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you're adorable, you know that ?
i smiled down at harlow, whose head was lying in my lap, his blue, blue eyes looking up at mine, a stray lock of his caramel hair curling on his forehead.
i don't know, i replied, i think i need to hear it one more time.
harlow grinned ; even his grin was beautiful, i thought, bright and playful and perfect, just like everything else about him. well, corlan grey, harlow said. you're very, very adorable.
hmm, i murmured, brushing that stray caramel lock from his forehead. i'm still not convinced.
harlow laughed, the one sound i wouldn't have minded hearing over and over. please, he said, reaching up and poking my cheek. you have dimples, for christ's sake.
i'm glad you like them, i deadpanned, but part of me wasn't joking ; compared to harlow, i was hardly noticeable, someone people passed by without a second glance, with my messy dark brown hair and typical chocolate eyes. i hadn't been sure whether i was hallucinating when harlow had asked me out. i was still half-convinced i was.
of course i like them, harlow whispered, the crackling fireplace casting golden shadows across the planes of his face, but before he could say anything more, the sound of the front door opening had us both sitting up straight. i immediately missed his warmth as he moved away from me, but i knew it was necessary as my mother stepped into the living room, her purse still slung over her shoulder.
hi, mrs. grey, harlow said, getting to his feet with a smile. ever the gentleman, i thought ; if he wasn't a male bisexual, my mother would have been matchmaking us long ago.
hello, harlow, she replied. have you boys completed your project ?
just about done, i lied, offering a half-grin.
she beamed. wonderful ! harlow, you're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like.
i glanced away, hoping to hell my panic didn't show on my face ; i wanted harlow around my mom as little as possible, and yes, that made me sound like a dick, but my parents weren't stupid. they'd quickly figure out how i felt about this boy, and that . . . that, i couldn't afford.
but harlow already knew that.
oh, i'm all right, he said with another sweet smile. my dad wants me home in about ten minutes.
based on her expression, my mother was practically in love with harlow by this point as she nodded and kept up their flowing conversation ; but then again, it was easy to fall in love with him. everyone did, at some point.
i just happened to be the one who fell the hardest.
