Status: Will be slow in updates as am still in full time education but will try to update as regularly as possible

Better for You

Chapter 49

Mr Richards finished the lecture, informing us of the reading that was needed before tomorrow’s lecture when he then dismissed us. I began packing away my notes when I felt a hand wrap itself around my wrist, causing me to let out a grunt and wince in pain at the pain that jolted through me at the contact of my wounded wrist. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t realise I was-” I heard Harry begin apologising as I paused my actions and looked up to see him wearing and apologetic expression for causing me pain.

“Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t you.” I murmured in response as I then continued packing away my notes and then I stood up to leave the lecture theatre.

“Can we talk?” Harry asked me, looking at me with pleading eyes – damn it, he knew that I was a sucker for his damn eyes; they’re just so fricking pretty.

“Now?” I asked as I began walking out of the lecture theatre with Harry following close behind me.

“Yeah, unless you’re busy.” Harry replied and I checked my watch on my wrist. It was 10 o’clock and I didn’t have to be at work until one o’clock and my brain really wasn’t fast enough to come up with a decent excuse to Harry right now.

“Um, yeah I’m free.” I answered as I walked towards my car. I turned to Harry who was looking at me uncertainly as I unlocked my car, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to come in the car with me. I gave Harry a small smile and nodded my head in the direction of my car, silently telling him to get into the car. “Where to?” I questioned as I flicked through the radio stations.

“The woods?” Harry suggested by my body tensed as he mentioned the woods, my mind flickering back to how I caught Harry and Lucy kissing in the woods, in our place.

“Um, how about we go to yours; if we go back to mine then Abby will have a field day.” I suggested and I noticed Harry frowning as I turned down his suggestion but he nodded nonetheless.

I sighed as I turned off the radio, all of the stations seeming to be just bloody advertisements. “How’ve you been the past week?” Harry asked me as he got comfortable in the passenger side of my car, his heavenly scent filling the car and invading all of my senses. It was very unnerving being around Harry again, his presence was so consuming and it took up every strand of my willpower to not jump into the passenger seat and cocoon myself in Harry.

I chewed on my lip as I trained my eyes on the road, avoiding Harry’s persistent looks at all cost. “I’ve been- it’s been a weird week.” I answered honestly, not really sure if I wanted to reveal to Harry about what had happened with Abby and me at the beach or my therapy sessions or anything.

“How’s it been weird?” Harry pushed with a frown on his face as he shifted his entire body in the seat so that he was facing me, allowing him a greater view of, well, me.

“It’s just been a lot and I’m used to,” I began and then paused as I realised where I was going with what I was saying, “never mind.”

“No, what were you going to say?” Harry questioned but I just shook my head.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing.” I dismissed, not wanting to confess that I missed Harry, a lot.

Harry raised his eyebrows at me, “Izzy, tell me.” Harry instructed me to which I sighed at, knowing that unfortunately Harry was as stubborn as I was and so we’d argue about this for the whole journey and so I decided that I would just cave in and tell Harry because he’d get it out of me somehow anyway.

“I’m used to having you.” I confessed and rolled my eyes as a smile creeped onto Harry’s lips.

“Do you want to have me?” Harry probed, catching me off guard with his question –what ex-boyfriend asks these types of questions?

“I don’t know – yes. No. It’s complicated Harry.” I answered as I pulled into the parked the car at a space right in front of the frat house. I turned off the car’s engine and then turned in my seat to face Harry who was observing my every action closely. “I still love you Harry, I don’t know if I’m ever going to stop but right now just isn’t the right time for me.” I explained and Harry nodded his head understandingly.

“I know Iz, I just wanted to know what was going on inside that ridiculously clever brain of yours.” Harry stated and I gave him a tight-lipped smile before he got out of the car and I copied his actions as we entered his frat house.

I followed Harry as we ascended the stairs when a familiar face causing my body to tense. “Wow Izzy, I haven’t seen you ‘round here in a while.” Luke commented as his eyes continuously flickered between Harry and me. My eyes darted to Harry, hoping that he would brush Luke off and just get him to leave but Harry just continued staring at Luke.

“Well now you’ve seen me.” I replied in a light tone but Luke ignored me as he just cocked his head at Harry as they continued their weird stare down, was this a bromance thing or was it more hostile?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Harry’s hand grabbing mine and pulling me up the stairs and away from Luke. As soon as we passed Luke I snatched my hand away from Harry’s, his touch leaving a burning trace on my skin, reminding me of how alive he used to make me feel.

“What was that?” I mumbled once we reached Harry’s door when he reached into his pocket and presented his key before unlocking the door and ushering me inside.

“Nothing.” Harry evaded but I gave him a look, referring to the situation in the car just moments earlier when Harry hadn’t allowed me to stay quiet. “Ok, fine.” Harry huffed. “Luke’s just very suspicious of us and he’s been saying things about you this week to try to get a response out of me to confirm his suspicions.” Harry answered reluctantly.

