That Summer Feeling [H.S.]

22. Boys Will Be Boys.. But Girls Will Be Women

I don't know whether it was the smell of food in the air that woke me up or the sound of loud laughter coming from downstairs. I blink rapidly, adjusting to the bright light of the room and then sit up, resting on my elbows. I look over to my side, expecting to see the face of the guy I wake up to every morning. But all I see is an empty spot on the bed, like it was completely untouched.

I don't think too much of it and get up to splash water on my face and brush my teeth. I check the time. 11:35 am. I groan, feeling like I only got 2 hours of sleep. Last night had been so lovely and it made butterflies with giant wings twirling around in my stomach. Towards the end, though, it grew weird. But I'm sure Harry and I are at a much better place this morning.

As I walk out of the room, I approach a few voices coming from downstairs. I walk down and feel like I was still dreaming once I step into the kitchen.

I see Harry standing in front of the stove, cooking something that smells delicious. Then I see the back of two heads I recognize as Sierra and Maggie. They're both laughing at something while Harry keeps a small smirk planted on his face. He was looking down at the stove, sprinkling something in the pan.

It was weird. He looked like himself but at the same time he didn't look like himself.

I don't know whether it was their laughter that was obnoxiously loud right now or it was the tiredness I felt that made my head throb with a dull ache. Either way I'm annoyed. When I take a closer look at what was happening before my very eyes, I know it was the latter.

"No, I don't like spicy foods!" Maggie giggles, reaching out to stop Harry's arm from adding hot sauce into the pan.

"It's hardly spicy," Harry tells her, smirking at her.

"You're adding, like, half of the bottle!"

"I'm glad I was brought up on that shit," Sierra says, "opens up a whole new world of flavor."

"Well, I didn't so be nice to me, Harry," Maggie says, practically ogling her eyes at him.

"I'm always nice," he says with a mischievous grin as he sets the bottle down, "nothing you can't handle but I guess we'll just have to see.."

Is he still talking about the hot sauce?

I grow so confused at the interaction. I felt like they were flirting with each other.

"And we'll just have to see about the hot sauce as well," he adds with a smirk.

I guess now he's talking about the fucking hot sauce.

I walked closer to them, wanting my presence to be noticed. I want to say if Harry changes his demeanor.

"Morning," I say, my voice breaking the slightest at the beginning.

God, this is not the time for me to appear weak. Hold it together, Lacey.

Sierra and Maggie turn to look at me as I walk by them. They both greet me with smiles. Wide, ecstatic smiles. My frown deepens but I hide it right away. Harry glances at me as I stand next to the counter. He sounds distant and cold when he greets me with a simple 'hello.' I can't detect any friendliness to his voice.

I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I start to feel awkward and insecure standing here so I walk over the fridge, needing something icy cold to wake me up from this dream nightmare.

"Can I try it?" I hear Maggie ask, her voice is higher pitched than usual.

"Sure," Harry says, his voice is more bubbly and polite than it was just a few seconds ago when greeting me. I secretly roll my eyes at that.