~Annabel's POV~
I don't ever remember coming home, but I woke up in a semi-dark room, the sunlight trying its hardest to stream through the closed blinds. I wasn't sure whose room I was in, or where exactly I was, but it was easily recognizable once my eyes adjusted to the area. I was in Harry's room. I was in Harry's bed. Once I came to the realization, I threw the covers off my body, hoping not to be in other clothes, or worse, no clothes at all. Thankfully, I was still dressed in my white colored dress, from the night before, but that didn't necessarily mean nothing happened. I strained my ears, trying to hear anything at all, and I could hear the faint noise of a shower running.
To be quite honest with you, I wasn't sure as of what to do. Either sit in the bed, and wait for Harry, or escape the place, but risk the chance of Harry being very angry at me, and angry Harry isn't something I'm quite fond of. I decided to wait. I sat, with my knees tucked into my chest, looking around the room, patiently waiting for the sound of the water to turn off. I was getting quite bored, and had nothing to keep me occupied, plus the water didn't seem like it would stop any time soon, so I slipped off the bed, stepping bare-footed on the carpet. I crept over to the dresser, continuously looking behind me at the closed door, to make sure it stayed closed. When I was almost certain that Harry wouldn't walk in any time soon, I turned my head, letting all the things on his dresser come in sight. There was a large mirror infront of me, letting me see how I looked. My hair wasn't that messy, a few flyaways here and there, but nothing I couldn't easily fix. I flattened them out as best I could with my fingers and hand. I examined my slightly smudged make-up, and cleaned it up a bit, by running my middle finger underneath my eyes. Thank god I didn't use waterproof make-up.
After fixing most of my appearance, I turned my attention to what lay on top of the drawers. The first thing that caught my eye, was a picture frame. It was Harry, and his mother. I couldn't help but smile, at the cute picture. Harry looked very happy, his smile wide, and bright. Kinda the way he smiled when he looked at me. He had an arm around his mother's shoulder, and he leaned slightly towards the left, away from Anne, but not in a 'I can't stand to be near you' sort of way. It was like a habit. Anne, on the other hand, looked much healthier. She wasn't as skinny and frail, and she looked happy as well, her eyes twinkling as she smiled into the camera. It was a beautiful picture, really, and it warmed my heart to look at.
I set the frame back on the exact spot it sat at before, and moved on, running my finger across little items, while walking in a slow pace. I walked back towards the bed, and stood, looking down at the nightstand that lie next to it. I slowly grasped the knob of a drawer, and gently pulled it open. Inside, lay a couple miscellaneous items, some pieces of paper with writing on it, an old looking journal, and another picture. I picked up the loose photo, and held it between my thumb and index finger. The photo was of a very beautiful looking girl, her hair long and wavy. The sun was just starting to set, and the rays of light shone past the girl. Her hair was blown slightly by the wind, causing a few strands to cover parts of her face, but it only added to her natural beauty. She had a sun hat on, and she was laughing, while half turned around. You can see small spots of the beach in the background, and I can only wonder who it was that was in this picture.
Before I could wonder anymore, I noticed it got awfully silent, until realizing that the water had stopped running. Panicking, I dropped the photo back into the drawer, slamming it shut, and climbed quickly back into the comfy bed, positioning myself to make it look like I had never left the spot. Just as I found the correct pose, the knob of the door turned, and was pushed open, followed by Harry walking in. He glanced at me quickly, before walking further in, and doing a double take.
"Annabel, you're awake." He looked at me, surprised.
"Yeah," I sheepishly shrugged. My eyes trailed down his shirtless body, landing on the towel that was hung quite low on his waist, exposing a V-Line. He was very fit, and I could now see all of the tattoos that he had on the upper portion of his body. I could sense Harry's smirk at my stare.
"Like what you see?" He teased. My eyes immediately shot up to his face, embarassed.
"Oh, um, sorry." I could feel my cheeks starting to flush. He chuckled deeply, shaking his head, as he made his way towards the drawers, opening one, and shuffling through it. I waited patiently, as I watched him look through his clothes. After a bit of waiting, I cleared my throat. "So, uh, Harry? How did I get here last night?" I asked, shyly.
