"I have loved you since we were eighteen, long before we both thought the same thing"
~
The rest of the weekend had seemingly flew by quickly as well as the beginning half of the week. Harry worked almost every day and into the night on some days, so I was left to myself quite often. Sophia obviously couldn't call or come over after what happened the last time so I only see her every once in a great while but I had somehow managed to make it through.
Now, it was Wednesday night and Harry would be arriving home any second now. The meal I had been preparing had been sitting on the warmers as I was just folding away the rest of his laundry that he apparently puts away, I wouldn't know because I can't go in his room to give it to him. Once it was put into the basket, I left it on the top of the stairs so he knew to pick it up before he went into his room after dinner.
As I was making my way back downstairs, I saw Harry wiping his boots on the rug at the door. My stomach began to sink in dread that he was back and my heart began to rapidly beat. This was the first real encounter we had since the incident on Sunday and I wish to keep things between us to a minimum or possibly we can just go back to completely ignoring each other. I really hope the second one.
He looked up from his boots over to my body on top of the stairs. The right shoe was pulled off his foot and placed next to the other as he walked fully into the house and closed the door. He bent down to pet both of the large dogs sitting obediently at his feet. As I walked further down the stairs his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He ran his fingers through his hair before biting his lips softly.
"What were you doing upstairs?" he asked, his voice thick and groggy with obvious signs of a cold beginning to form. I hope he wasn't getting sick, I just don't think I have it in me to keep watch of him when he is moody and tired. He looked up at me as I quietly crept down the few remaining steps and into the main entrance of the large house. I looked at him and let my fingers cross behind my back.
"I was putting your laundry basket up on top of the stairs, it's all finished, you didn't have much today" I stated, biting my lip as he nodded and took a quick glance up the stairs. He looked back at me as a beat of silence fell upon us. "Dinner is already on the warmers and it should be done, you must be busy so you can take it in the office if you want to" I said.
"No, I can eat with you tonight" he said, making my stomach sink. I didn't want to eat with him, every time we ate together I always felt nervous that he wouldn't like it and would get mad and yell. Sometimes when he ate he was much more pleasant than usual, but that was only if he liked what I had cooked or he had a cigarette. "C'mon" he said walking towards the kitchen with me trailing behind.
I watched his sleek movements carefully, the muscles in the back of his shirt began to relax as he walked further into his warm home. He seemed more muscular then he had a few weeks ago, maybe he had worked out more or his body was adjusting to his new diet from me being here, either way he looked much more built then he had before.
As we entered the kitchen, both dogs were sat in their usual position by the windows. Harry walked over and plopped himself down in the head seat of the table before taking his phone out from his pocket, immediately mesmerized by whatever was on there that was so important. I shook my head and walked over to the heaters before grabbing two plates and filling them with food.
Harry's plate was piled high with a large amount of the different foods and sides that I had made that night, as mine had been much less and smaller. I placed his plate in front of him then walking to the refrigerator and grabbing him a beer and me a bottle of iced tea that I had gotten from Sophia's house. I grabbed my plate and sat down hoping the silence around us would stay throughout the rest of the night but of course luck was never in my favor nowadays.
"What did you do today?" he asked, looking up from his food briefly before digging back into it. I hated to admit it, but watching him eat food like that reminded me of Seth and Elliot, so eager and excited to eat since the moment they were born. Boys will be boys I guess. Well, maybe not just boys, I was known to take on the fast-eating trait as well and it is one of the hardest things to control.
"Same old same old, I think we both understand that concept by now" I mumbled quietly earning a clearing of the throat by Harry. It was obvious that he did not like that answer one bit by the way his eyes almost darkened on command. He swallowed his food harshly and took a sip of his beer before answering.
"Do you find what I give you to do during the days boring?" he asked threateningly, making me want to shrink back in fear at his tone. He watched me with squinted eyes before continuing to speak, "because you know, I have a list of things that I do not have you already doing that you could be doing if that is what you would like" he said making me almost roll my eyes, almost.
"No, I didn't say it was boring, I was just saying that you know exactly what I do every single day yet you still question what I did today" I stated trying to play a role of confidence but failing miserably as my voice had been wavering and cracking throughout my entire little speech of defiance. Harry's every began to dark and his fist clenched around the expensive utensils held in his large hands.
