Constraint

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

I could hear the soft hum of the TV playing from the living room; my mum was probably watching it. I had just seen her, when I ate the bowl of cereal, before heading off to bed. I dressed myself in my flannel pants and light tank top, and I was currently snuggled under my thick covers, my room completely dark and door closed, a small inlet of light peering through the crack below. My eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling.

I've always had a tough time falling asleep. As a child, I would have to close my eyes and mentally count sheep jumping over a wooden fence, with a perfectly blue sky and bright, lush green grass. But now, that didn't seem to work, because every single time I closed my eyes, I thought back to the most random thoughts.

I thought about how my day at school went-looking through any embarrassing moments that made my stomach curl in discomfort, or to a compliment someone had given me, which made my heart warm from the accolade. I thought about the history test I had scored highly on, and I found myself cringing when I remembered my oral presentation I practically bombed at in science, since I tended to get stage fright in front of a classroom. I began to think of the college work I had to do with speech; I had two speeches due in the next two weeks, with the outlines and everything. I began wondering what I could do them over, until I realized I was once again lost in thought and closed my eyes, trying to clear my head.

But instead of clearing my head, I saw a pair of dark, green eyes.

And I opened them, my breath hitching in my throat, my grip tightening on my blanket under my chin. I stared wide-eyed up at the ceiling, my body tensing for a moment.

How long has it been since...that day?

My lips moved on their own accord, silently counting how many days it has been. It had been 6 days since then.

Six.

"I'm giving you a week."

I remembered what Harry told me that day. I knew perfectly well he was a man of his word, and I knew that tomorrow would make the seventh day. So this instantly caused my stomach to flip-flop-I've seen Harry occasionally at the house, when he stopped by to visit my mum, but he seemed so busy to barely speak me. And luckily, my mum had been around, so it wasn't like he could do anything.

That was one card I could play. My mum.

I constantly kept my mum with us, asking questions and making conversation with her. Harry didn't seem to catch onto my strategy, but I knew he was an intellectual guy-a true businessman, and I knew he could probably reign in his feelings to where I didn't even know what he was thinking.

Perhaps Harry would've tried something. Perhaps he would've pulled me aside to remind me of his warning, but he acted completely normal, making small talk with me and grinning that dimpled grin. My mum would beam at his act, but I knew it was merely an act.

I knew his true intentions.

And it sickened me to no end.

Wyatt had shown at my house on that day. Luckily, I was able to quickly talk to him before Harry could step in. Wyatt came to apologize for the other day; I hushed him and told him to text me, using the valid excise that my mum was taking a nap. And just when I closed the door, Harry was right behind me, asking who it was.

I told him it was Wyatt.

I didn't tell him what the book club had to do with Wyatt, and why I wanted to leave early.

I didn't tell him I went on a date with Wyatt.

Instead, I laughed and told him Wyatt was gay when he was giving me a hard stare. And surprisingly, he accepted that.