✺ K A T E ' S ✺ P O V ✺
"Of course I'm having fun. Things are different than I expected for them to be, but I've been gone for a while. I shouldn't assume everything will go back to normal." My fingers run through the strands of my hair mindlessly as I stare down at my laptop screen. Harry is displayed on the computer with his own laptop balanced on his lap while he lays shirtless in bed, staring directly back at me.
"What do you mean they're different? Is your family treating you well?" He asks in return. His fingers are dragging slowly up his chest to occupy himself as he waits for me to answer. I struggle to focus on the question with him sitting half naked on my laptop screen.
"Yeah. Well, I guess they're treating me as well as they always have. My parents aren't really the nurturing type. They're kind of acting like I wasn't even really gone in the first place." I shrug my shoulders and Harry nods in understanding.
"Can't wait to meet them." He chuckles softly and I giggle along with him.
"We need to discuss your trip. When can you come?"
"I can come any time you want me to, baby." He sends me a sly wink and I slap my hand over my mouth to silence my laughter. My family has been asleep for over an hour and I've been attempting to stay quiet for their sake, but Harry makes it difficult.
"I've been meaning to ask, are you wearing anything under that shirt? I've been trying to get a peak but you're not being very generous with leg spreading tonight." He offers me another handsome smirk and I bite down on my lip as I glance down at the shirt adorning my torso. It's the same flannel he lent me a few nights ago and I've been wearing it non-stop for the two days I've been gone.
"What makes you think you've earned that? I don't just give away free peeks." I lean back to bring my legs up so that he can clearly see my bare thighs.
"What makes you think I haven't earned it?" He cocks an eyebrow at me and I laugh again. Without a word, I lean back even further on the bed and slowly spread my legs. His eyes nearly pop out of his head in surprise when he catches sight of my thin black panties being the only thing covering my body below the waist.
"Looks like we're matching." He finally cracks a smile and I watch as he lifts his laptop to angle down below his waist. He's dressed in only a thin pair of short black boxers that are hugging his hips tightly.
"You know how we could match even more?" He asks lowly and I bite down on my lip to suppress my grin.
"How?" I giggle back. He angles the laptop up at his face again and I notice his handsome smirk.
"We could take our underwear off and be matching in our birthday suits." He quarks a brow at me and I'm left continuing to laugh as I shake my head at him.
"How about we actually get some work done before we discuss getting naked. Now, as for your trip..."
✺
Harry arrives in Florida on Saturday night somewhere around midnight.
My parents were skeptical when I told them my friend from Chicago was coming to stay with us, and even more so skeptical when I told them my friend was a man. My mother seemed to turn her nose up at the situation and my father went along with it anyways, seeming to not care much for trying to tell me otherwise. It's seeming as though both of them have come to the recent conclusion that they can't necessarily tell me what to do or what's best for me. Even though I'd appreciate their input on my life choices since they are my family after all-- I think the ship of me knowing right from wrong sailed when I was accused of attempted murder.
Around ten-thirty that evening I'm leaving my house in my car to make the hour long trip to Orlando. Harry's plane lands somewhere around eleven-fifty PM, meaning that I'll have more than enough time to beat him to the airport with the light traffic on the freeway.
When I do finally arrive at the airport, I park what feels like a mile from the entrance. My feet lazily carry me along the pavement as I make my way towards the door. Despite the distance of walking, I don't mind being outside in the refreshingly breezy yet humid night air.
The inside of the airport is only somewhat crowded from how I've seen it in the past. I find myself scrolling back through mine and Harry's previous text messages in search of the flight information that he sent me earlier in the day. I almost can barely focus on trying to locate his gate due to my excitement that inevitably is settling in my mind from knowing I'll be back in his arms within only a short while.
Eventually I do locate his gate. An empty row of chairs is open merely ten feet from the center of the waiting area and I take a seat impatiently. My fingers tap mindlessly against my leg as I make a mental checklist of all the things I want to take Harry to do while he's here, as well as all the things I want to do with him just tonight after being apart for four days.
Just as the door opens and travelers begin invading the waiting area from the terminal of the plane, I look up. My eyes scan the crowd for any familiar faces and I'm left breathless when I see a familiar face that isn't Harry.
