.Natalia.
I twisted my body again, leaning forward as far as I could, but it was fruitless, got the palm of my hand flat against the cold metal, and wiggled my body while pushing with my feet, but I was definitely stuck in there. I didn't even know if it was the adrenaline that got me to this point, but I kept twisting and pushing, fully aware of some pain happening somewhere on the side of my hips.
I realized, too, that Harry was trying to help me by pushing me from behind, his large hands startling me as he was trying to help my waist forward. Oh, how I wanted to die. And on top of him touching the thicker sides of my hips; I couldn't help but locking my throat to hold my grunting sounds in, but I was afraid I was not making a good job so far.
"Stop with the kicking, you're going to hurt yourself." His still amused voice was stifling some laughter, I could hear it from his tone of voice, and I felt the urge to kick him instead of the floor. "Maybe I should help from outside."
"It's pouring out." I yelled loud enough for him to hear me. Had my brain been manipulating my body? Stupid brain and even stupider body; the raindrops mixed with sweat were not greasing my sides enough, not helping me one bit to the already built shame of my overreaction. "Just leave me here to die."
There was no answer. Only the sound of his boots crossing the hardwood floor, probably obeying my request to be left alone... I took a deep breath, trying to pretend to have everything under control by tucking in my abdomen, sucking the air around me to finally go through, but no, it wasn't happening.
And before I turned my head back to the muddy mess below and the spot of grass that my fingers were pulling, I found myself staring at Harry's shadow making his slow way across the garden, as if he had all the time in the planet, with his clothes already clinging to his body at the hammering of rain and his hand pushing his wet hair back.
"Are you okay?" He asked me as he came close to me, a tiny smile a little unsure as he assessed my current situation, from the other side of the window, his eyes looking from my face to my behind, and then back at my face.
"Mind your hand, and I'm sorry for what I'm gonna try to do, but I think it's the only way, uh, to get you out." As he was talking, I couldn't help but see that heavy-lidded look of his come back and a little cruel upturn of his lips, like he wanted to crack a joke about this, but trying so hard not to.
I had no chance to say anything back, or even think, his minty breath puffed against my lips as he kneeled right where I was, his arm was moving its way hugging my back to his body, while the other one, solidly rested against my behind, and sending my heart into overdrive. He was trying to make my ass go through, at the same time that he pulled my body to him, and even though we both knew it was in the most respectful way, that didn't stopped him from apologizing a bunch of times from what his hands were doing.
"Calm down." He managed to say as I relaxed my body, little by little, until I was resting slightly against his arms.
The feel of those expert fingers raking lightly across my back and the close proximity of Harry's body to mine; was definitely overcoming my blood stream and all logic. I kept my eyes shut and let my other senses take over, as the rain clouded my eyes once more.
And maybe that was what finally did it, my hips finally scraping loose and the rest of my body tumbling down into his chest, which was covered by his thick black coat and a simple white t-shirt. He smelled like soap, and rain, and something sweet I couldn't quite place in my olfactory memory. His jaw flexed with each chew of his gum and my eyes were looking at the steady drops of water running down his hair and disappearing under the collar of the clingy shirt underneath. My tongue itched to follow the wet trail, but then wondered how close I was to him, if I was able to notice such details.
"You're safe now, you're okay."
I could only stare up at him, my whole body shuddering as the cool air swept over my wet clothes and skin. And all I could think was that he had the kindest eyes I'd ever seen, and that he was right, I felt safe and I was okay.
"Thanks, uh, Harry." I rubbed my ass slightly, now feeling stupider by the minute, looking back at my panic inside the room and the obvious mistake I've made.
"Come on, let's get you inside." He left my side to close the window from outside. I looked down to my soaked feet, my toes squirming into the grass, and I tiptoed across the garden, to avoid the mud patches. All the way round the house, he offered me some help, but I ignored him, skipping through the cobblestone floor and into the kitchen.
I followed him into the household warmth, where he took off his black heeled boots and coat, looking around the room for a place to hang it. I was looking around myself, half-expecting to see Sean in there, his parents or even a single voice, only to discover that we were probably alone. As I continued to stare at the empty space, his eyebrows began to lift into a querying motion, and a quirk of his mouth showed that he was entertained by my very obvious stunned response to his presence.
