Phantom [h.s]

Twenty Nine

"Harry?"

"Hmm."

"Won't you get bored, sitting here all night?"

"Not at all. I don't mind it."

"Really? It seems boring." I open my eyes to look at him.

"It's not. I promise." He smiles softly. "Anyway, don't worry about me. Go to sleep."

I nod and pull the blankets tight around me, drifting off to the sound of the merciless rain and the comfort of Harry's presence.

-

When I wake up the next morning, I see Harry stretched out across the loveseat, changed back into his white sweater. I sit up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Sleep well?" He asks, shifting to sit facing me.

I nod. "Yeah. Thanks." I smile at him.

"The rain stopped around five thirty," he says, looking toward the window. "But you might want to bundle up today; days after it rains around here get pretty chilly."

I smile at him. "Thanks."

He returns my smile. "No problem." He pushes himself up off the loveseat. "I should get going before I turn this house into an icebox."

"I'll come see you after school, then," I say, pushing the layers of blankets off me and getting out of bed. As soon as I do, I'm hit with a blast of arctic air, causing goosebumps to rise on my exposed arms. I'm glad I'm wearing my flannel pajama bottoms as I run my hands up and down my arms in the cold.

"Wow," I say. "It really does feel like an icebox."

He shoots me a crooked smile. "Sorry about that." He stands in front of me, a few feet away, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. With him back in his white sweater, it makes me question if anything actually happened the night before.

"Where'd your t-shirt go?"

"Put it in your closet, with your t-shirts. You can have it, since you like the band. I even folded it." He smiles almost proudly, like a child who just learned to put away their own laundry.

"Really?" I smile widely. "Thank you."

"Take your pick from any of the other ones, too. Your parents might get suspicious, though."

"That's true. I'll have to go shopping and pretend I bought them all."

Harry laughs lightly, rocking back slightly on his heels. "Alright, it's seven thirty. I'd better leave so you can get ready for school."

In a hesitant gesture, he steps toward me, using one hand to push a strand of messy hair out of my face and the other rests on my shoulder. I inhale a sharp breath as he leans down to press his cold lips to mine in a short kiss I did not expect. My breathing is quick and cool as he steps back, an amused and slightly arrogant smirk crossing his features as he retreats to the window and opens it.

"Oh, and Jane," he says, looking back at me seriously. "Be careful, all right?"

I furrow my brow, wondering what exactly he means-about investigating his murder, or what? Yes, it has to be that. What else would I have to be careful about? I am about to ask him to explain a little further when he steps out of the window, closing it softly behind him, and is gone.

-

When I get to school, large crowds of people are clumped out front, the talking excited and loud. I shut the door to my car, confusedly walking towards the school. I spot Jenna, Ava and Adam standing together and hurriedly make my way over.