The icy blue eyes of one of James's best friends, Clint, are undeniable as he looks around the small waiting area. He looks the same as I remember him with his scraggly yet short beard and hair that's always covered by some worn-out baseball cap. James and Clint were inseparable all through high school and even more so when they moved on to college. They were roommates their freshman year of college until Clint moved in with his girlfriend, who then eventually got caught cheating on him. Clint moved back in with James right around the time him and I were getting to the point of being so serious in our relationship that I was practically living with him. Something about Clint always gave me a subtle feeling of discomfort whenever he was around. He always had lingering gazes and suggestive comments that often had me looking to James for comfort while he stayed oblivious to his odd friend.
As my thoughts and worries begin to consume me, I continue to stare at Clint in worry that he'll see me. He seems to be on a mission to find his way out of the airport, but I still stay hiding in my spot on the bench in hopes of him looking over me instead of recognizing me.
"Kate," I don't immediately recognize the voice beside me as I continue to stare at Clint. He's almost all the way to baggage claim now and I'm still shaking out of worry. For all I know Clint and James are still close friends and as soon as someone recognizes me in Florida, word will spread to James.
"Kate, love." A hand touches my leg and I gasp in surprise. My head turns down and only then do I notice Harry kneeling beside my seat with a concerned expression.
"Oh, uh-" I shake my head to clear my thoughts and finally manage to recognize my surroundings.
"God, sorry. Hi!" I stand up from my chair and Harry stands along with me, laughing awkwardly at my odd greeting. I ignore his skeptical movements and immediately throw my arms around his neck to pull him in for a hug.
"How was your flight? I'm so excited that you're here." I nuzzle my face in towards his neck and he finally wraps his arms around me to return the embrace. I try to be subtle about my movements as I lift my head over his shoulder enough so that I can try to spot Clint once again. His dark blue sweatshirt is nowhere to be seen now and I'm not sure if it comforts me that he's gone or scares me that I don't know where he is.
"What are you looking at? Are you waiting for your other boyfriend to come find you too?" He turns his head to look at me and I finally snap out of my trance.
"My other boyfriend? I didn't know I was meeting my first boyfriend." I lean back only a few inches to look at him and he offers me a handsome smirk. Without another word, we lean in simultaneously and press our lips together. His plump bottom lip tucks perfectly between my own and all of my worry from a moment ago disappears as soon as I get myself occupied with kissing him.
As moments pass, our embrace grows closer and my arms tighten around Harry's neck as his own hands dip down lower. His palms cup my backside through my jeans and I giggle into our kiss as I pray silently no ones watching us.
Soon enough, the passion of our kiss becomes too much for me and I pull away. Harry doesn't seem to mind the PDA, but it's not necessarily in my comfort zone.
"Are you ready to go? You can grope me in the car." I whisper up to him in a teasing tone.
"I'll sprint out of here if it means I get to grope you in the car." He leans down to kiss my forehead and I smile happily from the sweet action.
On our way out of the airport, Harry holds my hand and rolls his suitcase behind him. I'm still on high alert while looking around for Clint, even though I haven't seen him in minutes. Harry rambles on about some story of an old man that was seated beside him on the plane that practically told him his life story throughout the flight. I feel bad for not paying much attention to what he's telling me, but I know I won't feel safe until we're out of the airport.
We do eventually make it outside and to my car. Harry comments multiple times on how good the warm air feels in comparison to weather in Chicago and I have to repeatedly urge him to follow me when he stops to take in the fresh air. We laugh over stupid things the entire walk to the car and by the time we arrive, my cheeks are already sore from smiling so much.
"Did you borrow your parents car?" Harry asks as we approach the sleek black Beamer.
"No, it's mine." I answer distractedly as I pop the trunk. He lifts his suitcase in, along with his duffle bag, then shuts the door again.
"Really? Did you rob a car dealership on your way here?" He teases back, leaning against the vehicle as he looks at me. His hands reach out to grab my hips and I grin happily when I'm pulled in against his body.
