Sex Lessons 2 [h.s//fanfic]

|Chapter 9|

S T E L L A

I finish wand curling my hair and run my fingers through it, fluffing it to give a sexy, messy look. Harry, wearing a plain white t-shirt and navy swim trunks, lifts a brow at me in my reflection. He leans against the doorway and folds his arms.

"What?"

"Don't you think you're doing a bit much for a pool party?" He asks.

I consider my reflection and shrug, adding more bronzer. "Feel like I'm not doing enough, actually."

He playfully rolls his eyes and checks his phone. His shoulders noticeably stiffen before he relaxes against the doorframe again.

"She's gonna be here in about 15 minutes." Harry's voice is low, careful.

Despite my personal feelings about Robyn and Harry's mysterious new friendship, I choose to shove those negative thoughts away. She's in a shitty situation and I don't want to be the jealous girlfriend who comprises her safety because I am insecure. Plus, I trust Harry. He hasn't given me a reason not to. Like I have.

"That's fine." I simply reply. She's not a threat. She just needs to feel safe.

"The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable..." He trails off.

"You don't have to explain anything. I'm not going to be a bitch to her or anything." Harry taps away on his keyboard, rubbing the back of his neck before replying.

"I'm just saying that to tell you that this was as unexpected for me as it is for you."

I turn around to face him and plant a kiss on his cheek. "I trust you." I do. I trust him more than anyone I've ever let into my life.

We're in college now, nurturing a mature relationship that should be based on trust. We live together, handle finances together, provide for each other—all in all, we take care of each other. We're a team now. Despite the incident between James and I, I want us to feel secure in each other. That involves me burying away my insecurities and placing my trust in Harry above my self-esteem.

I want to tell Harry the truth but the closer I get to telling him, the more damage I feel will be done. I waited too long. I wouldn't blame him if he stopped trusting me. I would be the reason we fell apart, and it kills me to imagine Harry's trust in me completely fading. I toss the thought away—just for now—and gaze at my reflection, wishing I could feel as good in the inside as I look on the outside.

"You okay?" Harry places his hand on my hip and meets my eyes in the mirror. I offer him a tight smile.

A few minutes later, a knocks sounds at the door and Harry nods at me, a silent way of saying "everything is going to be fine" before disappearing into the living room. I hear their low voices floating through the room, the quiet pad of feet against the hardwood floor. My heart clenches in my chest. 

I stall cleaning up my mess in the bathroom before finally coming out to the living room, where I see Robyn sitting on our couch, her tiny frame barely taking up space on it. I try to ignore how envious I feel at her effortlessly beautiful appearance. She wears her dark hair in a top bun, her tan skin glittering under shimmering body oil. Her small frame is cinched in an all black romper body suit. She wears an oversized jean jacket with it and an obviously worn pair of white converses. Simple, but stunning. I wonder if Harry notices too. Of course he does.

"Hey," Robyn acknowledges me, a small smile drawing at her mouth. "Thanks for letting me come here."

"Not a problem," I say. "Just glad we could help."