Yayyyyyy , update :) I loooved reading your reactions to the last chapter! haha it was my favorite :) please let me know what you think! If you have any questions for me about myself, or the story, feel free to ask :D
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I woke up to pounding on the door downstairs. My eyes were barely open, and they were burning like crazy. Probably from crying so much. I lazily dragged myself out of bed and down the stairs, grabbing my phone on the way. I looked down on it and saw something I hadn't seen in a long time. 7 missed calls from 'Hottie Tamale". Harry. My heart ached at the nickname he wrote, what felt like, ages ago, but I ignored them and looked at the time. 12:09. It was after midnight.
Wow, my parents are really late, I thought. I was expecting them around 8:30.
Nevertheless, I walked myself to the door, and pulled it open.
But standing there, was not my parents.
It was a drenched Harry, and he was breathing heavily.
"Harry?" I asked, squinting out at him. He was slightly shivering and I didn't think about the things that happened, I just ushered him inside my house, rushing to the hallway to get a blanket.
"Miranda, I need to talk to you," he said, and his voice sounded hoarse, as if he was getting a cold. I slightly winced at the fact he didn't use my nickname again.
"It doesn't matter, Harry, it's not like we're together. You can see Cassidy," I sighed, handing him my favorite fluffy blanket. He wrapped it around himself, and shook his head.
"No, I'm not seeing anybody. Not unless they're you," he stated, taking a step toward me. I took one back.
"So, she was at your apartment just to talk about the weather?" I asked sarcastically. Who knew how many students have been to his flat since he's been a teacher. I thought I would have been the only one, but I learned that you don't really know people like you think you do.
"Miranda, I promise you, I had no idea she was coming over. I didn't even know how she knew where I lived, she just showed up on my doorstep and let herself in and what you saw was me trying to get her out. She was only there for less than 5 minutes, and she never would have been there if it were up to me," he explained and I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I believed him. I wanted to, but I don't know if I did.
"Why are you calling me Miranda?" I asked, instead.
"I, shit, I don't mean to. You're Randi to me, not Miranda. It just, it really fucking hurt hearing Hunter call you the nickname I gave you, and the image of him calling you that was just lodged in my brain, and so Miranda kept slipping out instead."
And I nodded, not really knowing what else to say.
"But that's not the reason I came here. I mean, it was partly, because I wanted to explain myself. Nothing happened, so there's that. But Louis told me everything," he stated and my eyes widened at that.
"That little fucker! I told him not to say anything," I groaned, running my hands through my hair. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter anyways, since I was planning on telling him before I saw him with Cassidy. But still, I'd rather him hear it from me.
"Why?" He asked me, looking a bit hurt. Probably because I've been lying to him for three weeks.
"Well, Hunter said if I told anybody he'd give out the proof. And that would mean you could lose your job, Harry. That's not something I could risk," I explained, walking toward the living room and sitting down on the couch. He followed me, sitting down right next to me. Closer than I've been to him at all during the last three weeks. I automatically felt myself leaning in toward him, but stopped myself.
"I could," he stated, grabbing my hand and linking our fingers together. I should pull away, I thought. He was just with Cassidy at his apartment a few hours ago. I'm just another student to him. I shouldn't be holding his hand.
But it felt so good. The familiar tingles shot up my hand and went through my arm, and straight to my stomach, causing the butterflies to scatter around.
And he said he didn't do anything with Cassidy, and I wouldn't put it past her to just show up at his apartment out of the blue.
So I let him hold my hand.
"But you're not," I stated, in all seriousness. This plan was going to work, and everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. Well, as normal as dating your teacher could be.
"I already did," he said and I froze. He did not just say what I think he said.
"What do you mean you already did?" I asked slowly, praying that my ears were deceiving me.
"I mean, I called the principal and quit. Randi, I'm not letting you do all of this shit for me, it's not right. I wish you would have told me the day it happened, so I could have ended it ages ago," he shook his head, and began rubbing my hand with his thumb.
I was too shocked to speak. He did what I feared he would do. He ruined the plan.
"Harry, you dumbass!" I said, hitting him on the arm. He looked at me, confused.
With his eyebrows scrunched together, he replied, "I did not think that would be the reaction I would get."
"Because we had a plan to fix it all tomorrow, so you could keep your job!" I exclaimed, hitting him again. He began rubbing his shoulder.
"Stop it! What plan? Louis didn't say anything about a plan?" He turned toward me more, eyes wide.
"I told him to tell you to trust me and give me a little time, figures he'd leave that out. Is there any way you could get your job back?" I asked him desperately. There was no way I just sat through all of that torture with Hunter for three weeks for nothing.
"Well, I, uh I didn't exactly give him a chance to. I kind of called the principal and quit, then ran here," he said and I almost wanted to laugh at his stupidity.
"Ran here? You mean like physically ran?" I asked him, and he slightly chuckled while nodding his head yes. Well, I guess that explains why he's so wet.
"Harry, you live on the complete opposite side of town!" I exclaimed, genuinely worried about him.
"I forgot to grab my car keys!" He defended himself, "And I didn't want to waste time going back up to get them."
"Okay, so you'd rather waste hours walking instead, that makes so much more sense," I sarcastically responded. It was so easy to talk to Harry, I forgot what it was like during our time apart.
