It Takes Patience III: Stripped
Chapter 38: Reality Revealed
*Harry's POV*
“What were you going to say?” I ask her standing from the bed, forced to walk close behind her as her hand leads me down the stairs.
“Not now.” She speaks quickly shaking her head before she looks back at me.
“What? Why not?”
“I’ll tell you later. Its just not something I want to talk about right now.”
As we walk into the kitchen, a tiny woman stands next to a chair going through her mail. Her hair is blonde and just past shoulder length and her black pencil skirt and business jacket lets me know that she must have just gotten off of work. When she turns her head to glance towards us, her blue eyes throw me off. I don’t know why but I pictured Reagan’s mum’s eyes to be brown. In my head it makes sense seeing as how Reagan’s eyes are hazel. The woman turns around fully once we make it down the stairs and her eyes widen a bit before she grins, her daughters smile matching her own.
“Hi mom.” Reagan lets go of my hand and rubs her sweaty palms on her legs before she adjusts her glasses. A cute nervous thing I’ve notice that she does since we’ve been together.
“Hi sweety. Who is your handsome friend behind you?”
Reagan turns to look at me again and when I glance back at her I lift my eyebrows at her before mouthing ‘I told you’ and smirking. Reagan rolls her eyes before she pulls me from behind her interlocking her fingers with mine.
“Mom this is Harry. Harry this is my mom, Lydia Stoger.”
“Oh, this is Harry?”
“Hello.” I speak to the woman and giver her my best smile to calm Reagan’s nerves. I can practically see her thoughts radiating off of her. I don’t know why overthinks so much. She has no reason to be so worried.
“Oh God that accent. I could listen to you talk all day. Come here.”
Lydia puts down her mail and walks towards me reaching out her arms for what I’m assuming to be a hug. I let go of Reagan’s hand to accept the gesture though I feel awkward by the contact because of Reagan’s weird mood. She eyes us as if she’s waiting for something to be done or said that will set either of us off. I know I’m bipolar, but fuck I think I can handle a hug without saying something out of term. The amount of time she spends worried about little things like me meeting her parents when we have bigger fish on the table will never cease to amaze me. Its one of those things about her that’s annoying, but cute at the same time. When her mum lets me go, my mind wanders to how many times I’ve used the word ‘cute’ in my own head when I think about glasses. Cute and undeniably fucking sexy when she's not even trying to be.
I wonder If I would get the same warm greeting from her mum if she knew about the way that her daughter was kissing me upstairs just a few moments ago. When the hug is over, Reagan grabs my hand again. She still seems unnerved and I start to think that there’s something more to it than me just meeting her parents.
“When did you get here?” Lydia asks going back to her mail while leaning casually against her chair. Her eyes land on Reagan and I think I feel her palms begin to sweat again.
“Just a bit over two hours ago.”
“Oh you must be tired then. I know Reagan slept for days when she got back from London. She said it was jetlag, but you know, I’m not so sure if that was it anymore.”
Her eyes stay on her daughter and the mood of the room shifts dramatically, much like the weather outside. The room falls silent and all that can be heard is the beat of rain splattering along the roof and pavement outside and Reagan’s heart drumming a mile a minute in her chest. She lets go of my hand before she turns to me with a fake, goofy, grin on her face to try and throw me off, but she should know better than that by now. I know her better than she thinks, that and her lying skills are shit when it comes to her trying to lie to me. She could fool the world if she wanted to, but I would still know the truth. Something is wrong.
“Um, Harry I think I left a window open in my room. Can you go close it for me please?”
Its clear ploy to get me out of the room and out of earshot. The windows in her room are closed. I noticed it because it was stuffy in there and I wanted to ask her to open them to get a breeze. I look at her furrowing my eyebrows slightly before I wave and grin at her mum as I go up the stairs, giving them their privacy even though I’m anxious to know what the hell is going on.
*Reagan’s POV*
Harry ascends up the stairs quickly allowing me the time I need to win my mom over.The not so subtle hint that she dropped to me would have continued on had I not stepped in and the way that Harry looked at me makes me think that he’s caught on to more than I wanted him to know.
I look at my mom before pulling out a chair at the table for her to sit down. When I nod my head in gesture towards it, my mom raises an eyebrow before she takes the seat. As soon as I pull up a chair to sit next to her she starts to talk.
“You have about half an hour before your father gets home to explain yourself so make it good and make it quick.”
