Good Intentions

3. Cold

              I was awoken by the sound of unorganized footsteps. Not the kind that can be heard when a person goes for a run or walk, these sounded disorderly and almost frantic. My head was pounding, but I don't know why. The last thing I remember was leaving my friend's house to go back home. Maybe because I had taken that path so many times, I just don't remember walking home, but I realize now that I'm not in my bed. I am on the ground, in an alley during the dead of night. Is this how blackout drunks feel the morning after a long night out?

"Alex, are you alright?" A silver rose appeared in front of my face, but this time I was more interested in person the ring was attached to. I looked up to see two kind eyes filled with worry looking down at me. His knees clicked as he came down to my level.

"Harry? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" I started to panic again because I had no idea how I had gotten here. "I was walking home from Kate's house, and I...I was almost home..." I finally remembered what happened to me, Jack. "Jack and his gang cut me off and led me here. I had a panic attack because I knew what was going to happen if I didn't get away, and I couldn't get out of his grip. I don't remember what happened after that." I started to get upset because I don't know what Jack did after I passed out. Harry reached his hand out again and wiped away my tears.

"Nothing. Nothing happened after you passed out, and I made sure that nothing will ever happen again." Harry offered me a sympathetic smile, which gave me the strength to get up and out of this alley. "I can take you the rest of the way home." I smiled and nodded. The right company is exactly what I needed right now. Part of me wants to go back to Kate's house, but I know she will not let me rest because she will want to know everything. Another part of me would rather go somewhere with Harry so that I did not have to face my parents. Oh no, my curfew.

"What time is it?" Harry checked his watch and told me that it was half past one. "One in the morning?! I should have been home an hour and a half ago." I definitely don't want to go home now. I am not ready to tell my parents about what happened yet. "I can't go home now." Maybe I should go back to Kate's house and just call my parents to tell them I'm staying over because we were working on a project late.

I pulled out my phone to call my parents, but my battery was dead. "Shit, shit, shit. This has got to be the worst night of my life." I started to get frustrated and upset again, but Harry came to my rescue for the second time tonight.

"You can borrow mine, but who are you going to call? I should remind you that it's one thirty." He was right, Kate was probably asleep by now, and once she is asleep, she doesn't wake up for anything. All of my other friends lived pretty far away, and I really do not feel like walking. I stopped walking to gather my thoughts because I was officially out of ideas. "You can come stay with me, if you don't want to go home." My cheeks burned red at the thought of spending the night with Harry, but I don't think he meant the invite to come off like a booty call.

"If you don't mind, that would be great. I do have to call my parents to tell them I'm not coming home." He smiled as I went to call my parents. I called my mom to tell her the fabricated story about the fake project Kate and I had to do, and luckily, she bought my story. Harry had stayed close by while still giving me space to have a private conversation.

I returned his phone, and his hand brushed mine in the process. Chills shot up my arm at the contact. Harry and I walked to his house mostly in silent because I got the feeling that he was listening to make sure the coast was clear. We only walked for a few minutes before arriving at a gate surrounding a charming house. "Are you sure your parents won't mind?" I just now realized that Harry never said anything about his parents yet.