"You're being very rude to me, I just quit my job for you," he pouted and I was so unbelievably happy and relieved just to be talking to him, sitting next to him, holding his hand.
"Maybe because you didn't need to quit your job," I stated, looking around the practically pitch black and silent room. I could hear a clock ticking somewhere, although I'm not sure where it is. Did I even have a clock in my house?
"I don't care, there's other jobs at different schools, Randi," he told me, putting his arm around me and I almost sighed in relief. You don't even know how good that feels.
I snuggled into him, amazed at how we still seem to fit together even though it's been so long. It's not even awkward. It's just natural.
"I don't want you to have to get a new job, though. I want you to be able to keep your old one," I frowned. That was why I did all of this. So he could keep his job and everything would be fine.
"What good is a job where I can't be with you?" He whispered into my ear and nuzzled his nose into my cheek. I couldn't help but smile at the cheesiness. I was wrong yesterday. The little amount of happiness I feel when I'm around Harry will always be worth all of the pain I've suffered because of it.
"You can't just quit, Harry," I sighed, leaning my head onto his shoulder. Has it really been three weeks since we've last spoken?
"I already did," he shrugged. "It's only the beginning of the year anyways, it hasn't even been a full marking period yet. I doubt they'll miss me."
"Yes they will. Are teachers even allowed to just quit like that?" I asked him. How would they even find a replacement? Would they hire a new teacher or would somebody just sub for the rest of the year?
"I dunno. Not really my problem anymore, is it?" He said, nudging my cheek with his nose again. I rolled my eyes.
"Yes it is, what if they can't find a replacement? We won't have a teacher tomorrow," I still felt like this was all of my fault, and I hated it.
"It'd be the same thing as if I were to call in sick, they'll find a sub. And they'll either hire someone to replace me, or they'll have people sub until they can find someone. It'll all be fine, quit worrying," he said.
"Well, that's kind of difficult, when my teacher just quit his job because of me," I grunted, feeling extremely guilty.
"I'm not your teacher anymore," I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "But seriously, Randi, I didn't even like it that much anyways. I think I'm gonna apply to teach at primary school next year instead. I was planning to, before this whole mess went down. I don't think secondary school is for me, there's too much drama."
"But what are you gonna do until next year though?" I questioned him.
"Spend time with you," he smiled, nuzzling his head into my neck now. He was being very cuddly and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.
"Harry, this is serious," I said, uncurling myself from him so we could actually talk without him being all cute and distracting.
"I know, but I don't want to worry about it. I want to lay here with you and cuddle and not think about anything else," he said, pulling me back into him.
I decided to let the subject drop, for now, and just enjoy his arms wrapped tightly around me.
After a few minutes, he broke the silence that formed, "I've missed you." He pulled me in tighter, if that was even possible.
"I've missed you more, I think," I sighed, bringing my arm to wrap it around his waist.
He wrapped the blanket that was around him, around me as well, so that it was covering both of us. His clothes smelt like rain, and his damp hair dragged against my forehead, but I didn't mind.
"I don't think you did," he answered, and I didn't reply, but I still strongly believed that I missed him more.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"Don't be," he answered me immediately, pulling me up and turning me around so I was sitting on his lap, facing him. I couldn't see much, as it was after midnight and pitch black in the living room. My eyes have slightly adjusted since we first sat down, so I could see Harry's outline, but that's it. I couldn't see his plump, pink lips, or his greenish bluish eyes with the flecks of yellow in them.
I played with my fingers in my lap, "I am, though. You don't even know how terrible I've felt this entire time, how much I've cried, since-" I was interrupted by a tear slipping down my cheek, and I tried to wipe it away before Harry noticed but I failed. He nudged my own hand out of the way, wiping the tear off of my cheek for me. How he even saw it in this dark of a room is beyond me.
"Don't cry," he said, cradling my cheek in his massive hand.
I shook my head, the tears beginning to fill my eyes now. The worst thing to say to someone when they're on the verge of tears is, "Don't Cry." It only makes you cry harder.
I shook my head, the tears spilling out now, all over my cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry, I never wanted to hurt you," I sobbed.
"Randi, stop. It's not your fault, don't be sorry," he whispered, pulling my face toward his to lean his forehead on mine.
"It is, though, I hurt you. I was such a bitch for so long, and I didn't even offer you an explanation," I kept crying, and I tried pulling my forehead away from his, as it was slightly awkward crying when he was so close to me. He wouldn't let me pull away though, holding me to him with his hand.
"Stop," he paused. "You did what you thought was best, and it doesn't matter now. It's all over, everything's fine."
I could see his eyes when I was this close to him. They weren't necessarily as vivid as they would be in normal lighting, but they were still beautiful. I watched them flicker to my lips, before looking back up to my eyes. I tried to send him a mind message, begging him to kiss me. It's been three weeks, and it's safe to say I miss the way his lips feel against mine.
Either my mind messages worked, or he and I were thinking the same thing, as he slowly began to lean in. He looked into my eyes, as if waiting for any sign of disapproval from me. I didn't give him one.
His lips touched mine, and I practically felt the fireworks going off. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I would never get sick of this.
His lips moved against mine, and it wasn't like the kiss at his apartment, that one was full of lust. This was something else. Something I didn't think I'd ever experience with anybody, especially this early on. The only word I could think to describe it, was love.