Aurora | H.S.

16. night changes

A long sigh passes my lips that no one seems to notice. Peter always finds girls who aren't good enough for him. And Katie, as awful as it may be, is merely using him as a pawn in whatever bigger picture she has in mind. The thing that makes Peter so easy to latch onto is that he's kind and wears his heart on his sleeve. It's hard not to love a guy like that, but when girls see it they think it's fun to play with, whether for sex or companionship. Most of his girlfriends don't stick around too long; Cecilia once told him he needs to stop being so damn nice.

Beside me, Harry's digging into his pocket and pulling out his buzzing phone. He shares a faint guilty look with me before pressing answer and heading off to one of the empty hallways in the gallery where he can speak in private. Annoyance bubbles in my stomach along with the champagne, but I let it fade.

Across the room, I find myself entranced by the paintings on the walls. There's one of a naked woman, the brushstrokes large, but the details on her body are miniscule. The way her head is tilted back her her arms up behind her head as if she's in nirvana.

I move down a few paintings, finding one of a field of sunflowers. Instantly my mind drifts off to Eliana. I hate leaving her for hours at a time, especially when I don't necessarily have to. Tonight, I kissed her chubby cheeks over and over again until Cecilia pried her away and told me to go. I could tell Harry was hesitant to follow me out of my apartment, but he made conversation in the car that distracted me.

"Sorry about that." Harry was beside me now, wearing a frown on his tanned face. He went boating with Liam, Niall, and Louis yesterday and came back with a sunburn on his shoulders and a tan on his face.

"Who was it?" I question.

He hesitates, "uh, it was my dad."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

I stare at him for a moment, anticipating more. He has to give me more or else this awkward tension will last. "Harry," I finally speak up when he doesn't, "is everything okay?"

"It's fine." His voice is sharp and cuts me deeper than I anticipated.

I shake my head, looking away from him and back at the sunflower painting. "I just want to help—"

"It's none of your business, Diana." I look at him again, this time a little shocked by his abundant attitude. A shaky breath passes my lips, pathetic tears filling my eyes. He groans softly, running his hand through his curly hair before speaking up again, "I'm sorry—that came out wrong."

"All I wanted to do was make sure you're okay," I tell him. "You have no right to take your anger for your dad out on me, okay?"

I start walking away, but he's quick to grab my wrist and pull me back. Part of me didn't want to walk away, the same part that easily let him stop me. Harry holds my hip tightly with his hand. If I wasn't wearing this dress, then I'd be certain his fingerprints would leave bruises.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, lifting my chin with his other fan. This gesture is gentle despite how harsh it makes my heart pound in my chest. "You're right and I'm sorry."

There's a moment between us that will likely be engrained in my heart for a very long time—the two of us, standing in the middle of an art gallery, surrounded by strangers with no care for the art or anyone but us. Finally, I find my voice, "I wish you'd open up to me more."

"Takes time, angel," he coos.

By the time we get back to my place, I'm about ready to walk barefoot from the car to my door. Harry stops me when we get into my building, just before we're about to ascend the steps. "Here," he kneels down in front of me and helps me out of my heels, having me steady myself with my hands on his shoulders. That one glass of champagne turned into three very quickly.

"Thanks," I giggle as he stands up, holding my heels in his hand. He chuckles and nods, motioning for me to go first. We reach my door and I fumble with the keys, a little too tipsy to see in this dim lighting. Eventually, we get inside and Harry leaves my heels by the door.

He grabs my waist and walks me backwards until my back hits the cold wall behind me; it almost felt like, for a brief moment, we were dancing. I laugh, lifting my head as he smirks down at me, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Shhh," he hums, "you'll wake Eliana."

"She's a heavy sleeper," I announce. "Sometimes."

He chuckles, playfully rolling his eyes. "Lets get you to bed, baby."

"No," I pout, "I want to stay up and enjoy the rest of my night with you. We should cuddle on the couch and watch romantic comedies."

"I can guarantee you won't make it fifteen minutes into any movie," he states, raising an eyebrow with a sexy, teasing glare. I lift my hands and drag them up his chest, gripping his tie knot weakly. Our lips graze together, a shaky breath passing his lips as my eyes flutter shut. Maybe he's right—damn him.

Like we did getting to this spot, Harry sways me down the hallway to the bathroom. I flip on the light, pressing my fingers to my lips to prevent me from bursting into giggles. He closes the door behind him with a soft click and lifts me up to put me on the sink countertop.

Large hands glide up my thighs, pushing up the silky fabric until it won't budge anymore. I cock my head to the side, letting his lips find the perfect spot to press his needy kisses. He smothers me with them, moaning softly into my ear how much he loves my body. A breath gets caught in the back of my throat when he pulls away and presses his forehead to mine.

The warmth in this bathroom seems to be getting thicker as the mood between us shifts. I move my hands over his, holding them at my cheeks as he just stares back into my eyes. The words glide of my tongue with ease. Everything leading up to this moment felt experimental, enthralling, and maybe even inevitable. "I love you."

Harry holds my face closer, the words echoing off the silent bathroom wall. A smile pulls on his lips and my nervousness fades drastically.

"I love you too."

We share passionate kiss, one that makes my stomach feel like it's released a million butterflies. Harry's tongue wrestles with mine, our eagerness to feel, touch and taste each other at its peak in this stuffy bathroom. His hands move back down my body, holding me still as his crotch grinds against mine. I want more, I crave more, I need more.

The rush of endorphins in my brain seems to be dwindling. Harry pulls back, his lips swollen and his eyes pitch black. I swallow hard, watching as he pulls away and reaches around me, finding a pack of makeup wipes. He analyzes it for a moment before pulling one out and getting to work. A laugh erupts from my face as he amusingly and lovingly wipes my face free of makeup.

"You don't have to do this," I say.

"It's the least I can do, angel."

His response makes me hush into silence. I watch his face as he strategically focuses on removing my makeup. He doesn't look at me any differently, which makes my heart lurch for him. I hold his arm as he tells me to close my eyes. He cautiously wipes over them before telling me it's okay to open. I look up at him and smile.

He smiles back, "you're beautiful."

It's nearly midnight when Harry pulls me into the shower with him. Eliana sleeps only a room away; so peaceful, so innocent. I've never fully imagined a future that would fill a third seat at the kitchen table, where I'm in love and she has someone she can call dad. Maybe I'm getting my hopes up again, but right now, as the steam engulfs us and Harry makes me his, I absolutely do not care for the alternative.

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Hello lovelies! I know it's been so long since I've updated, but here's a super long chapter for you. In the end, I think it was worth the wait, hehe. This story has come a long way since the beginning, but don't worry, it's not over yet! There's still sooo much more to happen. Thank you for 29K! x
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