Psycho ➳ H.S.

Chapter 7*

NOTE: This chapter contains detailed, graphic material. Please read at your own discretion.

"Did you hear me, Carissa?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Carissa had once again been caught daydreaming by none other than Lucas. It was the middle of her work day during her break and he had been talking to her about something that involved food, though she wasn't too sure if there were any more details; the feeling of Harry's kiss still rippled on her cheek, and she touched the spot to try and mimic how it had felt. He wasn't present at the moment, but she could still feel his presence lingering.

"I asked you if tomorrow would be okay for our date? We're going out to that Greek taverna you love."

She hated Greek food, but Lucas loved it- she always played along, pretending that olives and feta didn't make her want to gag. Unlike Harry, Lucas always informed her of where he was taking her, which killed the element of surprise that she craved so often.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Is something wrong, babe?"

She cringed at the word 'babe'. She much preferred being called 'princess' by the man with thick, brown curls and electric green eyes; the pet name always trickled from his soft, plump lips in the form of caramel.

"No, I'm fine," she plastered a smile on her face, hoping he couldn't tell that it wasn't him she was thinking about, "I'm just a little tired."

"Did you go anywhere last night?"

"Yeah, actually. I hung out with Harry."

"Styles?" he frowned.

"Yeah," she replied, unsure if he was angry or not, "we had sandwiches and we watched the fireworks and stuff."

"Where?"

"Malibu."

He nodded as if he already knew they were there- Agoura Hills wasn't the best spot for watching fireworks anyway.

"Did you have a good time?"

"I...yeah, I guess. I mean-"

"That's good," he interrupted. Clearly he wasn't in the mood to discuss how her night went. "Babe, I'm gonna head to the pool."

"Okay," she wondered if he was leaving because he had gotten upset, "I'll see you later. And tomorrow after work, right? I'll meet you there."

He waved to her, smiling at her with sincerity. He really had changed- before, he wouldn't have held his tongue if she said something he didn't like. She watched him leave the kitchen- she figured she would be worried that he departed her on bad terms, but all she could think of was Harry.

***

"What the fuck do you want?" Harry snarled, shooting Lucas a dirty look as he toweled off. Harry had just gotten out of the pool to take a break, for he had been swimming laps all morning. He was rather proud- every lap he completed was at least two seconds faster than the last. Of course, just before he made his way to the vending machine for a drink, Lucas showed up flaunting his chiseled abdomen. He certainly cleaned himself up over the last few months- there was no doubt of what Carissa saw in him, especially now that he was much kinder than he was before.

It was particularly strange that his change in character occurred right when Harry had caught her attention. However, he couldn't blame her- Lucas had everything she could ever need, and he was clearly the better swimmer.

"Look, I just wanted to say thank you for taking Carissa out last night. She never spends the Fourth of July with anybody other than me-" Lucas began, trying to stall Harry from progressing into the change rooms. Lucas mirrored his movements until he paused his attempt in trying to get past him.

"It wasn't a date-"

"-but she really appreciated it-"

"Okay."

Harry got tired of listening to the fool garble on like the perfect boyfriend (or to-be-again-boyfriend) he was and pushed past him into the showers. He didn't follow, which rid Harry of the burden of punching Lucas in his jaw for being persistent. He made his way into a stall and let the water run until steam billowed up into the rest of the room. He stripped himself down and squeezed the excess water from his swim trunks before setting them on the bench. Carefully, he stepped under the stream of water, letting his stiff muscles relax under the heat. He ran his hand through the chlorine-soaked hair while his other supported his weight as he extended his arm straight out, pushing against the taupe, tiled wall. The water burned his skin- the feeling wasn't foreign or unpleasant; rather, it made him feel calmer.

He thought of her in the midst of trying to determine how hot the water really was. He thought of how the colour of her eyes reminded him of the colour of leaves just before winter rolled around. Her hair smelled like the flowers that his sister used to keep on her windowsill. She had small hands; she had soft skin; she ultimately had Lucas. Harry slammed his palm against the wall, hanging his head and wiping his nose with the back of his free hand. He exhaled, trying to rid his lungs of all the steam he had breathed in.

