I find a nice surprise waiting for me as Harry carries me into the living room. On the couch lays Niall and Louis, enticed in the television.
"Niall! Lou!" I exclaim loudly. "Hey!"
"Hey!" Louis yells back, opening his arms for a hug. I reach for him with mine open as well, but Harry just turns and sits down in the love chair, keeping me on his lap.
"Hey, that's no fair," I whine. "Let me hug him."
"No," Harry denies firmly.
"C'mon, Harry," I plead.
"I said no. It's my time with you, so get comfy. The only time I'm getting up is if you want a drink or something."
I purse my lips at him and shake my head.
Great.
"What's on TV?" I ask, changing the subject. Louis grinds his teeth at Harry.
"Oh, I don't know. I was just surfing the channels," Niall responds nonchalantly.
"Pass the remote, eh? Please," I add. Niall chucks the remote at me playfully, but I fail to catch it. Unfortunately for Harry, it hits him right in the head.
"Ow, what the hell was that for?" He curses. "Jesus, Niall."
"Hey. Don't use the Lord's name in vain," I scold.
"You do it," he argues.
"It slips sometimes. But I'm trying to correct myself. So please, it would be nice if you would watch your mouth around me." I send a fake smile his way, internally sighing. What's his problem?
"Yeah, sure," he mumbles.
-
The tenseness in the room lasted far too long.
I surfed through the channels on their television, amazed at all the channels they had access to. A plan like this was probably way more expensive than mine with triple the channels.
I eventually settled on Spongebob. I had already seen the episode, but it was light-hearted and I hoped it would raise the atmosphere.
Every few minutes, Niall, Louis, and I are left chuckling at the stupidity of Plankton. Harry doesn't make a noise, either staring blankly at the walls or mindlessly checking his phone.
"What's wrong?" I whisper into his ear, loud enough so only he could hear. He shakes his head. "Harry."
"Yes?" He grunts.
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing is."
I sigh. "Obviously something is, Harry. Did I do something wrong?"
He leans his chin on the top of my head, shaking it from side to side. "No, no. You didn't do anything, Aubrey." His hand grazes my upper arm.
"Then tell me what's wrong." I tilt my head back, gazing into his piercing green eyes. His expression softens as he sighs.
"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," he whispers. I turn my head back to the television, knowing he won't budge.
Three episodes later, Harry has relaxed a bit, but not much. He's still silent.
"Okay, Harry. Get up," I demand.
"What?" He questions.
"Bring me to my room, please. I need to talk to you."
"No."
"Fuck, Harry. I'll walk there myself if you don't, and I know you don't want me on my ankle."
I can feel both Niall and Louis' eyes on me.
"Nice try. Your crutches aren't here. Good luck walking there," he snorts.
"I guess I'll crawl."
I scoot off his lap, nearly escaping his grip. But he quickly pulls me back and wraps his arms around my waist tightly. My stomach fills with butterflies.
"Harry." I cross my arms.
He stands up, holding me in his arms. I don't uncross mine. He carries me down the hallway and enters my bedroom, gently letting me down on my mattress.
"What's your issue, Harry?" I demand. "You've been in a pissy mood since I asked to leave my bedroom. What the hell is wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Aubrey. I already told you that it doesn't concern you. Mind your own business."
"Oh my God, Harry. Fucking tell me what's going on."
"Do you want to know what's wrong with me?" He growls. "Do you?"
"Yes, I do."
Harry lunges across the bed, closing the distance between us in less than a second. The room suddenly becomes heated as his minty breath spreads across my face. One hand grips the headboard with strength, the other reaching for my cheek. His chilled knuckles brush my ear as he tucks back my messy hair, slowly closing in on me.
"You," he whispers. "You are driving me crazy."
With that, his lips collide against mine. We move messily, not quite in sync, but with such strong emotions pounding in our bodies; electricity shooting through our veins. His inked arm grips the bed frame tightly, chiseled biceps expanding. He bites down on my lip which causes a moan to ripple through me. He gasps for breath.
