Under This Roof

Chapter 7

20 July 2014.

Another normal day at work had passed. I really liked hanging around Steph and Marcus, they are really sweet people. Not to mention how important their opinions are and how beautiful what they create is.

I get back home in my new car, feeling so good that I don't need to thank anyone anymore about driving me anywhere. 

I search for my keys in my purse for awhile just before I remember leaving them at my desk in the morning when I switched purses. I cannot believe I did this. How on earth did I forget to take them? How did I do such a thing?

I can see Harry laughing at me. I hate myself.

It takes me more than ten minutes to finally take a deep breath and press on the bell button, just like the first time I got here. I was wishing Harry is not home. I would rather he feels a bit bad when he sees that I have waited instead of opening the door for me and laughing in my face.

But Harry opens the door.

He raises his eyebrows as soon as he sees me.

"What?" I ask when he does not move aside for me to come in.

"Why did you ring the door bell?" he asks.

"Because" I start and stare at him for a moment, this is really hard. "I forgot my keys."

"You what?" he smirks, his eyebrows raised up a little more now.

"You heard me! Now can you please move so that I can come in?" my voice is louder than it should be. I know I am wrong and I do not like it.

"Uhum." he hums and steps aside.

"Thank you." I say relieved. I know exactly what he is thinking, I can hear his thoughts. I bet the neighbours can too. I am just really glad he didn't say anything about it.

But the way he looks at me like he just won our battle really gets on my nerves. How could you have been so stupid, Lauren?

I walk inside my room, change into something comfortable, then go to the kitchen like usual.

"Hello there."

Not again.

"Hi." I answer passing by him and trying to avoid any eye contact. But his gaze follows me around, he holds a soda can in his hands and his smile is, like usual, really wide. I start preparing my salad.

Please don't talk to me. Please don't talk to me. Please don't-

"How are you doing?" he asks and I smile at him forcefully.

"Fine." I feel extremely good about the fact that I managed to stop at 'fine'.

"You seem angry, though."

"I'm not."

"You seem so."

What the hell, Conall?

"I'm not!" my voice is a little loud and he holds up one hand in defence, right before he takes a sip of his soda can.

I sit in the chair and start eating but feel very uncomfortable with him staring at me from across like the way he is. I cough. 

"Don't you have your friend to go back to?" I ask reminding him of Harry. Harry? Your friend? The one you are here for?

"He is out, grabbing something."

Perfect.

"What's up with you two?" he asks.

Seriously, Conall, what the hell?

"What's up with us?"

"Do you really hate him that much?"

"Is he always like that?"

"Like how? He's normal you know. He likes being himself and I guess it is hard for him to do that with you around."

"Why would I make it hard for him to be himself in any way? We barely make contact. This is not an excuse for the way he is."

"Maybe you remind him of his ex-girlfriend."

Okay, Conall. Stop. I do not want to know. I definitely do not want to have this conversation with you.

"They broke up a while ago."

"Conall, please." I put my hand up.

"She looks like you."

I shake my head. He can't be serious.

"Just try to be nice to him. He kind of-"

His voice was interrupted by the door getting slammed. Harry's here. Thank God, I guess?

"Conall?" he shouts and I figure he hadn't found him in the living room.

A couple of seconds later, Harry enters the kitchen.

"You two are friends now?" he glares at him, obviously annoyed that Conall was talking to me.

Well, I do not want to talk to him either.

"We were just chatting." Conall says standing up and I continue eating.

"Had a nice talk. See you around." Conall says getting up from his seat.

A nice talk? Really? Why would he say so? It clearly was not close to nice.

"I left you my phone number on the tissue there. In case, you know, you want some company." He says. Harry grabs his arm and forces him to walk out.

Are all British boys this insane?

I throw the tissue in the garbage and finish the dishes, wondering how I will make it here.

****

I finish reading the chapter of the book I started when I first came here, I lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling.

I start thinking about everything that is going on. And what Conall said.

The girl that left crying the last day did not look anything like me, did she ?