He stared down at the ink that decorated his skin. Perhaps if he cut all of his ties with her and got a small jasmine flower to remind himself of how she made him feel, he could survive without actually being with her. All they had been was touch and go- they didn't have anything more to go on than just lust anyway.

He clenched his fists to bring himself back to earth, shutting off the tap. He stood stationary, wondering if anything he had been thinking for the last five minutes made any sense at all. Every thought was about her; he wanted her more than anyone. He came down to one conclusion: he was truly obsessed with her.

He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He grabbed his things and walked to his locker, unlocking it to find his phone lying on top of his jeans- he felt an impulse surge through him; he punched in a number and sent a message.

***

The next day, Harry walked into work with a foolish grin on his face. Life could not be better; things could not be smoother; he was getting the girl, he was sure of it. He spotted Carissa beating egg whites. Her hair was pin straight and half of it was drawn back in a ponytail- a look he wasn't familiar with. He wondered how she managed to keep it looking perfect through the rain that currently poured outside. The closer he got to her, the more like lavender she smelled. He frowned, wondering why she had changed from jasmine after all the weeks of sticking with it.

"Morning."

She didn't reply. He stepped closer to her, reaching out to tap her shoulder.

"Mor-"

"Don't touch me."

He was taken aback by the harshness of her tone and drew his hand back- as if he had done something wrong.

"Is something the matter?"

She slammed the metal bowl full of egg whites down on the station, sending some of it out onto the counter.

"Don't you put on the fucking 'oh, I don't know what you're talking about' act- you know exactly what you did."

"I really don't-"

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and unlocked it, shoving the little screen in Harry's face. He read a string of messages coming from one person.



Last night was fun, wasn't it? A quick one at the beach was such a good idea.

Fuck, you were insane; you getting me off in a minute is more than the bitch could've done in six hours.

I should've left while I had the chance.

Babe, text me back. I wanna know if I can come over tonight.

Morgannnnnnn.

Well, I'm leaving the pool now- wear that set I got you last month if I see you tonight.



The number on the screen was set to his name. His mouth went dry.

"Wait...what?"

"You sent these to me instead Morgan, Harry," she spat, "and you're a fucking pig, I hope you know that."

"Those weren't from me!"

"They were! This is your number. You were texting her. How stupid-"

"I- well it's my number and I texted you yesterday, but I'm telling you I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me!" she yelled, her cheeks red with rage, "You think you can treat me like an easy fuck because I was vulnerable? Well-"

"You? Vulnerable? You were begging me-"

"Only because you made me! You forced me to say those things! And you're going off with that girl from the beach-!"

"Fuck, please, it's not like you and I are together," he said a little too nonchalantly. She took a step back, her face dropping significantly. "Fuck- no, I didn't mean-"

"You're horrible," she whispered, turning away from him and resuming where she left off with eggs.

"I meant it's not like you were even going to consider me-"

"I don't want to hear it!" she shouted, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a deep breath.

"Carissa, please-"

"Miss Lim," she corrected, "just...just go."

"But-"

"Leave!"

Harry pursed his lips and stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing his coat on the way out. He cursed before slamming the back door shut.

Once she was alone, she hung her head and sobbed into her hands. He was seeing someone else. That's why the thought of being with him caused such an uproar in her chest- somehow she knew that he was too good to be true. She told him about her family and her childhood, about her likes and dislikes, about her first kiss, about her fears, and she realized that all of it was for nothing. For every step she took forward, he would push her back two. This is why Lucas hated him so much: he was a ladies' man, and he always would be. He had no trouble being promiscuous, and she wasn't even sure if what he told her about himself was true- all she knew was that she knew nothing about him anymore, if she ever did to begin with.

She tried to convince herself she didn't care about him, and she couldn't. Throughout the day, she would see little things that reminded her of him: the egg station where he tried to get her to train him longer, the pantry where he got mad at her for considering seeing Lucas again, the sink where she forced him to clean on his first day, the empty station where he would always eat his lunch while on his break and where he left his keys a few days ago, the office where he had taken her on Mr. Dale's desk- it was all too much. If he wasn't lying, he would've made the effort to convince her that he was innocent. 'It's not like you and I are together', his voice kept repeating in her head like a broken record player. She heard her own voice reply, but I really wish we were.

