Ever Since New York // H.S. - ON HOLD

CHAPTER 17 - WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

A/N - oh my god...I don't know why this was so hard to write, but it was...SO HERE IT IS! It is mainly Harry's thoughts, and isn't very dialogue heavy, so forgive me...

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~HARRY'S POV ~

Amber Hampton. Her name just rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?

I could not tell you what God or Goddess brought the treasure that is Amber down from the heavens above, but I sure am a lucky one. From the moment I saw her, I knew there was something endearing about her. The energy surrounding her is electrifying. There isn't a word in the dictionary to accurately describe her essence. She's hypnotic almost. Her grace and beauty balance the fire and mystery that encapsulates her.

The two sides of her are like heaven and hell, yet they live in harmony. Parts of her lie in a shadow of something I have yet to uncover. An iron curtain surrounds the castle that is Amber Hampton, but not in a secretive way; it is very obviously for protection. But from what? I catch glimpses of what's behind that shield and it is like I am brought further under her spell each time. With each piece of herself that she shares with me, the more I want to learn about her.

I wouldn't call myself the most outgoing guy, but words just don't seem to stop flowing out of my mouth when I am with her. Constantly questioning. Constantly curious. Simply eager to dive deep into encyclopedia Amber. I have never had such a strong desire to get to know someone before. There is no way to explain it. My mind hangs onto every word she says, which isn't always much, but it is enough to keep me wanting more. I have merely scratched the surface with her, and the same question rings in the back of my mind: who is Amber Hampton?

After our first encounter, I expected not to see her again, but the image of her replayed in my mind every night as I fell asleep. I'm not one to pray, but I hoped the universe would allow us to cross paths again. The day after we first met, there was a petite young woman finishing her lunch with the most adorable little girl I had ever seen. Of course they caught my eye, but in the moment I didn't think anything of it. Unbeknownst to me, that was Amber and Ginny. It was like I had discovered the cure for cancer when I came to that realization. However, I decided to keep the excitement and questions to myself as it was a really stressful time for Amber considering we were in the hospital waiting for Ginny to get her lip sewn up.

The few weeks leading up to that day in the hospital, my goal was to simply get her to agree to go out with me. Of course I wanted it to be a date, but if she wasn't comfortable with that, then I wouldn't press it. My physical attraction to her is undeniable. She keeps her small frame hidden under layers of baggier clothes; kind of like how she hides behind the metaphorical iron curtain. Her style seems tailored more for comfort and functionality rather than trends or elegance. Although now that I know she is a mum, her clothing choices make so much more sense. She doesn't have time to be a fashionista when she spends her days trying to keep up with a growing toddler.

While these are all great aspects, my favorite things lie above the shoulders. Her golden blonde hair just barely below her shoulder blades has almost always looked perfectly imperfect. The subtle waves arranged in a few layers strewn messily across her back compliment her fair skin. Her lips are this deep pink color, on the verge of red. The way she purses her lips as she pulls her cheek between her teeth when she's deep in thought sends my mind racing. Her cute button nose compliments her features well too, although I recently noticed a small crook in the middle of the bridge as if it had been broken before. Her cheekbones are well defined and minimally flushed with a different shade of pink than her lips.

Lastly, and by far my most favorite, her kaleidoscope eyes. They are a beautiful mix of blues and greens with flecks of yellow mixed in near her pupils. Her irises have a unique blue-gray ring on the outer edge. I could stare into those gorgeous eyes for hours if she'd let me. Those are the key to revealing her true feelings. Something in her eyes screams that there is more to her story, more to unravel. I see how hard she tries to maintain this stiff, closed-off demeanor, but I can also feel how much she trusts me. If she didn't, why else would she tell me about Ginny?