted to this in months. I've had part of this chapter saved as a draft on my laptop for weeks, and I finally got the chance to finish it because I have no more homework. I apologize for ditching this story and I will try to write more often now. Enjoy, and please, let me know your thoughts on it. (:
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My feet stomped up the front steps to his house. It was early, only a bit past eight in the morning, but Harry was known for getting up early. Or he used to be, at least. It depended on if he was anything like his old self. I had not attempted to make any kind of contact with him to let him know I was coming this early. A deep breath escaped my lips as I took a single step forward, pressing my finger against the doorbell.
Everything was silent for a short moment or two, but after that, it sounded as if somebody was stampeding down a set of stairs inside of the house at full speed. Seconds later, the front door was pulled open, revealing a wide-awake looking Harry. He was sporting a plaid flannel button-down shirt along with a dark pair of jeans to match it. His curly locks shaped his face just right, just as they always did.
A bit of surprise flickered in Harry’s eyes as both of his bright green orbs set on me, but his lips twisted up into a wide grin just a moment later. “Emma… You’re here early…” he began, reaching back and scratching the back of his neck. “You should’ve let me know you were coming… I could’ve picked you up and given you a ride. It’s early… Have you eaten breakfast? You’re not hungry, are you? If you are, we could go out for breakfast… Or I could fix you something—“
I cut him off with a laugh, rolling my eyes as I took a step toward him, wrapping both of my arms around his body tightly and pulling him into a hug. “Gosh… You are still the same. Always worrying. Stop worrying and just let me inside.” My lips formed a slight smirk as I dropped my arms from him, giving him a playful shove before stepping around him and setting foot inside of his house.
“Have you know, I’m just being respectful. Just making sure everything is okay, you know?” he asked and grinned cheekily, taking a step toward me and curling one of his arms around my waist so I was pulled against the side of his body. He smelt strongly of cologne, but I wasn’t complaining. “Anyways, it’s nice to see you again. I was getting quite nervous. I thought you might not show.”
“Have you know,” I began, mocking him. “It’s not too often that you find a boy that cares enough to wonder if a girl has eaten breakfast or not… Or worries about her driving her car two minutes up the road. But you know, I’m just saying.” My shoulders bounced up and down in the motion of a shrug, my lips curving upward to form a mischievous smirk.
“Then maybe that means I’m not just your average boy,” Harry said and smirked back at me, giving my back a slight push before leading me into his well-organized living room. That was another thing about Harry. Everything always had to be in order for him or he’d go mad.
A snort escaped my lips as I sat down on one of the plush couches, waiting for Harry to sit down before speaking up. “Oh, I’ve known for years now that you’re not. Maybe it was the first time we went swimming together and I saw your four nipples… That was a dead giveaway. Or maybe it was the first time you had to stay over my house and you didn’t have a change of clothes, so you told me you wouldn’t mind sleeping naked, which you did end up doing. Oh, or it could’ve been—“
Harry cut me off by pulling me close to him, heaving my head into a light and playful headlock. “Hey, shut up. That’s not what I meant.” He let out a low chuckle into my ear that sent a chill down my spine before releasing my head.
I rolled my eyes at him before comfortably positioning myself so my head was rested in his lap, my legs laid across the remainder of the couch. This wasn’t a strange thing for Harry and I. We had always been the kind of best friends that weren’t afraid to get close to each other. The first time Harry had attempted to hold my hand, it hadn’t bothered me, so I had allowed him to do so. Ever since then, neither of us had been afraid to get close to the other, and to be honest, I liked it. Whenever I was close to Harry, I felt safe, even in the worst of times.
Once I snapped out of my trance, I realized that Harry was staring down at me with a crooked smile spread across his soft pink lips. His eyes had a dazed look in them, almost as if he was daydreaming. I arched an eyebrow at him and gave his arm a soft nudge, which made him quickly shake his head, his cheeks gaining a bright red color. He cleared his throat awkwardly, licking his lips as they became dry. “Well, since you seem to be in a cheerier mood today than yesterday…” he began teasingly, poking my cheek. “I have a better chance to ask you about this past year. How have you been? What have you been up to? Have you had any boyfriends?”
My first instinct was to let out a laugh, and that was exactly what I did. That was all he was concerned about? Why? It was probably just in his nature to still be protective over me. I reached up, grabbing onto one of his hands. His palm was unusually sweaty, and I could tell by the uneasiness on his face that he got nervous when I grabbed his hand, but I refused to let go. “Well, firstly, I’ve been okay. Life hasn’t been as exciting with you gone.” His eyes glistened in what could only be delight as these words left my mouth. “Next, I haven’t been up to much. The usual. Lastly, yes. I’ve had two.”
The troubled look on Harry’s face became more and more obvious as the seconds passed. His hands clenched up into what seemed to be fists, which resulted in my hand being squeezed tightly by his. He stared across the room with an unreadable expression for a few moments before his glistening green eyes found mine again. For a moment, I swore I saw pain and sadness in his eyes, but if it was there, it passed too fast for me to be certain. Finally, he spoke up in a quiet voice, asking, “Why did each relationship end?”
I shrugged my shoulders carelessly. Your average girl would be upset about her past heartbreaks, but they didn’t faze me. Of course I had been upset at the time they happened, but I got over them easily. As much as this was true, my trust toward most boys had been crushed. “The first one lasted about five months. It ended because I found out he had cheated on me throughout half of the relationship.” Anger quickly took over the expression on Harry’s face. “And the second one only lasted about a month. He broke up with me because he claimed he found someone better.”
Harry was silent for the longest time. I so badly wanted to know the thoughts he was pondering in his mind, but his lips were pressed in a straight line and his eyes stared blankly at the wall, making it impossible for me to even make a prediction. It almost seemed as if he was trying to keep himself from exploding in rage. The silence lasted for about a minute straight until Harry exhaled deeply, shaking his head in what appeared to be frustration. “And now what?”
My brow furrowed together in confusion as I wondered what he meant by the question. Was he asking for my feelings on my past relationships? Or was he asking for my relationship status? Not knowing how to answer, I just told him both. “Um, now I’m single… I have been for about two months now. My feelings on it all… Um, I don’t really care anymore, but I don’t really trust many boys.”
His eyes darted down to our hands and he began to stroke the exterior of my hand with his thumb, his eyes seeming to be occupied with that, and that only. He didn’t seem to be deep in thought, but he gave the impression that he was trying to avoid replying. Once again, we were trapped in dead silence. I let out a sigh, and Harry must’ve noticed my impatience, because he finally spoke up, but in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “Do you trust me, Emma?” His eyes moved to mine, his gaze intense.
A warm smile formed on my lips at his question, and I instantly nodded my head up and down in reply. Why had he been nervous to ask a question with such an obvious answer? “Of course I do,” I said, giving his hand a tight squeeze. “You’re my best friend.”
The first words seemed to please him, but as I spoke the second part, Harry’s lips formed a smile, but not the kind of smile I had expected. The smile spread across his lips was small and weak, and his eyes were filled with nothing other than sadness.
If only I knew.