“It was a surprise. I didn’t know that he was coming either.”
“So he just turned up out of the blue kind of like you did?”
I close my eyes briefly before I open them again. I already know what she’s getting, but I need her to keep her mouth shut. I think Harry is sitting on the stairwell.
“Yes.” I rubbed my hands on my legs out of nerves. If she would have come home just twenty minutes later the cat would be out of the bag and Harry wouldn’t have to find out this way. I really think he’s on the stairs. The only way to change the nature of the conversation is to change the subject. There’s something I need to ask her anyway.
“Do you like him?”
My mom takes the hair tie that was on her wrist off, pulling her hair into a high ponytail while nodding her head. My heart flutters and a small smile crosses my lips. Even though she is overly suspicious of mine and Harry’s actions, to know that I have her approval is a feeling that I know that I will always want. However, even if she said she didn’t it wouldn’t have made the smallest difference to me.
“He’s very attractive. There’s something about his eyes that I can’t quite place, but they’re very unique. He seems very, well mannered. I can tell by the way that he looks at you that there’s some strong feelings there. If you were going to choose anyone to deflower you, I think you made the right choice.”
“Mom!”
“It was him right? You did say Harry when we talked about you losing the big it, well rather when you told me out of spite and anger that you lost it. He is the only one that–”
“Yes, mom! Jesus!” I cringe at her words not so much because of the intrusive nature of them, but because Harry is not the only one that I’ve been with even though Peyton wasn’t by choice. I rub my hand over my face trying to rid myself of the disgusting vision that threatens to flash in my head. I’ve tried to tell myself since the last one happened that this will just be a random recurring issue that I’ll have to learn how to deal with, but nothing, no matter how good the pep talk prepares me for it when it happens.
“I’m just making sure.” My mom leaned on her elbow after unbuttoning her blazer. “Where is he staying?”
“I wanted to ask you if you could talk to dad and let him stay here?”
“Reagan!–”
“Mom, please? His mom let me stay with him in Lon–” She gives me a hard stare with her eyebrows furrowed and I stop myself mid sentence.
“You were staying at his house? I thought you were at a hotel! You told me that you would be staying in a hotel, not shacking up with your boyfriend!”
“I was at a hotel for the most part...In the beginning.”
She scoffed shaking her head at me with clear disappointment in my living arrangements, but because I know her I know she’ll offer Harry the same hospitality, not wanting to be considered the rude mom.
“Reagan, I honestly don’t know who you are anymore. You don’t tell me anything anymore and I don’t like it. I will talk to your father if you can look at me right now and swear that there’s nothing going on. Promise me that theres nothing more to this.”
I can’t tell if it’s my heart or the truth that beats fiercely against my ribcage. Both are begging to be be put on the table. I’ve never really kept things from my mom before, but then again I’ve never really had the need to. As I open my mouth, I swallow back the truth convincing myself that anything that I say right now is only bend of the truth and that eventually I will be able to sit down and tell her everything she wants to know from start to finish.
“He’s just here to visit me. I swear.”
My mom nods her head before standing from the table and opening up the refrigerator.
“What does he like to eat? I’ll cook.”
*Harry’s POV*
The room goes quiet and before I can stand up from the stairs to go back in Reagan’s room, she’s already at the bottom of them with her arms crossed. She makes it halfway up to me where the wall blocks the stairs from being visible in the kitchen before she speaks.
“I knew it!” She whisper shouts at me stomping one of her tiny feet. “I knew you were listening!”
I stay seated with a smirk on my face. No point in trying to hide it now. I was listening, but I really didn’t find out shit other than the fact that theres definitely something that Reagan is keeping from me. The hesitation in Reagan’s reply to her mum’s question at the end of their conversation was the only tip off I got besides the awkward glances shared between the two of them when I was downstairs.
“Sorry didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything.”
“That's exactly what you were doing!”
I stand from the stairs and go back into Reagan’s room. She follows on my heels quickly before she closes the door behind us and closes the space between us. Her body is only mere inches away from mine and my skin immediately prickles. My hands land on either side of her waist as her beautiful gold flecked eyes hold mine captive. When I bite my bottom lip, her eyes flicker there before she focuses again.
“What did you hear?” Her voice is barely above a whisper but it sends chills through me just the same.
“Just enough to know that your mum thinks I’m attractive and that my visit might have caused some tension...and your mum says deflowered.” Reagan drops her head in embarrassment and hides her eyes from me with her hand.
