The table was set for Harry and Alex's homecoming tonight. The first two days back at school without them were extremely stressful and I hated walking to every single class unaccompanied. So to say I was happy to have both of them home would be an understatement at its finest.
The lasagna was still cooking in the oven when the first person came home.
"Hello?" Alex's demanding voice rang through the empty ancient mansion hallways and to the kitchen.
"In here!" I yelled back as I finished icing the cake and licked the knife.
She walked briskly into the kitchen and stared at my creation sitting on the counter. "What is that?"
Ouch. I didn't think it looked that bad, I mean it looked homemade obviously but that's the treasure in it.
"I made a cake to celebrate seeing you and Harry again..." I shrunk into my spine becoming increasingly worrisome as to when Harry would arrive and if he would grill me about my homemade cake as well.
He was supposed to be here an hour before Alex, but he usually is always late so I didn't think much of it. Maybe I should now.
"It's...beautiful Callie," Alex gave me the fakest smile I've ever seen her give and I rolled my eyes at her ignoring the fake plea of guilt. "So where's Harry?"
"You know about as much as I do now," I shrugged my shoulders and sat on a stool overlooking the kitchen counters.
"Call him and see where he's at. I'm starving and if he's not here in the next thirty minutes we're eating without him," Alex poked her finger into the icing on my cake and stuck it in her mouth before swinging her hips to the seat next to me.
I sighed and grabbed my phone from my pocket. Harry where could you possibly be?
"Hello?" He answered on the last ring after I almost gave up on him.
"Hey, Alex made me call. She wants to know where you are. Is everything alright? You were supposed to be here an hour ago..." I tried to hide the annoyance in my tone but it came off strong and Alex even elbowed me in my side because of it.
"I'm sorry. I'm at my house. I was dropping off a few things and getting ready and I'm heading out now. So sorry. See you soon," he was rushing now and I felt the butterflies begin in my lower abdomen.
"Ok see you in a few minutes." I hung up and left my phone on the counter while I set out the lasagna on the table with the vegetables I prepared with them. I have been cooking myself things for so long now since Alaric travels so much that I feel the need to cook for Alex as well when he's not around.
"He's on his way," I hurried around doing last minute things.
"Dinner was really good, Cal. I always forget how well you can cook," Harry cuddled with me on the couch when Alex went upstairs to go to bed. I could tell his mind was somewhere else, but his eyes still kept their shine.
"Thanks," I flushed a slight pink.
His hands were tough against my soft skin, most likely from years of playing the guitar and being rough with his brothers. But he caressed me like I was the finest diamond he'd ever touched and that was one of my favorite things about him. At times he could make me feel so special.
"How was school?" He asked when I shivered under his skilled hands when they ran down my bare arms.
"Uneventful without you," I smiled and pulled away from him so I could look in his eyes. "Ms. Meyer is making us do a project. I chose you as my partner. I hope you don't mind." I sat criss cross next to him and fiddled with my nail beds.
"What's the project over?" He looked physically drained and I knew the last thing he was worried about right now was a dumb project our literature teacher gave us.
"Well we have to come up with a poem and on our last day of school she's going to show the winning video to the graduates. And plus if we win I can send it in to NYU and they could offer me a scholarship," I beamed towards Harry not trying to hide my excitement.
Harry rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his rough curls. "Callie I don't know."
"Harry, listen we both write. We both write really well. If we combine our talents who knows the opportunities that could come from this!" I grabbed his hand and he pulled me on top of him.
"You are so fucking aggravating, you know?" Harry rolled on top of me now pinning me to the love seat.
"Please promise me you'll try," I gave him the saddest look I could muster up and he kissed me hard, sucking on my bottom lip then biting it.
"Let's go upstairs and finish this shit now and get it over with," Harry left me breathless on the couch as he walked briskly out of the living room and made the wood stairs creak all the way up to my room.
Moments later I recovered and followed in his footsteps going upstairs. Harry was layed on my bed with his head resting on my pillow, eyes closed, chest rising and falling at a slow rhythm, and a pooched out lip telling me he was already fast asleep. Maybe I should let him sleep? He looks so peaceful.
