Cold Truths | H.S.

22

Davina's POV

The plane ride went by in a blur. One minute I was laying down watching a movie and next we were taking a cab from Heathrow Airport. We drove for several hours before we reached our destination. A quaint countryside town outside of London. I had never been to England before, and as we drove, all I could do was stare out the window even though it was pitch black at midnight. It seemed that Harry hadn't slept on the plane because he was now leaning against the window, his hood over his head. We drove through hills and passed grassy fields and through the dark I could make out the shapes of livestock and sheep grazing carelessly, not fazed by the passing vehicle. The car slowed to a stop next to a stone wall that seemed to line the front of the property. Harry sat up slowly, got out of the backseat, and walked to the trunk to grab the bags. I unbuckled my seat belt following him to the trunk where the driver and Harry were removing our bags. Harry reached into his pocket slipping the man a wad of cash before walking towards the property.

I followed him lazily, the jetlag already hitting me. It was 12 a.m. here and my body was still on eastern time. The car drove off and I watched as Harry fumbled around with a key to the front door. The house was small, not anything I was expecting. A stone facade, with ivy growing and invading the side. He had said it was his childhood home, and I knew nothing about his childhood so I guess I couldn't be surprised. The front door was old with chipped blue paint and rusty numbers hanging in the middle. When he got the front door open it creaked loudly. He flicked the lights on and they flickered for a bit before coming to full light. I stepped into the house and instantly felt the chill air. No one must've been in this home for quite a while but considering that it was still fully furnished despite Harry and his mom moving to the states, I assumed he had come back to check on it occasionally. I shivered and rubbed my arms as we made our way deeper into the house. It smelled like pinewood and musk but I think the musk scent was mainly coming from Harry.

We entered the living room and I instantly plopped down on the sheet-covered couch, needing to give my feet a rest. The room was decorated immensely, with loads of small trinkets and candles on the fireplace mantle, loads of pictures decorating the walls which were covered in old wallpaper. It felt like a true home. Despite the cold air, this house felt cozy and comfortable, but by the looks of Harry, he was anything but comfortable in this house.

"I'm gonna go get the heat on." He mumbled, his voice gruff and strained.

I nodded before grabbing my bag at my feet. I pulled out a large sweatshirt and threw it on before removing the sheet from the couch and returning to my seat. I brought my knees to my chest as I continued to examine the room. When I got bored of looking at the same four walls I got up with my bag and began exploring the house, looking for a bedroom. I was tired, but Harry hadn't told me where any of the bedrooms were, or even if there was a separate one for me, so I just decided to roam around. The hallway was narrow and dark, carpeted wall to wall. This time the walls were all wood, like an old cabin. I noticed the staircase off to the side leading up into the dark upstairs. I didn't know where Harry was at this point considering how unfamiliar I was with this house so I decided to just go upstairs hoping maybe I'd run into him and he'd direct me to the nearest bed. I was so tired that at this point my eyes were hurting. I flipped on the lights once I got upstairs and saw three doors down the hallway. One of them was slightly ajar and I could see that it was a mid-sized bathroom with double sinks. The next door was completely shut. It had to be a bedroom. I opened the door slowly and felt around the wall for a light switch. When the lights flickered on I saw a bedroom that looked like it was stuck in time. It was sizeable, with a queen-sized bed in the center. The bed was made perfectly with decorative pillows and a throw blanket at the foot of the mattress. The walls were decorated thoughtfully, one wall having mainly family photos.