"No, I didn't. My parents are filthy rich and used to like me before I was a felon. Hence, the forty-thousand dollar car." I bring my hand up to sift my fingers through his hair and he sighs quietly in content.
"I'm sure they still like you." He murmurs softly, not seemingly able to focus with me stroking his cheek and finger-combing his hair.
"Yeah, we'll see. Maybe when the case is over and everyone's proved wrong then they'll buy me another car." I wiggle my eyebrows at him and lean up to kiss his cheek, then step backwards.
"Let's go. We've got a long drive back." I step around him to the driver's side of the car and he rounds to the other side to get in along with me.
As soon as we're on the freeway, Harry's back to talking mindlessly about things ranging from his hectic experience at the airport in Chicago, to some conversation he had with a professor days ago about their controversial opinions on a book. I listen intently to the low sound of his voice and attempt my hardest to focus, but there's too many things on my mind.
Why would Clint have been on a flight back from Chicago? When I was living with James I never heard him mention anything about the city or any potential ties he had to it. Granted, it's been over a year since I've spoken to him-- but it also seems oddly coincidental that he would be there.
"So what's your family like? What should I expect from meeting your parents? Or how should I act? It's been a long time since I've had to go through the whole meeting the parents thing..." Harry eventually asks once he manages to finally change the conversation topic to something that catches my attention.
"Don't think too much about it, babe. Just... Keep in mind that they're business people are aren't much for the sarcastic banter or playful humor. My father is a lawyer and my mother works for the state as a youth counselor in casework. I trust that you can keep conversation light, though. You're an intelligent man and I'm honestly not sure if it's possible for them not to love you." I nervously pat his thigh with my hand and he leans back in his seat while looking at me.
"Well you love me, right? That's got to mean something." He moves his own hand across the seats to place on my thigh and I crack a small smile along with him.
"Yeah, I do love you. That doesn't mean they have to, but hopefully it means they'll at least try for my sake." I keep my eyes on the road as his hand creeps slowly up my leg. He starts at my knee and moves to my upper thigh within only seconds. He has no shame as he slowly strokes his hand across the sensitive skin covered by my thin jeans.
"If I wasn't already exhausted I'd suggest we take advantage of the roomy backseat in this car." He moves his hand down to my inner thigh and I bite my lip and I place my own hand over the top of his. Silently, I move his fingers away from where they're seconds from grazing over the area he knows will have me swerving across the lanes on the freeway.
"We can... get reacquainted tomorrow. My parents always go to happy hour at some winery in Orlando on Saturday nights so we'll have the house to ourselves for a little while. Charlie won't be able to come home until Sunday either so we have to take advantage of the alone time." I bring his hand up from my lap and teasingly place his pointer finger between my lips. I suck gently on the tip, then drop his hand down to my chest. He voluntarily squeezes my breast and I'm left giggling as he stares at me with his jaw hung open in awe.
"Really? A pep talk about how I have to wait until tomorrow night then you go and do that?" He brings his hand up to cup my jaw and I giggle again as he carefully pulls me in towards him. His lips press sloppily to my cheek, then he's sitting back in his chair again to let me drive without the distraction.
"How is your brother?" He adds once it's silent between us again. I'm glad he's changed the subject from me making him wait until tomorrow for us to be intimate again.
"He's alright. They don't think he's doing well enough to come home yet so they're waiting until Sunday." I relax into my seat and try not to think of Charlie's condition. I'm in a good mood from Harry arriving in Florida and I know thinking about the serious portion of my life will ruin my mood.
"Have you seen him?" Harry presses on. His hand has crept across the console again but this time he's only placed it on my thigh for comfort rather than trying anything sneaky.
"No. I went to the hospital and checked in and his nurse told him I was there but he refused to see me. He can't avoid me forever, though. He has to come home at some point so he'll have to see me then." I shrug my shoulders and notice Harry tracing shapes against my thigh with his pointer finger.
"I'm sorry, baby. I know that it doesn't seem very fair right now but Charlie's got to see your side of things eventually, right? Just think about when all of this is over and all of the charges are dropped against you. Charlie will probably feel like an idiot for shunning you over something you didn't do."
