I awaken to a fierce pounding noise.
I groan and pull the pillow over my head. It's Saturday, who's at the door?
That's when I remember where I am.
I hear the door creak open.
"Can I help you?" Harry asks, his voice raspy from sleep.
"Yeah, have you seen Rose anywhere? She hasn't been answering her phone and she doesn't seem to be home."
I widen my eyes.
Aaron.
Oh shit.
"Uh..." Harry trails off.
I peek over the top of the couch. Harry leans against the door, scratching the back of his neck nervously. If Aaron comes in here, he'll draw conclusions quickly and assume that Harry and I... ugh. The thought makes me shudder.
Lie, I command harry mentaly. Lie to him.
"She probably went out ot get coffee." Harry says. "She usually has it at work, but it's the weekend, so..."
"Oh. Right."
I breathe out a sigh of relief.
"What was that?"
I freeze. Aaron heard that?
"My...cat." Harry says.
"I didn't know pets were allowed in the building."
"They're not. It's a secret. Shh."
I cover my mouth to keep myself from laughing at Harry's lie.
"Can I see it."
"No, it's one of the hairless ones. Really gross looking. And it... has rabies."
"Shouldn't you get that checked out, then? Rabies is pretty serious."
"Look, mate, I appreciate your concern, but-"
The door swings open and Aaron walks in, his eyes immediatley landing on me. He widens his eyes, anger filling them quickly.
"Rose?" He asks in disbelief.
I shoot up from the couch. "Aaron."
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Harry looks on his eyes locked on me.
"It's a long story." I say.
"I've got time."
"Oh, really? Because you never seem to have time for anything else!"
"Rosie-"
"You were supposed to ick me up from work twice. Twice! And you blew me off for reasons I still don't know."
"So you think the solution is to sleep with your neighbor? "
My jaw drops. Harry tries not to laugh and I shoot him a glare.
"I didn't sleep with anyone!" I shout.
"Then explain this!" Aaron yells.
I recoil. I can't tell Aaron about what happened when I was walking home. I know it's important that I keep it a secret, for Harry's and my sake.
"Harry gave me a ride home and I fell asleep in the car." I lie. Well it's partially true.
Aaron looks at Harry and he nods.
"I can't believe you would accuse me of that." I say to Aaron crossing my arms over my chest. "Harry and I barely know each other."
The expression on Harry's face is unreadable.
"Come on, Rose. Let's go." Aaron says reaching for my hand. I snatch it away from him.
"Go where?" I ask. "Out to lunch so you can ditch me halfway through for your job?"
"I can't help it if I'm on call," Aaron defends.
"Oh, bullshit!" I shout. "You don't even have a real job! You're an intern!"
I hate for the two of them to see me like this, especially Harry. I know I'm making a horrible impression on him, to add to the already shitty impression he has of me. Well, it's not like I have a spotless impreson of him,either.
"It is a real job! It's much more important than yours, anyway!"
"Then why do I get paid and you don't?" I rebut. Aaron narrows his eyes.
"Look Rose, I don't know what's up with you, but when you decide to act less of a bitch, give me a call," Aaron snaps.
He turns on his heel and stalks out of the aparatment, the door swinging shut behind him.
I sink down onto the couch and put my head in my hands. I hear Harry walk around the couch and sit across from me on the coffee table.
"For the record, I think you had a few good shots in there." He says.
I shake my head. I feel so guilty for speaking that way to Aaron. If anything, I'm the one that should be getting yelled at. I almost kissed Harry when he drove me home the first time. I slept on his couch last night. I've continued to interact with him when I've told myself multple times my life would be easier without him in it.
"I think I'm going to go," I say, standing and walking towards the door. Harry watches me with hooded eyes. "Thanks for... everything."
I don't know what came over me. I walk back to my apartment, finding it unlocked. I curse myself for not locking it last night and walk inside.
I take a shower and change into my clothes for the day. I'm still slightly on edge after my brief attack the other nigt, trying to push the paranoid thoughts from my mind.
I feel horrible about Aaron. I'm upset and disappointed in myself, and I need to apologize to him for the way I acted. I was way out of line.
My mind shifs to Harry.
The way we laughed together the other night was so... natural. Maybe we're different place we were before. Maybe we're..friends?
Never in a million years would I have thought Harry and I would be friends. Perhaps I should aologize for stepping out so quickly back there.
I walk out into the hall knocking on Harry's door. I wait for a few minutes with no answer. I guess he's not home.
My heart involuntarily sinks.
A thought stikes me. Maybe he's doing laundry?
I take the elevator down to the ground floor and step out, making my way to the laundry room. Sure enough, there is Harry, dumping too much fabric softner into a washing machine.
"That's too much softener," I tell him, walking up beside him.
"I always use this much," He grumbles.
"Well, you shouldn't."
Harry shrugs, His expresion is unreadable.
"I'm sorry for walking out like that," I say as he shuts the top of the machine. "I was a bit... shocked about what happened with Aaron. And mad. At him, not you."
He shrugs again. "All right."
"So...are we good?"
He looks at me,raising his eyebrows, "Are we good," He repeats.
"Yes..." I say slowly.
"That would imply that we're friends, or something."
I blush. "I thought..."
"Thought what? That we're friends?" Harry almost laughs. "Let me tell you something Rose, we're the farthest thing from friends two people can be."
I feel like I've been slapped. "But you let me stay over, and-"
"Rose, I only let you stay over because it was three in the morning and I was half fucking awake!"
I step back. "You're an asshole," I snap.
"Tell me something I don't know," He retorts, turning back to the washing machine and moving his laundry bin to the side.
My cheeks flame as I turn and walk out of the laundry room. How can he be so rude to me, when only last night we were laughing hysterically over practically nothing at all?