1985 (h.s.)

Chapter Fifty Two

November 24th, 1985

7:45 P.M.

I didn't end up going to the dance, obviously. Niall left after Harry and I cleared the foyer. We drove to the diner we always went to so we could have some dinner. He hadn't eaten all day. 

Other than small talk, we didn't have much conversation after he returned the 'I love you'. I was surprised he even said that. I knew he loved me, in the past tense. I wasn't expecting him to hold those feelings still. I wasn't expecting myself to hold them either. It was a surprise I had the balls to even tell Gemma. 

Now we were taking turns in the shower. Gemma told Harry she had to go back home early the next morning yet he had taken the whole week off. He was going to stay with us. Maura was on board as soon as I asked her. She had a tidbit of insight from what I allowed Niall to tell her. She had taken me in and treated me well, but I couldn't fully trust her. After all, my last 'foster' family lied right to my face about my own father. Hopefully, this was my last stop on the family train. I knew after I moved into my own place that Niall and I would still be best friends. I wouldn't be able to escape his family either. They were already planning my birthday.

With everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours, my birthday was the last thing on my mind. It was my eighteenth birthday and not to mention, but it was going to be the day that I got my inheritance. I shouldn't be counting down to that; I was. I could finally live on my own and not rely on someone else to pay for my well-being. The company was going to be sold and so were most of the houses he owned. 

I was thinking that I could keep some of them that were in desirable places. For example, vacation spots like the beach or mountains. They, unlike the many others he had, would be practical to keep. Only so I wouldn't have to pay for hotels or anything when I'd travel.

I tied my towel around my chest and flung my damp hair into a turban. The red towels Bobby brought up for me weren't as fluffy as I was used to. They absorbed the water much better though. That way I didn't leave a trail of puddles in my room. 

I cracked my door open and Harry was asleep on my bed. I let him take the first shower because I had to have some time to myself. We were going to talk about everything tonight whether he liked it or not. I wasn't going to wait to figure things out anymore, or at least understand what is actually going on. Once I understood his reasoning for not telling me, we could think about how we'd progress with whatever relationship we have.

I dropped the towel to the floor and slid my underwear and pajama pants on. They were super comfy. The fabric was fleece and they had cute little cows on them. Each one had a red ribbon tied around their heads. My shirt, on the other hand, was a plain white one I stole from Niall. It had a v-neck and he didn't like it. The only bra I had clean was a shitty white sports bra. I didn't normally wear a bra to bed, but since Harry was her I did. Things would be revealing if I didn't. I turned back around and he was awake, staring at me with a blank look on his face. I walked towards my bed and sat next to where he laid. His hands were behind his head.

"Hey," he said quietly. The few words he spoke tonight were in a deeper tone than I was used to. It got like this when he was upset or trying to block himself off from the world. I surely hoped we wouldn't have to go through that tonight. I wasn't normally about forcing him to talk. Tonight was an exception. I deserved an answer and he wasn't going to leave until he gave it to me. I was sick and tired of being kept in the dark about things. People act like I can't handle it. I've handled quite a bit, haven't I? What else could there possibly be?

I scooted closer to his warm body. I was cold coming out of the shower. It didn't mean anything other than wanting warmth. Maybe.

"Hi," I replied. He stuck his arm out for me to curl into his side. I hesitated but accepted the gesture. My heart fluttered at our closeness. It was like when we first met all over again.