Awkward Beat [H.S]

Chapter 9

In which Fitz changes the plan.

Chapter 9  

"Fitz? Are you here? I – oh." Macy stopped herself as soon as she ground to a halt in Harry's doorway.

As it was, Harry and I were in a fairly compromising position. My arms were extended above my head and I was splayed out on Harry's bed, skin flushed and eyes aglow, as he hovered dangerously above me.

Being the only one who fully understood the gravity of this situation, I was the first to react. I placed a hand on Harry's chest and pushed him up and off of me, and he rolled over to a sitting position on the edge of his bed. I, too, sat up, all the while wondering whether to pretend like this never happened or to act as though it happened all the time.

In the end, I simply gathered my hair and pushed it over my shoulder while clearing my throat. "Zayn said there were two pubs left. You must have moved fast."

It was probably Harry and I who should have felt ashamed, but Macy was the one who turned beet red and squeamish.

"I didn't go," she said, her eyes darting nervously from me to Harry and back again. As such, I scooted away from him on the bed and eventually stood up.

"As soon as I figured out you'd gone, I got my things and Liam walked me home."

Liam. What was his problem? Too chivalrous for his own good, that's what. Masochistic, too. From the murderous gleam in her eyes at the sight of me in Harry's bed, it was clear that Macy was still mad for my flatmate. Liam didn't stand a chance.

Or maybe he did. In that case, Macy was double timing Harry. Normally, I'd think it served him right, but all of a sudden I felt another of those surges of affection for him. It made me want to protect him.

"You're a bit late," I said as casually as I could. "I've been home twenty minutes now."

Macy shrugged her shoulders in surrender and let her arms fall limply to her sides. "You didn't call or text."

"You didn't even look for me."

We exchanged a heated glare. I knew I wasn't being fair and I knew I was punishing her for something over which she had little control – that is, Liam's interest in her – but in the moment, it seemed like the only way out of this prickly situation.

In the midst of our silent but haughty exchange, Harry's voice rang out from his bed:

"Hello, Macy."

She dropped our stare to give him a bright smile. "Hi, Harry. How are you?"

"Fantastic. Bit tired. Probably heading to bed."

I shot him a dirty look over my shoulder, which appeared to surprise him.

"That's fine," I said, clapping my hands together and striding across the room. "It's late. We should go to bed, too. Care to crash in my twinny?"

Puzzled as usual, Macy inhaled sharply. "Oh. Um... are you sure your bed can hold the two of us? It's quite small."

She was angling to be reallocated to Harry's bed, just as I'd suggested earlier. Well, after receiving the third degree from her all evening while she guided Liam through the lengthy and tedious process of firing an employee, I no longer felt obligated to grant her that opportunity.

"Oh, it's cozy, but two can fit," I assured her. As I ushered her out of Harry's doorway and toward my room, I sent Harry another pointed glare over my shoulder. "Trust me on that one."