The Boy Next Door ✑(h.s.)

fifteen

Chapter 15

It was quiet. Too quiet. All was heard was the gentle breathing of Harry, and that thudding of my heart in my ears. I can't do this. This wound is too fresh and honestly I don't think it'll ever heal. Very few people know anything, and by very few I mean the most minimal amount. That being myself, my parents, Angie and her parents. Not even Rodney knows all of it, but knows enough to know not to bring it up often. People wondered where Angie had gone, or why she had moved, but it wasn't anything they stayed on. They moved on, just like everyone else. It's nearly been a month and I'm still as distraught as I was the day she left.

If I knew this is how this was going to play out at all I would've ran far, far away. My gaze keeps going to the door almost contemplating a second escape. I can feel Harry's gaze following mine and I can feel him tense as he's scared I'll run away from him again.

I wish he'd realize it's not him I'm running from. I want nothing more than to be able to confide to him the past that has me so screwed up now. Who Angie was, what she meant to me, why she left.

But I just couldn't.

No matter how much I may love him -if that may be- I can't bare him with this. I can't let him take on the emotional wreck I am behind this shell I've tried to create to allow myself to rebuild.

It's not completely a lost cause as I can slowly feel myself rebuild. But that as it may be isn't enough for me to try and go off of it. I can't, and I won't . So I guess that means one thing. I'm lying.

"Poppy?" I hear Harry say next to me, my vision on the wallpapered wall in front of me.

"Uhm, yeah. So I guess I should explain some things." I said releasing a nervous laugh.

"I just wanna know what happened Poppy. Why'd you run away? I don't get what happened."

It's okay, most don't.

"I run away from a lot of things Harry, you'll realize that sooner or later."

"What do you mean?" He asked, hid voice laced with so much confusion and worry that it nearly broke my heart.

"Nothing. Just, what happened down there, uhm- I just" And it was just now evident to me how I had no backup lie to cover up with.

"If you're too uncomfortable on the topic I'm not gonna make you tell me Poppy." He says placing a hand on my knee, rubbing small soothing circles with his thumb. "I just want you to know that I'm here, and I don't plan on going anywhere."

Neither did she.

I almost burst into tears at his sincere comfort. He wasn't going to push me and I could never be able to thank him properly.

Instead of thanking him back I decide to lean over and press a kiss to his lips. Nothing to intense, but simply just a sign of endearment.

I pull back shortly, my hand placed on his cheek. I send him a small, broken smile and rest my forehead against his.

"Thank you." I whisper so softly, but enough for him to hear.

We don't stay there for long as the sound of the first firework of the night rings throughout the sky. The noise loud and obnoxious and frankly similar to a gunshot, but god was it fun.

I got up from my seated position and reached my hand out for Harry. He brought a huge smile to his face, and quickly took my hand and running past me, tugging me down the stairs.

When we go outside I see how the sunset quickly faded as it always does, and is now nearly nonexistent. the dark blue of the night sky practically taking up the entirety of the space.

The people in the area behind the cabins all had previously pulled out lawn chairs and started to place them accordingly to best accommodate for the show. Instead of pulling me towards the group as I had expected Harry to do, we instead headed into the woods. I was slightly confused at first but once we were on a similar path, I knew where we were going and the fact that Harry was taking me there was a the better.

Maybe it was his way to make sure I was okay. Maybe he just knew that this was somewhere I'd rather be. This secluded area that I held so dear to my heart.

I may not know anything about romance or love, I mean hell I'm only 17, but there is one thing I'm sure of.

I love Harry.

I could feel a case of word vomit coming on as my brain was forcing out whatever was on it.

"I love you." I blurted out right as a firework had popped in the air, causing my attention to fall upward where Harry's already was. My heart was beating so fast, hoping he hadn't heard what just came out of my mouth.

"What'd you say Poppy?" He ask-yelled as more and more fireworks illuminated the sky. We had previously sat down on the bank of the lake to watch the show. His head was facing me as the illuminated sky lit up his features each time one went off leaving me speechless. God I love him.

"Uh, I just love fireworks." I half-yelled back. He smiled and nodded and then turned his gaze back to the celebration that was taking place.

For the first time in years I hadn't looked at a single firework. The pyrotechnics weren't nearly as intricate as the person sitting next to me holding my now clammy hand.

The show didn't last longer than an hour, the finale leaving the dark sky lit for a good couple of minutes. We decided to sit there for a while longer to admire the stars that came out after being scared off by the fireworks.

Harry's hands played with my fingers as we laid there just talking. Our playful manner never left, as I was scared it would after me not being able to confide into him my past. I knew he understood though, and thats all I could hope for, for now at least.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked disrupting the very thoughts he questioned.

"You." I answered truthfully. If I want to eventually be something with Harry I can't lie to him more than I already am. Well not as much as lie as withhold information, but it's still the same concept.

"What a coincidence, I was thinking about you too." He says turning his head to the side to look at me. My gaze had never left him all night, and I'd say that it was a hell of a lit better than any firework I've ever seen.

I scooted closer to him and brought my head to his chest resting my chin on him. He wrapped his arm around my back, pushing me closer to him.

"Y'know something Poppy?"

I raised my eyebrows in response along with a small "Hmm?"

"I like you."

I let out a small chuckle as we stared at each other. "I like you too, Harry."

"Poppy?"

"Yes, Harry?" I said with another chuckle at his odd nature.

"Can I have a kiss?"

My heart started beating harder, and my insides warmed. God, how can anyone be more perfect?

I smiled and leaned downward to meet his lips, but was stopped as Harry's hand halted my actions, causing me to kiss the palm of his hand.

"But wait Poppy, there's something else." He said with a smirk. I was almost afraid for hims response although I signaled for him to continue.

"I told myself that the next girl I kiss will be my girlfriend, and since the next person I want to kiss so happens to be you, I suppose that leaves a question to be asked doesn't it?"

Did he really just say that.

His fingers ran through my hair as I looked down at him lying on the grass. My heart beating a million miles an hour as I waited for the next sentence to leave his ever so kissable lips.

"Poppy Wilson, would you do me the honors of being my girlfriend?"

And with that I immediately went to kiss him. Our lips met in a hurried and frantic manner, but I didn't care. He just asked me to be his girlfriend, and that's all I cared about.

I'm quite positive I'd just answered his question.