I pulled my top off with my bra and slid on an old T-shirt. Then I put on a pair of new flannel sleep pants. And while Harry slept I wrote things about him in my journal. Physical things I may not have the pleasure of seeing one day, like the curvature of his collarbones or the sharpness of his shoulders. Then the emotional pangs filled my chest and I wrote everything down from the first time I met him to right now, a whole eight months, and only four of them being together as a couple.
Four months didn't seem like a long time. Especially after the pace I fell in love. No wonder Harry thinks I'm crazy. I didn't mean to fall in love. I didn't particularly want to. It just freaking happened. I had hated his guts at one time, but there were moments that I couldn't stop wanting more from him. All of the sudden I would be craving his attention and lusting for him. Then, all I would want to do was talk to him like a friend. And that's when our relationship started.
I don't know why he gave us a chance. I don't think I'll ever know. But he hopefully saw me loving him with a hurting heart just like his and I was ready to fall in love whether I knew it or not. I know now. It's a painful experience, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
I curled into his torso and rested my head on his chest. He wriggled underneath me and I cursed at myself silently.
"Shit," Harry mumbled with sleep laced on his voice and grabbed my arm thoughtfully. "I'm sorry."
"It's ok. Go to sleep," I kissed his chest and ran my hand across his stomach cuddling into him more.
"Goodnight love," Harry kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back.
"Goodnight. I love you and welcome home."
"Kids, kids," we had a senior class meeting held in the theater the next morning. "Quiet down!"
I sat in between Harry and Daphne. Alex said she didn't feel well enough to go to school this morning so she stayed at home. She's already missed so many days, I can't imagine how she can graduate.
"What are we here for?" Harry leaned in and asked me.
"Caps and gowns when we graduate," I took my cell phone out and began playing Candy Crush, a game I was newly addicted to thanks to the caused boredom from my absentee boyfriend.
"I love that game," Harry wrapped his arm around my shoulders and watched me play instead of listening to our principal tell us our directions.
The demanding voice of the man on stage was still clear through my ears as I played the game. He was directing us on what to wear on the day of graduation and how many people we could bring to see us graduate, and blah blah blah. Everything was going to be on the handouts they were passing down the rows anyways.
"Why did Jesse text you?" Harry was looking at my screen while I grabbed the stack of papers from his sister and handed them to him.
"Jesse?" I scrunched up my face. Why would Jesse text me? He has no reason at all to text me. "I have no idea..."
I looked at Harry and his face was contorting into rage. He was going to lose his cool in the middle of our principal's seminar.
"Harry..."I looked at my lost boy and whispered to him as he removed his arm from around my shoulders. "It's not like that between me and him. He's in Florida and I'm here."
"What if you were back in Florida?" He glared at me sending a pang of guilt rushing through my veins. Yes, things would be easier with Jesse, but I don't want easier. I want Harry.
"I'm not in Florida. I'm here with you. So if you'd stop being so quick to think the world is out to get you, you might be happy for once," I whispered right back at him.
After a few long moments of me trying not to cry in front of him mostly and then my classmates, he spoke, "So, what did he say?"
I unlocked my phone and opened the message.
No one knows where Mike is. If he tries to contact you let me or Stefan know. PS how are you? ~ Jesse
I passed the phone over to Harry and he read it with a wrinkled brow.
"What do I do?" I choked out silently.
"Nothing right now," Harry reached out his hand and grabbed mine. "Hang tight babe."
"Mom! What do you mean Mike has gone AWOL?" I spoke to my mom for the first time since the drama at Spring Break two weeks ago.
"He's left us again, Callie," my mother was crying. "First your brother left me, then you left me, then your father left me.
"I didn't leave you, Mom! You shipped me up here! I have no earthly idea why the hell I'm here!" I cried as I sat down on my bed next to Harry.
"Do not raise your voice at me Callie Loretta Steele," my mother's voice was so calm it sent goosebumps across my skin.
"I'm not a kid anymore!" Harry was quick to react as his hand began rubbing my back. "You sent me to a place where I didn't know anyone to live with a single man who has two senior high school girls living with him. How does that make you a good mother? Did you even think this through? What made this ok?"
My sobs echoed throughout the line and for a second I thought my mom had hung up on me which wouldn't be a surprise.
"Honey," my mom was now crying. "I had to get you out of Naples. I'm sorry. Trust me on this. Alaric is a good man, I've known him for a few years. We've actually been talking for longer than you've known. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you, you should know that."
