Un-Tying the Knot {h.s.}

Chapter 29*

*mature content warning.
skip this chapter if you're not comfortable
(but still artful and less smutty,
unlike my other books)*

Harry quickly shut the door and just stood outside of it flabbergasted. Did he just see what he thought he did?

His Livvy...touching herself?
His innocent, little Olivia?

What an idiot. How could he be so stupid to just waltz into her room like that without knocking?

He bit his bottom lip and took a step back, anxiously running his fingers through his lengthening curls.

"Fuck," he whispers. He felt terrible.

He paced a little bit, unsure if he should wait until she was ready so he could apologize profusely, or if he should give her the space she probably wanted and/or deserved.

He looked up and down the hall, thankful that everyone was downstairs enjoying their morning Christmas Eve rituals. He wanted Livvy to partake, which is why he came upstairs to wake her in the first place, especially given he had kept her out until dawn.

But then he did this.

He felt a pit grow in his stomach, deciding to head downstairs because he frankly didn't know what else to do. He found his Mom in the kitchen and was glad he ran into her first before someone like Nick or Eleanor.

"Mum...I'm not feeling so well. I think I'm gonna go take a shower, yeah?"

She turned and gave him a perplexed look. "You were fine a little bit ago. You ok, honey?" She saw his face and instantly grew concerned. "Baby, you're really pale. Are you ok?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts occupied with his guilt before his eyes snapped up to catch hers.

"Oh, yeah. I just think I need a cold shower to wake me up. Didn't sleep well last night," he finished.

"You haven't been sleeping well at all this trip. I'm getting concerned. That's not like you at all when you're home. And didn't you already take a shower this morning?" She asked, a mixture of concern and confusion in her words.

"Y-yeah...I just." He shook his head. "I'm gonna go. I just didn't want you wondering where I went if I disappeared for a little bit."

She gave me an even more perplexed look, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Okay, honey. Whatever you need. You know you don't need my permission to do anything. This will always be your home."

He nodded, as if to convince himself that what she said was true.

She made him pause before leaving the room. "Honey, did you wake up Olivia?"

He froze immediately, turning to look at her with shock on his face. He started stammering. "Uh, y-yeah -- she, um...she's awake. She's uh, she's just getting ready, you know?" He took a deep breath. "Girl stuff."

His cheeks started to turn red as the words came out, and he started scratching at his neck again as he involuntarily replayed the situation in his head.

"Honey, did something happen? Why are you acting so strange?"

He laughed nervously, shaking his head. "No! No, of course not. Nothing...I just need to go. I'll be down in a little bit. Cover for me with the fam?"

She didn't like that she knew something was going on with him, but unless he told her, there was nothing she could do. She knew him well enough to know he always had to process things before he was ready to discuss them.