The fire dances in the center of our circle of bodies, each flicker sending sparks of light into the air, illuminating everyone's face in a warm orange glow. The night has turned out nothing like Tyler's other parties, and for that I am genuinely thankful. I am not the party type anymore, I would much rather relax around a fire with some friends and listen to music. My body is so relaxed right now, I almost find it hard not to close my eyes and drift off to sleep, succumbing to the exhaustion in my body.
Harry is seated next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him and his arms behind him holding him up. He rolls up his sleeves up past his elbows, his body glistening in a thin layer of sweat from the heat of the fire.
We sit in silence for what feels like an eternity, in reality we are all only outside for about an hour before Harry's phone begins to buzz uncontrollably. After declining the caller twice and still receiving another one, he excuses himself before wandering off to answer his phone. I take the time to look back around at everyone gathered around the fire. Like me, everyone seems perfectly content sitting around the fire, some of them relaxed due to the calming effects of marijuana, some relaxed from the alcohol they consumed. But me, I'm relaxed from the warmth of the fire and the chill of the night breeze, mixing and touching my skin.
I twist my body to find where Harry walked off to, and I catch his figure standing near the back door of the house. In the moonlight, I can make out the serious features on his face. The way his eyebrows pinch together and his nostrils are slightly flared give away his frustration, and I wish I knew who he is talking to and what is making him react this way.
He glances back over in the direction of the fire and catches me staring at him. I quickly turn my body back to the flames and close my eyes, inhaling the heavy smoke cascading into the night air. After another minute, I feel the warmth of Harry's body return next to mine, and I open my eyes to see his large frame towering over me.
"Luna, I have to run." He tells me, his face still holding the stern expression from when he took the phone call.
"Is everything okay?" I ask him, my head tilted almost flat back so I could look up at him standing in front of me.
"Yeah," he responds, "I have to meet with some people tonight last minute to, um, sort a few things out."
I involuntarily frown, eyes still locked on his. "Damn, that sucks. We were having a nice time."
He frowns as well, although he probably looks far more adorable doing so than I do. "Trust me, I know. I'm bummed." He says, his voice low. "Maybe, um..." He pauses, taking his lips between his fingers, a habit of his I have picked up on. He stares down at his large feet and shuffles them back and forth, rocking his weight between his toes and his heels. "Maybe you could give me your number, um, or something so we can, um, hang out again?"
I graciously smile up at the man above me and take in the way he mumbles over his words when he is nervous or feels awkward. I can't help but internally scream at the fact that I am the one making Harry Styles nervous.
And that he just asked for your goddamn number, Luna!!
I nod, standing to my feet. "Here, hand me your phone." I say, reaching out my open palm.
He presses the phone into my hand after unlocking the screen, and I quickly pull up his contacts. I input my digits into the phone and save myself as a contact. I glance at him, noticing how intensely he is watching me complete this simple action. His green eyes burn into my hand holding his phone and he can't seem to remove his gaze from me.
Handing his phone back to him, I say, "Have a good night, Harry. I hope you get everything sorted out."
"Have a good night, Luna." He whispers before turning on his heel to say goodbye to Tyler and Lucas. Once all the guys say their goodbyes, the beautiful man disappears into the house, leaving me standing alone in front of the fire.
Mackenzie notices me sitting by myself and stumbles over to join me. As she sits down next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder, she drunkenly teases, "Bitch, if I didn't love you so goddamn much, I'd be so jealous of you."
I laugh, leaning my head on her shoulder. "He's so sweet. I can't even explain it, I've never met someone like him before." I whisper, almost inaudibly.
"I know, baby. And I can already tell he is literally so into you. I was watching him tonight, the way he watched you when we played pong and how he was just sitting here talking with you... that guy was glowing." She tells me, running her fingers through my hair.
I gulp, thinking I could swallow back my insecurities as I ask, "Do you really think so?"
"Bitch," she says, "You are gonna jump that man's bones. I swear it."
...
When the two of us finally get home a few hours later, I feel a wave of exhaustion crash through my entire body. I somehow manage to get my makeup off my face and a comb through my hair. I wander into Mackenzie's room to see if she has done the same. She is still awake, but flopped onto her bed still fully made up and fully clothed. She is far more intoxicated than I am, I feel completely sober at this point in the night.
I pull a makeup wipe from off of her vanity and crawl into her bed next to her. I take her head and rest it on my lap, swiping the hair out of her face and gathering it in a pile on top of her head. I take the wipe and gently drag it across her closed eyelids, removing the creamy shadow and thick mascara from her face. I take it across her cheeks to remove the blush and contour and then across her eyebrows. Once her face is bare, I crumple the wipe up into a ball and toss it into the trash bin next to her bed. I stalk over to her closet and I dig out an old tshirt for her to sleep in. When I get back to her bed, I force her to sit up so I can change her clothes.
"Thank you, Lu Lu." She whines like a child as I slip the tshirt over her head and poke her arms through the proper holes.
"Anything for you, Mack. Get some sleep." I whisper, kissing her forehead and switching off her bedside lamp, leaving only the light from the hallway dimly illuminating her room.
I exit her bedroom and shut the door behind me before wandering back to my room. I throw my hair up in a bun on my head and crawl under the covers of my bed. I glance over at my clock that reads 2:47am. I lay back and sigh, grateful that I don't have anything to do in the morning and I can sleep in.
Just as I shut my eyes to get some rest, I hear my phone buzz on the bedside table next to me. I open my eyes and squint to read the bright screen in the dark.
[1 New Message from Unknown Sender]
I unlock my phone out of curiosity. Who is texting me so late?
-Hey. I just got home from my meeting and I wanted to make sure that you and Mackenzie got home safe. H.-
My heart flutters seeing his initial on my screen. The fact that he was checking up on me made my stomach do a somersault.
To: Harry
-Just got home and put Mackenzie to bed. She was wrecked.-
My phone buzzes in my hand almost immediately after sending my response.
From: Harry
-Poor thing. Get some rest.-
I smile, typing my response.
To: Harry
-Goodnight Harry-
From: Harry
-Sweet dreams, Love.-
And with that, I drifted off to sleep, dreams of a British singer filling my head.
Imagine Harry saying "Sweet dreams, Love" to you? I would die.
Also how cute is Mack and Luna's friendship? Like I need a friend who takes care of me like that.
How are you enjoying the story so far? I know some people may not like how fast Harry is falling for Luna, but they just share an immediate connection, which happens all the time. (Just not to me lol)
Love you guys,
-Sunflower :)