Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I received radio silence from my Mom and Dad.
Jamie called Wednesday night to tell me he overheard his mom talking to mine on the phone and that they were concerned about me.
"I think they're just shocked. Your Mom said that your Dad told her he had never heard you use that tone of voice with him. To be quite honest they're just worried."
"I only used that voice because he was pissing me off, but if he knew what my life was like here then he'd understand."
"Well then maybe it's time for you to tell him about how Harry's been treating you so he can start to understand."
Friday morning I was up early to make sure I was prepared for my math test.
I drank more coffee than usual and even ate a dark chocolate candy bar since I read it helped with memory.
"You look like a crazy person." Harry rudely commented under his breath when he walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, i'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that I turned into a mirror."
He glared.
World lit, history, and psychology passed by quickly, and then after lunch it was time for my algebra test.
My professor stared at me like a creep when he handed me my test, and I took a deep breath before beginning my exam.
I wrote down the equations to remind myself before I stared to work on the problems.
I got down to the last problem and was stuck, so I stared at the paper to try and figure it out.
Biting my lip I ran through the possibilities in my head, but all of them reached zero which I knew was wrong.
A movement out of the corner of my eye distracted me, and I glanced to my left to see Harry drawing with his finger on the table.
He was making a sideways V shape.
A 7?
Was he giving me the answer?
I put 7 in my head and then worked the problem backwards. It was right.
He had given me the answer.
I hesitantly wrote down 7 before getting up to turn in my exam.
Harry didn't say a word when we walked into the hallway.
That evening after finishing making flash cards for history and writing a page and a half for my world lit essay, I decided I needed a break.
This apartment was suffocating, Travis wasn't answering my texts, and I still hadn't talked to
my parents.
I put on a coat and beanie before going to knock on Harry's door.
When he opened it he looked at me in total confusion.
"I want to go on a walk."
"Okay?" He said and then went inside his room.
I waited by the front door while Harry grabbed a jacket and whatever else he needed before coming out.
We left the dorm and then just began to walk along the sidewalk.
"So why are we walking around campus at 9:00 at night?" He asked me.
"I just needed fresh air." I sighed.
"Are we on speaking terms again?" He smirked.
"No, but I don't have the energy to ignore you right now."
He chuckled.
"Your father called me earlier."
"Yeah?"
"He asked how you were doing."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I wouldn't know because you weren't speaking to me. I said you seemed upset and sad but I didn't have the answers he wanted."
"And you're not getting any."
"I'm not asking."
I could hear music in the distance.
"Maybe you should call him." Harry continued.
"Why? So he could ignore my call again? No thanks. It's bad enough my boyfriend doesn't answer my calls, now my parents ignore me."
"Your father is the president and your mom is the first lady, they're not going to answer every phone call they get."
"I'm their child they should answer whenever I call. What if it was an emergency?"
"Then that's why i'm here."
"Well yay for me."
Harry groaned.
"Jesus, Emma why don't you understand that it's my job to make sure no one harms you?!"
"Because you've given me no reason to trust you, and I can't expect you to protect me if I can't trust you."
He rolled his eyes.
We continued to walk along the sidewalk, getting closer to the houses for the sororities and fraternities where the music was coming from.
Cars started to grow closer together and the music got louder, and we stumbled upon the party as we passed by the Pi Beta house.
College kids were everywhere, partying since it was Friday night.
Looking to my right I saw a familiar face but then froze as I saw the hand that belonged to that persons face place itself on a girls cheek and move in to kiss her.
There was my boyfriend, kissing another girl.
Harry had stopped walking too and had obviously seen what I had because I could feel him tense next to me.
I stared straight ahead as I watched Travis make out with this other girl.
Some guy with a beer in his hand then placed his free hand on Travis' shoulder, him looking up and then in my direction as the guy pointed at me.
Travis moved his gaze to me, his eyes widening when he saw me.
I could feel my heart pounding and it felt like there was cotton in my ears.
But even though my ears were muddled, I could still hear some guy shout, "Looks like Travis lost the bet!"
My jaw dropped.
Great.
This was just perfect.
I looked into Travis' eyes for one more second before turning away, and taking a step back toward the apartment.
Harry followed beside me, neither of us saying anything the entire walk back.
When we got into the apartment I went to my room, closing the door.
I kicked off my shoes, took off my hat and then climbed up on my bed, sitting sideways to lean against the wall.
Ever since I had arrived at this school, my life had been turned upside down.
My family was not normal, Harry had ruined my social life, and Travis had broken my heart.
This was just perfect.
I wasn't sure what I had done to deserve what was happening to me, but I guess karma really was a bitch.
A knock on my door made me open my eyes, and I looked to see Harry open my door.
"Look, i'm really not in the mood for you to say I told you so, so please just go away." I said, fighting back tears.
"I didn't come to say I told you so, I brought this." He held up an ice cream carton.
I snorted.
"Girls like this crap right?"
"Yeah." I breathed.
He opened the door wider before he walked in.
I scooted over so he could sit next to me on the bed, handing me a spoon as he opened the carton.
We each took a spoonful before he leaned back against the wall.
I reached over to get another bite of the ice cream before bringing my knees up to my chest.
"Why do guys cheat?" I whispered.
"I don't know." He sighed. "Why do people cheat in general?"
"I mean, if you're that unhappy in a relationship just leave, why make it worse by cheating?"
"I guess some people want both safety and risk." He shrugged. "But you think people would've learned by now that having both never works."
"Have you ever been cheated on before?" I asked him.
"No."
"Well I don't recommend it, it sucks."
He chuckled at this for a few seconds before he turned more serious.
"I know I hated that guy and now I've come to know that I had every reason to, but i'm sorry he did that to you, it's not right and as much as we can't stand each other, I don't believe you deserved it."