"Well maybe I was trying to make conversation, Arabella" he said, making a small bundle of relief rise at the fact that I didn't have to do more than I already do of his awful chores. He kept his gaze at me very strongly as my eyes began to blink rapidly, "Not everything I say is to hurt you. Most of the times yes because you deserve it, but times like this I am not, I just want to get through a dinner pleasantly with you but I can't because you are constantly accusing me of things I am not doing" he said, taking a deep breath to finish out.
"I am just being cautious for myself, can you honestly blame me?" I said with a heavy roll to my eyes. He grunted slightly and shook his head as a large gulp of beer was quickly taken down his throat. My eyes watched him as his anger had rolled of his body in thick waves. I knew I should have ended this right after he threatened to give me more chores, but my mind wasn't thinking at the moment. I was in for it.
"Now you are just trying to start stuff with me, Arabella" he said making my jaw fall open, as I was about to protest his deep voice interrupted me, "I think you know you're making it worse, yet you don't want to stop because you know that if I win arguments that it is an insult to your ego" he said taking another sip of his half empty beer.
My conscious was ready to throw back insults of any kind at the moment, but my brain was holding them back knowing that it could lead to me in tears and him in victory. All this time I thought I won all these arguments, but it's really him who gets the last laugh. I keep letting him do this, these fights, he knows that I will take the bait and fight back, and that shows me as a weakling.
I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my half eaten plate of food. Before I could even breath, his large hand took over my arm, tugging on it not too hard, but enough to gain my attention. My head shot up in horror as his over-powering palm was firmly gripped to the tiny bone under my skin. "Knock it off" his voice sounded making my heart begin to beat with fear in each pulse. How did I let myself get like this?
The rest of the dinner was in silence, so quiet that even our breathing could be heard, only the sound of our utensils hitting our plates was evident. After he had left the table once he was done, I cleaned it all up as well as the dishes and the rest of the kitchen. Once I was finished cleaning, I walked in the living room to find Harry sitting on the couch coughing extremely loud and hoarse.
I sat down of one of the many couches and watched Harry almost cough up on of his smoky lungs. After the coughing fit had ended he looked at me with a tired and worn out expression and for a brief moment, his eyes shone an innocent child-like aurora, maybe even a flash of pain, but it ended quickly and went back to the cold green ones that he had almost all the time.
"Do you feel okay, Harry? You seemed sick when you walked in" I asked watching his pale face stare back at me. He hadn't looked this bad when he had first got home, when he had first walked in the door I thought the sniffle and the hoarseness of his voice was because of the cold temperature outside, not that he could actually be getting sick or better yet sicker.
"I'm fine" he snapped, making me jump slightly in my seat before gaining composer and begin to carefully choose my next words.
"Harry, you're not when you walked in you were coughing and your voice was scratchy" I said making him rub his temples in frustration before blinking quickly. "If you just say you're sick, I can help you get better and you don't have to worry about any of this anymore" He took a deep sigh and looked down at the rim of his beer bottle before speaking.
"I don't know, I guess my head hurts and my throat is sore and I have a stuffed nose" he said rubbing his tired eyes with both of his hands. He looked back up at my look of sorrow before shaking his head quickly, "You know what I am being a wimp, never mind I am fine" he said snapping out his reply before looking back at the television with the fresh beer in his hand.
I shook my head and watched him try to conceal his cold-like symptoms. As much as I didn't want to help him in any way, I knew that he would only get worse and that would result in him being even more grumpy and uncooperative. I sighed and s let my shoulders slump in defeat.
"You're not" I said, making his head roll towards me. He looked at me before sniffling a tad, "I can tell you're sick, I have many siblings at home and this is exactly how they are before they get a serious cold or even the flu if it is going around. Just please let me help you, you're only going to get worse if you keep ignoring it" I said, hoping to gain some of his attention.
"No, I am fine and as for your weak family members, it's not my problem that they aren't strong enough to fight for themselves" he said clenching his jaw and shaking his head. I knew he wouldn't want the help, he was stubborn and refused to do anything that wasn't involved with his independence. It was annoying and at times really irritated me.
"Fine, but it is going to be even worse in the morning" I sneered making him roll his green eyes into the back of his head. "Don't complain when you're uncomfortable and sick because I will be asleep in my nice warm bed while you struggle" I said getting up and walking out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note:
This chapter is all over the place and its really short and late but I promise on Sunday it will be a HUGE chapter :)
Also, I GOT SO MANY READS IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME OMFG OMFG but like seriously who sent you to me?
Okay that's it and oh FOUR IS COMING OUT IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!!
Keep voting! Love you all!!