Lust, Lies, and Forbidden Ties ✵ h.s.

✵ thirty-four ✵

     Work had been a little weird on Monday for me, and it was only because of my face. It had still hurt, and I had done my best to cover up the purple skin, but there was no chance I could hide the spot where I had been bleeding from. Mrs. Woods asked what had happened, and while I normally felt quite comfortable talking to her about everything, there was something about my personal life with Harry I didn't like her knowing. She seemed too nosy sometimes, and for that reason I gave her a shitty excuse. We had spent most of the day working on paperwork, Mrs. Woods asking me if I could get her lunch wherever I went to eat, and then bring it back. Agreeing, I had gone out, and then brought her something I knew she would actually want to eat.

Class on Monday was fine, and the next few days were enjoyable both at work and during class. However, on Thursday, class was very suddenly canceled. I didn't understand why, but the teacher said the paper we had would be due next week. It came as a surprise, but I simply brushed it off, tucking my hair behind my ear. Heading home after work, I figured I could make dinner for the boys. It was around four-thirty when I did get back to my place, and I started playing music. It took a while for me to glance over the ingredients we had, and what I could make from them, but in the end I decided on Chicken Marsala. I washed the chicken first, followed by placing it in a pan to cook with a little bit of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan, as well as different seasonings over top. It was once that was in the oven, and I was about to start on the side when I heard a knock on the front door. My dancing had stopped, and I truly had no idea who it would be, knowing that all the guys had keys. I just prayed it was not going to be Oliver on the other side of that wood.

After I washed my hands, I lowered the music, heading to the front door and peeking through the peephole to see Harry. It was definitely a surprise to me, leaving me to unlock the door and tug it open quickly. I wrapped my arms around him almost instantly, missing the curly-haired man more than I had thought. We had talked on the phone yesterday, but other than that it had been a few simple texts here and there the other days.

"Hi, neonata," he murmured, kissing my temple easily. "Daddy brought you wine. I was going to take you out for dinner, but you seem to be cooking already."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," I told him, blushing as I invited him inside. "Um, so, you don't have to help if you want to just watch television."

"No, I'll help you. I feel incompetent when I'm not doing anything while someone cooks."

It made me smile, Harry setting the expensive looking wine on the counter. I told him he was way too sweet to me, but he just shrugged, boiling the potatoes for me while I cooked the topping. The two of us were rather quiet, and I simply enjoyed his company beside me. It was cute when he kissed my cheek briefly, my arms wrapping around his waist.

"Have you been good, neonata?" Harry asked.

"Um, yeah?" I nodded, not entirely sure what he would be referring to exactly. "Mrs. Woods is very nosy, so that's kind of annoying, but I can't do much about that."

"Nosy how?"

"She keeps asking me questions that are personal about us, and I just keep telling her that's inappropriate for work, et cetera."

"Ah, good. Don't tell her anything personal about the two of us. The last bloody thing I need is for you to become some scandal because of your age."

My brow pulled in, and I didn't understand what that was supposed to mean. Did he not like me that much? Also, I was under the impression that he didn't care about our age difference, so what was the problem now? Of course, I didn't want to tell Mrs. Woods anything simply because it was kind of rude how intrusive she could be, but I also didn't realize that it was some sort of burden for Harry to be with me in any shape of the matter.