"I know he's a good man, but I don't understand why I'm here. It doesn't make sense." Harry fell back on the bed and I couldn't bare the thought of showing him my puffy face so I turned my back to him.
"I know it doesn't now. But honey just wait. Alaric has great plans for you and Alex one day," my mom then hung up the phone and I couldn't help but to feel more empty than before we even started the conversation.
The talk was supposed to be about my brother which turned into a speech about my life and my whereabouts.
"Loretta huh?" Harry smiled with teeth.
"Shut up. I hate my middle name," I wiped the fallen hair out of my face and crawled over to him.
"We should shut the door," Harry squeezed my bum cheeks as I straddled him.
"No ones home," I rolled my eyes, knowing Alex was at Minnie's working and Minnie was at home or at the shop with Alex.
"So does that mean," Harry dragged his forefinger across the front hemline of my pants touching my skin, "we can have some time to ourselves."
"For a few hours I do believe," I smirked and then scrunched up my nose when I went in to kiss Harry.
His kiss was sweet and gentle before he flipped me over onto my back.
"Mike will come home," he kissed my neck.
"How do you know?" I frowned getting ready to cry again.
"He told me you and Stefan were the reason he came home in the first place. He loves you two," Harry unbuttoned my jeans and pulled the zipper down.
"I don't want to talk about him anymore," I ran my hand over my face feeling it flush with anger.
"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Harry smirked with a dimple indention on each cheek.
"I want you to not talk at all," I bit my lip playfully as I pulled my shirt off over my head and sank my face into his.
The room was getting hotter and hotter with every layered kiss to the others lips. Our mouths weren't backing off, and I think if we don't stop now we might end up finally doing the deed.
Harry's hand rubbed and squeezed against my backside while my mouth traveled to his neck and my hand palmed him.
"Callie," Harry groaned just above a whisper and I worked my way back up to his mouth.
God, I haven't been this worked up in a while. I really hope this happens. I've wanted him since my birthday and to finally get him would be great.
"Do you have protection?" I asked Harry sloppily as I kissed him more and more.
"What?" He broke our kiss and held my face back.
"Do you have a condom?" I muttered with a red face.
"Yes, but Callie c'mon, we're not going that far right now. We've been over this. I hurt you too bad. You were scared of me that entire week. I don't want that again," Harry's eyes were stressed and caring, not breaking contact with mine. He was serious, he truthfully didn't want to hurt me. I may have been scared that week, but now I'm ready. Although, I'm not going to try and pressure him into it again.
"Ok," I layed my forehead against his, "you're right. But whenever you're ready to have sex with me just know that I'm ready. I know I can handle you."
Harry giggled and kissed me again, "Alright babe."
"Callie? Harry?" Minnie was at the door of my room. Shit!
"Minnie, what the hell?!" I screeched pulling my comforter up to shield myself.
"Harry, I think you need to leave," Minnie asked Harry.
"No, this isn't your house. You can't make him do anything!" I grabbed Harry's arm as he sat up off the bed.
"Fine, let me call Alaric and see what he thinks of Harry being over unsupervised like this," Minnie pulled out her phone.
"Do you have him on speed dial? We all know you're his favorite booty call," I eyed her and waited for her come back, but there wasn't one. All she did was walk out of the room and down the hallway.
I turned to Harry and tears began to fall down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to..."
"Come here," Harry opened his arms for me and I ran into him for his comforting hug.
"She's going to hate me now," I mumbled into his chest.
"No," Harry protested.
"Yes," I fired back, my head still in between his pecks.
"After you calm down, I'll go downstairs and talk to her," Harry kissed my hair line.
"You will?"
"Yeah," he shrugged and kissed me tenderly on my lips. "You're going to be ok. Mike will show up. And I'll call you in a bit ok? Only to make sure you're alright and that Minnie hasn't grounded you," Harry grabbed his phone and other things from my dresser and began towards my door.
"Don't let her cut off your genitals," I fell back on my bed with a book.
"Damn, stop. That makes me fucking hurt just talking about it," he winked and then left to go speak with Minnie for me.
I wonder what he's going to say to her. That I'm moody maybe? That's no excuse for my outburst on her. I need to apologize to her face to face before dinner, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to get out of bed again tonight. My mood is only good when Harry is around and that is starting to scare the hell out of me.
Goal #1: I need to start making new friends.