Keep You Close - HO

•7•

Moving day- well.. technically not but, I'm just going to refer to it as that. For the next ten days I will be living in a place that's five times bigger than my little apartment, and have full access to a private chef and a housekeeper. Not having to do dishes for ten days sounds like heaven.
I pack up everything I'll need, making sure I won't have to come back here since that's one of his 'rules' Haz is taking this very seriously, he emailed me guidelines for this and everything.
Kylie, here's the guidelines for our agreement.
1. No locking yourself in the bedroom and refusing to come out the entire time you're here.
2. No going back to your place, it's as if you live with me.
3. Don't ignore me for Monty.
4. Feel free to ask for snuggles because I miss that.
5. Don't tell anyone I said snuggles.
His last two make me giggle. Sometimes I really do miss him. That part of him at least.
I hear the roar of a sports car pulling up in my driveway, and I already know it's Haz. He's so extra with his cars, he has all the nicest ones. I really just don't want people to see a guy in an expensive car pulling up to my house or they will get the wrong idea.
"You almost ready?" He asks as he walks through the already opened door, and into my apartment.
"Yeah. I can't believe I let you talk me into this." I groan.
"Please. It'll be like a relaxing vacation." He scoffs.
"Relaxing? With you? Yeah right." I joke.
"You better stop it with that." He says.
"Make me." I say without thinking, and instantly realize how thick the air got. That was a fun little game we use to play, that always ended in an intense night.
"Believe me, darling. If you wanted me to I would." He states in a darker voice than before.
The tension is lifted when the sound of a car horn blasts from the street. I look out the door, seeing Alex is here and walking inside. Great. Just great.
"Don't be mean." I say to Haz quickly.
"Mean? Me? I could never." He says sarcastically.
I stand in the doorway, shooting Alex a smile as he approaches me.
"Hey, what's up?" I ask.
"I came to pick up my flannel I left here the other day- are you going on a trip?" He asks, seeing the suitcase in my hand.
"Oh no I just-"
"She's coming to stay with me for a bit." Haz comments, moving behind me to make his presence known. I mentally slap him, and actually shoot him a dirty look.
"I- what? You're going to stay with him? Why?" Alex asks in pure confusion.
"It's not a big deal." I shrug.
"Are you okay?" Alex asks and Haz laughs.
"What, do you think I'm kidnapping her or something?"
"Who knows, I've only heard bad things about you." Alex says and I know I need to intervene, or this is going to go really bad. They both are protective over me, and they both get angry very easily.
I walk over to the table, grabbing Alex's flannel off the chair and bring it over to him.
"Here, now you really should go.." I mutter.
"Are you sure?" He asks.
"Positive. Bye Alex." I say, shooing him off.
Haz looks at me, less than happy with Alex's comment.
"All bad things, huh?" He asks.
"Of course, what else would I say about you?" I say with a laugh and start loading my suitcases into his car.
____
Walking into Haz's place makes me feel way too many emotions at once. This was my home for two of the three years we knew each other. This is where we were deepest in love, and where that love faded. A part of me wants to just go back home, because it's all too much. It brings up things and feelings that I haven't had to worry about in a while.
As I walk through the entry way into the open living room, I take notice that not a thing has changed, straight down to the framed photo of us above the fireplace. My brow lifts, looking back to Haz.
"Like I said.. I never got over you." He mutters. Almost in embarrassment.
The photo of us was my favorite. It was a photo shoot we did for Harry for his portfolio. I had never seen a photo of us that truly displayed our love until I saw that one. That's why we blew it up and put it above the fireplace.
"I'm gonna put my stuff in the guest room." I say.
"Guest room? Really?" He laughs.
"I agreed to sleep here not sleep in your bed dummy." I tease and he smiles.
"I missed you."
I shoot him a small smile, and roll my suitcase back to the guest bedroom. I don't want to admit to myself how good it feels to be back, mostly because I know it's partly due to Haz's presence.
After unpacking a few things and putting them away, I grab my phone.
"Oh my god.." I gasp when I see the crazy amount of missed calls and texts I have.
Maggie: answer please, we're all worried.
Alice: are you okay??
Alex: I really didn't like the looks of what was going on.
I groan, of course Alex is making this out to be something stupid and telling everyone about it. I dial his number, and put the phone to my ear.
"Ky, hey! You good?" He asks.
"I was until you all blew up my phone." I say.
"It just seemed off, he seems creepy." He says and I laugh.
"Haz is a lot of things but he's not a creep. He's not tricking me into coming here to fucking kill me or something. It's not for you to worry about. Just tell Maggie and Alice that I am fine." I finish, and hang up the phone.
"Nice to know you don't think I'm trying to kill you." Haz jokes as he stands in the doorway.
"Sorry about Alex.. he's just.. he likes to protect his friends." I shrug.
"Seems like he thinks you two are more than friends." He mutters.
"Jealous?" I ask, and he lets out an over exaggerated laugh.
"You do realize you're at my house right now, not his." He says.
"Yeah only for the book promotion though."
"That will change soon. Guaranteed." He states.
"I don't swoon easy." I say.
"Believe me, I know."
Maybe this whole friend thing with Haz could work. I missed talking to him, and we're doing just fine so far. I don't feel overwhelmed, and he's not pushing himself on to me. If I could get Haz back in my life, and both of us be okay with no relationship, that'd be perfect. I do think he's a good person, and I do think he's a good friend, he just didn't make the best boyfriend.
"Mr. Osterfield, are you home?" I hear a mans voice call and my head springs up.
"Is that Quinn?!" I ask excitedly and Haz smiles.
"It is." He nods.
I jump up from my seat on the guest bed, and happily skip out the door and down the hallway. Quinn is Haz's assistant that he's had for a long time now, he was always around a lot, and I got to know him very well. I absolutely adore him.
"Yes, right here." Haz says as he walks behind me.
Quinn turns to us, almost jumping when he sees me.
"Hey!" I grin widely.
"A pleasure to see you Ms. Waters." He nods to me happily, although he'd be a lot less formal if we weren't around Haz.
"Sir.. the deal with the investors on your Manchester plan is going to fall through if we don't do something about their worries." He informs Haz.
"What?! It was fine yesterday!" Haz exclaims.
"I don't know what happened, but they have some concerns that if we don't address them this whole plan could fall through." Quinn says.
Haz sighs deeply, running his hands over his face in frustration.
"Send Tom." He says.
"Are you sure? I think they'll want to talk with you-"
"I said send Tom." He says blatantly.
"Okay.. I'll get on it." Quinn nods, and excused himself.
I look to Haz with wide eyes, I was not expecting that. At all.
"You're sending Tom?" I ask.
"Yeah. He can take care of this." He says.
"Haz you don't have to prove anything to me, go save your partnership." I groan.
"Nah.. I've got more important things here at home." He says, looking into my eyes.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel butterflies erupt in my stomach in that moment. I push the feeling away, knowing that if I want a friendship with him to work out after this, I can't allow myself to feel anything for him.
"Dinner? Rayna is making pasta." Haz offers.
"Oh my god I forgot how much I love Rayna's pasta!" I say excitedly.
"I asked her to make it specially for you." He smiles.
I take notice of the fact that he hasn't pulled his phone out since he was at my house earlier.. I may be getting ahead of myself but, maybe this is a new Haz after all. He's been attentive, and kind, and really, he's just been his old self.