I smiled.
"Well thanks."
He took another bite of ice cream before closing his eyes.
"It's been so long since i've had ice cream." He sighed.
"Seriously?"
"Yes." He laughed. "It's ridiculous but I didn't realise how much I missed it."
"It's amazing the things you don't realise you miss until they're gone."
"Tell me something you miss." He said, keeping his eyes closed.
"Only if you tell me something you miss."
He sighed.
"Okay deal."
I pursed my lips.
"I miss my brother." I said.
"Grayson."
"Yeah." I looked over at him. "How did you-"
"That night at the White House when I found you crying in the media room, I heard you and your Mom talking about him, and when your Dad was here."
"Oh." I nodded. "Okay now you tell me."
"I miss...okay I don't know what I miss." He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at me, a smile on his lips.
"You know what I think you miss?" I said, making him raise his eyebrows. "I think you miss Mila."
He laughed.
"She was a very sassy three year old."
"Yeah she's something else. I love her though."
"She was very enlightening."
I took another spoonful of ice cream.
"You know, this month has been absolutely miserable."
"I feel ya." He sighed.
"And i've realised that i've been blaming everyone else but myself, but I know it's partially my fault. So i'm sorry for being bratty. This has just been a really rough transition."
"I know it has, you're not the only one in this transition. Remember that."
I sighed.
"Today, during my test, you gave me the answer for the last problem. Why?"
He shrugged.
"It was an easy problem and I was annoyed that you weren't getting the answer."
I smiled.
"It better have been right."
"It was."
We were quiet as we sat there and ate the ice cream, getting halfway through the carton.
"We're going to need more ice cream." I said as I took another bite. "Because I feel like drowning myself in self-loathing."
He laughed.
"Fine by me. We need other flavours besides chocolate."
"Yes, double chocolate."
"No like strawberry, or coffee or something like that." He took another bite.
"We could make ice cream sundaes." I giggled.
"I'm not opposed to that." He smiled at me.
"So can I ask you a question? I looked up at him.
"Whenever I say no you ask anyways so what's the point in even asking me."
"True. So my Dad told me you were picked to be my bodyguard because you passed all of the tests they put in place."
"Yes." He nodded. "What's your question?"
"What were the tests?"
"A lot of them were classified military stuff that I can't tell you, and then the rest were personality tests, what would I do if tests and I even had to learn your biography."
"My biography?"
"Emma Taylor Winston, born January 8th in Hartford, Connecticut. Parents are Blake Winston and Paige Winston. Siblings include an older brother named Grayson. At the age of 3 you attended a family Christmas party and fell down a flight of stairs and had to have major surgery on your leg which left you with a scar on the inside of your knee and you were wheel chair bound for a year. At five you went to Ivy Prep where you stayed until age 14, at that time your parents moved you to Kings High while your father began his presidential campaign."
"Okay this is getting really creepy." I looked at him with wide eyes.
"During this time your aunt and uncle died leaving your little cousin to your Grandmother. Your brother shipped off to Afghanistan, then..." He looked away for a moment before looking back at me, "and then you then finished out your last year of schooling in D.C. once your father was elected."
I curled up my nose.
"That's not even all of the details. I know you developed a soy allergy at six and it went away at age eight. I know all of the family pets in order, and that you and Grayson used to argue
over a dog named Snuffles."
I laughed.
"I know that for your fourth birthday you got a barbie car and ran over your Dads feet and that when you turned eight you asked all of your guests to bring an extra pair of shoes to donate to children in a local orphanage."
I nodded.
"But you know all of that." He said and I laughed.
"How long did it take you to memorise all of that?"
"A really long time." He joined in my laughter.
"I think it's strange that you know everything about me yet I don't know anything about you."
"There's not much to know about me." He sighed as he moved to lean his head against the wall. "Except that I really really hate mushrooms."
"I'm so making mushroom ravioli for dinner now."
"You're evil." He rolled his eyes but we both laughed at it.
"See, we could be friends." I pointed out but he shook his head.
"We could never be friends, Emma."
"Why not?"
"You may be a princess, but I am certainly no prince."
"I said friend not midnight lover." I laughed.
"I'm not good with friends."
"Do you push them up against walls too? Because I feel like that may be your issue."
He snorted a laugh.
"Last weekend when you ambushed me in the bathroom, what did you mean when you said that if I didn't know then there was no point?"
He closed his eyes.
"Nothing. I was just angry."
"That's a lie."
"So what? You'll never find out so end of discussion."
"Fine."
"Fine." He childishly copied me. "Now pass back the ice cream, Princess."
"We really need more ice cream." I passed back the carton.
"We really do." He sighed before taking another spoonful, giving me an ever so charming smile that I took a picture of in my mind.
That's a smile I wouldn't mind seeing everyday.
"Harry." I said and he looked down at me. "You may not see me as a friend, but I'm not your enemy."
"I know, princess." He sighed. "I know."
He smiled at me before taking a bite of the ice cream, laughing at the almost empty state of the carton.
"We're awful. Look at this." He showed it to me and I joined in his laughter, giggling at the fact that we had killed an entire tub of ice cream together, and I hadn't thought about anything negative for the last hour.
Harry was not as bad as he made himself out to be, he had a soft side. But he had a dark side too, and it terrified me.
Tonight he had shown me he could be good, but I hadn't forgotten about the many times he had screamed in my face and thrown me around.
There were definitely two sides to Harry, and now after meeting both of them, I definitely knew which one I liked more.
--
Hey! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Did you see that coming with Travis and what do you think the whole "bet" comment was about? And Harry and Emma's conversation?
Tell me your thoughts and don't forget to vote (it only takes a second)!
Much love xx-m