The Night I Met Harry

His fingers pressed firmly into my back as he massaged my skin under the warmth of the shower’s water. I felt his lips trail across my shoulders comfortingly. I noticed slightly the texture of the skin nearest my fingernails. I thought absently about the events that had occurred this morning. I could hear the conversation between my mother and I playing over and over in my head under the pat of the shower against me.

Harry:
“Winter, stop.”

I snapped out of my momentary thought to give attention to his voice’s echo in the shower.

Winter:
“What’d I do?”

Harry:
“Stop thinking about it. Don’t worry yourself, just relax.”

I closed my eyes taking a deep breath and exhaling out.

Winter:
“…There’s something I didn’t tell you about…”

His hands had grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him, my back now opposite of the showerhead. His eyes were narrowed while he waited for my response.

Winter:
“He bought me a ring…an engagement ring…”

I didn’t make eye contact with him. I just wanted it to go away. I wanted all of it to go away, so I could spend the rest of my life in Harry’s arms. My conscious kept me aware of every one of my life’s mistakes these days. His touch left my skin, but still I felt his eyes peer down at me.

Harry:
“Are you telling me you were…”

Winter:
“…No. I was never engaged Harry. She said it before we’d hung up.”

He took a breath before opening the glass of the shower’s door. He disappeared as I began to shiver from the cool air radiating from the outside. He appeared with a large towel around himself, motioning for me embrace him under it.

Harry:
“Are you really taking me to meet your mom?”

I felt an immediate upbeat connotation in his voice. I knew he didn’t want to talk about it because it’d been consuming my emotional state ever since we’d come back from the walk.

Winter:
“Yea. It’s kind of like she knows you already anyways…Just needs to see your face.”

He hugged me into his chest as he dried the water from my back. It felt good to feel him next to me as my worries began to evaporate for now. He took care of me and I hated the thought of life now without him. If he’d ever gone…I knew I’d never be the same.

Harry:
“I said, stop thinking about it.”

Winter:
“I wasn’t, I swear.”

We’d existed into the room and I could smell breakfast being prepared from the kitchen.

--

We collected the plates as Sarah distributed glasses and filled them with orange juice around the table. I followed Julia as she exited the kitchen silently.

Winter:
“Hey, what are you guys doing today?”

She turned to survey my question.

Julia:
“We’re going out tonight. You’re going right?”

My focus left her as I deciphered her offer.

Winter:
“Umm. No actually. I think I’d rather just watch Allison… while you guys have fun.”

She narrowed her eyes as I lost their contact. I thought briefly about being at the club with them last and the flashbacks were brought along with them.

Julia:
“Are you sure this has nothing to do with last time?”

Memories invaded my cranium in floods as I tried to remain present and hold onto her voice. Still I hadn’t mentioned anything about that night, but I was sure she felt my resistance. I looked back as I heard the rest of the group’s dialogue grow louder. I took her hand, leading her further up the hall before meeting her large brown eyes reluctantly.

Winter:
“…Something happened…when I lost Sarah in the crowd…”

Her eyebrows were lowered as if impatiently waiting for me to continue.

Julia:
“Come on, spill.”

I took my hair behind my ears uncomfortably before deciding to jump right into it.

Winter:
“…Just listen, okay. There was this douche there; Tall guy who wouldn’t leave me…He took me to this dark hall where we were alone. You know, on the side where those double doors were… and he was just really pushy. He wouldn’t stop and I kind of…had another attack.”

Her features told me she was already feeling bad about it.

Winter:
“Harry was there…I’m fine.”

I tried rushing it but she’d already started.

Julia:
“Why didn’t you tell me this!”

I turned around as her echo sounded throughout the hall.

Winter:
“Shhh. I’m sorry. But you know I don’t repeat things I don’t want to remember.”

My voice was much lower and I mildly regretted telling her. She closed her eyes briefly before hugging me close.

Julia:
“What guy? I don’t understand.”

Winter:
“I don’t know, he was just there.”

Julia:
“You had your inhaler right?! Of course you had your inhaler. Please tell me Harry kicked his ass.”

Her tone was growing louder again.


Winter:
“Of course he did. Please lower your voice.”

Julia:
“…I’m really sorry…there’s no way you don’t hate us for that.”

I sighed deeply into her hug.

Winter:
“It’s fine, let’s just change the subject okay.”

Julia:
“So you have to come out with us. I’ll buy you a drink, we have to make it up to you.”

Winter:
“No don’t tell them anything Julie. They’ll make it ten times worst.”

She smiled menacingly for a moment as I tried to decode her thoughts.

Julia:
“Come out with us and I won’t.”

She played with the ends of my hair while she held her expression.

Winter:
“I want Allison tomorrow.”

I was embraced again.

Julia:
“Of course, no problem.”
--
Harry’s POV:

She held my hand tightly as we maneuvered through the club’s crowd. I was almost sure of the thoughts that lingered around her mind…but there was no way I’d let anything happened to her again. I enjoyed the view of her in her fitting dress as she led the way. It was almost painful how much I wanted her already and we’d only just got here. We reached the bar as she held me close beside her.