Tonight was her date with Lucas, and she was determined to forget about Harry. She would tell Lucas that she wanted to get back together with him for good. Stability was safe, but she still couldn't get the brown, curly mop of hair out of her mind.

Before work ended, she changed out of her clothes and into a red dress with small white dots scattered about. It hugged her bust and the skirt flowed down to the knee from her waist. She put on red heels, then observed her face in the bathroom mirror. A faint feeling in her chest wondered what Harry would think- enough of that boy! He's toxic; he's a pig!

Her hair was, miraculously, still the same as she had styled it in the morning. The only indication that could have let Lucas know she was crying was the redness of her nose- she'd tell him it was because it was raining and cold out.

At the thought of the rain, she looked out the window and saw how heavy it was; if she hadn't known what rain was, she probably would've thought someone had an enormous shower head and was trying to play a funny joke on the patrons in the building. She grabbed her coat and carried it over her head, taking her keys out of her purse and stepping outside into the wet, dark back street.

Only her car wasn't there. The shitty station wagon wasn't in sight. Anger licked at her throat; she let out a curse in exasperation- just when she thought the day couldn't have gotten worse, her car had gotten stolen. Her jacket was getting soaked, and the restaurant was at the other side of town. Each of her coworkers with cars had left, and she didn't want to bother Vince, who had children at home to get back to. A cab ride would've costed her more than forty dollars. Maybe she could catch a bus and apologize for being late on the first date Lucas had planned since before their breakup.

She walked out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, lit by nothing more than streetlights and 'OPEN' signs in shop windows as her feet carried her to the nearest bus stop a block down. Carissa pulled her phone out and tried to hold up her coat and dial Lucas' number at the same time when a black Range Rover pulled up to her. She took a step back. The man inside rolled down his window.

"Go away. I mean it."

"I'm not letting you wait an hour in the rain for the bus."

"The bus comes every twenty minutes. I don't need your help."

"This bus has been delayed- accident on Main."

"I'll wait," she snapped, shoving her phone back into her purse with a scowl on her face and her free arm around her waist to keep herself warm.

"Why are you dressed up?"

"Don't talk to me."

"Are..." he paused, examining her dress which was getting ruined by the rain. "are you meeting him?"

"Why the fuck would you care? Isn't Morgan expecting you? Why are you even here?"

"I-"

"You know what? Don't even answer that. Leave me alone."

"Would you stop being difficult for two fucking minutes?" he roared, causing her to step back again. He put his car into park and shut off the engine. Harry stepped out of the car and briskly walked over to her, not getting too close. His height still scared her slightly, but she stood her ground. She saw him searching her eyes for any sign of what they had before- he certainly wasn't going to get any of it now. He held out his keys.

"Take them. No, don't look at me like that," he murmured, "just take the keys and drive there. Drive it to work tomorrow. I'll pick it up when I get here."

She didn't move. He resorted to grabbing her hand and prying it open as she struggled to pull away, but he still managed to give her the keys. His hair was getting drenched- he kept having to push it out of the way. His eyes seemed brighter in the dark. The sweater he had on wasn't nearly enough to keep the water from seeping through the fabric and wetting his skin underneath.

"I don't want anything from you!" she yelled, throwing the keys at his chest as he brought his arms up to quickly catch them, "Go and meet your fucking girlfriend!"

"Even if I were dating her, why the hell would you care so much? You have Lucas, don't you? Why are you getting so upset over something I didn't do?"

"Because I care about you!" Carissa let her voice whittle away from loud to frail, "I cared..."

She brought up her hand to hide the tears that came streaming from her eyes- she couldn't let him see her like this. She hoped she came off as annoyed and that her tears could pass off as raindrops rolling down her cheeks.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he opened the passenger door and waited by it. She looked at him and his face full of concern.

"Please," he said calmly, "I'm not going to ask you again."

