BLACKHOUSE [H.S.]

Thirty-Nine

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Harry shouts at me as Catarina and I walk up to the SUV, now parked around the corner.

He's pacing angrily back and forth when I catch sight of him, staring down at his phone with furrowed brows, and his hands wound tightly in his hair. When he notices us walking towards him, I can almost feel the rage emanating off of him.

"What's his deal?" Catarina asks, leaning towards me so he doesn't hear.

"Why would you fucking hang up on me?" He demands, storming up to me and grabbing my shoulders.

"Harry-"

"Do you realize how stupid that was, Katie?" His eyes flick furiously between mine, his grip on my shoulders tightening. "Y- You could have been killed. You promised me you'd stay on the phone with me. What if something happened to you? I couldn't-"

"Harry!" I shout, snapping him out of his panicked rambling. His expression softens, his pinched brows relaxing slighty as he studies my face. "Calm down, okay? I'm fine. We can talk about this later."

I steal a glance over to Catarina, who's watching us with wide eyes, clutching her bag of belongings to her chest.

I had explained to her that we were meeting my "boyfriend" to take her to see Charles. It felt strange saying the word, but I didn't know how else to describe him aside from 'this guy I may or may not be in love with, that probably doesn't feel the same way, but we also spend every moment together, but we're also not official or anything'.

She never would have trusted me if I said some insane shit like that.

Harry's eyes bore into mine, his nostrils flaring as he clenches his jaw. I can tell he doesn't want to drop the subject, but I nod my head towards Catarina to remind him what we're here to do. He gets the hint, rolling his eyes at me in frustration before straightening his back and facing the woman standing by the SUV.

"Catarina, right?" He says, his voice much softer now that he's speaking to her. I watch as he holds his hand out for her to shake, which she does. "I'm Harry. It's nice to meet you."

I feel my heart swell at his sudden change in demeanor; it's as if he wants Catarina to feel safe. I can tell how freaked out she is, and I don't blame her. If I was approached by a stranger claiming to take me to an unknown destination, I'd be freaked out, too.

"Nice to meet you, too," she hesitates, pulling her hand away to clutch her bag again. "Why do I feel like I'm about to get kidnapped?"

An amused smirk grows on Harry's face, a dimple popping out as he shakes his head. "We're not kidnapping you," he chuckles. "You're free to leave whenever you'd like. We're just here to help you."

Catarina looks at me nervously, and I offer her a warm smile, nodding my head. "We can explain in the car," I say, opening the back door so she can crawl in.