Office Hours |h.s|

twenty two

Maude

The drive up to Portland was peaceful. The radio was on low, Harry was holding my hand or thigh the entire way up, and I got in a quick little nap since we had to be up to leave so early. Cass was still asleep when I left since she got back at like two from partying with everyone, so I didn't have to worry about her potentially seeing I was getting in the car with Harry.

We stopped halfway through our trip to get some breakfast, opting for diner food. It was strange at first, and we almost just went to a rest stop to get some fast food and eat on the road, but we were far enough away where nobody would know who we are, so we took our first baby step.

Once we got comfortable, it felt like a new world was opened up to us. Like the weight of our secret was lifted off our shoulders finally and we could just be together. He held my hand over the table and we just talked and laughed for almost an hour at our table, never wanting to let the feeling go. It gave me a taste of what we could have if our situation were different.

Arriving at the rental, Harry pulls his car into the driveway before parking and smiling over at me. "Now, it's not much but I think you'll like it."

"As long as I'm here with you I know I'll love it." I grin, leaning forward to kiss his lips. I can kiss his lips now in the daylight without worrying if the garage door is closed or if someone will pass by and see us.

He hums into our kiss, his hand coming up to tenderly hold my cheek. He has the biggest grin on his face as we kiss, obviously excited to be open with me too. I try to pull away so we could get into the rental and settle in with our stuff, but he chuckles, bringing his other hand up to hold my face still. He presses a million more kisses onto my lips, not caring how much I laugh.

We kiss one more time, letting it linger before he finally pulls away and lets me go, his eyes soft with admiration as he gazes into mine. "Now we could go in."

He's so beautiful. His eyes are even more vibrant when he's happy, the perfect shade of crystal green. His smile is contagious, reaching the corners of his eyes and making them crinkle. His dimples are so deep right now, just telling me how perfectly happy he is. And he just looks relaxed. He's always so on edge whenever we're back in Cambridge, and now I can finally see what he's like when he's carefree.

I lean forward, kissing him one more time before nodding. "We can go in now." I agree, an excited smile creeping up my face. With some more giddy laughs, we jump out of the car, eager to get inside and start our weekend together.

Thankfully with the 'I'm with my family' excuse, if I don't text with Cassidy for a few hours she won't get suspicious. She knows my dad hates when there are phones on and around, so she probably won't hear from me. Harry assured me that Niall knows not to message him since he's supposed to be with a friend, and that if Mitch messages it won't be the end of the world. Mitch doesn't know who I am.

We each grab our bags from the trunk before making our way into the house. It's quaint and cozy right off the bat, a perfect retreat for us. This little rental is our first taste of getting to live with each other, which is just so thrilling and amazing. We get to pretend that this life is normal and that being together isn't wrong. We get to see how beautiful our relationship could be when we're not hiding it away, and I just can't wait to show it off to the world.

He sets his duffle bag down on the floor next to me as I take in the house from the front entrance. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me toward his front and he rests his chin on my shoulder. My hands hold his over my stomach and I just can't help but grin. Wrapped up in his arms, in this beautiful house in Maine, I feel the most at home. "You like?" he asks, his voice low and raspy, and his accent thick.