***Song: Wires by The Neighbourhood
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Madison
I brought my fist up and knocked on the bedroom door, waiting for Harry to open it.
When he did, his hair was slightly damp and barely reaching his chin in length, also in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. But it wasn't just any sweatshirt. It was Green Bay Packers - specifically the one I got for his nineteenth birthday.
"You still have that?" I asked softly in shock. He looked down at it and then back up at me, his cheeks turning pink.
"Yeah. I didn't realize what it was until I put it on." He chuckled nervously.
"You can't wear that here." I tell him in a hushed tone, pushing him back into the room and closing the door behind me.
He stared at me in confusion and a saw a hint of hurt on his face. "Is it because we aren't together anymore? I'll take it off."
Before he can go to take it off, I stop him. "No that's not why. It's just...my dad hates the Packers."
A look of relief crossed his face before he frowned in disbelief. "What?! How could anyone hate the Packers? What team does he support?"
"Steelers." I answered quietly. "One time in high school, I was watching a game with him and he nearly kicked me out when I told him I was siding with Green Bay. Trust me, if your goal is for him to like you, take the sweatshirt off."
I've never seen him rip off a shirt so quickly before. Okay maybe I have a few times.
I watched as he put that sweatshirt back, his muscles flexing with each move he made and my eyes traced the tattoos scattered on his body. I was biting down on my lip a little too harshly.
I was broken from my trance when he walked in my direction and stood extremely close to me, my breathing coming to a halt when he reached up and pressed his thumb to my bottom lip and pulled it from between my teeth.
"Careful or you'll start bleeding, love."
Fuck.
He chuckled at how my face had been drained of all color and pulled out a long sleeve grey t-shirt, sliding it on to cover himself up.
"Uh, Faith...finished dinner if you're hungry." I invited breathlessly, clearing my throat and pushing off of the frame, hanging my head in shame as I backed out of the room.
I didn't bother looking back to see if he followed me. I just raced down the stairs and sat down at the kitchen island, putting my head down in embarrassment.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Taylor laughed from the seat next to me. I lift my head with a groan. "Did you accidentally walk in on Harry naked or something?" She joked. I forgot she doesn't know Harry and I dated.
"Nah, she's seen him naked plenty of times so I doubt that's why." Faith added in, making me choke on the air surrounding me with a gasp.
"Faith!" I exclaimed while she just stood there laughing, handing me a bowl of pasta salad.
"Wait, you've seen him naked?" Taylor asked with a gasp. "Did you sleep with him?"
I just let out a whine in annoyance. "No! Okay, no. We did not sleep together. Well, at least not recently."
"What does that mean?" Taylor questions again.
"We dated years ago. It's a long story."
"I've got time." She says bluntly.
I send her a glare and point at the lasagna on her plate. "Eat your food."
She pouts but takes a bite of her food anyway.
Faith put herself a plate and walked around the island to sit on the other side of me. Just as I was lifting the fork to take a bite of my pasta, she spoke.
"So, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"My face is always pale." I simply answered, taking the bite from my fork and setting it down when I saw Harry coming down the stairs from the corner of my eye.
"Well don't you look handsome." Faith compliments, discreetly nudging my side. I lightly nudge her back and she stifles a laugh.
A blush creeped up on Harry's face as he approached the kitchen, leaning against the side of the counter. "Thank you. Do I actually look presentable?"
"Yes, dear. You look amazing. What's the occasion?" She continued to converse, getting up from the chair and putting a plate of food that in assuming is for him.
"No occasion. Just wanted to look nice." He rolled up his sleeves and ran his fingers through his hair. It took everything in me to not look at him for too long otherwise he will catch me again. I need my dignity.
"Mhm. I'm assuming Dean has some influence on that decision?" Faith guessed, making Harry glance at me and then to the floor nervously.
"Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugged. Faith chuckled and handing him a plate, which he thanked her for, and he sat down next to Faith.
"He is a very nice guy. He looks intimidating but trust me, he is a giant teddy bear. What you look like is the last thing on his mind." Faith encouraged him. "Just be yourself and he will like you."
"Except don't say anything about Green Bay. He might bite your head off." I added in, but Faith shushed me.
"She's got a point there. He can be scary when it comes to football." Faith tells him. "But don't worry about that too much."
"Don't worry? The guy disowned me until the Super Bowl when I went against the Steelers. Didn't talk to me for weeks." I fought back defensively.
Faith only shook her head and chuckled. "I don't believe you. I'll have to ask him when he gets home."
"You weren't there." I mumbled to myself, continuing to eat my food.