"Me being found innocent won't change anything for Charlie. He doesn't hate me because he thinks I tried to murder someone... He hates me because everyone else thinks I tried to murder someone and now they're all seeing him as the brother of the girl that tried to murder her boyfriend. No matter what happens with the case I'm always going to be guilty of ruining Charlie's reputation. I understand why he doesn't want to forgive me." I stare off at the deserted freeway ahead of me and attempt to not let my dark thoughts consume me.
I know Harry won't ever be able to relate to the situation-- really, no one ever will. I'm not sure there's many other people I can confide in that would understand. I'm sure I'm only of the only twenty-one year olds with attempted murder charges against them meaning they have to live in a city half way across the country from their family in hopes that their vengeful ex-boyfriend doesn't find them.
How did I even get myself into this mess?
"Kate, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. You probably understand that better than most people. Sometimes those situations mean that we lose people we love, as well as gain some new people to love. No matter what Charlie chooses somewhere down the road you're always going to be his sister and he's always going to love you." Harry rubs his hand up my thigh and I try to make sense of his words.
"What I'm trying to say is that you just need to remember through all of this that someday you'll look back at it and laugh thinking that you thought it was the end of the world back then. Your parents are going to come around and Charlie's going to find it in his heart to remember all of the great things you've done instead of that one mistake you may or may not have made when you were twenty years old. Just... Don't let it weigh on your mind. It'll blow over and you'll be thankful you got to experience the bad stuff so that you can appreciate the good stuff." He grabs my hand from my lap and brings it up to his mouth to gently kiss my knuckles. I try to hold back the tears welling up in my eyes and am suddenly thankful it's late and that there's not much light surrounding us.
"I love you so much, Harry." My words nearly come out as a whisper and I feel him hold my hand against his chest.
"I..." He opens his mouth as if attempting to speak, but he doesn't finish his response. Instead, he stares silently at me as if wagering an inner battle with himself. I'd give anything in the world to hear him repeat the words to me and to mean them, but I have a feeling it would be too good to be true. Nothing that good ever comes that easily.
Nothing else is said between us for the remainder of the drive besides Harry occasionally pointing out some landmark or something along the way. We get off the freeway eventually and I drive the speed limit through town, knowing the last thing I need is another run in with the law. Especially since we'll already be a target being out this late at night.
Around two AM, we finally pull into the driveway. Harry grabs his things from the trunk and stays quiet as I hold his hand and lead him through the entrance of the house. I can tell he's ogling over the inside of the impressive home that no longer phases me.
Once we make it upstairs and to my bedroom, Harry settles himself in and begins unpacking a few of his things while I retreat to the bathroom to wash my face. He's seen me without makeup enough times to where I don't care anymore if he judges my appearance. The weather in Florida is too humid anyways for me to attempt to sleep with makeup on and not wake up looking like I sweated it off all down my cheeks.
"Can I borrow some toothpaste? I think I forgot mine at home." Harry pops his head into the ensuite bathroom eventually. He's now dressed in only a pair of athletic shorts with nothing covering his torso.
"Yeah, it's in the drawer." I step away from the sink and pat his arm as I walk past him.
"I'm going to lay down. Don't be too long or I'll already be asleep." I stop myself from walking to look up at him again. Things have been silently somewhat awkward between us since our heart to heart in the car.
"I won't. I just need to brush my teeth so that you won't cringe when I try to kiss you later." He teases back. I crack a small smile and nod, then walk past him to enter the bedroom again.
In an attempt to find some pajamas, I resort to digging through Harry's suitcase in search of one of his shirts to steal. I've missed him more than I'd like to admit this past week so I'm going to take advantage of each piece of him that I can get.
As I'm digging through his sloppily folded clothes, my hand brushes against something unfamiliar. My brows furrow as I pull up the end of one of his t-shirts and notice a poorly hidden Manila folder amongst his belongings. My suspicion only worsens when I look at the side tab and read my name scribbled along it in familiar handwriting that I can't quite recall where I know it from. Why does he have some sort of file on me? Why would he even bring something like that on a trip to stay with my family?
