lovelorn [h.s.]

t h i r t y s i x

A.N.
I have lots of studying to do bc A-levels literally drain the life out of me and ruin my life, so I probably won't be able to write/update until sometime next week, so I made this chapter extra long to tide you over. Enjoy & remember to comment, engagement helps x

H A R R Y

The sun is beginning to set outside, although the leftover light filtering in from the window is a lot dimmer thanks to Scarlett's black curtains that she got while redecorating her room during her brief emo phase when she was about fourteen. Obviously she's redecorated again since, but some aspects still remain, like her collection of tattoo chokers and a stack of Panic At The Disco CD's that I know are hidden away somewhere.

My eyes flicker down to Scarlett, her head resting on my shoulder as her finger gently traces shapes on my chest. Our bodies are curled up into each other, my arm wound around her waist with my hand resting on the small of her back, occasionally tracing circles on her skin as well. I'm not quite sure how we ended up in this position, just laying on her bed together, but I'm enjoying it and determined to make the most of it while I can.

My gaze slides down to look at her again, my eyes slowly and carefully flickering over her features, admiring each aspect of her face one by one. Her smooth skin that loses the frown lines when she's relaxed like this, her soft lips that are pursed as soft breaths filter through, her slender nose with the evidence of freckles, her long eyelashes that cast a small shadow beneath her eyes.

I always catch myself looking at her in moments like this, when she's relaxed and free to be herself without anyone watching. It's almost like she finds the purest form of herself, tearing down all the walls and the barriers she puts up for everyone else in her life, wiping away the facade and unmasking her natural self, revealing simply just Scarlett.

Scarlett, the girl with pigtails and a checked school dress, teaching me how to hop-scotch. Scarlett, the girl with dyed red hair and black ripped jeans, handing me my first shot of alcohol. Scarlett, the girl waking up with messy hair and a dimple in her left cheek and sleep in her eyes and a laugh that could provide the soundtrack for the heavens. Scarlett, the first girl to make me feel love before I even knew what it really was.

"What are you smiling at?"

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I hear her voice speaking from beside me, interrupting the silence that had settled between us for the past 20 minutes. I glance down and my gaze meets hers, finding her brown eyes staring up at me and her eyebrow arched slightly.

"Nothing," I reply, but the look she shoots me afterwards makes it clear she doesn't believe me.

"Yeah, right," she scoffs, a smirk pulling at her lips as she points her index finger against my chest. "You were smiling at me."

"Ugh, you caught me," I sigh dramatically, playfully rolling my eyes in mock disbelief.

She lets out an amused giggle, surprising me when she leans up to press a quick kiss against my lips. "You're so cute," she murmurs when she pulls back, causing my lips to arch into a huge grin.