She inhaled and relaxed her head. This is just something a co-worker would do. He's not trying to change my mind, she told herself. She tread carefully over and got in. He shut the door behind her and went around to his side, climbing in and starting the car. He didn't look at her, and she didn't look at him.

"Where are you going?"

"The Greek taverna on the other side of town."

He nodded and headed off, turning the wheel and taking the closest exit to the freeway. He didn't seem to mind that her wet hair was going to stain the headrest, or that he didn't have dry clothes to change into. The heater was cranked to the highest level, filling the car with the whir of it and the sound of the occasional sniffle from Carissa.

"Why were you at the restaurant?" she asked. She kept her eyes on the road.

"I was listening to the radio and they announced that a station wagon was stolen with your licence plate number."

"You know my licence plate number?"

"I pay attention," he shrugged.

They were silent again. She found it strange that he paid that much attention to detail- sometimes she forgot her own licence plate number. Still, the fact that he drove over to offer her a ride she could've downright denied said a lot about him.

Just then, the engine of Harry's car sputtered and the car started to jolt, heaving back a couple times. He managed to pull to the side of the highway before the car gave in and shut down completely.

"Fuck- honestly-" he huffed, trying to start the car up. Nothing happened. "How much time until you have to meet him?"

"Ten minutes."

"Wait here."

He pulled the lever that opened the hood of his car and stepped out into the rainstorm, leaving Carissa shivering inside at the lack of heat. She saw him prop the hood up and fumble with the plugs and odd bits that she wouldn't have dared to touch. She heard the rain come down harder. After a few minutes, she opened the car door.

"Carissa, don't you dare get out of car-"

Too late. She was already outside. Her drying hair got wet once again, and her dress was well past saving. He rushed over and opened the passenger door for her.

"Get in," he remarked boldly, taking off his sweater and handing it to her.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Please get in," he corrected.

"I was just wondering if you needed help-"

"I don't. Please get in- I don't want you to get sick."

She complied and took the sweater. Don't let his sweet words fool you, Carissa, her conscience reminded her. Another five minutes passed and Harry finally stepped back into the car. He sighed and pushed the wet hair from his face. She stared at his chest- his white tee clung to his defined torso under the weight of the water that his shirt soaked up.

"This is my fault," Harry said, tugging at his hair before exhaling and smoothing out his damp locks.

"What?"

"You're late for your date, and I just-"

"It's okay-"

"-I'm really sorry."

She looked at him as he shook his head, resting his forearms on the steering wheel and clasping his hands together. He sighed again, then reached into his pant pocket for his cellphone. He was going to dial the number of the tow truck when he caught Carissa shivering out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, he reached behind him and grabbed his leather jacket. He draped it over the front of her petite frame, which was already covered by his hoodie. When she tried to refuse it, he held up his hand to stop her from shrugging it off. Carissa obeyed.

She felt his hand hold onto hers- she very nearly pulled back, but realized that he was trying to warm them up. Her dress was now a dark maroon, and some strands of her hair were plastered to the pale skin of her face.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"You're more important right now. I'll call you a taxi."

He had been avoiding her eyes the entire time. She wanted to see them. She didn't really care about the texts anymore. He punched in the number of the local cab company on his phone.

"I-I care about you too, you know," he said quietly as he waited for someone to pick up the call. She turned to face him- he was looking down at his lap and massaging her left hand with his right absentmindedly. "I don't think I'll ever stop."

Carissa leaned into him across the console and grabbed the phone from his hands. She pressed the end button and set it on the dashboard. He turned his head just in time so that her lips were mere inches from his own. Their breathing became slightly audible; he parted his lips; his hand came up to her face and caressed her cheek ever so gently; their eyes fluttered shut; their lips met in a slow, sultry embrace, focused on quality, not quantity. They went for another- paced like the gradual thum thum of a sleeping heart- and another after that. His lips felt even softer than they had been upon her cheek. He knew exactly how to move his mouth in such a way that would leave her anticipating the next kiss. They were both shivering from the cold, but it seemed like a minor detail. Neither of them knew how indulgent a single kiss could've been.