With a quick glance behind me, I note that the sink in the bathroom is still running. My anxiety skyrockets even further but I push myself anyways and end up flipping over the front tab of the folder. Inside I stop a paper clip amongst multiple sheets of paper that holds together a small stack of pictures of me, and him, and us. The picture on top of the stack has my heart nearly beating out of my chest when I realize it's a picture of me asleep with my naked body merely covered by the unmistakable sheets of his bed.
What the hell?
"What are you doing?" His voice startles me to the point of nearly falling over in my spot. I spin around to face him and notice he's leaned against the doorway of the bathroom and staring at me.
"Oh, I- I was just looking for a shirt to sleep in. Do you have a preference for which one you'd like me to wear?" I walk quickly towards him in a panic to distract him. I probably look like I've just seen a ghost, but he seems to go along with it anyways.
"Whichever one you want. The one I wore today is laying on the bed if you want it to, like, smell like me and whatnot. I know you're into creepy stuff like my scent." His skeptical attitude disappears within seconds and he's back to smirking at me as I lay my hands flat on his chest. Something feels strangely off after my discovery, even though I have no idea where to begin analyzing the situation. A file with photos of us and what looked like hand written notes...
Why would he have a photo of me sleeping?
"Okay. I'll put on that one." I pat his chest gently and he nods his head. Without another word, I turn away and walk over to the bed. I don't know whether I should be fearful of what he's hiding, or keep my nose out of his business. Maybe he's just an overly sentimental man that likes to keep his memories stored away for when he needs reminders of them. Even though I'm not sure photographing me while I'm sleeping and writing notes on the matter is endearing... I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt at least.
"Babe, your bedroom is like the size of my entire apartment." Harry paces slowly over to the bed while speaking. I strip off my shirt from my body and pull on his instead.
"My dorm is even smaller than your apartment." I answer lamely. I feel so awkward now not knowing what the think of what he's potentially hiding from me. There's been so many unreliable relationships in my life that I can be assured I'm likely blowing it out of proportion and being too paranoid; of course I can't be sure of anything though since I've lived for so long not knowing who I can and can't trust.
As soon as Harry and I are laying beside each other in bed, I've nearly forgotten what I was even upset about. Even though I want to analyze the situation and try to solve whatever mysteries remains between us-- I can't deny how comforting it is to have him beside me in bed after nearly a week apart.
"We're going to get so hot trying to cuddle, but I really want to hold you. Dammit Florida." Harry grumbles into the darkness once we're both settled in. I'm curled up in the sheets a few feet away from him on the bed and trying not to smile from his comment.
"How did you and James used to do it? I'm not quite educated on this whole dating someone in states where the humidity percentage is higher than the temperature." He continues on when I don't say anything. My eyes are shut and my brain is seconds away from turning off for the night, but his question has me reeling back to life just as quickly.
"Did you just say we're dating?" I sit up a bit to look at him and notice he's laughing softly.
"Babe, that was beside the point." He offers me a small smirk and I stare at him for a moment in silence. My brain may actually be able to get some rest for the first time in what feels like months if he would just give me the small peace of mind of telling me what we are.
"We didn't get as hot while we were cuddling since we were always naked when I slept over at his place." I finally answer back, my tone slightly clipped in agitation. Part of me wants to make Harry jealous while another part of me wonders if he'll even care.
"Always?" He seems hesitant to ask the question and I find myself shrugging.
"Yeah. Unless rarely one of us wasn't feeling up to it, I barely even wore clothes at his house at all." I cringe at my own words while Harry lays still beside me. I'm laying facing him and I'm glad that the darkness of the room manages to somewhat shield our emotions from each other.
"I told you I met my wife when I was traveling with some friends in college, right? Well we spent some time in South America so I guess I can relate to that. If we didn't already have an excuse to be naked around each other constantly then I'm sure we wouldn't have worn clothes in the hot weather." He chuckles softly as if trying to lighten the mood while I'm left with my heart aching. I know we're both just being childish with trying to make each other jealous, but it still hurts thinking about it. Even though Harry isn't officially mine and probably never will be, I hate thinking that other women have got to see the same sides of him that I have. Deep conversations in the middle of the night, singing in the shower together, holding hands in the car, being tangled up in the sheets when we're both feeling a bit too caught up in our feelings for each other...