"If you want to get on his good side, be yourself. But don't be afraid of him. He loves people who are confident and wouldn't mind standing up to him. He will end up testing you like that." Faith finishes, leaving Harry looking both tense and relaxed at the same time. Like he is nervous, but he is telling himself he will be fine.
I still don't understand why Harry would be so hung up on the impression he would leave on my dad. Normally a father's opinion would be very important to a man if he is dating their child, but Harry and I aren't together anymore.
Harry is stubborn sometimes, so I know I won't get a straight answer anytime soon, but for now I'll have to be observant.
When we all had finished eating, Harry had offered to help clean up, which only earned a scolding "no" from Faith and a pat on his back. I worry about her sometimes.
"Honey, I'm home!" A booming masculine voice sang from the garage door, a voice I know is my dad's.
"Honey, we know!" Faith sang in the same tone, smiling when my dad came into view and pecked her on the lips.
He did a double take when he saw me, a smile spreading on his face. "Maddie!"
"Hi, dad." I greeted, getting up from the stool and walking into his embrace. After he pulled away, he sent a smile Harry's way and Harry stood up straight with a grin.
"Harry, right?" My dad asks in a happy tone. I'm guessing he's gonna be in this mood for a while considering he's getting married.
"Yes sir." He said in the most calm voice I've ever heard.
"Dean, not sir. Sir just makes me feel older than I already am." My dad chuckled, shaking Harry's hand and patting his arm.
Faith and I look at each other weirdly, clearly not expecting for that interaction to be so...simple.
"Baby, go relax. I'll finish the dishes after I eat." My dad offered, pressing a kiss to Faith's head and patting her side so she would stop watching the dishes.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Faith says, shutting the water off and drying her hands.
"Why don't you girls go watch a movie? I'd like to have a chat with Harry. Need a little man-to-man time."
Oh no.
"If you insist." Faith sang, but my nerves kicked in and I wanted to sit and listen. Harry doesn't do great in situations where he is questioned a lot. "And Dean, do not interrogate the poor boy." She added in. That's not gonna stop him.
"I won't. We are just talking." My dad says, grabbing a wine glass from the cabinet and setting it on the table. Faith looped her arm around mine and led me out of the kitchen, but I kept my eyes on them as my dad pulled out a bottle of wine. "Would you like some wine, son?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably but smiled and shook his head politely. "No thank you. I don't drink."
I sat down on the couch in a position where I could still see what was going on in the kitchen, keeping an eye on my dad and Harry as they conversed. Faith sat next to me, careful not to wake City, who was sleeping on the other end of the couch.
"You still look like you could shit yourself. Stop stressing, Maddie. Harry will be fine. He's a really nice boy." Faith tried to sooth my anxiety.
It didn't help much, but I relaxed when I saw Harry and my dad laughing. That's good, I think.
Faith sent me a wink when I glanced her way. "Told you." She sang, flipping thought different movie options on the tv hanging above the chimney fireplace.
"Why do you think he cares so much about what my dad thinks of him?" I asked Faith honestly, hoping she can give me a different answer to the one I already have set in my mind.
"You know, Maddie" is all she tells me with a smirk, still flipping through the channels.
Thanks. So helpful.
"See, I don't think I do." I replied.
Faith sighs and sets the remote down after minutes of finding a movie, settling with Ocean's Eight.
"If you want my honest opinion, you can't get upset or deny it when I tell you." She says.
"I won't. I honestly want to know." I urged her to continue. She looked back into the kitchen to see the two men still talking friendly with each other before turning back to me, speaking in a low tone.
"He still cares about you, obviously. He wouldn't be worrying so much about your father's approval if he wasn't still into you."
I frowned and kept my mouth shut, not knowing what to say. Yeah, that is kind of along the lines of what I figured the reason was, but hearing it out loud made me feel...sad. I don't know if that is his reason, and I also don't know why I feel sad about it.
Hello, dumbass. You still like him.
"You okay?" Faith spoke after a while with concern in her voice as she looked at me. I looked up from my blank stare at the couch and nodded faintly.
"Actually, I don't know. I don't want to get into my own head about this." I shrugged, trying to relax myself on the couch. I hear another beautiful laugh erupt from the kitchen and I see Harry's face lit up as he gripped his chest, my dad laughing as well. I couldn't help but smile at the both of them and look down at my hands.
"He seems to smile a lot when you are around. And the way he looks at you is just...it's the way I look at your dad." She said with a large grin. My heart sped up at the thought of Harry still having feelings for me.
It would explain the flirting, what happened in the bedroom before we came down, along with his recent behaviour towards me. It can also justify that dream he had about me.
Now I see the way Faith looks at my dad, and I can tell how much they love each other. Their relationship clearly shows it.
But I don't want to get my hopes up thinking about Harry in that way. Whatever happens, will happen.
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