To avoid an awkward situation, I waited a few minutes so that the conversation previously at hand could possibly be forgotten, before I took it upon myself to make my presence known and stroll into the kitchen to join them.
"Speak of the devil!" Louis snickered and Harry's lips pressed into a tight line as he avoided eye contact and sipped his coffee.
"Um... What?" I mumbled, pretending I had no idea what he meant.
"Don't worry, darlin'."
I nodded warily and Louis turned his attention to Mckenzie and they started talking with each other, Harry still stood with a sour expression as he now ignored everyone and stared into his cup. I stepped over and stood beside him casually in the hopes that maybe he'd actually talk to me to assure me I hadn't píssed him off.
"Hi," I acknowledged him quietly without looking at him, as to not draw the unwanted attention of Louis and Mckenzie to myself.
"Hi."
"Have I... are you annoyed with me?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders lazily, "No."
"Okay..." I replied with uncertainty whilst allowing my eyes to glance around the kitchen. I thought about how talking to Harry was like handling a bomb; you had to be careful and make sure you didn't do anything to set him off because he was always just waiting to explode.
"Do you want to leave?"
I guess I wasn't careful enough. Now I looked at him, his head was down but his eyes peered up to meet mine whilst his hands fiddled with the mug he held at his chest, leaning effortlessly against the counter his tall frame looked even lankier and his eyes appeared larger than usual. "Um... okay, I guess if you want us to..."
"I didn't say that. I asked you a question." Everything about him was just so... neutral. His facial expressions, his body language, his voice; I couldn't read whether he was annoyed or whether he just didn't realise he was coming across as rude all the time. I almost felt stupid a lot of the time because he would say something that I took as him being annoyed with me, but it usually turned out he wasn't and it made me nervous.
"Oh, uh... well I guess we should get going pretty soon," I suggested. Harry nodded in response, a nod so small that you would've missed it if you weren't paying close attention.
"Louis," Harry spoke loudly, "I'm going to take Jessica and her friend home and you are not going anywhere while I'm gone. Understood? I've got shít to clean up and you're helping."
Louis grumbled exaggeratedly and began to throw a tantrum like a twelve year old but I took no notice and I shook my head quickly in response to what Harry said, "You don't have to take us home."
"You're wearing heels and a dress, and she-" Harry gestured to Mckenzie with a limp hand, "-may as well not be wearing anything at all. You can't stumble home like that."
All of us ignored his rather offensive comment and I continued to be stubborn in an attempt to be polite so he didn't have to go out of his way for us, "We walked here in heels, honestly, it's fi-"
"Why do you always have to argue with me on this?" he raised his voice a little and closed his eyes whilst pinching the bridge of his nose before throwing his hand up and letting it fall to his side all out of frustration, "Just take the god damn ride."
I nodded timidly, obediently, and when I looked back over to our friends they were staring wide-eyed like they'd just witnessed a full-blown domestic or something. Mckenzie noticed my slight embarrassment and immediately took the attention off of us by saying in a spritely voice, "Right, are we heading off now then?"
Harry put his mug into the sink and left the kitchen - probably to put on some shoes, and as we walked to the door Mckenzie looked at me hopefully for an explanation, but I just shot her a warning glare that read, 'don't ask'.
Mckenzie grabbed her dress and we put on our shoes, Harry came back down wearing brown boots and twirling his keys on his index finger and the three of us went to get in his car - he lead the way and opened both the passenger and rear doors for us before he quickly strode round to the drivers seat.
Mckenzie scurried into the back seat leaving me the delights of sitting in the front with Harry. We all closed our doors and fastened our seat belts, Harry's BMW roaring to life as he turned the key and the radio started playing much too loudly which he quickly adjusted so it became merely background noise.
Once we were settled Harry turned and leaned through the middle of the front seats to address Mckenzie who sat sheepishly in her seat behind mine. "Where to?"
"Oh, it's cool, you can just drop me at Jess'." Despite the fact Harry was clearly making her a bit nervous (probably after he snapped at me), Mckenzie still managed to keep her cool and act completely normal, forming coherent sentences and everything. I wish I was as confident as she is.
I waited for a salty or demanding remark from Harry about how it was fine and he'd drive her to her house but to my surprise nothing came, he simply nodded his head and slowly turned back to face forwards as he pulled out of his driveway with ease.
Harry drove just a fraction slower today, probably seeing as it was daytime and there was more risk of him getting caught speeding around like a racing car driver during the day. None of us said anything during the ride, we all stayed deadly silent, and I'm not sure if it was just me feeling this way but the atmosphere was tense and unnerving. At one point whilst he was changing gear, Harry's knuckle brushed over my knee which I thought was awkward and I immediately shifted in my seat to get away from him, but Harry didn't seem fazed. If anything he looked aggravated that I was so uncomfortable.
