Trendsetter (book 2) - H.S

Chapter 17: Surround You.

EL'S POV:

I'm freaking out. I know Harry would tell me to chill out, and to stop, but I'm not with him right now... I'm driving to his house. I had a long day, a day full of clients, and though it's christmas eve it didn't change a thing. The appointment with Dakota Johnson went really well, better than I expected but I've designed for her before. That's something that makes me love what I do, people come back to me, they get one design, and it's like they can't get enough. Just like Dakota, just like Harry. That part of my day wasn't stressful, it was comfortable, it was something I was used to, but this, what I'm doing right now is not normal, or comfortable. I'm pulling into his home, staring at the house that I've been in more than enough times but this time is different because he's not the only one inside.
I make the step, and get out of the car, knowing if I don't do it now that I'll end up sitting here for too long, and then sike myself out, making up some excuse that I didn't feel well, and needed some time to feel better. I punch the code on the front door, and walk into the home, and it feels warm, but I'm not. I'm cold right now emotionally, mostly because I'm fearing what could come of being here right now. I walk through, and set my purse on the front table, moving into the beautiful home. When I'm in the attached kitchen, I see him sitting there with his sister, they're both on the porch, and as I try to make my way over there I'm stopped.
"I didn't even hear you come in, how are you, dear?" I turn to the voice, and see his mother, my heart instantly jumping.
"I'm doing just fine, I had a long day so I'm glad to be here right now. What about you? A long flight?" I ask her, trying to make a normal conversation.
"Very long, and very tiring, but I had a bit of a rest. I was surprised to hear you were going to be here too." She smiles, and starts opening cabinets, obviously searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" I ask her, and she smiles, looking back.
"A mug, and some tea packets, I swear I always forget where they are." She tells me, and I move to the cabinets. I reach above, standing on my tiptoes to get a coffee mug down, and I hand it to her, and then reach into the drawer right next to me, and get her a packet of tea, and hand it to her.
"Here you go." I smile, and walk back to the island, looking behind me, seeing that Harry, and Gemma are still talking on the back porch, still not noticing both of us in here... Dammit. "You didn't know I was coming tonight?" I ask her, and she shakes her head, but I can't see her expression, but I can hear her short laugh.
"I wasn't even aware the two of you mended things." She tells me, and she's speaking lightly, she's not angered from what I can tell, but that's more than I can say. Of course he didn't tell her that I was coming, meaning I was right, she wouldn't have been happy about it. "Oh, you don't need to worry dear, everything is alright, I just didn't know... Normal of my son to spring things on me like this... I just want him to be happy... Are you happy? Here instead of Italy?" She asks me, and I'm not comfortable, but I'm going to be honest with her.
"I'm a lot happier here actually. LA is just, it's more like home.. Though I think being on tour is more my speed. I miss it, traveling, and moving all the time." I tell her, knowing I haven't even told Harry that part.
"I'm not sure how you can do that, both of you. Traveling so much it's so tiring, and never having a place to call home." She's looking behind me at her son, staring straight through the glass doors. I look back to him, seeing his smile come out, the same indent in his cheek popping out.
"It's easy when you've got someone you can call home instead of somewhere." I mumble, and she goes quiet. I turn from the window, and look to her, seeing her face, the mug between her fingers. "Sorry, sometimes my mouth moves and I don't know what's going to come out." I cover my words, and she shakes her head.
"No need to apologize love... That was sweet." She tells me, and we hear the door slide open. We look in that direction, and Harry walks in, Gemma following behind.
"I had no idea you got here. How long have you two been sitting here?" He asks, and comes to me, standing beside me at the stool I sit at, and hugging my shoulders.
"Not long, only a few minutes." I hug him back, and he looks down at me.
"How was your day?" He asks me, and I shrug, but smile.
"Busy, but productive.. I'm glad I'm here now though. How was the song process? He seriously hasn't stopped writing since I moved here." I tell his family as they crowd around the kitchen.
"I read that song from today. Pretty depressing if you ask me." Gemma tells me, and I look to Harry with furrowed brows.
"What do you mean depressing? You wrote something depressing?" I ask, and he rolls his eyes.
"It's not depressing, it's honest. Either way, you don't get to know yet, not until it's all done." He tells me, moving away from me. "Are we going to cook, or order something since you'll be cooking tomorrow?" He asks his mom.
"I can cook something... if you're not up for it." I smile, and she does too.
"How about we all share some time in the kitchen?" Anne asks me, and I stand up, Harry following behind me as I walk from the chairs lining the island. This is safe, it's safe here, not bad, not like I was thinking. We'll be fine, this will be fine.
We went on like this, cooking together in his kitchen which wasn't hard considering how spacious it is. It was easier to be myself around all of them when Harry was there. He brought it out in me, and I think it went really well, definitely better than the times I was with his family before. We ended up playing one of those question games where you pull tabs of paper out, and answer questions. We shared a lot of laughs, and it was nice, it felt really nice the entire night. The panic in my chest when I walked in disappeared within the first hour, and I'm a little bit more braced, and ready for tomorrow. Now we're upstairs, we all said goodnight, and I made sure to call my parents, telling them they'd have the apartment to themselves but that we'd be there early in the morning. As soon as I'm in his room I sigh out, feeling like I can fully breath.
"Was it that bad?" He asks, and I shoot myself in his direction, and glare at him.
"It wasn't that bad but I'm angry with you. I just didn't want to get pissed at you in front of them. How could you lie to me, and tell me you told them I was going to be there when you didn't tell them until right before I showed up?" I ask, crossing my arms, and he sighs, walking past me, and to his drawers.
"I didn't want to lie, but I also didn't want you to panic. It's really nothing against you El, I just know my mom wouldn't have taken the news well over the phone, and if you want the honest truth, I wanted to make sure that this was real between us before I told her we got back together... I'm sorry." He apologizes, and I know there's no point in keeping my anger, it's in the past.
"If I had known your mom and sister had something against me I would've not come." I tell him, and he nods.
"I know you wouldn't have, but they didn't have anything against you. They just thought this was done, they knew how hurt I was, and she has nothing against you now, especially after tonight... I'm being honest." He pleads with me, and I walk to him as he sits on his bed. I stand between his legs, and hold his face, looking down to him.
"I'm not mad, I just wish you didn't lie... But we're fine, I'm fine...I am really tired though, like extremely tired, and ready to go to bed." I admit, and he stands up, walking to the drawers in his room, pulling out sleep pants, and taking his shirt off, throwing it to me.
"Then let's go to bed." He nods his head, and I crawl in after stripping down, and pulling his shirt on over me. I find myself pushing my head under his chin, and curling my hands onto his chest, just like I did last night. I'm not sure why I continue to lay with him like this, but it feels comfortable, it feels like home. I feel protected right here, and I think that's why I'm so attached to it. "I love you... I'm thankful for you.." He tells me softly, his chin moving over me.
"I love you... I've never spent christmas with anyone besides my family, and I haven't even spent it with them for years... but I'm glad it's you... I'm really glad it's you." I admit.