Louis
I watched as my parents' minivan backed out of the driveway before I picked up my phone and texted Harry.
Me: Would u like to come watch a movie at my house?
My heart started racing in my chest. What was I doing? I'd already blurred the lines today at the hole. I should have never talked with Harry about secret desires. But just thinking about the intense gleam in his eyes as I'd explained what I wanted to experience made my body flush with excitement.
Harry: Ur parents?
He knew my parents well enough to know they would never be okay with me spending time with him. I hated how everyone assumed the worst about Harry. Just because his mum was trash didn't mean he was. He had the same blood in him that Liam did.
Me: Out of town 2night
My step-dad had planned a surprise weekend getaway for my parents' anniversary. I'd known about it for a week, but he'd just told my mom this afternoon. They were both safely on the road to Birmingham now.
My phone rang, startling me so badly that I dropped it. Scrambling to pick it up, I worried it might be Liam. I'd never be able to keep the guilt out of my voice if I had to talk to him.
It was Harry.
"Hello?" I said.
"I'll leave my truck at the park and walk to your house through the woods. Unlock the back door for me."
He didn't want anyone to see his truck here. I knew it was for my benefit, but it was probably best he didn't park outside my house. He was just my friend, but . . . he was also a boy. A bad boy. Louis Tomlinson didn't have bad boys over while his parents were away.
"Okay, if that's what you want to do."
"It is." His deep voice made me feel tingly inside.
"I'll see you in a little while then," I replied.
"Yeah," he said before he hung up. I stared down at the phone; I was torn between excitement and fear. I was going to get to spend more time alone with Harry. I'd missed him. Being able to be honest with someone was nice. I didn't have to pretend. Then there was also the fact I liked the way his eyes sent shivers over my body as he stared at me. There was something wicked about Harry that drew me to him. What was wrong with me? Why did I want to sin so badly?
I dropped the phone on my bed and headed to the shower. I wouldn't think about the rule I was breaking. This wasn't anything bad. It was a small rule if you thought about rules in general. I mean there were bigger rules I could break. Besides I needed to break some rules before I went crazy.
* * *
A light knock on the back door sent the butterflies flapping around in my stomach into a frenzy. I heard the latch on the door as it opened and closed. I quickly slipped on a white eyelet sundress after trying on several other more casual outfits; I'd decided I wanted to look nicer. The short I had on we're just above my knees, more on the tighter side, so it looked casual enough for a movie night. Maybe . . .sort of. I studied my feet. I decided to stay barefoot. Even more casual.
I headed down the hall to greet my guest. The air entering my lungs was stalled when I saw Harry standing in the kitchen. Black had always looked good on him, but having him stand in my kitchen in a tight black T-shirt and a pair of low-riding jeans made me a little dizzy. When my vision began to blur, I realized I was holding my breath.
"Hey," I managed to say, mentally cringing at the breathless sound in my voice.
He nodded and gave me a small smile before walking over to the fridge and opening it.
"I'm thirsty. Can I have a Coke?" he asked without looking back at me.
"Um, yeah, sure. I ordered pizza too. It should be here in a few minutes. If you're hungry."
He closed the fridge door, opened the can of Coke in his hand, and then took a swig.
"I'm always hungry," he replied.
"Okay, good." I didn't know what else to say. I'd invited Harry to my house to watch a movie. Now he was here, filling up my house with his sexiness, and I didn't know what to say. He walked toward me, grinning.
"Relax, Lou. It's just me." He nodded his head toward the living room. "Let's go see what kind of movie selection you've got these days."
Swallowing nervously, I turned and headed to the living room. This was a bad idea. I was acting like an idiot. This wasn't the way friends acted. If I wanted him to be my friend, I needed to start acting like one and not a love-struck moron.
"I rented two movies from the Redbox. If you don't like either, you can pick from the ones I have in my room, but I'm warning you now that they are
mostly romantic comedies. The ones I rented are probably more your speed."
I kept my back to him because my cheeks were getting warm and I hated the idea of him seeing me blush. I was being so silly. I reached for the two action movies I'd rented and started to turn around to show him when he moved in behind me. I froze. My body went on high alert, and I took several gulps of air.
"Let me see." His mouth was surprisingly close to my ear. Then his arm reached around me and he snatched the movies from my grasp. When our hands brushed, I sucked in a quick breath. For a second he paused then moved away quickly. My crazy behavior had to be making him uncomfortable.
"Good choice. I've been wanting to see both of these, but Nicole and I don't usually watch movies."
Nicole's name was like a bucket of cold water. He was subtly reminding me he wasn't here for anything more than a movie with a friend-which was true. I just needed to stop lusting after him and everything would be fine.
I pivoted around on the balls of my feet. "Okay, good. Well, pick one and put it in. I'm going to go get my money before the pizza gets here."
But first I am going to splash cold water on my face and calm down, I thought. I didn't wait for his response before I fled the room.
The doorbell rang while I was shuffling through my purse for money. The delivery guy would probably be someone from school. Harry answering the door didn't seem like the best idea. I rushed out of my bedroom door and came face-to-face with Harry. Or, more accurate, face to chest. A very yummy-smelling chest. I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
"I'll wait here while you pay," he said in a low whisper. I nodded and stepped
around him.
The moment I opened the door, I was instantly relieved Harry was hiding. It was a starting lineman on the football team named Craiton Johnson.
"How's it going, Lou?" Craiton asked, smiling.
"Um, good, thanks."
"I guess you're missing Liam."
I nodded. "Yes, I am." I handed him the money, "Keep the change, and thanks."
His grin got bigger. "Cool, thanks, Louis. See ya around."
I returned his smile and closed the door.
Harry stepped out of the hallway. "That smells good."
It did smell good, but I doubted I could actually eat. Harry took the box out of my hand and walked over to the couch and set it down in front of him on the coffee table.