"I wouldn't expect you to remember, after your long night out, but your parents left the dinner, and told you they'll be traveling to a friend's house, and that they will be staying at a hotel. I tried finding Lilly, to have you go home with her, but she was nowhere to be seen, so I took you home." I nodded, the memories now flooding back into my mind. I don't remember Harry being near my parents or I, when having the conversation about them being gone, but apparently he was. But what about Josh?
"Oh. And, um, where did you... sleep?" I asked nervously.
"Don't worry, I slept on the couch. You crashed in the car ride home, so I carried you in, and let you sleep on my bed. I didn't change you either, so don't worry about me seeing you naked, because I didn't. Not yet," He smirked, causing me to blush even more. I have to admit, Harry actually did make me very intrigued in the world of sex, and him being half naked in the room, didn't help much either. It was actually quite embarassing to admit, that I didn't know anything about sex, being a virgin and all, but I decided not to say anything.
My eyes followed Harry as he walked out of the room, leaving me alone, once again. This time, it wasn't long before he came back in the room, fully clothed, with damp curls. He was dressed in, the usual, black skinny jeans, and a plain black t-shirt, yet he still appeared to be so amazingly attractive.
"Ready?" He spoke.
"What? For what?"
"I'll drive you home. You can get ready, do whatever you need to do, and relax. I'll pick you up for dinner tonight." He smiled.
"Another dinner?" I whined, jokingly.
"Unless you'd like to do something else.." Harry lowered his voice seductively.
"Fine, dinner it is." I laughed, pushing myself off the bed. We walked out of the bedroom, and into the bright kitchen, filled with sunlight. I checked the time, and it was earlier than I thought. 9:01 AM. I watched as he made his way around the hardwood floors, opening and closing cabinets, pulling out cups, and utensils. I sat myself down on a stool, and concentrated on every move he made. He pulled open the fridge, and grabbed a jug of orange juice.
"Sorry, I don't have much to eat at home, my mum usually made the food. Speaking of which, I wonder where she is." He spoke, raising an eyebrow, but brushing off the thought quickly and easily.
"Harry!" I yelled.
"What?!" He looked at me, startled and confused.
"If you don't know where your sick mother is, wouldn't it do you best to call her?!" I looked at him like he was crazy, which he was, but I still loved him anyways.
Wait, did I? Did I really, actually love him?
"Calm down, she can't be anywhere without supervision from another person. She's probably at a friend's house."
"And what if she isn't?! What if she's in danger somewhere, and no one knew?!" I yelled some more.
"Fine, I'll call her, if that means you'll stop yelling at me." He sighed, with a small smile slowly creeping onto his face. I crossed my arms across my chest, satisfied that I won the 'argument.' I watched as he dialed a number onto his cell phone, and held it up to his ear, turning to me. "You know, you overreact about a lot of things." He smirked at me.
"I know," I laughed lightly, as he chuckled. His melodious laugh halted to a stop, as he frantically spoke.
"Hello? Mum?" I concentrated on every feature of his, as if I was studying him. "Yeah, it's Harry. Where are you?" I loved the way his voice sounded, every time he spoke. His accent was intriguing, probably to every American girl, but his voice was special to me, unique, not just his accent. That was just a bonus. "Okay, I was just worried about you, I'm glad you're okay. I'll see you later on then." And with that, he lowered the cell phone down from his ear, ending the call, then looking at me.
"So?" I questioned.
"She was at a friend's house, but she did seem pretty surprised that I called."
"As long as you know she's safe." I smiled. He shook his head playfully, and poured orange juice into two tall glasses, reaching the rim of the cup. He slid one across the counter over to me. Thanking him, I finished the juice in a short amount of time, earning a surprised look from Harry. "What?" I laughed.
"You sure finished that quickly," He chuckled, finishing his.
"I just love orange juice, always have since I was a little girl." I shrugged, setting the glass into the sink, then watching as Harry did the same.
"Alright, let's get going then. I need to give you time to look super sexy for tonight." He smirked. "Then I'll have a harder time deciding if I want you to keep your sexy dress on, or take it off."
