PRECIPICE [h.s.]

Chapter Seven

☼☼☼

And Sunny Skies has to stay behind

Still he knows how to ease down slow

Everything is fine in the end

☼☼☼

Jaime's P.O.V.

June 2nd 1997

"You can't fall in love with me."

"What makes you so sure I'd fall in love with you?" Mr. Englishman smirks.

"Just you wait and see, stranger. I'll have you wrapped around my finger in no time."

"I don't doubt that," he laughs.

Before I can respond, Jess slides her way into the booth. Her eyes are about to explode out of her head and an evil grin, reminiscent of old school cartoons, appears on her face.

"Doubt what?" she asks.

Neither of us said anything at first. Harry was staring at me, expecting me to speak up or rather, giving me the chance to explain what was happening here. I couldn't see his stare though. I was too busy following the groove pattern of the wood tables. I could feel it.

Jess looked between the two of us like she knew something we didn't. I hadn't even properly introduced the two. What would I even say? This is Harry and he's going to follow me around all summer but not in a creepy way. At least I don't think so.

"Hi, I'm Harry," he sticks his arm across the table doing the job for me.

Jess' face is lit up and I haven't seen a smile like that on her since....well actually it wasn't that long ago because she's a very bubbly person. I always appreciated that about her.

"Oh Mr. Englishman has a name? Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Jess." She grabs Harry's outreached hand and gives it a comical exaggerated shake.

He shook her hand and then looked over at me. "You really weren't joking when you said people were calling Mr. Englishman huh?"

I lean forward and whisper like I am telling him a secret. "Harry. I am very funny. Trust me, you would know if I was joking."

"Oh? And how would I know that?"

"Because I would've come up with something more creative than that."

He pulls his hand away from Jess to focus all his attention on me. "Really? Then what did you call me?"

Maintaining eye contact with him, I reply, "I didn't."

The table grew silent, but the two of us kept charged eye contact. Even with the dig, it still felt lighthearted.

That's the thing about "charming" men. They are quick witted and are used to throwing people off. He probably can get any girl in his bed that he wants with just a few rolls of his snake like tongue. Not that I am judging any girl he sleeps with, honestly good for them, but if he thinks he can bat his pretty eyelashes at me, and get me to fall for him, he's mistaken.

Jess and Harry talked. She was grilling him about basic stuff like why he was in Jersey. It was nice to sit there and make a new friend. People don't talk about how hard it is to make friends when you're not in school and forced to form alliances to get through the day. Not that I was desperate for friends. I liked my small circle of people. But so far, it didn't seem like Harry was forcing that circle to fit him. He was taking a walk around the perimeter.