Pulling Heart Strings

8.

"Jo, it's Harry." his husky voice sound like his lips were pressed right up against the door. "Hold up." I muttered, unlocking the door, then proceeding to scurry into my bathroom. I closed the door, locking myself in there. "Come in, Harry." I called out, biting my lip behind the closed door. The shuffling of feet was heard, signaling me that he was inside my room. "I'm going to shower really quick, okay?" I said through the door. A shower would surely get me to control myself.

He only hummed in response as I peeled off my clothes, started the warm water, and hopped in. The warm water softly ran down my skin, soothing me in a pleasing way. I still snuggled as my mind endlessly ran around the post. Shaking my head, I lathered my hair with Aussie shampoo and conditioner, rubber my skin with honey and milk body wash, and stayed under the water for an extra period of time. I wasn't ready to go back out to face Harry.

Something in his voice told me he knew something was wrong, and I did not want to be questioned.

I finally gathered all the courage I could possibly gather in this situation that made me weak, and stepped out of the shower. I grabbed a soft, white towel and wrapped that around my shivering body, twisting my hair up with another towel to dry. Realizing that I had not gotten clothes to change in, I cursed at myself, took in a deep breath, and silently stepped out of the warmth of my bathroom.

Harry flinched at the sound of my feet padding against the wooden floors. I let out that breath I was holding in when I noticed the door was shut. People would get the wrong idea if they saw Harry on my bed, and me standing in front of him with only a towel covering my body.

Harry's green eyes raked my body in a non-subtle way, clearing his throat when he reached my amused eyes. I shifted uncomfortably, muttering a simple "sorry" under my breath. I hastily went over to the door and locked it. Harry chuckled, nodding his head in approval.

"What did you need?" I mumbled, awkwardly sitting down on my knees to pick out clothes for today from my suitcase. One hand was tightly clutching to the towel hiding me, and another was shaking against the bundle of clothes. "I wanted to talk." Harry responded, and I felt his gaze burn a hole through the towel and my skin from behind me.

My hand accidentally pulled out a wad of clothes, sending my favorite black bra and matching lace Cheeky's flying next to me.

Of course the boys wouldn't organize these things.

I gasped, grasping those quickly and tucking them under my leg. Harry's melodic laughter sent goosebumps forming on my damp skin, and I immediately blushed. "About?" I mumbled, still embarrassed.

"You're acting strange. Are you okay?"

"Well, no. You just saw my bra and panties." I responded matter-of-fairly as I came upon denim shorts and a simple grey ringer tee. This will do.

Harry chuckled as I stood up with my clothes in one hand. "Other than that, Jo," he paused, "there's something else."

"I'm alright." I shrugged, about to go back into the bathroom when Harry held out his hand to stop me, laid on his stomach, burrowing his face into my black and white covers. I quickly dropped the towel to the ground, shimmying into my panties first and then clasping my bra.

"You can tell me what's up, love. You can trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you..." I buttoned up my shorts, "it's there's nothing wrong."
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
"You were crying."
"You can sit up now," I crossed my arms over my chest. Harry obliged. "And I was not crying."
"I know when you've been crying, Joey." did he really? I mean, a few tears did slip in the shower... but the water should've washed the trails away.