Skinny Dipping -H.S

You Know I Love You Right?

A/N: Longest chapter yet, and my favorite chapter yet... I wrote this while seeing Harry literally four times in five days so don't say I never did anything for y'all!!! Check authors notes at the end for pictures but for now, enjoy my best chapter yet!!!

HARRY'S POV:

    I don't know why I think I know her anymore. I don't know why I'm consistently surprised by her. I don't know if I should even try or if I should just let things progress the way they would naturally. No matter what I know I'll be staying in California. I don't want to go back to England again, not unless it's a visit. Not unless Scarlett is coming to actually meet my mum and Gemma. I sit at my office desk, and I can hear Birdie's keyboard behind me as she types incredibly quickly, obviously enthused on what she's working on.

    "What's got you fired up?" I ask her.

    "Oh... Well, I was with Scarlett on Monday, remember?" She asks, and I nod as I look at her over my shoulder.

    "You told me to get to know her so I could possibly learn more about this world. Get experience, and now a friend.. Though I obviously like her for personal reasons... She's also a literal goldmine for new fashion. I went to her apartment, and I did this mock interview with her like she was a designer, and she let me in her closet, and I saw all of her pieces... I think you're in love with a genius, and I think I might be in love with her too." She tells me, and though I'm proud of what she told me, I'm sitting on one particular spot.

    "Excuse me... In love?" I ask, referring to what she had said about me in specific.

    "Oh.. Well... Just a guess." She shrugs, and has the slightest smirk on her lips.

    "You know nothing Birdie." I feel my own lips betray me, a smirk coming on for me too.

    "I know more than you think." She sighs, out, and I roll my chair back towards her desk.

    "Did you take photos?" I ask her, and she nods, clicking a few things on her small laptop. I look at just a few, and nod my head, not getting long enough to look at them. "And you recorded your interview, though it was fake, I assumed you conducted it as if it was real?" I ask, and she nods once more, showcasing the voice recording on her computer as well. I raise my eyebrows and nod in approval.

    "It's only been two weeks, and you'd be fine without me it seems." She shakes her head, and I roll myself back to my desk. Scarlett is something to write about... Birdie has a topic at her feet with endless possibilities, and I see myself writing about Scarlett.. She's just gotta let that happen because I won't force it.. I know her well enough she'll think my only reasoning is to help her and not because she truly is the most unique designer that's coming into this industry. She just needs a bit more pushing to get started.  She needs to be open to receiving anything from me. My phone vibrates, and I take the call, putting an earbud in my ear.

    "Harry speaking." I answer.

    "It's your mum, you don't need to be so formal." She speaks on the other end.

    "Well I didn't know. I normally don't get personal calls unless I'm out of the office. Did you need something mum?" I ask her.

    "I didn't know I needed something to call my own son." She speaks in a bit of a hurt tone, and I retract.

    "You don't... I just.. I thought something might be wrong." I tell her.

    "Nothing is wrong. I just haven't heard much from you since you moved back. How's your job, how is the apartment? Did you... did you end up-"

    "I found her again." I answer, knowing that's exactly where this is going.

    "Well tell me everything... Was she happy to see you again? When can I talk to her?" She asks, and this is one of the first times I've actually heard her excited in a long time. I almost feel tears in my eyes thinking of my mum this way... I think of crying just because I know there's no way I can tell her the state of Scarlett and I's friendship.