Evermore

Chapter 6

"Tell me literally everything," Vera says as we lounge on the couch in my living room. Simon runs circles around us with the brand new toy Vera brought him. Vera's boyfriend, Sawyer, sits in one of the big chairs next to the couch.

Sawyer and Vera are my two very best friends and they have been with me through everything. Every up and down, and especially last year. They were there through it all.

"There's not much to tell." I shrug at the two of them and Sawyer rolls his eyes, knowing Vera won't take that as an answer.

"Oh c'mon! You spent most of the night with Harry Styles and there's not much to tell?" Vera's obsession with pop culture is not something we share and it makes me cringe a little when she refers to him as Harry Styles. He's just Harry.

"Vee, you're obnoxious. But fine. We were supposed to go to dinner but I had cramps so I called him to cancel and he insisted on coming over. He brought a huge picnic basket of food and chocolate and movies and shit, really thoughtful actually. And we just watched The Godfather, I showed him some of my photography books, we talked, took Simon on a walk, and then he left." I recount my night, out of breath by the end of it.

"You're kidding right?" Her mouth is on the floor.

"No?"

"He totally likes you! Did you guys kiss?"

"He does not," I say, pausing and contemplating just how much I want to tell her. We were best friends, though, and that meant I told her everything. "But yeah, he tried to kiss me. I couldn't though."

"WHY NOT?"

"I just couldn't after Amar. I just, I don't know."

"Hey," Sawyer says, speaking up. "You don't need to rush into anything. Take your time, he'll understand if he actually cares."

"I don't even know if he likes me, guys!" I say, frustrated with the confusing cloud that has become my life.

"Oh, he likes you," Vera says. "If he didn't, why would he go through the trouble of bringing you all that cute shit when you cancelled?"

"I guess you're right. Ugh, I don't know! Let's talk about something else. Sawyer, how long are you home for?"

"Three months. Then it's off to Kuwait."

Sawyer was a Marine, which meant he was only ever home for a short amount of time. Having him here for three months was a rarity.

"Any exciting plans for while you're home?"

"Nope, just hanging out with my girlfriend 24/7 so she doesn't forget about me when I leave," he says, poking fun at Vera.

"Oh shut up," Vera laughs. 

Just then, my phone rings from the other room and I get up to go grab it, expecting my mother on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Hey Allie, it's Harry," I'm pleasantly surprised by the British voice I hear through the speaker.

"Oh, hey Harry!" I say, a little quieter so my friends' curious ears don't overhear me. I just don't want them making a big deal out of nothing. 

"The lads and I are having a little end-of-summer pool party later and I was wondering if you would like to join us? You can bring a friend if you'd like."

"That sounds lovely. Vera's actually here, let me ask her real quick." I pop my head back in the living room to my two friends. "Hey, you guys want to go to a pool party?"

"I've got some work to do so I'm gonna sit this one out, but feel free Vera," Sawyer says as I predicted. He hates new situations with crowds, much like myself I suppose but I was trying to change that.