She gracefully climbed over the console and into his lap. He suddenly stopped their passion.

"We can't-" he started, turning away and smoothing his hair again.

"Please," she whispered, kissing him just as they did before, hoping he would resume. He kissed back, but kept his hands off of her.

"But what- what about Lucas? We can't-" he stammered between kisses. She cupped his face between her hands and broke apart from his lips just enough so she could shake her head and stare straight at the green in his eyes. She kissed him once more, long and leisurely, until his hands found their way to the area of her hips where her dress bunched up.

"Can I-?" he whispered hoarsely. Before he could finish, she kissed him again. She placed her hands over his, which were gingerly grazing the folds of her dress, awaiting permission. While she locked her lips with his, she egged him to push her dress up higher by moving his hands with hers. The feeling of his palms on the clammy skin of her hips instantly warmed them both up, their hearts beating faster and faster as her dress progressively inched higher up her body until he lifted it up off her arms. He made sure to savour every touch.

He marvelled at her; he knew she was stunning, but up close she was more than he could've asked for in any woman. The small swell of her breasts were cupped in a strapless, white bra, her sex was covered by white satin, and her feet were still dressed in red pumps. He couldn't shake the fact that she put this on for Lucas, but he wouldn't complain; he'd take her however she would deliver herself.

She ghosted her hands down his stomach and peeled his wet tee up his body. He lifted his arms to make her job easier, and once she took it off, she tossed it into the seat beside them, along with her dress. He kissed her, but when he went to hold her waist, he felt her hands grip his wrists- one pinned to the console; the other pinned to his door. The lightly tinted windows had fogged up significantly since their clothes came off.

"What-?" he asked, but was cut off by Carissa's kiss. She ground her hips up and down and in circles over his pants, causing him to groan into her mouth. She moved her lips along the curve of his jaw, trickling down his neck and across his collar bones, which were slightly wet from the rain. She released one of his hands and ran it through the soaking curls- his arm slumped down to his side; he understood that she didn't want him to touch her just yet.

Carissa leaned to her left and pulled the lever at the side of his seat that made it recline. Now they were both nearly parallel to the floor, and she straddled his lap, pushing up on his chest. She could feel his hardness straining through his pants under her weight. She noticed his hands hovering at her sides, not daring to come in contact with her skin, as he stared up at her body.

She shifted back slightly and leaned in to kiss the length of his torso down to the waist of the tan slacks he had on. Harry's muscles tightened at the sensation of her puckered lips trailing down his stomach while he lay down. She traced the outline of his growing erection with her mouth, earning her a soft profanity from his lips.

Her hands fiddled with the button and zipper as her back lightly pushed up against the steering wheel. She pulled down his pants and he kicked them off- along with his shoes- when they were at his calves; she would never get over how beautiful he looked. He was perfectly sculpted and defined; a god of the heavens. Their eyes met with no lust present, and she unclasped her bra. It fell from her torso; his eyes widened from hunger. Carissa shifted back up his body, but he stopped her from grazing over his exposed member.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded, kissing him to shut him up. She kneeled over him with her knees on either side of his hips. She reached behind her and took a hold of his cock, positioning it at her core. Harry helped by pushing the satin material that covered her entrance to the side so he could enter her. She was already wet- he wondered if she was always this ready for him.

She lowered herself onto his length, letting his size fill her up slowly and patiently. Strained whimpers and moans fell from their throats in the form of choppy curse words and raspy, gritted versions of each other's names. His hands lightly grasped her hips as the soft skin of her inner thighs finally touched his pelvis. He grasped her neck gently and pulled her down to kiss her again- he enjoyed how she felt. He loved how she moved in sync with him; how her lips massaged his; how just after they broke apart, she swiped her tongue over her lips to taste him again.

She started to move her hips up and down. Carissa clamped her eyes shut, wanting to hold onto the sensation for as long as he could. She didn't know if this- whatever they had- would even last, and that caused her to want to take everything as slow as they could. She didn't want heated embraces and hasty sex- she wanted him, entirely.

