Strangers

Chapter 33: But I Can See The Stars...

“You ready to go?” I ask Harry, re-appearing in the room, my casual attire completely hiding the surprise underneath.

“Sure am.” He says, handing me my bag and my phone.

 “I can’t believe you’re here.” I squeeze his hand tightly as we walk through the halls. 

“I told you I’d make time to come see you this week.”

“I know but I just prepared myself for the worst-case scenario, which would be not seeing you again before you leave.” I whine, hopping into the range rover once we reach it in the parking lot. 

“Well then you should be extra thankful that I’m here, baby.” He rests his hand on my knee before starting the car.

“I think we need to re-evaluate the whole baby pet name.”

He chuckles at my words, “And why is that my dearest Charlotte?”

“Well, I mean I like it when I call you baby, but when you call me baby- and I’m saying this fully quoting twitter- if I’m your baby then you’re my daddy and I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t have a daddy complex, I’ve never had father issues, and my father is my favourite male in the entire world. You being ‘daddy’ is just weird.” I say, leaning my tired head against the window of his car while he drives through the city. I really should ask where we’re going.

 “So, you’re telling me that you’re allowed to call me baby but I can’t call you baby?” 

“You are correct.”

“But baby…” He frowns. “How about just babe? What would you prefer instead? Honey? Darling? Love? Teddy bear? Teacup? Umbrella? Hat? Kitten? Pillow? I mean tell me what you want from me.” He jokes, throwing his hands up in the air when we’re stopped at a red light. 

“Okay okay, you can call me baby, forget I said anything!” I laugh, surrendering.

“Good, baby. Baby baby baby baby.”

“Hush now child.” I put my hand up to silence him and he laughs, driving in to the driveway of the Radisson.

 “Do we need to check in?” 

“No it’s all sorted, I came in earlier.” He tells me, jumping out of the car and coming around to my side to open the door for me.

 “God you are honestly perfect, you know that? Like except for when you’re completely intentionally pissing me off, you do things that are so far above the necessary level of doing things that is just so astounding....” I shake my head at him as I hop out of the car. 

“I know, I know, I’m amazing.” He gloats, pinching my arse as we walk into the elevator. 

“I kind of feel like we’re having an affair. Like we’ve literally got a hotel room just to have sex.”

“That is so not the reason!” Harry defends, acting shocked by my suggestion.

“Excuse me, it is 100 percent the reason.”

“I barely fit on your bed at uni, let alone both of us.” 

“We’ve made it work before.” I argue, knowing that spending the night in a hotel room just the two of us is way nicer than cooped up in my room at uni, but still, he needs to know I see right through him.

“Yeah but I just don’t know if it would’ve survived what I have planned.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” He winks, his hand squeezing mine tightly and leading me out into the hall.

Harry unlocks the door to the room, pushing it open and tossing the key onto the first counter top he sees. I dump my bag on the same table and turn around to face him.