"Holy fuck," I gasp as he pulls away, releasing the wooden headboard
Before I can even register it, my arm reaches forward and grasps his neck, pulling him back to me. My hand tangles in his curly locks as our lips smash again, and again, and again. Adrenaline fuels my craving to never let go. I bite his lip and pull away, my hand dropping to the chiseled muscles in his back.
No words are exchanged as we gaze at each other, the sound of heaving breathing echoing against the bright frost-coloured walls.
Oh my God. I just kissed him.
After catching his breath, Harry rolls over and collapses heavily next to me. I grin at the ceiling, trying to calm my fluttering stomach and wild heartbeat.
"Wow," I murmur quietly, slowly turning to face him. He smiles at me kindly.
"Yeah."
His adorable smile sends shards to my twirling stomach.
Holy fuck, he's beautiful.
And I just made out with him.
"Was that all?" I joke light-heartedly, still a bit out of breath. His smiles widens.
"I don't know. But I feel better," he grins.
"What was bothering you?" I question. I try not to damage the mood, but the question was pestering around in my brain since this morning.
"Louis. Fucking Louis. He's always stealing everything good from me and I'm sick of it. If I want you to sit in my lap, then you will. He doesn't get to hug my girl."
My girl?
My heartbeat goes uneven. How did I ever get in this situation?
"That's it? The fact that I wanted to hug Louis?" I laugh.
"No. It was him who wanted a hug. You didn't offer to hug Niall, because Louis was the one to first think of giving you a hug. Or taking you from me before I even got you," he grumbles.
"Harry," I smile softly. "Don't get riled up again. I hate to say it, but you sound nuts. I'm not leaving anytime soon and I promise you I'd much rather kiss you-" I press my lips to his forehead. "Than kiss him."
"Because you are one hell of a good kisser," I add.
"Am I, now?" He challenges with a smirk.
"Oh, don't let it get to your head." I smack him playfully.
"Sure, sure."
-
The following days might've been better if Harry would have let me move from my bedroom. The rare time he actually brought me to the living room, I was still bored out of my mind. The television didn't fill my need to socialize and have fun.
"Harry?" I question, watching him contently as he hops around the kitchen, grabbing the supplies to make me a sandwich.
He raises his eyebrows quickly, meeting my eyes before looking back down at his hands. "Yep?"
"Can we go outside? I miss the sunshine."
He slices the sandwich in half, from corner to corner. Picking up the plate, he joins me on the couch.
"Maybe in a bit. The sun isn't out right now anyways."
I roll my eyes, keeping my sigh internal. He's acting like an overprotective parent. And it's bothering the shit out of me.
"Could you at least invite someone over? Call Niall over. Or Zayn. Somebody, please. I'm so fucking bored." I complain, reaching for the remote on the glass table.
"Am I not sufficiently entertaining you?" He teases me.
"You won't let me do anything. You barely even let me leave my room, for Pete's sake. So yes, I'm bored. Television is only entertaining for so long."
He rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine. Do you want to go out? See a movie or something? Or go and get lunch?" He suggests. My eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Do I? Hell yeah I do. Shit, grab my crutches please. I can't wait to get out of here-" I blurt quickly, stopping myself before I say something that hurts Harry. "I mean, you're a great host Harry, but I haven't been in the public since before I got hurt and was forced to stay in the hospital for a while. I just need some fresh air and new faces, ya know?"
"Yeah, I get it. I'm sorry for being a suck. I just don't want you to hurt yourself and have to heal all over again. You worry me. You're such a klutz." He grins at me.
"Oh, screw off," I gasp, swatting at his hand reaching for my face.
"Sorry, not sorry," he laughs. "You must admit it. You're a klutz, Aubrey."
He pulls me onto his lap and slowly presses his soft lips to my forehead. I blush slightly.
"My girl, yeah?" He whispers quietly. I nod.
"Yeah."
He rubs circles onto my thigh, before unexpectedly swinging me into his arms and carrying me to my room.
