Carmen's POV

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," I laugh, putting my hand over Harry's on my knee. His creased brow tells me he's not completely convinced. "Stop asking me that."

"You've been really quiet ever since we left the house and that was like..six hours ago."

"I'm fine."

"That's what you always say when you're not fine, though."

"Harry, you worry too much." I lean my elbow on the centre console of his car, my chin in my palm. "You're going to put lines in your pretty face."

"Pretty," he mutters, shaking his head. "Great."

"It is."

Harry just laughs as he pulls into the parking lot at my Dad's place. Leaving Gale's house this morning was hard because I wasn't expecting to feel at home there the way I did. The last thing I expected was to get so close with her family. My family, I guess. And that's how it feels now. Like I have a family. It's been so long since I've felt that way that honestly, it's a little unsettling. I think it's in a good way, but it's weird. And I miss Jayden.

"I'm going to facetime Jayden," I tell Harry as he gets our bags from the back seat.

"Already?"

"Yeah, I told him I would when we got home. He wants to see where I live."

Before he can argue I'm already calling the boys' iPad. It rings all while we're in the elevator. Then Jayden's cute little chubby cheeks and dark brown eyes appear on the screen and it makes me smile instantly.

"Carmen!"

"Hey, Jayden."

"You didn't forget!" he says happily.

"Of course I didn't. Harry told me not to call you, though."

"Not true!" Harry leans his head beside mine and shakes his head so he's in view of the camera. "She told me she thinks you look funny."

"Harry is a big meanie," I tell Jayden, pushing Harry out of the screen. "Do you miss me?"

"Yeah," he says, nodding his head. "Me and Mommy clean your room today."

"Did you? Did Evan help?"

"Yeah, and he say he wants you to come back again. And bring Harry, too. He like playing hockey with Harry and not me because I like to draw."

I look up at Harry while he unlocks the door to the apartment. He's smiling to himself, which isn't surprising because I know how happy he is that he gets along with the boys. He walks inside and I follow him in with the phone.

"He might come back," I promise. "Okay, want to see my house?"

"Yeah!"

I give him a little tour of the place and at the end he makes a cute comment about how small it is. I hear Gale scolding him in the background and his cute little apologetic expression makes me smile. He tells me he has to go to eat dinner now and then hangs up before I can even say goodbye. Harry laughs at my disappointed expression and takes the phone from my hand.

"Don't look so sad," he says. He tosses it onto the couch along with his own and my keys and his and his wallet.

"What are you doing?"

He shrugs. "Just being prepared."

He smirks when I roll my eyes and I can't help but try to postpone this a little longer because, well, what's the fun in just giving him what he wants? I have every intention of hiding out in this apartment until I have to go back to school. Volleyball is over so part of me wants to just live here for the rest of the semester so Harry and I have somewhere to be alone. I love the girls and I love Harry's friends, but being able to have some actual privacy would be nice. It also might lessen the drama at least a little bit.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, stepping around him. I hear his footsteps behind me and I don't get far before he wraps his arms around me and lifts me into the air.

"You're trying to kill me," he says against my ear. He sets me down and lets me spin around to face him.

"Not kill. Just...severely annoy." I twirl his ridiculously long hair around my finger while his eyes roam my face. "I don't think you dying would be that fun for me."

"Let me show you why." He kisses me so hard that I have to put my arms around his neck to stay standing. Which was probably the goal.

Harry starts walking towards my room and eventually the back of legs hit the bed, sending us tumbling backwards. We start shuffling backwards towards the pillows and in the process I somehow manage to knee him in a place he probably would prefer to be treated nicely.

"Oh my gosh!" He groans quietly and I cover my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh. "Harry, I'm sorry."

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, eyes close. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not."

"You want to, though."

"No." I giggle quietly and he smiles, finally opening his eyes. "I really am sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, now it just needs some extra attention." He smiles and I shake my head as he leans down to kiss my neck.

"Very clever."

Slowly his hands manoeuvre under my shirt, pushing it up under my bra. To be honest, I thought as soon as the opportunity presented itself it would take about half a second for my clothes to be on the floor, but instead Harry seems to want to take his time. His lips trail down the middle of my chest and to my stomach. My back arches as he starts to sit up, ungrateful for the loss of contact as he hooks his fingers into the top of my leggings. As each of my legs are freed he slides his hands over my skin, leaning over me again. I have to sit up to kiss him again, and even then he doesn't get any closer. He laughs when I tug at his shirt to get him to do what I want.