The feeling of her lowering herself onto him again and again drove Harry insane- the slow bob of her body and the passionate connection of their lips in the tiny vicinity they had to work with; the thick fog on the windows, obscuring the outside world from their romance; the rain coming down from the dark sky above like bullets against the roof of his car; the thrill of getting caught by an innocent passerby; the sound of her sweet voice whispering his name; the thin sheen of perspiration cloaking their bodies; her hands gripping onto his biceps, digging her nails into his skin in attempts to contain her inner prowess; sounds of their desire filling the space for an infinite amount of time, lost in their own little world where no one could disrupt the beautiful picture they painted together.

He thrust upwards just enough to meet her hips as they came down upon him- they were like dancers moving to a lazy rhythm. They inhaled deep and exhaled deeper; they were losing their minds. Harry's hands made their way up her waist and to her chest, grazing his thumbs over her nipples before leaning forward and sucking on both of them. She shivered at his touch; at the feeling of his lips suctioning around her breasts. He wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her back down with him so she was laying on him with him holding her to his chest. She felt the trail of hair on his stomach tickle her skin upon contact. He impaled her again, gradually picking up the speed. Their sticky foreheads pressed together as her body jerked up against his sweaty skin with every meeting of her center and the hilt of his cock, driving into her harder and harder at an even pace. She loved how even though they went steadily, he could still bring about the ruthless aspect of pounding into her, save the anger. The sound of their skin slapping together filled their ears.

"H-Harry-" she whimpered. He brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear; his other arm still clung onto her, as if she would float back to Lucas if he didn't hold tight enough.

"What is it, love?" he managed to let out before feeling her walls clench around him. He hissed at the tightness around his cock.

"I- I want to c-"

"Don't ask," he thrust into her with a bit more force and went faster, desperate to bring her to the edge, "just- fuck, just do it."

Moans of pleasure left her throat; Harry kissed her hard to remind her of who was making her come undone. Her spine arched, grinding her hip bones into his. He pushed into her as far as he could, holding himself there while her body shook with every wave of ecstasy that rolled through her. He could feel her excitement seep from her core down the part of his cock that couldn't fit inside her. His groans filled the car too, and together they made haunting music for only the two of them to share.

By now, they couldn't see anybody outside, and no one could see in. The warmth they exchanged radiated from them; they were one in that moment.

Her trembling body slumped into his when she came down from her high. He stroked her hair- now wavy after being exposed to the rain- and pressed little kisses to her temple and cheek. He was still hard inside her, and he wished she would move.

"You haven't cum yet," she whispered, giggling as she twirled a piece of his hair on her finger. Carissa bit her lip as she remembered how he looked when an orgasm came over him- his eyes would screw shut, his muscles would clench, and he would swear and swear and swear until he couldn't find any more words to combine together to help alleviate the tension in his lower abdomen.

"Regrettably," he teased, kissing her forehead and putting on a corny pout. She pulled away from him, letting out a gasp at the feeling of emptiness as his length fell from her folds. She climbed back into the passenger seat, threw their clothes into the back and coaxed him to join her with delirious eyes and a curl of her index finger. Carissa reclined the seat as far as it would go and scooted back. He sighed and ran his hand through his damp hair, clumsily making his way over to her side. His car was big, but clearly he wasn't cut out for having sex in it.

"I owe you new sets of undergarments, don't I?" he asked jokingly, kissing her nose before slowly pulling her panties down her legs.

"Shh," she beckoned, kissing him, "we'll discuss that later."

Harry held Carissa's face while he kissed her. His other hand traced circles into her thigh, leaving goosebumps in his finger's wake. She entwined her digits with his and held his hand as he leaned between her legs and let his mouth convey what he wanted to say. There was a small moment where she parted her lips to deepen the kiss, and his tongue prodded into hers. She expected him to kiss her hungrily, but he remained slow. Their tongues caressed each other as their bodies had done several minutes before. He tugged her bottom lip between his teeth, eliciting a mewl of despair from her. Their embrace was not just human nature; it was an art form.