Winter:
“Buy me a drink.”

I pulled her in protectively as I witnessed her friend Danny stare at her, a girl who I assumed was his girlfriend was by his side. My lips went down to kiss hers playfully while I held his eye contact. Quickly, I could tell he’d gotten the hint. I’d gotten the bartender to make her a cocktail when I heard her voice yell over the club’s music.

Winter:
“I’m going to go dance with the girls okay…just over there.”

I didn’t want to let her go but I did so reluctantly.

Harry:
“Just don’t go far alright.”

Her scent embraced me pleasantly as my lips met her ear. She nodded as they walked away, Austin occupying the space beside me along the bar.

Austin:
“You now he’s into Winter right.”

I frowned with the thought. I didn’t understand why she’d insisted they’d be friends when it was so obvious he liked her.

Harry:
“I know.”

Vodka shot. I mouthed to the bartender in thought.

Harry:
“I’m hoping he never acts on it…Not after Scott.”

He glared at me with a hint of confusion.

Austin:
“You hope? Why?”

My eyes focus to where she was across the room. She’d been dancing against her friends in a way that only made me want her even more.

Harry:
“Because she’s going to hate me for what I do to them.”

I took the shot without blinking as I continued to watch her.

Austin:
“Hey.”

He grabbed my attention, our glasses met while he took the second shot.

Austin:
“I’m in.”
---

Winter’s POV:
(Next day)

Harry:
“We need to talk.”

I watched as he fiddled with the fabric of his shirt while making that announcement.

Winter:
“…Okay.”

Harry:
“I want you moved in…with me…like now.”

I waited for my mental aspect to comprehend the movements of his lips.

Winter:
“You know it’s a process, it’s not an overnight thing.”

He nodded slowly as his thumbs circled each other; A habit I was more than sure he’d developed from me.

Winter:
“I feel like I’m barely there anyways.”

He nodded again while he continued his fascination with his t-shirt.

Winter:
“And you’re sure?”

His green eyes gave mine attention with the question.

Harry:
“Certain.”

I reached for his hand to intertwine it in mine as he continued his venture through my sketchbook.

Winter:
“Okay.”

He stayed quiet for a moment but I accepted the time to think. The conversation wasn’t awkward but I could tell his mind was somewhere else.

Harry:
“Oh and there’s a few things we need to go over.”

I closed the book so he could give me his full attention as I motioned him to continue.

Harry:
“I don’t want you to pay…for anything... ever.”

My eyes blinked quickly as I was introduced to a conflict. He’d been asking me to move in with him completely for free? I knew we meant a lot to each other but there was no way that was happening.

Winter:
“Harry…”

Harry:
“Don’t argue with me.”

Winter:
“Don’t tell me what to do. There’s no way I’m doing that. I’m not that girl.”

Harry:
“I’m not saying you are…”

Winter:
“We’re partners. We are supposed to do things together.”

He sighed deeply as he closed his eyes to find the words.

Harry:
“There’s a reason I’m saying this.”

Winter:
“Yea, and why is that?”

I could tell he dialogue was making him really uncomfortable.

Winter:
“Harry!”

Harry:
“…Let’s just say…My family is really uh, fortunate.”

I didn’t know what I expected him to say but it’d caught me off guard. I narrowed my eyes over at him while my eyebrows hugged briefly.

Winter:
“Fortunate?”

Harry:
“I’m saying…I have an account that can pay for everything and I don’t want you paying for anything. You have no bills.”

It was like shots in the dark with this interrogation. We were completely unaware of each other’s financial situations because it’d been something we’d never discussed. I was never a stranger to large amounts of money, I’d always paid my own bills, and I didn’t expect anything from him. It was hard to just suddenly endeavor a shift where things would be completely different…but I’d done it before.

Winter:
“I’m not a freeloader.”

Harry:
“I’m your boyfriend, it’s not freeloading.”

I got off my side of the bed as I began to pace the room slowly. I just needed silence for a moment.

Harry:
“Babe.”

I didn’t answer. I tried taking time to think but I wasn’t functioning at the moment. He’d gotten up from the bed to move slowly toward me.

Harry:
“Hey.”

I left his hands around the low of my back as he rubbed comfortingly.

Harry:
“If it bothers you that much, buy all of the groceries.”

His hands began to tickle my sides and my anger failed me. I pushed to get out of his hold when his lips captured mine passionately. I played with his fingers as I became receptive. There was a knock on the bedroom door just then. He left me reluctantly to answer it. Sarah prang in the room in her usually upbeat mood before grabbing my hands.

Sarah:
“Alright, Allison’s here. We’re putting her car-seat in Harry’s car.”

I felt an instant change in mood. I new I was beginning to grow an attachment toward her.

Winter:
“Great, thanks.”

I smiled back at her happily.

Winter:
“And thanks for everything, it was fun.”

She hugged me close playfully, before going to Harry and doing the same. His facial expression was enough to make my day.

Sarah:
“You smell great.”

Winter:
“Okay, out.”

Notes

Be sure to read the next chapter guys. I'm pretty sure I don't plan on ending this anytime soon, so there's room for everything. LOVE YOU FOR READING.