"We're just going for dinner, Harry, nothing else." I laughed, shaking my head. The thought, however, indulged me into wondering what it could actually feel like being pleasured, especially by Harry. It hurt for me to admit, but he sure as hell had a lot of experience. I tensed up at the thought, but tried my hardest to relax, so Harry wouldn't notice. We exited the house, after gathering anything I had from the dinner, that I 'brought' to Harry's. I was quite anxious to leave, and get out of this uncomfortable dress that I had been in, for several hours now. I climbed into the front seat, and Harry closed the door behind me, as I buckled my seatbelt. He climbed in shortly after, and started the engine of the car. It wasn't too long before we reached my house, and he walked me up to the steps. "Well, thank you so much for an amazing night last night," I spoke referring to the dinner. "And thank you for taking me in for the night as well." I smiled, shifting a bit uncomfortably. I joined my hands together at the front of my body, and let them hang naturally.
"I'll see you later, pick you up at 7." He leaned in, and kissed me. I felt my eyelids flutter close, like I was used to him doing this. I still felt the same sparks I did whenever his lips touched mine. He pulled away, and I smiled, as my eyes reopened. I watched as he walked down the small amount of concrete steps, and down a bit of the driveway, and to his car. I made sure I couldn't see the black car anymore, before I opened the door, and stepped inside.
"Josh?" I called out, setting my keys on the counter. There was no answer. I climbed up the stairs, and made my way towards his room. The door wasn't closed, just slightly opened. I pushed on it, and walked in, revealing him, and Cameron, both in bed. "Oh god!" I screamed, as they did. I closed the door, and walked out shaking the image out of my mind.
I'm not sure what's worse; walking in on your little brother having sex, or knowing that you are a virgin, and your younger brother isn't.
I walked back into my room, and shut the door, to try and block out anymore moans that may be traveling throughout the house. I chuckled at the thought, shaking my head, as I walked further into my room, until I realized, I needed a shower. I walked into the hallway, a bit hesitant at first, but I had to do what had to be done. I was moving in a hurried manner, so I wouldn't have to hear any noises coming from Josh's room, so I quickly opened the linen closet, and grabbed a clean towel, running straight to the bathroom, and shutting the door immediately. I started the shower as quickly as possible, letting the water warm up, while I stripped from my clothes. I attempted to unzip my dress, in a struggling matter, but finally got it undone. The dress dropped to my ankles, and I stepped out of it, while I removed my bra and underwear.
The water felt good on my soft skin. I rubbed my shoulders, and the rest of my body, removing the dirt that may have gathered on my body since the last time I showered. I rinsed off the soapy suds that were created, and watched as they all fell onto the shower ground, and slowly ran down the drain. I grabbed the shampoo, squeezing a decent amount into the palm of my hand, then massaged it into my scalp. The hot water soothed my muscles, and my sore feet, from walking in heels for so long. The shower I had was quite enjoyable, and when I stepped out, I wrapped one towel around my chest, the end of it reaching just below my knees. Another towel was wrapped around my damp hair, and I walked out of the bathroom, and back into my room, where I got changed into a simple t-shirt and some yoga pants. I still had a little while to go before I needed to get ready for my date tonight with Harry, so I decided to relax a bit. I climbed into my bed, pulling the covers over my freshly washed body. I reached for my phone that lie on my nightstand, and unlocked it, deciding to use it for a bit. While I was on it, checking text messages and social media, I felt my eyelids getting drowsy. I tried my hardest to refrain from falling asleep, but I couldn't help it. I gave in, and dozed off into a nice nap.
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I was awoken by a buzzing vibration, by my chest area. I looked at my phone, and saw that there was a call coming in from my mother.
"Hello?" I answered the phone, my voice slightly raspy.
"Annabel? Where are you?" Way to greet me, first. I rolled my eyes.
"Home, what about you?"
"On our way. Just wanted to make sure you were safe. We're about ten minutes away, I'll see you soon darling. Tell Josh we're coming." With that, the phone call ended, without a proper hello, or good-bye. I rolled my eyes, and pushed myself off the bed, making my way to Josh's room. This time, instead of opening the door, I knocked.
"Come in," I heard a muffled voice. I twisted the knob, and walked in. Josh was placed on his chair infront of a tv, while texting.
"Josh, Mom wanted me to let you know that she's on her way. She's coming in like, ten minutes away." I explained.
"Alright, cool. Thanks." He spoke.
"Hey, um, sorry about walking in on you." I tried to keep my laugh contained.
"Yeah, that's alright. Just knock next time." He chuckled along with me, just as my phone vibrated. It was a text message from Harry.