“I am the one you lost it to right?”
Reagan rolls her eyes bemused, but I find it funny.
Running one of my hands up her side, I can feel her shiver beneath my fingertips. It’s not an uncomfortable response. In fact it's one that I've gotten several times before. Its one of my favorites though I see her eyes widen in shock, contradicting her body’s natural reaction to me and the way that I touch her. My hand goes to the side of her face where my thumb lightly strokes her cheek, memorizing the feel of her soft skin beneath mine.
“I’m the only one who knows how to make you lose it.” Reagan's eyes flutter and her breath quickens as my lips get closer to hers.
“Harry.” She almost moans my name as it rolls off of her lips, but she turns her head rejecting the kiss and places her hand against my chest to stop me.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to push it too far. I just really can’t fucking help myself.” I remove my hands from her face and waist much to my dismay. Everything in me longs to feel her so much so that there's a dull ache that I can’t seem to get rid of until she allows it to happen. However, I’ll patiently wait as long as she needs.
“It’s not you. We need to talk.I don’t want to drag this out any longer than need be.” Reagan’s voice softens so that she’s quieter than she was before.
“Okay?”
She looks towards her door before she grabs my hand and walks me out on the small balcony that overlooks her back garden. A small round table and two chairs sit there under an awning that shields them from the rain that falls steadily over head. If the wind blows we’ll be drenched, but that doesn’t seem to bother Reagan as she closes the balcony door and takes a seat, gesturing for me to do the same. The look on her face begins to worry me I can feel my anxieties rise as she nibbles her bottom lip with her eyes cast down on the table.
I fold my arms over my chest as watch her mull over her words. The worst feeling washes over me and though I try to control my mood shift I don’t think I’ll be able to if she stays silent like this for much longer. The last time that she was this way, she told me about her and Peyton’s ‘friendship’.
“Reagan? Will you talk please, babe? You’re making me nervous. Whats going–”
“Its about what I was going to say earlier.” She cuts me off, her eyes finally meeting with mine.
“Alright…” I nod my head, calmly waiting for her to continue though my anxieties continue to heighten. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as the news about her and Peyton.
Reagan rubs her hands over her legs before taking a deep breath.
“Remember when we talked on the phone when you were in London and I told you about my mom’s suspicions? About why she thought I came home so abruptly?”
I try to think back and recall the conversation and it feels as if needles prickle at my skin when only one topic comes to mind. Reagan looks at me desperately but I can’t bring myself to speak. Words are at the tip of my tongue but refuse to come out. I'm not sure if it's because I'm biting it or if it's the fear of what would be said, but I stay silent waiting for her to continue, hoping that she doesn't say what I think she will.
“Harry, she was right. My mom was right. I took tests...I think I’m pregnant.”
“What were you going to say?” I ask her standing from the bed, forced to walk close behind her as her hand leads me down the stairs.
“Not now.” She speaks quickly shaking her head before she looks back at me.
“What? Why not?”
“I’ll tell you later. Its just not something I want to talk about right now.”
As we walk into the kitchen, a tiny woman stands next to a chair going through her mail. Her hair is blonde and just past shoulder length and her black pencil skirt and business jacket lets me know that she must have just gotten off of work. When she turns her head to glance towards us, her blue eyes throw me off. I don’t know why but I pictured Reagan’s mum’s eyes to be brown. In my head it makes sense seeing as how Reagan’s eyes are hazel. The woman turns around fully once we make it down the stairs and her eyes widen a bit before she grins, her daughters smile matching her own.
“Hi mom.” Reagan lets go of my hand and rubs her sweaty palms on her legs before she adjusts her glasses. A cute nervous thing I’ve notice that she does since we’ve been together.
“Hi sweety. Who is your handsome friend behind you?”
Reagan turns to look at me again and when I glance back at her I lift my eyebrows at her before mouthing ‘I told you’ and smirking. Reagan rolls her eyes before she pulls me from behind her interlocking her fingers with mine.
“Mom this is Harry. Harry this is my mom, Lydia Stoger.”
“Oh, this is Harry?”
“Hello.” I speak to the woman and giver her my best smile to calm Reagan’s nerves. I can practically see her thoughts radiating off of her. I don’t know why overthinks so much. She has no reason to be so worried.
“Oh God that accent. I could listen to you talk all day. Come here.”
