Sensation (h.s)

Chapter Thirty Eight

✺ K A T E ' S ✺ P O V ✺

When I arrive back at home, I don't make it a point to find Harry immediately. The house is completely silent aside from the low hum of the air conditioner running throughout each of the rooms. I enjoy the cool air and tiredly tie my hair up into a bun on top of my head as I search the fridge for food. Without bothering to find a healthier option, I pour myself a bowl of cereal and eat is slowly as I pace around the living room, still somewhat in a groggy state.

Eventually I end up on the couch watching tv mindlessly as I eat my cereal. The note James left me has been in my pocket since I left his house and I find myself reading over the words as I eat. Part of me wants to crawl back into bed and part of me wants to sneak out of the house and go back to see James again. I know I'm getting myself in trouble with my urges, but I allow myself to have them anyways. As long as I don't act on anything then it's not completely wrong to just think it, right?

I contemplate sending a text to James, but decide against it. He's in class and I don't want to disrupt him. I brush off the thoughts until later instead. Eventually, I return to the kitchen to rinse out my now empty bowl of cereal. A noise outside catches my attention and when I look up, I notice two figures in the pool on the patio. I can clearly make out Harry in the water with his long hair flopped over his head, holding some blown up pool ball and laughing loudly. Across from him I see Charlie on the other end of the pool with open arms waiting expectantly for the ball to be thrown. He looks just as joyful as Harry while they swim around and crack jokes to each other. Of course he accepts Harry. He'll give anyone the time of day besides me.

Within minutes I've made my way outside and am standing by the patio door watching the two. They're talking about some basketball game from a few weeks ago and Charlie is on the retrieval end each time Harry tries to throw the ball into the basketball hoop above the pool. He misses multiple times and Charlie happily passes the ball back to him each time with a look of... Admiration? He was always extremely close with James when him and I were dating, which always was somewhat endearing for me to see. I hope he takes the same sort of liking to Harry-- I just didn't think it would happen so fast.

Finally I choose to make my presence known. Charlie sees me first and I can see the happiness fade from his eyes as soon as he spots me. Harry is still trying to aim the ball into the hoop as I take a seat on the edge of the shallow end of the pool and roll up my pants in order to stick my feet into the water. He eventually picks up on Charlie glaring at me and turns his head to meet my eyes. A wide smile immediately turns up on his lips and the ball is forgotten the second he begins swimming over towards me.

"Hey, there you are. I've been worried about you all morning." He greets excitedly as he wades over towards me. Eventually the pool is shallow enough for him to stand and I find myself admiring his glistening skin under the sun while he walks over to where I'm seated. His bare chest is prominent and his lower half is covered by a pair of white shorts.

"Missed you." He adds, leaning down towards me with puckered lips. I happily turn my head up and press my own mouth against his for a split second before pulling away. My eyes look over his shoulder and notice Charlie still across the pool, staring at us with a dark look in his eye. If he blooms some sort of friendship with Harry I'm not sure if that'll be better or worse for me. Either he'll find it in his heart to like me a little bit since he's friends with my boyfriend, or hate me even more because he's upset that he likes Harry but hates me.

"Missed you too. Sorry I was gone for so long. I went to the beach and was watching the sunrise and I kind of fell asleep." I laugh in hopes of convincing him and he doesn't even seem to think twice about it.

"That sounds peaceful. Did you enjoy your alone time?" He stays leaned down towards me and kisses my cheek as he speaks. Seconds later, he sits down beside me on the edge of the pool.