Apex [h.s]

chapter fifty six

Song: Beach Baby, Bon Iver

Frankie Doyle

May

"I love the high ceilings, but doesn't it just seem a little..."

"Outdated?" Harry filled in for me.

"Yeah," I agree. "Also moving towards winter, this place gets almost no sun, so I think it would be pretty cold and dreary."

"Definitely. There's no way I'm putting up with you if you're gonna be cold ninety percent of the time," Harry laughed.

"Hey," I pouted.

"You know it's true. You get grumpy when you're cold, then you stick your freezing hands under my shirt to warm them up," he raised his eyebrows.

"I mean, you're not wrong..." I laughed lightly.

There is only one bad thing that I inherited from my mother, and that was her terrible circulation. That means that throughout winter, I'm bundled up in layers and I'll still be freezing cold.

"You quite literally syphon all of the warmth out of my body."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm a stone cold creature out to collect everyone's warmth. Next time I'm cold, I'll just cuddle with Ziggy. At least he actually loves me," I sigh dramatically.

"You do that," Harry laughed.

"Hey, you're supposed to say 'no baby, that's not what I meant, you can always cuddle me,'" I frowned.

"You can cuddle me when your fingers aren't zero degrees," he shrugged.

"You're mean," I huffed.

"I'm human," he shot back.

"Why don't you love me."

"Because you're a stone cold creature out to collect everyone's warmth," he retorted, using my own words.

"I am no longer enjoying this conversation. I want to move in with Niall instead. He'll give me cuddles to warm me up,"I said with a straight face, turning my head dramatically away from him.

"Like hell he will," Harry's voice raised an octave.

"Then tell me you love me," I slowly turned to look at him again.

"You know I do," his lips started to melt into a soft smile.

"Say it or I'm calling Niall," I pull out my phone. "Say you love me even when I'm cold."

"I love you, Sunshine. Even when you stick your freezing-ass hands under my top and drain me of my warmth," he shook his head playfully as he spoke.

"Much better. Oh, and I love you," I smiled sweetly.

"Bloody hell, you're feisty today," he chuckled.

"Just for that..." I started. Before he could even register what I was doing, I lifted the bottom of his t-shirt up slightly, placing my icy hands against his back.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed, jumping away from me.

"You're welcome," I placed a kiss on his cheek in fake sweetness.

"So what do we think?" Our real estate agent entered the living room where we were standing.

"We're not sure that it's us. I think we'd like to see the last property," I replied.

"No worries, we'll move on. I'll meet you there," she smiled as we walked out of the house.

As I carefully lifted myself into the passenger seat, Harry started his car, turning the heat on and directing it at me.