The hot water felt good against my skin. I was grateful for Harry's spacious shower as I slid around on my feet, mouthing the song lyrics to Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl'. I was in a considerably better mood than I had been in for the past week or so. The exchange between Harry and I had left me feeling hopeful, and despite the fact that I was terrified of my hopes being crushed, I wasn't going to let those bad thoughts taint how I felt.
Because I felt good.
I rinsed the shampoo and conditioner from my hair and rung it out before shutting off the gradually cooling water. I had been in the shower for around an hour now. It was one of the few places in the house that I could count on being completely alone in without any interruption, and I needed the time to myself after both a horrible fight and a shocking realization.
The end result had come out to be something that left both Harry and I in higher spirits, but I knew that we weren't completely okay yet. There were still so many threats on the horizon, so while Harry and the boys discussed things downstairs, I had opted to clean up.
I stepped out from the large cubicle and wrapped a big towel around my torso before turning to look in the mirror. Every time that I had bothered with the simple task, I had looked worn down. My skin had lost it's luster, my eyes dim and uninviting, but now, I felt livelier. I couldn't help but smile eat my towel-clad reflection.
Drying off my skin, I tugged on the clothes Harry had handed me before I'd entered the bathroom. They were some of mine: a pair of grey jeans and a simple v-neck t-shirt I'd bought once because it was on sale for only four dollars. The clothing was comfortable, something I could easily lounge around in if I wanted to, though I would prefer Harry's clothes for that.
I brushed out my wet hair, allowing it to hang limply around my freshly washed face before returning to Harry's empty room. It was nearing noon and my stomach was burning with hunger. Not at all compelled to breakup their discussion that was taking place in the meeting room, I crept downstairs to the kitchen alone.
The door to where they were was slightly ajar and I could hear an obviously heated discussion going on, but I attempted to tune them out as I entered. My feet immediately paused in their tracks when I noticed several broken objects. Vases that had sat on either side of the sink were now heaps of shattered glass, the flowers still spilling out of them. The trashcan was overflowing with more casualties of the recent shootout. How I hadn't noticed these earlier baffled me, but I chose to ignore the damages as I carefully made my way to the fridge.
I couldn't find anything that particularly caught my eye, so I ventured to the pantry. Inside, much to my delight, was a package of unopened peanut butter cookies. I sighed in content as I reached for them, easily slicing open the plastic with a butter knife.
Peanut butter cookies were my favorite. Not even classic chocolate chip could sway my infinite love for the delicacies I was currently munching on.
I headed for the stairs, opting to eat my cookies there since the only table I knew of in this place thus far was currently occupied. I had nearly finished the entire box when the boys were all filing out. They looked rushed.
Niall and Liam headed through the study doors, and my eyes glued to the floor of the room, only to find it empty. They had removed the body, unlike the evidence that they'd left of the shootout in the kitchen.
Zayn and Louis passed by where I was sitting, murmuring hasty hellos before disappearing upstairs. My eyes wandered back to the kitchen doorway where Harry was stood, leaning again the wall. His gaze was already trained on me, his expression blank.
I set the near empty container onto the step I was sat at before standing and slowly walking towards Harry. He didn't say a word as I approached, but his eyes followed my every movement. I paused when I was stood right in front of him, having to stand on my tiptoes as I placed my hands softly on either side of his face and leaned up to kiss him.
