Trust [h.s.]

IX

The following four days passed by at a gruesomely slow pace, the excitement of Harry's mysterious business dying down in that time, leaving the house occupied by only Harry and myself once again. The days were boring and uneventful, the only noises sounding throughout the house were that of the blistering winds that swindled around outside; their ghostly whispers slipping through the panes of the frozen windows, encompassing the house in a chill that no amount of heating seemed to fix.

I hadn't spoken to Harry since the day he hid me in the attic due to the hectic atmosphere of the house and all of its occupants, but as the presence of Harry's business associates died down, a calmness settled upon the space. Though I was relieved at the fact that every room was no longer bombarded by men with stern faces and harsh voices, I couldn't help but feel lonely at the newfound emptiness.

That is why, on the fourth day, I tiptoed into the kitchen as I heard Harry prepare himself breakfast. As my bare feet padded into the space, my eyes settled upon Harry, who's back was facing me. He stood over the stove, shirtless, as he prepared himself a meal that crackled and crisped in the pot above the lit fire.

I couldn't help the way my gaze raked down his back, taut and prominent muscles were positioned shapely under his pale flesh; his broad shoulders and lean torso narrowing at his slim waist, then stretching down his long, slender legs.

"Mornin'." Harry said with his back still facing me. I jumped at the sound of his voice, blushing immediately at the fact that he'd sensed my presence, and caught me staring at him.

"Morning." I greeted, hopping up on the stool positioned before the bar. It was silent for a few moments, neither of us speaking, merely listening to the food in Harry's pot sizzling above the scorching heat of the dark flames.

"You want some eggs?" He turned his head, craning his neck to obtain a better view of me as he awaited my answer.

"Yeah, sure." I said. "Thanks."

He nodded, and again, silence. I realized that our quietness, though not terribly uncomfortable, was because we weren't quite sure how to act around one another. Our relationship had gone through such rapid shifts over the past few weeks that neither of us were sure where exactly we stood. When I first arrived, I was terrified, and Harry held an intimidating power over me that I wouldn't think to question, then I grew defiant, and we seemed to resent each other, but now, we were nothing. We were just two strangers that happened to live under the same roof. I then understood why the atmosphere was so thick between us, it was because we knew so much, yet so little about the other person.

Harry broke me of my thoughts when he set a plate of freshly cooked eggs in front of me, their warm aroma wafting up to my nostrils, triggering a growl in my empty stomach.

"Thank you." I said, keeping my eyes trained on my plate, as I picked up my fork and stabbed a piece of my breakfast.

Harry hopped up on the stool adjacent to my own, the loud screeching of the legs of his chair scraping against the tiled floor with a gruesome squeal. We ate in silence, allowing the air around us to fill with forks scraping against porcelain, metal hitting teeth, mouths smacking as we chewed; anything but words.

It wasn't until we both emptied our plates that Harry turned to face me.

"I'm going into town today." He stated, only telling me in case I needed something from a store.

My shoulders inadvertently hunched at his announcement, a sulking breath filling my lungs as I puffed it out with a sigh. I would have given anything to go with him, to visit the world beyond those walls for the first time in weeks.