Tearing my eyes from him and pacing around the room, I began to talk abruptly with a little stutter from the cold. "Okay so you're here, but where is everyone?"
"Mum and Robin went home just for the weekend, and I gave Sean two days off."
"And then? How did you get in here?" I asked him while I took in his very humid belongings, resting in one of the high chairs by the kitchen island.
Harry's shoulders shook with a deep cough before he lifted his head and gave me a whole smile. "Through the door?"
He was clearly in a good mood, grinning like a crazy person, and the cheerful tone of his voice was infectious; I couldn't help but laugh. His white shirt was soaked all the way through now, and I could see the muscles of his broad chest through the wet fabric, and the hint of all the tattoos that were sure beneath.
"No, I mean, there wasn't a car in the driveway, I checked, that's why I panicked so damn hard." I briefly told him and we stood there facing each other at the counter, my hand shaking the damp fabric of my shirt.
"Sean dropped me off just outside, and I got in with my keys." He made a quick shake of keys that were clasped close to the pocket of his dark jeans.
"Well thank you so much, you took 10 years off my life by doing just that."
"I wasn't planning to alarm you." He said without hesitation. "I thought you were asleep already, and why were you watching scary shit? It seems to be more your fault than mine."
I screwed my face playfully, remembering my poor choice for entertainment. "I... I happen to like horror movies when I'm on my own... and no, but well, you know, I stopped breathing the moment I saw the door being opened, and why the hell did you turned off the lights for?"
"There were no lights on." He said and looked me in the eye.
"I just don't remember anything before the movie." I said to him, feeling a slow shiver running through my arms and back violently, and he regarded me with a small and much unexpected frown. "Is it freezing, or is it only me?"
He was not smiling anymore, but looking at me with a certain way, like holding my gaze with his and not speaking. Tilting his head toward me, he raised both of his eyebrows curiously. He narrowed his eyes with a spirited look that immediately relieved the knot in my stomach; then, smiling in the slowest motion possible, his hands were making their way to my face, and before my breath faulted, I felt the tips of his fingers pinching my cheeks.
"You should probably go and get out of those wet clothes."
I slapped his hands away, making us both laugh.
I was all for that and more.
***
In the bathroom, I was met by my reflection in the mirror. The sight was as horrifying as the shop lady interrogation from earlier. My hair had been plastered to my head by the rain; splatters of my poor intent at applying mascara streaked my cheeks and I had green patches of grass against my shirt sleeve. I swung away from my reflection, turned on the shower and watched the water gain heat until steam was covering the bathroom mood. I stripped off and hung my wet clothes over the shower rail.
This was also my first moment of tranquility, in the last set of minutes, as I closed my eyes and mentally highlighted this moment as a key memory to stop worrying myself from any possible danger. I wasn't going to get murdered or robbed, there was absolutely no reason for panic, and I was mentally rolling those words in my mind, to believe them. I needed to believe them.
I was already used to the unsuccessful towel drying of my hair with one hand, and slipping on the cloth robe I'd found hanging behind the door, trying my best to tighten the sash of it, but my hand was very weak to do a good job. Raking a hand through my hair, already defeated, I exited the bathroom to find a pair of eyes staring at me from across the room.
I was startled to see Harry sitting there on my bed, with his arms crossed.
"Jesus, fuck!" I clutched my hand to my chest and my back hit the bathroom door behind me, heart beating rapidly from the sight.
"Just for the record, I did knocked."
I looked at the door and then at him, silently thanking myself for finding the robe behind the door, as I never took my clothes from the suitcase.
"Add another 5 years to the 10 years you've already taken."
He was laughing once again, his whole face beaming into what seemed to be pure sunshine, there was a little sound that came out of his lips every time he smiled like that, and I was numbly noting those useless details, like I was meant to, just for my pleasure.
Not only was my breathing more difficult but I had a sneaking suspicion I may have gasped out loud from the sight. His slightly dark, soft hair—still pretty damp from the shower—was now flicked over and a stray curl flopped over his forehead, probably calling for attention. He looked even broader and taller than before with his cotton white shirt and a pair of very soft looking grey sweatpants on his legs, he wasn't wearing any socks and I wanted to holler at the way he was currently looking at me.
We just stared at each other, already trying to forget the fact that I was wearing this and nothing else. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to make this less painful, until I saw a sulky frown appearing... and then his voice cutting through the silence.
"We need to talk."