Buttercup [H.S]

Chapter Fourteen

But she's already snoring, her head resting on one shoulder. I wrap my arms around myself as we all stand and watch the car rumble off back down the bumpy street before they're out of sight altogether.

"Right, I need to get this one to bed," Mitch says with a very nearly asleep Sarah tucked under his arm. "You guys are welcome to crash here, the double bed is still up in the spare room."

Harry and I exchange an awkward glance full of blushes before Harry is quick to decline his offer.

"It's okay, we'll head off," Harry says, clearing his throat and scratching the back of his neck. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

They share a half hug due to Sarah's mainly lifeless body being in the way before Mitch pulls me into his side as well.

"Nice to meet you properly Riley. Come hang out soon, yeah?"

"Sure," I say, leaning away to press a quick kiss to Sarah's cheek. "Sleep well, Sarah!"

She mumbles something incoherent which makes us all chuckle before Mitch, with a little struggle, guides her back into the house, clicking the door shut behind him.

An awkward air has settled between Harry and I, but it hadn't been just because of Mitch's suggestion that we share a bed for the evening. No, the comments and assumptions from Harry's groups of friends had begun much earlier in the evening during his round of introductions.

The first time one of his friends, James, had congratulated Harry on finally settling down it had been easy to laugh off, Harry correcting him without hesitation that we were actually just friends.

We'd rolled our eyes and gotten another drink, choosing to share a little bench to sit on, Harry's arm stretched along the back, the sides of our thighs pressed together, when another couple of his friends, Lisa and Charlie, idled up to us.

"So this is the lovely lady everyone is talking about!" Charlie grinned at me. "I'm Charlie. I must tell you we're all thrilled that Harry's found someone, thought this one would be a single-Pringle forever!"

That time I noticed Harry's jaw tense slightly before he did his best to brush it off, correcting them that we were just friends.

By the third encounter that someone had mistaken us for a couple Harry noticeably distanced himself for me, abandoning me in the garden with Mitch for entirely too long.

The thing I quickly came to realise about Mitch was that he wasn't much of a talker, which suited me just fine. However I'd also noticed that he was a silent observer, with an intensely stoic stare that could be quite unsettling.

I spent at least five excruciatingly painful minutes picking at my nail varnish, desperately wracking my brain for something to say, feeling the back of my neck sweat with anxiety.

Yet it was Mitch who spoke first, leaning down to speak into my ear.

"What's your experience with pastry?"

Okay. Not what I was expecting.

I'd looked up at him to see that same neutral but slightly hard expression, his mouth set into a firm line.

"Uh - I'm pretty good with pastry. Why?"

Mitch scratched his beard and shuffled a step closer. He looked over both of his shoulders, checking for whom I'm not sure but it caused an irrational paranoia to make me peak around as well.

"It's mine and Sarah's anniversary soon, she isn't much of a cake person, but she fucking loves pastry. Like big time. Think you could help me out?" He whispered, and it took all of my self control not to crack a smile how how intensely serious he was about this.