The Bachelor - H.S.

Chapter 29

I'm standing completely still, my feet and legs aching, the next time i see Harry. I am in LA once again. The rose ceremony is taking place in the mansion- the place where everything started.

To my left stands Perrie, to my right is Jade. I don't take note of where Astrid stands. I couldn't care less. The only thing I care about is whether or not she's close to Harry.

I stand and fidget in place. From what I observed this week, I thought my hometown date went well. Harry didn't seem uncomfortable during, and the fact that he elected to come over, fuck me, and then stay the remainder of the night indicates at the very least attraction to me. Hopefully my date went a little bit better than the 3 others.

Another 2 minutes pass. I don't know what kind of sick game the producers are attempting to play, forcing us all to stand here like this in silence, but I don't like it at all. We are not allowed to talk to each other, we are not allowed to move, and we are not even allowed to turn our heads. Not to mention the overpowering fear I feel at the prospect of being sent home.

Finally, finally, Harry walks through the entrance to the rose ceremony room and stands next to a marble table holding 3 roses. I sigh a little in relief when I see him, his appearance reassuring me, but quickly the fear that this may be the last time I see him takes hold.

Not only am I hoping to pull through to the next round, but I'm praying that Astrid doesn't. My problems would be completely solved if that were the case, assuming Perrie and Jade don't know my secret, too. I dearly hope they don't. I figured maybe Astrid would keep that information to herself- that way she's the only one with any power over me.

Harry unclasps his hands and moves one to hover above the selection of roses on the table. He does not give us any opening remarks before starting the ceremony. It's odd, but appreciated. I would rather not wait any longer for my fate to be revealed.

Harry plucks a rose from where it lays and opens his mouth to speak:

"Perrie." He states, taking a deep breath as he does so. Instantly, I hear Perrie beside me let out a breath she must have been holding and quickly scurry forward. She pulls Harry in for a hug that lasts a little longer than it's supposed to.

I have to admit I am a little surprised I was not called first. I was called first at the last rose ceremony, after all. For some reason, though, I'm a little relieved. Being the first name chosen again would not make me any more popular with Astrid, and might even seem fishy to the viewers of America. I do hope that was Harry's rationale, too. Maybe he's just more interested in Perrie than he is in me.

Once she has returned to her spot next to me, Harry goes in for another rose. He picks it up and once again holds it delicately. He surveys us all and I try to make eye contact. For some reason tonight, Harry seems a little off. Usually, he would have already gone out of his way to catch my eye and reassure me in some way, but I find he hasn't really looked at any of us. His eyes refuse to focus on anything in particular. That's why I'm unable to gage what he's thinking as I stare at him and he does not reciprocate.

"Charlotte." He calls, a little breathlessly at that. I instantly lurch forward and take the rose from his hand eagerly.

'Charlotte, will you accept this rose?" He questions, looking down at me for the first time. Instantly I can tell that there's something wrong. He's nervous? Or perhaps upset? But about what?

"Of course." I answer, trying to give him the most reassuring smile I can conjure. I see him weakly attempt to return it, but he fails. After that he's back to looking aimlessly in front of himself. I return to my spot between Perrie and Jade.