"Get dressed. It's humid out, but don't wear anything too revealing. The paps could be anywhere." He puts me on my bed and leaves me be. I chuckle at his remark.
I hop to my dresser on one foot and pull out a pair of shorts and a thin white blouse. I quickly put them on and grab my crutches.
Positioning my crutches under my arms, I make my way to the door and struggle to twist the knob. I eventually go down the hallway to meet Harry who sits at the island, wearing a pair of ripped black jeans and a simple green tee.
"Ready to go?" He asks. I nod.
"Yeah." I smile at him.
-
I dig my spoon into the frozen pink creme, placing it on my tongue. Fresh raspberry fills my senses as it touches the roof of my mouth.
"Mm," I moan. "I love frozen yogurt. It's one of my favourites. This shit seriously rocks my world."
Harry chuckles at me. "Enjoying yourself?" He teases. I nod feverishly.
"Hell yeah."
It doesn't take me long to finish off the container of frozen yogurt. My crutches lean against the side of the wooden bench, a small park behind us. No kids are using it, of course, but it's still beautiful. Much too dangerous for kids to play in downtown Toronto.
We walk down the busy streets, aiming to stay in the shade to avoid the burning hot sun that beats down on the sidewalk. No sunshine my ass, Harry. A bodyguard walks two meters behind us and two meters in front of us, blending into the crowd easily.
"Take a right here," I tell Harry. He nods and does so.
The crowd slowly disperses as we leave the more popular streets, heading down Lakeshore Avenue to Lake Ontario. We wait for the light to turn red before crossing with ease. A cool breeze deflects off the beach, rustling the leaves of the trees lining the shore. It's a relief from the hot sun.
"I love the wind that comes off the lake. It's best when it's still summer because the coolness of the air isn't enough to make you cold, just comfortable." I smile at him, entwining my hand in his. He seems a bit shocked at my action but quickly hides it.
We continue walking, moving off the wide cement walkway into the sand of the beach. The massive lake stretches from both sides of my vision, flowing endlessly past the horizon. Clouds blow past with the wind, covering the sun.
"Want to go swimming?" He asks. I raise my eyebrows as I toss the empty styrofoam bowl of frozen yogurt into a garbage can.
"Harry, have you ever gone swimming in Lake Ontario?" I ask. He shakes his head. "No matter what time of year it is, the water is always freezing. I'd bet it's around 60° right now, which is extremely warm for this lake. So, no. I do not want to go swimming."
He chuckles at me. "I just asked. I didn't need a lecture on the temperature of the lake."
I swat at his head.
"Hey! Don't hit me. I'm just saying, cold water isn't always bad."
I roll my eyes.
"I'm Canadian, Harry. I've grown up my whole life swimming in cold water. However, I don't want to go swimming right now. Not that I can anyway. Okay?"
"Okay, okay. I meant later anyway."
Another breeze blows by, pushing half of Harry's curls into his face. He nearly trips in the sand.
"Woah, no falling. You don't want that pretty face to have rock indents in it," I laugh. He frowns at me. "What?"
"I'm not going to fall."
As he said that, he actually tripped over a rock and fell straight onto his face. I gasp, stifling a laugh as I run to help him up.
"Ugh," he groans, rolling over onto his butt. I try not to laugh at the sand in his hair and the grumpy look on his face.
"I'm sorry, what was that you said?" I tease as I offer my hand to help him up, trying my best not to lose te crutch under that arm. He grabs it and yanks it, pulling me down with him. "Hey!"
He chuckles at me softly, leaning his head on my shoulder. Sand pours down my shirt.
"Sand is going down my bra, Harry. At least shake your head before you lean on me," I tut. Adjusting my bra, I try to rid the itch of sand rubbing between the fabric of my undergarments and skin. "And you're lucky you didn't hurt me."
His eyes flicker down to my chest and then back up to my eyes, blushing in embarrassment as I glare at him. He pulls his lips in and clamps down in attempt to hide his smirk.
"Oh, you pervert," I scoff and shake my head. "Remind me, why do I hang around you again?"
