Evie | H.S |

125. Shangri-La

Harry was gentlemanly as ever at the end of the previous night, not only driving me home but insisting he walk me up to my apartment door.

"Stop doing that" he had chuckled, reaching a hand over to drag his thumb down my chin, pulling my tender bitten lip from between my teeth. I looked up at him in a slight shock at his forceful gesture, though I shouldn't have been surprised.

"You're doing that overthinking thing" he had then said, answering the unspoken words in my head adroitly. The entire drive home I'd been nervously chewing at my bottom lip as I mentally weighed up my options: say goodbye or invite him in.

"I'm keen to see the back of ya, so bye-bye" I had teased after unlocking the white wooden door to my flat, settling on one of the two options. I knew no other way of saying 'let's leave it here' without passing it off playfully.

"Playing with my heart once again" Harry then smiled, holding a hand to his heart to express playful hurt. I knew he was joking. He hadn't pushed me for a second the entire evening. Without another word, he held my upper arm and stepped closer to press his lips to my forehead.

"G'nite Eve" he had murmured taking a step back. My lips couldn't help but curve into an appreciative smile.

"Night, Harry."

Dinner was as harmless as Harry had assured me it would be. I laughed harder, smiled wider and felt more heard than I had in a while. I left hoping I would see him again soon.

There was no weirdness. The initial awkwardness dissipated pretty quick and it felt like I was sitting and talking over dinner with an old friend. That was until I'd hyper fixate on the bobbing Adams apple in his neck as he'd swallow, or the veins in his hands as he gestured or whatever other little niche part of him I could rake my eyes over. In those moments I was quickly reminded why the magnetic attraction was always so electric. It would never go away.

I slept better than I had in a while, too. I was well rested, waking up a little before my alarm and I rolled out of bed and got to making myself a coffee to start my day that was so-far going to consist of nothing but binge watching Netflix on the sofa. That was until my phone rang, lighting up with Harry's name.

"I've got an idea."

He skipped a normal greeting and got straight into it. I couldn't stop myself giggling a little.

"Whatever happened to hi, hello, how are you?"

"Do you want to hear my idea or not?"

"I'm listening..." I chuckled, dragging my words as I sat up on a stool at the breakfast nook with my black coffee.

"You said you're having a shit time writing at the moment...maybe you need a change of scenery."

My eyes narrowed on the grey speckled ceramic mug in my hand as I tried to think of what scenery he could possibly be suggesting. Harry wasn't one to shy away from grand gestures and over the top surprises with me; it really could have been anything.

"Wanna come see Shangri-La?"

My eyes widened. "Like, in Malibu?"

"No, in India, Evie" he laughed. "Yes, Malibu."

My eyes had lit up every-time he'd spoken about recording there. So many great records had come out of that space from The Last Shadow Puppets to Lady Gaga.

"I know you've always said you'd love to work there" he continued. "I've got a couple of days writing booked there with Tom and Tyler, thought maybe you might like to come hangout for a bit and see the space..."