Lydia puts down her mail and walks towards me reaching out her arms for what I’m assuming to be a hug. I let go of Reagan’s hand to accept the gesture though I feel awkward by the contact because of Reagan’s weird mood. She eyes us as if she’s waiting for something to be done or said that will set either of us off. I know I’m bipolar, but fuck I think I can handle a hug without saying something out of term. The amount of time she spends worried about little things like me meeting her parents when we have bigger fish on the table will never cease to amaze me. Its one of those things about her that’s annoying, but cute at the same time. When her mum lets me go, my mind wanders to how many times I’ve used the word ‘cute’ in my own head when I think about glasses. Cute and undeniably fucking sexy when she's not even trying to be.
I wonder If I would get the same warm greeting from her mum if she knew about the way that her daughter was kissing me upstairs just a few moments ago. When the hug is over, Reagan grabs my hand again. She still seems unnerved and I start to think that there’s something more to it than me just meeting her parents.
“When did you get here?” Lydia asks going back to her mail while leaning casually against her chair. Her eyes land on Reagan and I think I feel her palms begin to sweat again.
“Just a bit over two hours ago.”
“Oh you must be tired then. I know Reagan slept for days when she got back from London. She said it was jetlag, but you know, I’m not so sure if that was it anymore.”
Her eyes stay on her daughter and the mood of the room shifts dramatically, much like the weather outside. The room falls silent and all that can be heard is the beat of rain splattering along the roof and pavement outside and Reagan’s heart drumming a mile a minute in her chest. She lets go of my hand before she turns to me with a fake, goofy, grin on her face to try and throw me off, but she should know better than that by now. I know her better than she thinks, that and her lying skills are shit when it comes to her trying to lie to me. She could fool the world if she wanted to, but I would still know the truth. Something is wrong.
“Um, Harry I think I left a window open in my room. Can you go close it for me please?”
Its clear ploy to get me out of the room and out of earshot. The windows in her room are closed. I noticed it because it was stuffy in there and I wanted to ask her to open them to get a breeze. I look at her furrowing my eyebrows slightly before I wave and grin at her mum as I go up the stairs, giving them their privacy even though I’m anxious to know what the hell is going on.
*Reagan’s POV*
Harry ascends up the stairs quickly allowing me the time I need to win my mom over.The not so subtle hint that she dropped to me would have continued on had I not stepped in and the way that Harry looked at me makes me think that he’s caught on to more than I wanted him to know.
I look at my mom before pulling out a chair at the table for her to sit down. When I nod my head in gesture towards it, my mom raises an eyebrow before she takes the seat. As soon as I pull up a chair to sit next to her she starts to talk.
“You have about half an hour before your father gets home to explain yourself so make it good and make it quick.”
“It was a surprise. I didn’t know that he was coming either.”
“So he just turned up out of the blue kind of like you did?”
I close my eyes briefly before I open them again. I already know what she’s getting, but I need her to keep her mouth shut. I think Harry is sitting on the stairwell.
“Yes.” I rubbed my hands on my legs out of nerves. If she would have come home just twenty minutes later the cat would be out of the bag and Harry wouldn’t have to find out this way. I really think he’s on the stairs. The only way to change the nature of the conversation is to change the subject. There’s something I need to ask her anyway.
“Do you like him?”
My mom takes the hair tie that was on her wrist off, pulling her hair into a high ponytail while nodding her head. My heart flutters and a small smile crosses my lips. Even though she is overly suspicious of mine and Harry’s actions, to know that I have her approval is a feeling that I know that I will always want. However, even if she said she didn’t it wouldn’t have made the smallest difference to me.
“He’s very attractive. There’s something about his eyes that I can’t quite place, but they’re very unique. He seems very, well mannered. I can tell by the way that he looks at you that there’s some strong feelings there. If you were going to choose anyone to deflower you, I think you made the right choice.”
“Mom!”
“It was him right? You did say Harry when we talked about you losing the big it, well rather when you told me out of spite and anger that you lost it. He is the only one that–”
“Yes, mom! Jesus!” I cringe at her words not so much because of the intrusive nature of them, but because Harry is not the only one that I’ve been with even though Peyton wasn’t by choice. I rub my hand over my face trying to rid myself of the disgusting vision that threatens to flash in my head. I’ve tried to tell myself since the last one happened that this will just be a random recurring issue that I’ll have to learn how to deal with, but nothing, no matter how good the pep talk prepares me for it when it happens.
“I’m just making sure.” My mom leaned on her elbow after unbuttoning her blazer. “Where is he staying?”
