Harry looks at me with the most shocked expression I’ve ever seen. I have no idea how he’s going to react to it glowing that way. He definitely knows it’s glowing because it’s so close to him.
“You?” He manages. His voice comes out strained and surprised.
I nod. “Me.”
I’m starting to sweat from nervousness. Is he going to be angry that I didn’t tell him? Is he going to be sad that I didn’t tell him? Is he going to be happy? The expression on his face is still too shocked to be able to tell.
“Why… why didn’t you tell me?” He asked.
I wasn’t prepared for that question.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I just thought that maybe you’d want to find out on your own. Or maybe I wanted to know what you thought of me before I told you, I don’t know.” I really don’t know.
He shakes his head and hands me my necklace. “If you’re the girl I’m supposed to be in love with, I would have expected you to be honest from the beginning,” he says.
My heart drops as I realize what’s happening.
“I’m sorry, Harry, I was so nervous. I was never good at introducing myself to new people, let alone you.”
He looks hurt and I want to go back to the pizza place from yesterday and introduce myself to him as soon as my necklace lights up.
“Harry, I’m sorry,” I say again.
“No, it’s okay,” he says with a sigh.
I’m not sure if he’s serious or not.
“You didn’t want to tell me for a reason and the reason is that you don’t want me to be your soul mate. I’m not your type or something, I don’t know.”
“No, no that’s not what I meant at all,” I say. He’s really got this all wrong. “I was at the pizza place yesterday and I saw your necklace lighting up under your shirt but you left too quickly for me to do anything. Besides that, I was a little intimidated by you.”
“Intimidated? By me?” He’s shocked and I don’t blame him. He doesn’t look like he could hurt a fly.
“Not by you, per say, but by your looks. You’re much more attractive than anyone I’ve ever talked to and if I get tongue tied talking to my friends, imagine how bad it would have been for me to introduce myself to you. You probably wouldn’t have understood a word I was saying.” My mind isn’t producing words anymore, my mouth is. I try not to overthink what I’m saying.
“You shouldn’t be scared to talk to me, I’m supposed to be the guy you fall in love with. You shouldn’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself.” I feel so bad about hiding it from him. I feel even worse that he had to find out by me dropping my stupid necklace. This isn’t how I wanted it to go.
“I know, I’m sorry, it’s just all so new to me,” I say.
“It’s new to me too,” he says, “I’ve only got one soul mate and I’ve never met you before.”
His words send butterflies through my stomach.
“I’m really sorry,” I say again.
“Stop apologizing.”
“Sorry.”
Laurel laughs from next to me and I realize I’d forgotten she was there at all. I think Harry had as well because he jumped a little at the sound.
“How about we keep walking,” he suggests, his cheeks turning pink.
I nod and we start walking down the sidewalk. Harry points out places and billboards and I find where the big ball is. I promise myself that one day I’ll be here for New Year’s Eve to watch it drop.
After a few minutes I feel something touch my hand. I look down and see Harry’s fingers finding their way between my own. I look up at him and see him smiling down at me.
“Is this okay?” He asks, giving my hand a little squeeze.
My cheeks grow hot and I nod. It feels weird to have someone holding my hand but I like it.
We walk around for about half an hour before Laurel starts complaining that she’s tired so we head back to the car. Of course Laurel lets me sit in front again and Harry has his hand on mine the whole drive back to the hotel.
When he pulls up to the front, I unbuckle my seatbelt to get out.
“Wait,” he says, grabbing my arm. “Can I have your phone number first?”
I smile and put my number into his phone. There’s a lot I don’t know about this boy and maybe now that he has my number I’ll learn a little more when he texts me.
I’m still quite disappointed in myself as Laurel and I make our way up to our room for keeping Harry in the dark about the truth between us. I hold my Pathfinder in my fist and feel it cooling down as the distance between Harry and I becomes bigger.
“How did it go?” Mrs. Stratton asks when we walk into the room.
“A lot better than we thought,” Laurel answers for both of us.
“What happened?” This time her mom is looking at me.
“Long story,” I answer with a smile.
“I’m guessing something happened between you and Harry?” She asks.
I nod and go to mine and Laurel’s room to change into pajamas. I’ve had enough of dresses for at least another few months.
When I’m in some gym shorts and a tank top, I go to the bathroom and take off my makeup. Laurel is still in the living room with her mom when I come out and I’m glad, now I get some time to myself before Laurel tells me everything I did wrong.
I lay down on my bed and turn on the television. There’s not a lot on because it’s a hotel television so I settle for a celebrity news show. I hear a buzzing and it takes me a second to realize it’s my phone going off in my purse. I get up off the bed and grab it. I have a new text message.
Hey, this is Harry. Just checking to make sure you got to your room safe.
I feel kind of disappointed by his message. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this is not it. I wish he would have asked how I’m doing or something rather than if I got to my room safely.
Yeah, just watching TV.
It’s about 9:30 by now and it’s getting dark outside so I get up an pull the curtains shut. When I get back to my bed, my phone lights up with a new message. At least he’s not a slow texter.
I’m glad you made it in safe.
What is it with him?
There’s not a lot that can happen between the sidewalk and the elevator.
The worst that could happen is I trip and fall and even that didn’t happen. Although, if I was wearing heels it probably would have.
My phone goes off again and I pick it up.
I know. It’s just that I’ve waited 18 years to meet you and I don’t want anything to happen.
“Aww,” I say out loud. The door bursts open before I have a chance to text him anything back.
“What?” Laurel says, poking her head in.
“Nothing,” I say, texting Harry back.
Don’t worry, the only thing you have to worry about is Laurel.
“You’re lying,” she says matter-of-factly. She walks all the way into the room and closes the door behind her. “Who are you texting?”
“My mom,” I answer. I hope she doesn’t figure out that I’m lying. Then I realize I probably should text my mom and tell her about the events of the past few days.
“You’re lying,” Laurel says. She always sees through my lies.
“No I’m not,” I argue, opening a blank text to my mother.
Hey, Mom! We landed yesterday and we’re staying in a really cool hotel. I’m going to head to bed soon but I thought I’d let you know what was going on.
I decide to leave out the part about Harry until I get a chance to call her.
“Let me see,” she demands, holding out her hand for my phone.
I leave it on the message to my mom and hand it to her. She looks at the screen for a minute and clicks something.
“You were lying,” she says. “You were texting Harry.”
“I was not,” I try.
“I’m reading your messages right now, Piper, don’t dig yourself any deeper.”
I keep my mouth shut as she reads the few messages between me and Harry.
“He seems really sweet,” she tells me, handing my phone back.
“I guess we’ll find out.”
My phone buzzes twice. I have a message from my mom:
Thanks for letting me know. Have fun!
And one from Harry:
She’s nice. I was wondering if you’d like to hang out tomorrow, just the two of us.
I read the text over a few times before I decide that it’s real and I’m not just imagining things. Is Harry asking me out on a date? Even just holding hands tonight was a big jump for me.
Sure :)
What harm could possibly come out of a date?