From Harry: See you soon, beautiful.
I looked at the time. It was already 6:00.
"Shit!" I exclaimed.
"What's wrong?"
"I have a date, in exactly one hour. I need to start getting ready!"
"You have a date? With who? Harry?" Josh snickered.
"No time for questions, Josh! I need to hurry!" I made an excuse, and ran out of his room, and frantically made my way into mine. I didn't really put in my greatest effort, seeing that it was getting closer to the time I was supposed to leave. No way would I have been able to do everything I needed to, in one hour. I just curled the ends of my hair, making it look wavy, then moved onto my make-up. I didn't want to wear too much, so I just applied some liquid liner to my lids, and mascara. Now, you'd think choosing a dress would be pretty easy, but for me, it's not. I practically have a whole separate closet filled with dresses, and only dresses. It took me about five minutes, just to choose out a dress. I ended up choosing a simple casual one. It was loose, and breathable, with flowers on it. The back had a criss cross opening, with a bow. I did some touch-ups, and sprayed some nice smelling perfume on my body, before I heard the front door open. I took that as my cue to walk downstairs. I slid my hand down the railing as I walked, my parents looking up at me once they heard me approaching.
"Annabel," My mother spoke first. "Where are you going?" Again, not even a simple 'hello' to start with. It took all my force, not to roll my eyes at her. I reached the floor, and walked over to her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"I have a date tonight," I smiled.
"You do?" My father chimed in. I looked over to him, nodding as I gave him a quick kiss as well.
"And who is this gentleman that is taking you?" My mother raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, a bit confused.
"You don't know him, it doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does, Annabel. I need to know who will be escorting my daughter out on a date." My mother spoke firmly.
"We're just going out for dinner, Mother. It's not a big deal, besides, he'll be here soon." I answered, glancing at the clock. It was already 6:50, I got ready longer than I thought I did.
"Then we can expect to meet him, then. Anyways, where's Josh?" My mother asked, walking into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes behind her back, and followed her footsteps.
"Upstairs."
"Is he escorting Cameron to the annual ball?"
"Why don't you ask him? He most likely is, anyways." I answered, sitting myself down at the kitchen counter. I picked up a fresh strawberry from a bowl, and took a bite.
"Well, he better be. Who is escorting you to the ball, darling? Is it this man that is taking you out on a date, tonight?" I wasn't actually sure of the answer myself. The way Harry acted made me think he wasn't up for going, and I didn't want to force him into going, just for me.
"I don't know, Mother." I sighed, finishing the strawberry. "I'll find a date soon enough, don't worry."
"Alright. You better, because if you show up at the ball without an accompanist, I will be very disappointed in you."
"I understand." I rolled my eyes, and hopped off the stool. I started making my way towards the stairs, just as Harry's black car pulled up at the driveway. I frantically looked at the clock, and it read 7:00. He was right on time. "Mother, my date's here, I have to go!" I ran to the front door, grabbing my phone and clutch that lay on a side table, by the door.
"Don't we get to meet the boy, first?" She shouted out, following me.
"No, no. That's okay! I'm gonna go!" I held out a hand, gesturing her not to come any closer to the door. I twisted the lock, and pulled the fancy door open, immediately running outside, closing it behind me. Harry was just getting out of his car, when he saw me approach him.
"You don't want me to come inside, and greet your parents?"
"No!" I answered a bit too fast. "It's okay, we should get going anyways." I stuttered. He raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to do, but eventually climbed back into his car, as I did.
"Is everything okay?" He asked, as he backed slowly out of the driveway.
"Yeah, everything's fine."
"Do you.. wanna tell me what's going on?"
"No, let's not talk about it now." I answered. From when I was a girl, I always knew I wanted an honest relationship with a guy. Never would I have imagined, it'd be this hard, whether it be about my parents, the annual ball, or the worst of all; my biggest secret.
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Hey guys, so I hope you enjoyed this update! sorry it's kinda boring, the next chapter will be at the dinner, and Annabel will bring up the Annual Ball!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment any good names of people that you imagine to be Annabel!
Sorry this chapter is a bit boring, and not well written, but I have a lot of plans for the future of this book, so please stay tuned! Trust me, you'll want to!
~Casey