“What kind of things has he been saying about me?” I asked Harry, not really sure if I’d like the answer but if Luke’s saying things about me then I’d like to know what.

“I don’t think that you want to know the answer to that.” Harry replied bluntly, causing me to frown – just what had Luke been saying about me?

“Just tell me, Harry.” I pleaded and Harry sighed, rolling his eyes at my stubbornness as he turned away from me and sat down on his bed.

Harry scratched the nape of his neck as he cast his head to the floor before answering my question. “He was just saying very explicit shit like how he’d fuck you and stuff.” Harry answered causing my body to subconsciously recoil in disgust. I hated how guys talked about girls like that in lad conversations like it’s just fucking rude and I mean who’s to say I’d even let him? No Luke isn’t exactly ugly but the only person that I could even consider having sex with is Harry and I really don’t see that changing any time soon given the way that he just is literal perfection and all.

“I wouldn’t let him.” I told Harry and he raised his eyes to look at me, relief shining in his eyes for a split second before he masked his emotions from his eyes.

“I know that, after being with me there’s no way that you could settle for him.” Harry replied with confidence but his eyes held a flicker of vulnerability in them, implying that he was only saying that because he didn’t want to appear weak.

I gave Harry a soft smile before voicing what I knew that Harry needed to hear even though he’d never admit and even though it meant me having to open up about my feelings which was something I would never feel comfortable about doing. “I wouldn’t let anyone else.” I promised Harry, making his eyes melt into a warm green with flecks of liquid yellow beaming in his irises and causing his lips to curve into a gleeful grin with his dimples

“Anyone?” Harry checked and I bit my bottom lip into my mouth to try to hide the smile that was threatening to take over my lips as a result of Harry’s infectious smile that he wore so well.

“Anyone, not even Zac Efron.” I confirmed, causing Harry and I to break out into laughter because he was well aware of my low-key obsession with Zac Efron – I mean, have you seen the man?!

Once our laughter calmed down Harry and I just stared at each other for a couple of seconds, neither one of us wanting to break the comfortable silence that was wrapped around us like a warm, safety blanket. “Why am I here?” I asked Harry, finally breaking the silence to find out what Harry wanted to talk about.

Harry sighed as he broke the eye contact that we held only to return it seconds later with a guilty look in his eyes. “I just, I hadn’t seen you in a long time and so I wasn’t ready to let you go after the lecture without talking to you.” Harry confessed, making my heart skip a beat at his honest words.

“You didn’t call.” I stated in response, not trying to make Harry feel guilty but just trying to understand what he meant.

“Neither did you.” Harry quipped.

“That’s different, I didn’t want to mess you around – I told you that I wanted space so it would be very contradictory of me to then call you up to say that I missed you.” I answered, it was the truth; I came so close to calling Harry so many times.

“You told me that you wanted space and so I wanted to give you it.” Harry responded, his candour clear in his tone.

I frowned at Harry’s answer however, “then why did you ask to talk to me today?”

Harry lowered his gaze and his tongue darted out to wet his lips before he replied, “It’s much harder to resist the urge to see you when you’re right in front of me.”

I sighed at Harry’s words, feeling bad for what I was putting him through as I raised my hand and moved it to cup Harry’s face as my thumb lightly stroked his cheek, not missing how Harry’s face leant into my touch. “I’m sorry for doing this to you.” I whispered to Harry as my eyes bored into his.

As seconds passed between us it felt like Harry and I were in a trance of some sort where the only thing that existed was Harry and me. In this trance, there was no pain and hurt, we were sheltered in an oasis where the only emotion that could be felt was the immense love that I had for this man before me, every other thought and emotion was forgotten and blurred into the background as I stared into Harry’s enchanting eyes.

“You don’t need to be sorry, I’m sorry I hurt you.” Harry murmured in response, breaking the spell that I had been under as the reality came crashing in, causing me to remove my hand from Harry’s face as I flickered my eyes to look at the floor.

“I know you are.” I replied, my eyes glancing fleetingly around the room as the urge to flee the scene grew from within me. “I should probably go, I have work soon.” I stated, standing up from Harry’s bed. It wasn’t necessarily a lie – I did have work today, but it wasn’t for another couple of hours; but Harry didn’t need to know that.

“Oh ok, I’ll walk you to the door.” Harry offered as he got up from his bed but I placed a hand on his chest to stop him but as soon as I made contact with his top I realised what I was doing and quickly removed my hand.

“No, you really don’t need to.” I responded, to which Harry raised his eyebrows in question. “Honestly, you don’t – I know my way around here.” I expanded and Harry reluctantly nodded his head and sat back down on his bed.

“So I guess I’ll see you at tomorrow’s lecture then?” Harry asked in a defeated voice, causing a lump to grow in my throat which I attempted to swallow away as I smiled at Harry and nodded my head before turning away from him and leaving.