lovelorn [h.s.]

e i g h t e e n

S C A R L E T T

When I wake up the next morning, for the first time in a long time, I actually wake up happy.

I stretch my arms above my head, letting out a small yawn as I begin to pull myself out from my slumber. I just lay there for a few minutes, feeling peaceful as I gaze at the sunlight filtering through the curtains. My lips stretch into a small smile, not able to remember a time I slept as well as I did last night. I know it certainly had something to do with the warm body next to me who kept his arms wrapped around me all night.

However, my smile soon falters when I turn around to find the other side of the bed is empty, Harry nowhere to be found. I furrow my eyebrows, glancing around curiously as I wonder where he's gone. I automatically reach out to grab my phone from the bedside table as if to text him or see if he's messaged me, but then I remember I left it in the guest bedroom before I snuck in here last night.

With a sigh, I push the covers off me and climb out of bed, letting out a collection of quiet yawns as I pad across Harry's room. I grab the doorknob and pull the door open, only to almost bump straight into Anne as soon as I step into the hallway.

"Oh, Scarlett," she exclaims, seeming surprised to see me as she scans me up and down, raising her eyebrows at me. "You slept in Harry's room last night?"

I feel myself freeze, my eyes widening as I realise just how bad this looks. "Um, I, uh.."

Fortunately, just as I'm struggling to utter out a reply, the door of the guest room is suddenly pulled open, causing both Anne and I to snap our heads towards it. Harry stumbles out of the room with a yawn, already dressed in his usual outfit of a shirt and black skinny jeans, although he stops when he sees us stood in the hallway, curious eyes flitting between us.

"What are you two doing out here?" he asks, casually strolling over. "Waiting for me?"

Anne shoots her son a quizzical look. "You slept in the guest room?"

"Yeah," he lies, glancing over at me before turning back to Anne. "I offered Scarlett my room like the gentleman I am."

"Aw, that's sweet, honey," Anne smiles, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm going down to make breakfast. You kids join me when you're ready."

We both nod and she smiles at us obliviously before heading down the hallway. It's not until we hear her footsteps going downstairs that I turn back to Harry, folding my arms across my chest and raising my eyebrows at him. "Lying to Anne?" I ask him with a gasp. "How naughty of you."

"I thought it'd be best not to make it obvious," he says as he slowly moves closer to me, smoothly backing me up against the wall. "You know she can see right through the both of us."

I just laugh, shaking my head at him in amusement. "And you said you're a gentleman," I muse. "Another lie."

"It's not a lie," he argues. "I am a gentleman"

"Oh yeah?" I ask, arching an eyebrow at him teasingly. "I don't think luring a girl into your bed is an act of gentleman."

He chuckles softly, shaking his head at me. "If I remember rightly, you found your way into my bed all by yourself," he says, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he looks me up and down. "And you enjoyed it too."

"Mmm, that's doubtful."

"Yeah, right," he laughs, surprising me when he trails one of his hands down my side, smoothing over my hip. I try not to react to his touch, knowing that's what he wants, instead keeping a stolid expression as his eyes flicker back up to mine. "Aren't you going to thank me?"