"Because I'm awesome." He winks at me. I stifle a laugh. "Don't laugh at me. I'm great."
"Okay, Harry. I believe you."
He laughs again. "Such a bullshitter."
-
When I got home, I quickly changed my bra and blouse, throwing the latter into the washing machine along with other laundry. The sound of the machine turning and the clothes tumbling rings in my ears as I hop down the hallway.
"Harry?" I call out. He yells something from his bedroom that I can't decipher.
I open the sliding door to the porch and carefully make my way outside, closing it behind me. I toss my crutches onto one of the green cushioned couches and lay down on the adjacent one. Closing my eyes, I drift off underneath the sun.
In half an hour, Harry decides to join me with his leather journal in hand. He puts my crutches on the wooden floor and begins to write in his journal across from me.
"What are you writing about?" I ask. "If it's not personal," I add.
He smiles softly. "I'm adding 'swimming in Lake Ontario' to my bucket list. With you, of course."
"Aw," I coo. "Maybe after my ankle heals. I can deal with cold water, I'm just afraid you'll pussy out."
"I will not," he scoffs. I shrug.
A long period passes with no talking, only the sound of the warm breeze and cars honking in the background. I pull out my phone and text Josh.
To Josh: how are you? we need to hang out soon. i miss u
I scroll through Twitter and Instagram, laughing at some funny clips of people dancing around and getting hurt. Yeah, I probably shouldn't laugh at those, but they crack me up. Harry smiles at me laughing from the corner of my eye, his writing speeding up.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're adorable when you laugh," he hums. I blush deeply.
My phone rings out, a text from Josh incoming.
From Josh: how 'bout tomorrow? we can watch movies at my place.
Another beep a few minutes later after I send a reply to Josh.
From Unknown: Didn't get my message? Better look through that pocket of your blouse.
I scrunch my brows together, confused at the message.
Another text.
From Unknown: Read it. Now. Or you'll be sorry.
"Could you pass me my crutches?" I mumble at Harry, scratching my head.
"Sure. Are you going inside?"
"Just to go to the washroom. I'll be back out."
I hurry to the washing machine, being careful not to trip myself at the same time. I pause the cycle and yank open the door. Pulling out my blouse, I fumble to pull out a soggy note the size of the paper in a chinese fortune cookie. The scribbled writing uncomprehensible with water.
Sighing, I toss it in the trash and put the load back on. Why am I even paying attention to this random person?
To Unknown: It's fucking unreadable because it's in the wash.
I actually excuse myself to the washroom and quickly join Harry back outside.
"Harry?" I ask. "Do you have any weed?"
He stops writing and slowly looks up at me, raising an eyebrow as if to say, "Really..?" A smirk spreads across his pursed lips.
"Yes or no?" I toss my crutches on the floor and lie down of the outdoor couch.
"No." He answers. I frown.
"Shame," I sigh. "Why not?"
"Because I smoked it a few times and it didn't do anything to me. It's just a waste of money to me." He shrugs and continues writing.
"You were probably doing it wrong. Not holding it in long enough. You're piss rich, too, so don't use the excuse that it's 'just a waste of money'."
He shrugs again. "I never found a reason to use it. My life is great."
"It's not just for when your life sucks, Harry. It's fun. You should try it again."
He hums and looks up to me again. "Okay."
"Okay?" I say, surprised.
"Yeah, sure. If you get some. But you're not leaving this apartment. So it won't be anytime soon."
I roll my eyes and pull out my phone.
To Josh: change of plans. are you free now? harry's never properly smoked weed and i'm really in the mood to smoke.
To Josh: i'll pay you back if you want.
A text immediately comes in.
From Josh: now THAT is a good plan. where is harry's apartment? pls make sure that I can get in without trouble.
I send him the address and put away my phone. "Josh is coming over in half an hour. Please alert your guards so he doesn't get torn away by fans." I smile.
"Oh my God, Aubrey," he mutters. "Really? Now?"
I laugh. "Yes."