Harry finally sits on my waist, tugging at the neckline of his shirt to pull it over his head. Then he lays over me again with his forearms planted on either side of me. My hands slowly slide down his sides and press against his lower back to keep him tight against me. He places one hand against my cheek and presses his forehead against mine, separating our lips so we can both breathe for a minute.

"I love you," he says quietly. My heart flutters and I can't help but smile, gently brushing my fingers through his hair. It feels amazing to get to a place where everything's finally out in the open.

"I love you, too."

---

Annoying. What's...what's blowing on my face? I swat at the air in front of me, relieved that I don't end up smacking Harry in the face. But the stupid air in my face doesn't stop and it's annoying as fuck because how is air waking me up from my sleeping? When I open my eyes I almost scream out loud.

"Morning, sunshine. Well, not really morning but whatever."

"Louis!" I clutch at the sheets covering my bare chest to make sure I'm actually covered up. "What the hell!"

"Calm down, I can't see anything." He stands up straight and folds his arms, that stupid little smile on his face. I glance behind me at Harry, sound asleep with his hair everywhere. His hair is so long.

"Get out."

"Rude."

"Let me get dressed, you freak. Plus, you're going to wake up Harry, so get out," I whisper. He rolls his eyes and walks out of my room so I can put some clothes on. I don't have a lot here, so I settle on Harry's shirt and my leggings. Harry rolls onto his back but stays asleep, and when I walk out it thankfully stays that way.

"I see things went well in California," Louis says, already at home on my couch with a bag of chips in his hands. He watches me with an annoying weird expression on his face while I sit on the other end of the couch.

"Stop."

"What."

"Looking at me like that." I pull my legs up and wrap my arms around them. "It's weird."

"I thought people were supposed to be in a good mood after sex."

"This is me in a good mood."

"That's sad," he says simply.

"Louis, why are you here?" I snatch the bag of chips out of his hand for myself. "What time is it, anyway?"

"It's almost nine. I wanted to make sure you guys didn't die on the way back 'cuz Harry told me your flight was today. I tried calling both of you."

"We were busy," I tell him, smiling a little. He rolls his eyes. "It's so sweet you were so concerned, Lou."

"Not for you. Just for Harry."

"That would be my boyfriend."

"We can share him."

"No, we can't," I argue. "I'll fight you."

"There's plenty of me to go around," Harry says, flopping onto the couch between us only in his boxers. I didn't even hear him come out of the room. "No need to fight over me."

He slides his arm across the back of the couch behind me and I lean against his side. Louis makes a weird face at him and for the next thirty seconds I watch them literally have a silent conversation of facial expressions. Only facial expressions.

"Anyway," Louis says finally. "When are you coming back to the house?"

"He's staying here for the weekend." Might as well claim him before stupid Louis tries to. Harry smiles and kisses my forehead. "Sorry, Louis."

"No you're not."

"You're right."

"Harry, she's-" He stops and fishes between the couch cushions. "Bloody hell, Harry. Your phone's been vibrating forever."

"Give me that." Harry takes it and a number reads across the screen that's not saved to his contacts. He stares at it for a minute before hitting the ignore button and setting it on the table. Louis and I share a confused expression and then I look up at him while he plays with his bottom lip. Nervous habit. Why is he nervous?

"Who was that?" I ask quietly. He drops his hand to his leg and flashes me a forced smile.

"I'm not sure. Didn't recognize the number."

"I'll let you two be alone, then." Louis stands up and ruffles Harry's hair from behind. "Harry's near nakedness isn't something I like to witness more than I have to. And that's a lot when you live with him."

"S'not so bad," I mutter, looking up at Harry. He half-smiles and bushes his fingers up and down my arm.

"You two are sickening." Louis walks towards the door. "Make an appearance tomorrow! Niall wants to see you."

"How nice."

"Not you, Styles. He missed Carmen." As he shuts the door he shouts, "I have no idea why!"

"Niall missed you more than me?" Harry shakes his head. "That's a problem."

"I guess I'm too great." I shrug. "Can't be helped."

"Modest, too."

"I've just got it all."

He laughs and we just sit there for a while, talking about nothing important. In the back of my mind there's a voice telling me this is too good to be true, that I need to be careful about letting him into my life again. But for now I want to ignore that voice and just be happy for once. Really, what else could possibly go wrong?

Notes

sorry it took so long. life is not so fun right now.
xx.