TROUBLE

Chapter 18 "Too much"

Fuck. Fuck everything. I was just starting to forget about it, and now he's brought it up again. "I told you I don't want to talk about it." I mumbled as I pushed past him, shoved my key in the door and walked in the house.

"Aubri, why can't you just tell me?" He groaned as he trailed behind me.

"Don't act like you don't keep any secrets, Harry." I walked up the stairs but I could feel him close behind me. "You and your groupies probably have shit tons of secrets!" I walked into my room and slammed the door behind me, but he just kicked the door back open.

"Why the fuck are you upset with me?! I'm just trying to help!"

"Because I told you that I was trying to forget it but you brought it up again!" I yelled, tears burning my eyes; I refused to let them spill out though. I'm so unbelievably angry at him for doing this. He didn't understand what was going on; he didn't understand how scared I was. That guy was the reason I left America as a little eighteen-year-old...well him and my parents. I let out a frustrated groan as a tear slipped out of my eye. "Get out!" I shouted.

"Aubri, what's going on?! Tell me so I can help you!" He started walking towards me but I backed away, on the other side of the bed. "Aubri!"

"Get out! Leave me alone!" We were both standing on opposite sides of the bed. My chest was rising and falling heavily as I tried to control my breathing. The look on his face was breaking my heart...

He sighed and pressed his palms on the bed, "I'm not going to tell anyone Aubri. Just tell me." I shook my head quickly, chewing on my lip to hold back the tears. "Jesus Aubriana, friends are supposed to tell each other stuff like this! You act like-" I didn't let him finish. I grabbed a pillow and whacked him right across the face.

I was in a hit-y mood today, I guess.

Harry's face shifted as a smirk played over his lips. "Did you really just use a pillow as a weapon?"

"Yes, now get out before I use it again."

He picked up one of the other pillows, "Now I'm armed too. What now, Aubri?" I couldn't help but smirk at him. I went to swing my pillow at his face again but he knocked it down before it could make contact and hit me in the shoulder instead. "Not so tough now, are we? I'm not a punk like Nick is."

I swung at him again, only for the same exact thing to happen. Looks like I'm switching to defense. I used my pillow as a shield when he whacked me again in the hip. "Not gonna fight back, huh?" He laughed. He crawled on the bed and threw the pillow right at my stomach. Before I knew it I was being pelted with pillows as I hide behind the one that I had. "Why do you have so many pillows when you don't even sleep in here?" The soft hits stopped and I popped my head out from behind my shield, thinking he'd run out of ammo. But no.

"Ha!" He threw his last pillow right in my face causing me to yelp in surprise. In the same second I was blinded by the pillow, his hand fisted some of my sweater, pulling me towards him on the bed. Before he could yank my pillow away I lunged towards him, smothering his face with my pillow as I giggled uncontrollably.

"Okay, you win!" his muffled voice surrendered.

I pulled the pillow away and smiled down at him, "Finally. That's one for Aubri"

"But I still have like 30, though."

"Not for long. Now that I've started I'm gonna be on a roll."

He rolled his eyes then looked at me seriously. "I won't bother you about it anymore, babe..I just wanted to know if you were okay..."

"Thanks for caring, Harry." I said shyly. "I'll tell you if it becomes a problem, okay?" He nodded and I smiled back at him. Oh, my God-I forgot my straddling rule. I realized I was literally straddling right over his sensitive areas and it was getting awkward down there. I'm remembering all the moving I was doing seconds ago...ah shit.

I squinted my eyes at him, "Harry...are you happy to see me or...?" He pushed me off of him and sat up.

"You know what? I'm not gonna lie...I kinda am." I widened my eyes and watched him walk towards the door. Before he went through he turned around to face me. "You know, we don't really lie to each other...right?" I nodded-I'm pretty sure I forgot how to talk. But he was right, we're more of secret keepers instead of liars. "Let's keep it that way, alright?" I nodded again. "I'm gonna tell you something else that isn't a lie." He paused, "This isn't the first time I've been happy to see you...and it probably won't be the last."

WHAT.

My face felt like it was set on fire as I stared at him, not knowing what to say back. He laughed at my expression before disappearing down the hall. I rolled over and laid face down in my comforter. Too much just happened in the past hour. TOO MUCH.

----

I felt the bed moving as he got back in behind me but I didn't turn around to look at him. He sighed and pulled the covers up over his head. Everything was still for a second; the only sound was his breathing under the cover and the sound of my own heartbeat thumbing in my ears.

He wasn't even touching me, but I could feel his warmth radiating off of him. It's always fucking freezing in here at night, so cold in fact, that I actually put on the giant sweater he got me for Christmas. It was probably the softest thing on the planet and it kept my whole entire body warm because it went down to my knees. But in all seriousness, the sweater was soft and warm and all, but it was nothing compared to when I was cuddling with Harry the other night. Why is he so hot? And yes, I mean hot in every sense of the word.

I like cuddling with Harry; he's good at it. Maybe he would be a good boyfriend...for someone...

"Aubri." I felt his hand pulling the back of my sweater. "I know you're awake."

"How do you know?"

He laughed. The covers flipped down a little to uncover his face. "I didn't, but you just proved me right."

"What do you want?" I said smiling into the darkness of the room.

"Come 'ere." What does he mean come here? I'm right next to him. "C'mon it's cold."

I turned around to face him. "And what am I supposed to do about that?"

"I already told you, come 'ere." He smirked at me before taking a fist full of my sweater and pulling me closer.

"Hm, should have kept this jumper for myself." My toes brushed against his legs and I quickly bent my legs to stop the contact. He chuckled but didn't say anything else.

"Do you want to wear it?" I mumbled, avoiding eye contact as I looked at his collarbones.

"No, it probably looks better on you." My stomach did backflips as I tried my hardest to pretend he wasn't getting to me. And I mean getting to me. He did some cute shit sometimes and it just made my heart go crazy. He always knew just what to say to make me blush or swoon. Maybe he's sweet too...but I'd never tell him that; I'd never tell him he won so quickly and easily. I can only imagine what tomorrow's going to be like...our bet.

I sighed aloud at the fact we were still calling it a bet when both of us knew exactly what it was.

What did I just say?

I felt his arm sliding around my waist, snapping me out of the realization I just had. I tensed, feeling his hand, once again fisting the back of my sweater as he held onto me.

"Such a warm jumper," he murmured sleepily. I guessed he was falling asleep by the way his breathing slowed and his hand went limp on my back. This is couple-y...heavily couple-y. Friends don't cuddle in bed like this, do they? Maybe we're just those friends that do this, and it's not weird. We could be those friends that cuddle sometimes while still messing with each other.

Yeah, I like that. Just friends, right?

.........yeah.