Between the Lines

Chapter 11

"You realize who you're talking to, right?" Sutton says, a wide smile on her lips. Harry holds back laughter, dimples in full view as he looks back to the road. "I mean come on, your making fun of a book in front of the girl who lives and breaths them. I work in a damn library, get your head straight." 

"Come on, it's a bit boring, you have to admit," Harry says, humor still in his eyes. 

"No, it's creative if anything," Sutton says, and she rolls her own eyes. "I don't think I could finish a book and think that it wasn't in some way interesting. No book is just boring, maybe a little bland at some points, but life is bland sometimes so I think that just means it's realistic." She get's quiet for a moment, looking down at her boots after realizing she just turned the light conversation a bit too serious. 

"Well, I know to never insult any kind of novel in front of you ever again. Especially John Green," Harry says, then pauses. "And, I guess I never really thought about it that way," he says, smirking to himself. Sutton laughs, grateful he makes a joke of their conversation again. 

They bicker until Harry pulls his car to the parking garage in which Sutton lives. 

"Well, tonight was fun, thank you." Sutton says graciously. 

"Anytime. You want me to walk you up?" Harry asks kindly, his hand on the gear ready to put the car in park.

"No, no, I'll be fine," Sutton half laughs, grabbing her bag. 

After a moment of looking at each other, Harry slowly leans forward, his jaw extending to meet her lips. Sutton smiles and leans in for the simple yet meaningful peck.

"See you soon?" He asks, and Sutton nods. Harry smiles, and Sutton climbs out of the car, practically stumbling to the main entrance. Harry waits until her key card is swiped through the residence elevator, and she turns and waves as he drives away. Once the elevator hits her floor, Sutton slowly makes her way down the hallway. 

The feeling of both surprise and satisfaction flow through her veins, and she has to close her eyes to gather herself together. What was happening? Are they going to start dating? Or are they just friends with kissing benefits? Whatever label they have, Sutton wasn't really sure. She didn't really care, she felt like she was on cloud nine. 

At the same time, Harry pulls out of the parking garage and out onto the streets of London, tugging at the roots of his brown curls as he drives onward. 

He knows what he just did, and he knows the gut-wrenchingly familiar feeling in his stomach when he did it. He hasn't felt like this in a long time, but he just couldn't really help himself. It all felt so natural and so good.  He was slowly but surely on a path which could possibly lead to breaking the promise he made to himself long ago. He cursed himself for getting into this situation. 

His mind was clouded with thoughts that left him emotionally drained when he arrived home. He paced, and sat, and stood, he even laid in a sprawled position in his bedroom, for hours. His thoughts were consuming him. And despite the protests his mind put up, Harry couldn't help but text Sutton goodnight as began getting ready for bed. It's like he knows it's a bad idea but he does it anyway. He couldn't seem to control himself around her, it was like his mind and his body wanted two separate things, and his body was winning. 

When Sutton received his text, a smile on her face immediately grew. She sent him a short reply, and sighed in content whilst in bed. She fell asleep quickly, which was miraculous for Sutton, with an ever-so-slight smile on her lips. 

...

The next morning Sutton had an early shift at the library. She woke up groggily and slowly after a good nights rest, feeling replenished. She quickly got ready, wearing her every day black boots with her every day black jeans, and an oversized band t-shirt (which in all honesty probably belonged to one of the many guys Maddy has had over). Sutton boldly decided to walk to work today, telling herself she could use the exercise, but mostly taking advantage of the semi-nice weather today.