"Actually, that wasn't even the peak of our nudity. The first year that we were married was kind of like one long honeymoon. I think at some points days went by where I didn't even put on pants." Harry continues on and I slowly lift my hands to block my ears. I shouldn't have started something I knew I wouldn't want to finish.
"Well, I'm going to get some sleep. See you in the morning." He adds once he realizes I'm not going to acknowledge his previous comment.
"Okay." I nuzzle my face into my pillow and rub my eyes worriedly.
"I love you." I blurt out stupidly, feeling unreasonable as a small amount of fear courses through my mind. I wasn't trying to make him jealous hoping to start a fight. That's the last thing I need right now. Between my family drama and the stress of traveling and everything else, I really don't need to fight with him.
"Baby? I said I love you." I sit up to look down at him and feel pathetic as I do so. I move in towards him as I wait impatiently for him to say something.
"I know, love. I heard you." He sighs lowly as he rolls onto his back while I stay seated silently beside him. My legs are crossed Indian style under me and I fiddle with my hands in my lap.
"You didn't say anything."
"Well what did you want me to say? I didn't speak because I had nothing to say." He crosses his arms behind his head and I watch as his eyes flutter shut.
"You could tell me that you love me too..." I lay my hand flag against his chest and hold my breath in worry when his eyes stay shut.
"I'm not going to tell you that I love you if I don't. That's not fair to either of us." He doesn't seem phased as he speaks the words that make my heart wrench.
"It's not. But I'd still like to hear it." I take my chances and lay down with my head on his chest and my arms around his waist. He immediately pulls me in against his side with his arm around my shoulders and I'm left seemingly able to breathe again.
"Maybe someday. Now get some sleep, baby." He turns his head down and I look up just as he does, allowing our lips to lock together into a gentle kiss. My mind is eased and my body is able to relax as he somehow pulls me in even closer to him.
✺
In the morning, I'm awake nearly an hour before Harry. I wait around in bed and allow myself some time to relax while we snuggle, but I eventually get bored. I have a hard time bringing myself to want to get up from the warm spot, but find it oddly cute when I put a pillow in my spot instead and Harry cuddles into it the same way.
"Morning." I greet tiredly as soon as I make it downstairs. My parents are seated at the kitchen table with food in front of them and two separate stacks of newspaper.
"Hi Kate." My father greets back in a slightly uninterested tone. My mother glances up at me from her paper, but doesn't say anything before reaching for her cup of coffee.
"My friend got into town last night. He's still asleep upstairs. His plane was late so he might not be awake for a while." I speak as I walk across the kitchen towards the French press sitting on the counter. My back turns as I reach up to grab a coffee cup, but I can feel them staring at me.
"Kate, I know we discussed this a few days ago but I want to remind you again... This isn't a time for you to be bringing friends around and making this some sort of gathering. Your brother is in the hospital and is already going to be overwhelmed having everyone here when he gets home. He already doesn't even really care to see you so I assume him meeting your newest boyfriend isn't at the top of his priority list." My mother's voice rambles on throughout the entire time it takes me to pour myself some coffee and grab a banana from the basket by the fridge.
"My newest boyfriend? You say that as if I'm constantly cycling through men. I've had two boyfriends in the past seven years." I take a seat at the table across from them and take a sip of the steaming coffee in my mug. The drink immediately soothes my body and I'm left suddenly much more relaxed.
"I think your mother is implying that we're all still being effected by how things ended with your last boyfriend. I think she's right to think that your brother is already going through something emotionally straining right now and it feels a bit like you're trying to turn the spotlight to yourself." My father chimes in and I watch him silently while being struck in disbelief.
"Turning the spotlight to myself? There is no spotlight here. Charlie tried to kill himself... Are you guys really implying I'm trying to make this about me?" I pause my second drink of my coffee to look over them staring back at me.
"I'm just... I brought him here because I don't know when I'll be able to visit again. I wanted you guys to meet him because of that."
"That's exactly what we mean, Kate. This is becoming about you and your boyfriend instead of Charlie." My mother eyes me seriously and my heart sinks in my chest. How could they imply that those are my intentions? I invited Harry here for multiple reasons, but one was certainly not for me to try and have everyone pay attention to me instead of my brother who's clearly in a dark place.