Finally, we made it to my street and Harry parked up outside my house, slotting into a space at the side of the busy road. I released my seat belt and after pushing the door open wide, rather clumsily made my way out of the car in my skimpy dress to find Mckenzie already standing next to me. She ducked down and waved to Harry who nodded his head.
"Thanks for the ride... and the party... and the spot on your sofa," my friend chuckled.
"Yeah, thanks," I managed to add.
"Yeah, sure, no problem," Harry mumbled, hardly even addressing us as he seemingly waited for us to close the door so he could go back home.
Mckenzie sauntered off towards my front door and let herself in, but as I was about to slam the door shut and make my way up the path as well Harry stopped me with a quick, low call of my name. I turned my head sharply and ducked back down to peer through the door at him curiously.
"You okay?" he asked quietly, looking up at me with his eyebrows furrowed - of course.
I glanced over to my front door and my friend was long gone by now, probably making herself at home in my living room and telling my mum any gossip she had yet to catch her up on, so I turned back to Harry. "Uhh... Yeah," I said brightly, putting on a more confident and brave face. "Why wouldn't I be?"
What once was just furrowed eyebrows and a small frown was now almost a concerned scowl being shot in my direction. "You're a horrible liar. Way too anxious."
He was right - very upfront, but right. However I wasn't sure what reaction I was supposed to give to that statement so I just blinked at him with an open mouth.
"What's wrong?" he prodded.
"Nothing." Despite the fact he obviously could tell when I was lying, I lied again. I wanted to blurt out how confusing he was and that I was fed up with him tempting me to do things I shouldn't do but I couldn't possibly tell him things like that. I wanted to say that he made me nervous because I could never tell whether what I wanted to say would result in him snapping, I wanted to know what his problem was. But instead I just stood there, once again, silent and internally pleading for him to pretend he hadn't asked.
He sighed heavily and gripped the steering wheel tightly, the next time he blinked his eyes fluttered closed for much longer in irritation and when they opened again they were looking through the windshield rather than at me. "Fine, okay... whatever. Well, I'll see you around."
He glanced sideways at me briefly, probably an indication that he wanted me to leave now, so I nodded and fumbled with the door handle from the outside. "Yeah. Bye."
Once the door was shut he peeled out of his space at the side of my road and sped off whilst I hurried towards my house. I let myself in and looked around my lounge, finding Mckenzie nowhere to be seen, so I took off my boots and carried them up the stairs.
When I entered my room Mckenzie was lying on her back on my bed, her legs dangling off the edge as she stared blankly at her phone that she held above her face. She had helped herself to a pair of my pyjama bottoms and was still wearing the oversized, white tshirt belonging to Louis. Without looking away from the glowing device, she muttered, "Took you long enough. What, did he want a private moment with you before you said your goodbyes?"
"No," I scoffed, rooting through my drawers to find a hoodie and pair of sweatpants to change into.
"So," she began, sitting up and locking her phone, "What's with you two?"
"What? Nothing?"
Mckenzie stared at me, not caring that I was trying to discreetly get changed in the corner of my room. She had a disbelieving look on her face that made it difficult for me to remain composed.
"Bullshít. There's something going on there, I can feel it."
"Like what?" I challenged her. I was now changed and sat on my desk chair opposite her, tying my tangled hair up into a ponytail.
"I'm not sure..." she hummed thoughtfully.
"I think it's more like you want something to be going on."
"If there's absolutely nothing going on, what were you doing all that time you were alone with him last night? Braiding each other's hair? Discussing politics?"
"Yeah," I nodded and rolled my eyes at her, getting a sneaky grin in response.
"And, if absolutely nothing is going on, how come you had the honour of sleeping in his room when even his best mates have to sleep on the sofa?"
"I don't know, he's polite?" I tried, knowing that was the most untrue and ridiculous thing I could've come up with.
"Pfft, yeah right!" she laughed, and even I couldn't stifle a smile. "No offence, Jess, but that guy is weird. Whatever you're seeing I am not seeing it."
"I'm not seeing anything!" I tried to defend myself. "I agree with you, actually, he is weird."
"Right? He's, like... quiet and mysterious. Doesn't seem to have any feelings. I dunno I can't describe it."
"You're telling me," I groaned quietly, she really hit the nail on the head there. "Anyway, why are we talking about Harry and what you think - or rather, wished - happened between us, when we both know that it's you and Louis we should be discussing," I teased her, her cheeks flushed a dark shade of pink and she giggled as she hid her face in her hands.
"Shut up! I don't want to talk about it!"
"You only met him the other day! You don't hang about, do you?"
"Stop! It's not like we had sex! And I said I don't want to talk about it!" she begged, giggling uncontrollably with embarrassment.
"Sure," I grinned, happy to be the one dishing out the tormenting for once.
For the rest of the day we just hung out in my room; watching movies, indulging in snack after snack. I snuck in a comment every so often to tease her about Louis and she blushed furiously and hit me with a pillow every time. When it got dark and we were still lounging around on my bed, we decided she may as well sleep at my house tonight.
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E x