Upon the spreading of her legs, he slid the head of his cock upon the length of her slit, causing her to clench her muscles at the ticklish contact before he pushed into her. She would never get used to how deep he could go. He began moving, keeping a steady rhythm. He leaned down and buried his face in the crook of her neck, licking her clammy skin and blowing on the little wet patches to create a hot and cold sensation so she would shiver and tighten around him.

He moved faster; she squeezed his hand to relieve herself; he plowed into her harder; her cries became more audible; his grunts became raspier, her name spilling from his mouth like a prayer; the car shook with every thrust he delivered; her hand wriggled into the small space between their bodies so she could rub her clit and bring herself to the edge again; he kissed the place above her heart so he could feel the rapid beating that he induced; she clutched him in her arms as another orgasm pulsed through her. The feeling of her quaking limbs and her nails dragging down his back pushed him over- he pulled out of her just in time, sending his hot cum onto her chest in spurts. He couldn't think straight- all he wanted was to kiss her until he expired from lightheadedness.

He huffed and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then grabbed his shirt from the back seat- which was still wet- and cleaned up the sweat on her body. He dragged the cloth across her skin slowly; delicately, and made sure she wasn't by any means sticky anymore. He finished by wiping away his fluid from her chest. Carissa sighed at his touch, completely spent of her energy.

"You won't have anything to wear," she whispered. He handed her her undergarments, which she promptly put on.

"It's fine. I have a sweater," he pulled on his pants and fastened the button. Harry lay on his side beside her and pressed her back to his chest, hugging her tightly. He kissed her cheek, nuzzled his face into her hair, and interlocked his fingers with hers.

Harry suddenly realized something. He sat up and massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger, screwing his eyes shut.

"What is it?" she asked upon the removal of his body from hers.

"We shouldn't have done that."

He couldn't stand the thought of Lucas' hands on her. Harry wanted her so badly it hurt. He quickly grabbed his phone off of the dashboard and dialed the cab company's number again.

"Harry-"

"Hello? Hi. Yes, I need someone to pick me up on Highway 10- my car broke down and- yeah, we're just pulled over to the side, you'll see us. Five minutes? Okay. Thanks."

He sighed and climbed back onto his side, readjusting his seat back to normal. He reached into the back seat and got his sweater, zipping it up all the way so no one could tell he was shirtless underneath. He also grabbed his leather jacket and held it out for Carissa. She frowned.

"What do you mean 'we shouldn't have done that'?"

The rain was still heavy outside. He wished it came down heavier so he would have a reason to pretend not to hear her question. Harry didn't want to answer her.

"Put it on," he demanded firmly, shaking his hand with the jacket in it again, "The cab's gonna be here soon."

"Not until you answer me," she snapped. He groaned and dialed the number for a tow truck. He spoke to a nasally female voice who assured him someone would be there in less than fifteen minutes.

"I'm not going to ask you again-" he said after the call was done. He nudged the jacket in her face before she cut him off.

"Did you just...did we...because you felt bad for me?" she stammered.

"What? No, I just-"

"Then why did you you say that we shouldn't have-"

"Because," he huffed, "you have him. And I can't keep pretending that you and I...that you and I are..."

"What?"

"That we're together."

His eyes darted away and held his jacket out for her. She took it out of his hand and slipped it on, zipping it up all the way so her body was covered. They sat in silence for a bit until she mustered the courage to speak up.

"I wish we were."

Harry turned his head and gazed at her. Carissa was sitting in his jacket- clearly too large for her and sitting past the middle of her thighs- with her dark hair disheveled and her cheeks and lips reddened after their affair; she had never looked more beautiful.

They turned around at the sight of headlights approaching from behind the car. Harry stepped out of the car to greet whoever it was. Carissa slumped in her seat and tried to replay whatever just happened as clearly as she could; Lucas was irrelevant. She knew from the moment she had laid eyes on him that if she were going to try and rid Harry from her head, it would be a lengthy trek into the realm of impossible.

Her car door opened a minute later. Harry smirked and held out a hand for her to grasp as she climbed down from the car. Her legs were weak, and the cold air nipped at her bare legs as she made it to the taxi. She realized that she looked quite silly in the oversized jacket. Harry held his hands over her head to try and prevent the rain from hitting her head until he caught the cab driver ogling at her.

