hospitality ❥ h.s

ten

I was putting away all the stuff we bought in the fridge when I got the idea. Rowan was sitting on a stool behind the counter, not speaking a word. She had a blank expression on her face, and her eyes showed no emotion. My heart broke for her.

"What do you want for dinner?" I finally asked her, my voice showing a slight desperation to it. But I didn't care. "I've got pasta, chicken and rice, and we can even order some pizza if you'd like."

Rowan shrugged her shoulders, keeping that same look on her face. "I don't know, I'm not really in the mood for dinner."

I sighed. "Rowan, you have to eat something. You're not looking really well, you know." She was pretty pale at the moment; it looked as if she had just lost all the blood in her body. "Is this about your sister?"

Our eyes locked. Rowan sighed and nodded, her shoulders slumping a bit. "She's quite the person, isn't she?"

"Aah, I don't know. She didn't seem like my type of girl."

"You have a type?" Rowan asked, raising her eyebrow amusingly. I laughed and nodded while Rowan giggled softly. "Alright. What would you consider to be your type?"

"Uhm, I like brunettes," I began, "with blue eyes. And girls who smile way too much for their own good." The small smile Rowan was wearing gradually increased the more I talked. I took that as a good sign. "But I also like girls with a sense of humor, which is very important when it comes to starting a relationship with me." I paused. "But most of all, I like girls who aren't afraid of standing up for themselves, no matter how difficult the situation may be."

Her smile faded as soon as she processed that last part. "Is this your way of saying that you want me to go to the dinner?"

"Well, not necessarily the dinner, but I definitely think you should make amends with your family. Especially your sister."

"But Harry, it's complicated," she said, now frowning. "You don't know what I have to put up with. She hates me."

"No, I'm sure she doesn't hate you," I objected.

"Yes she does, you don't know what she's like at home."

"Well, maybe if you start being nicer towards her, she'll change her behaviour around you."

"That won't work."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked. I couldn't give up on this, I had to make her fix things with Sydney.

"Because she hates me." I rolled my eyes. "It's true!"

"No it's not."

"Yes it is! God Harry, you're so stubborn!" She yelled, burying her face in her hands.

"I know you are but what am I?"

She looked up. "Don't you dare turn this into a merely childish conversation. Not this, not this time."

I gulped down a lump that was stuck in my throat. "Sorry. I was just trying to lighten up the mood." Her eyes softened at my tone of voice, clearly sorry that she had sounded so mad at my hopeful attempt.

"It's fine, it's just not the time for childish bickering."

"I understand." My hand took hold of hers as I said this, my thumb rubbing the soft palm of her hand. "I just want to fix things between you and Sydney." Rowan nodded and gave me a small smile. She paused before responding.

"I quit school because of her, did you know that?" My eyes widened at her statement.

"You did what?"