"I'm sorry if that's what you all thought I was doing but..."
"Good morning," a cheery voice cuts me off and I look up just as Harry appears in the kitchen. My parents noticeably compose themselves while I try to hide my own emotions that are suddenly prominent in my mind.
"Hey, I didn't think you'd be awake this soon." I stand from my chair and immediately pull him in for a hug. The embrace only lasts for a few seconds but I'm thankful for it.
"I realized you weren't there and the bed was unfamiliar and... Yeah, sleeping in was hard." He laughs quietly and I grin along with him. With a quick movement, I lean up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then turn back to my parents. I suddenly feel weird introducing them to Harry when I know they're not as excited about him being here as I expected.
"Mom, dad, I'd like you to meet Harry. My..." I stand at his side and try not to feel as uncomfortable when I realize I have no idea what to refer to him as.
"Boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. Leave it to Kate to be modest with the titles." Harry chuckles softly and leans down to kiss my temple. My heart races immediately but he doesn't seem phased as he moves in to shake hands with both of my parents.
They all chat for a few minutes mindlessly about things ranging from Harry's travels to the weather. I sit back down in my seat and watch them all in silence as sip my coffee and try not to let my mind wander back to a few minutes ago and the conversation that left me wondering if my family even cares to have me here for Charlie or not. He doesn't want to see me and my parents seem to have different ideas of what my intentions are for the trip.
My mother seems to spark interest in Harry immediately and is out of her seat to get him coffee. My father excuses himself along with her to find another newspaper and Harry and I are left alone. I silently eat my banana and stare out the windows to the beach outside. I'm not sure if Harry's still going to act weird after our conversation before bed last night. Alongside that, I want to tell him about my parents absurd idea that I brought him here to bring the spotlight onto myself. Part of me only wants him to agree that their ideas are crazy and that I really did mean well.
"Did you sleep well?" Harry's voice sounds from beside me and I look over at him just as I'm taking a bite of my banana. We stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter which has me nearly choking on my banana.
"Careful. If you're going to be choking on anything it won't be your banana." He leans over to pat my back as I catch my breath while continuing to giggle.
"It'll be my banana." He adds in a whisper. I laugh even harder and find myself leaning against his shoulder in an attempt to calm myself down before I really do end up injured somehow.
"Everything alright here?" My mother asks as she appears beside us. She sets Harry's coffee cup down in front of him, then lays her hand on my shoulder. My good mood immediately decreases as soon as she's standing behind me. I know she's just putting on the act around Harry since she's barely acknowledged me since I've been here besides this morning when I was being told off for supposedly being selfish.
"Yep." I murmur back quietly. She lingers around for a moment, then nods her head.
"Alright, well, your father and I were just about to leave to go golfing with the Emerson's before we go pick up Charlie later. Their daughter Camille just got home from Harvard yesterday for a surprise visit so they invited us to go spend some time with them. We'll be home later." My mother steps away from us and her and Harry bid each other a quick goodbye. We're left alone seconds later when she leaves in the same direction as my father.
"They seem nice." Harry comments as soon as I turn my head up to look at him. We both share a quick smirk before bursting into laughter. He doesn't allow it to last long though and cuts me off seconds later when he ducks his head down and presses his lips against mine. It catches me off guard, but I don't hesitate to kiss him back gladly.
"What are we going to do today now that we've got the house to ourselves?" I ask in between soft pecks. Our foreheads stay leaned together even when our kissing turns into an occasional brushing of our lips as we whisper to each other.
"Wanna go back to bed?" He asks in return. We both crack a knowing smile from the offer.
"I thought you'd never ask."
✺
Okay so I know that Kate prob seems really oblivious in this story to the sketchy things Harry does but as the writer I tried to make her seem a little more oblivious because of what happened with James she wants to believe the good in Harry and not assume he's as sketchy as he is
As for curly_kink happy late birthday!! You're one of my favorite readers and I appreciate all of the comments you always leave. I'm sorry this is late but hopefully your day was good
Thanks for reading guys ily all