"You keep your fucking eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel, you hear me?" he barked, glaring the pitiful man down until he nodded.

"You're not coming with me?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head, "I have to wait for the tow truck."

He kissed her cheek once more before opening the door of the yellow car. She stepped in, and before she knew it, the car drove off. The last she saw of Harry that night was the picture of him waving at her from the roadside, his hair getting ridiculously drenched again.

***

Carissa pulled her heels off and unzipped Harry's jacket. She flicked on the lights and waltzed in her undergarments down the hallway to her bedroom; she was in a state of bliss that she was sure she wouldn't be able to replicate again.

Her bedroom was dark, and upon her arrival she was sure she saw a tall figure standing outside her window. Her heart paused and Carissa nearly cried out in fear. In a hurry, she turned on the light, but her eyes did not deceive her this time- just as the bulbs sent brightness flooding into the room, the tall figure darted away into the bushes. She cowered, afraid to get any closer to the window than she already was.

Carissa's apartment was at the bottom of a hill, so her second floor window was only a few feet higher than the downward incline of the sidewalk. Someone tall was peering in- she was sure of it. She called the police, and they said they'd be there right away. Her instinct led her to call the next person that came to mind- Harry- but he didn't pick up. She called again, and another time, but nothing.

She ventured into her bathroom cautiously to get her bathrobe. She grabbed the lamp from her bedside afterwards and held it up in defence just in case anybody decided to pop out of a dark corner in her home. She went into her kitchen and sat on the floor with her lamp in one hand and her phone in the other. She resorted to calling Lucas.

"Carissa! Jesus, are you okay?" he questioned frantically. She knew he would always pick her calls up, even at twelve at night.

"Yeah...something came up at work, and I'm so, so sorry-"

"Don't worry about it, babe. Next time, yeah?"

"Um, yeah," she faltered, unsure if his date proposal would be relevant anymore since she and Harry exchanged silent promises to one another, "but the strangest thing just happened."

"What?"

"I got home, right? And I see this...this person standing outside my window."

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not! I literally walk into my room and see him, and when I turned on the light he ran away."

"What the hell? Did you see who it was?"

"No," she sighed, rubbing her eyes, "He was tall, and that's all I can pull from it."

"Did you call the police?" he asked, concern flooding his voice.

"Yeah, I did. They're going to be here in a few minutes. I called Harry too, but he didn't pick up."

"Harry? Why would you call him?"

"I- well, I don't...why wouldn't I?"

She expected him to get angry at her. He didn't.

"He goes out at night."

"He's probably with friends-" she tried reasoning. He's out with friends? cackled her conscience, More like fucking you in his car.

"No, Carissa, you don't understand- he stays out. He never invites any of his friends, and I know most of them. They've told me before that they try to call him and he never picks up. I thought you knew that."

"Why would he stay out?"

"You're asking me? The guy won't let me within ten feet of him without telling me to fuck off. All of us guess that he's with whatever girl has taken a liking to him, but shortly after, she's gone. We never hear about them after. It's almost like they never existed."

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knocking at her door. They announced that they were the police.

"I have to go, Lucas. I'm sorry about tonight."

"It's fine. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. Good night."

She got up and checked her peephole to make sure it was the police. Carissa let them in, and they searched her house (and took samples from the foliage outside), asked her questions, and got all of her information before leaving. The only thing is that they didn't ask how she was feeling, and she felt sick to her stomach.

The figure she saw was tall. It was lean. It knew where she lived, and was clearly waiting for her. The taxi driver took a longer route back to her apartment, meaning that Harry would have probably gotten to her place before she did. She swore that the figure's eyes could've been the slightest hint of green too.

All of us guess that he's with whatever girl has taken a liking to him, but shortly after, she's gone. We never hear about them after. It's almost like they never existed

It was an unnatural occurrence for Carissa to feel so afraid, and it was even more unnatural for her to feel like she had someone to point a finger at:

Could the figure have been Harry?