“I wanted to ask you if you could talk to dad and let him stay here?”
“Reagan!–”
“Mom, please? His mom let me stay with him in Lon–” She gives me a hard stare with her eyebrows furrowed and I stop myself mid sentence.
“You were staying at his house? I thought you were at a hotel! You told me that you would be staying in a hotel, not shacking up with your boyfriend!”
“I was at a hotel for the most part...In the beginning.”
She scoffed shaking her head at me with clear disappointment in my living arrangements, but because I know her I know she’ll offer Harry the same hospitality, not wanting to be considered the rude mom.
“Reagan, I honestly don’t know who you are anymore. You don’t tell me anything anymore and I don’t like it. I will talk to your father if you can look at me right now and swear that there’s nothing going on. Promise me that theres nothing more to this.”
I can’t tell if it’s my heart or the truth that beats fiercely against my ribcage. Both are begging to be be put on the table. I’ve never really kept things from my mom before, but then again I’ve never really had the need to. As I open my mouth, I swallow back the truth convincing myself that anything that I say right now is only bend of the truth and that eventually I will be able to sit down and tell her everything she wants to know from start to finish.
“He’s just here to visit me. I swear.”
My mom nods her head before standing from the table and opening up the refrigerator.
“What does he like to eat? I’ll cook.”
*Harry’s POV*
The room goes quiet and before I can stand up from the stairs to go back in Reagan’s room, she’s already at the bottom of them with her arms crossed. She makes it halfway up to me where the wall blocks the stairs from being visible in the kitchen before she speaks.
“I knew it!” She whisper shouts at me stomping one of her tiny feet. “I knew you were listening!”
I stay seated with a smirk on my face. No point in trying to hide it now. I was listening, but I really didn’t find out shit other than the fact that theres definitely something that Reagan is keeping from me. The hesitation in Reagan’s reply to her mum’s question at the end of their conversation was the only tip off I got besides the awkward glances shared between the two of them when I was downstairs.
“Sorry didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything.”
“That's exactly what you were doing!”
I stand from the stairs and go back into Reagan’s room. She follows on my heels quickly before she closes the door behind us and closes the space between us. Her body is only mere inches away from mine and my skin immediately prickles. My hands land on either side of her waist as her beautiful gold flecked eyes hold mine captive. When I bite my bottom lip, her eyes flicker there before she focuses again.
“What did you hear?” Her voice is barely above a whisper but it sends chills through me just the same.
“Just enough to know that your mum thinks I’m attractive and that my visit might have caused some tension...and your mum says deflowered.” Reagan drops her head in embarrassment and hides her eyes from me with her hand.
“I am the one you lost it to right?”
Reagan rolls her eyes bemused, but I find it funny.
Running one of my hands up her side, I can feel her shiver beneath my fingertips. It’s not an uncomfortable response. In fact it's one that I've gotten several times before. Its one of my favorites though I see her eyes widen in shock, contradicting her body’s natural reaction to me and the way that I touch her. My hand goes to the side of her face where my thumb lightly strokes her cheek, memorizing the feel of her soft skin beneath mine.
“I’m the only one who knows how to make you lose it.” Reagan's eyes flutter and her breath quickens as my lips get closer to hers.
“Harry.” She almost moans my name as it rolls off of her lips, but she turns her head rejecting the kiss and places her hand against my chest to stop me.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to push it too far. I just really can’t fucking help myself.” I remove my hands from her face and waist much to my dismay. Everything in me longs to feel her so much so that there's a dull ache that I can’t seem to get rid of until she allows it to happen. However, I’ll patiently wait as long as she needs.
“It’s not you. We need to talk.I don’t want to drag this out any longer than need be.” Reagan’s voice softens so that she’s quieter than she was before.
“Okay?”
She looks towards her door before she grabs my hand and walks me out on the small balcony that overlooks her back garden. A small round table and two chairs sit there under an awning that shields them from the rain that falls steadily over head. If the wind blows we’ll be drenched, but that doesn’t seem to bother Reagan as she closes the balcony door and takes a seat, gesturing for me to do the same. The look on her face begins to worry me I can feel my anxieties rise as she nibbles her bottom lip with her eyes cast down on the table.
I fold my arms over my chest as watch her mull over her words. The worst feeling washes over me and though I try to control my mood shift I don’t think I’ll be able to if she stays silent like this for much longer. The last time that she was this way, she told me about her and Peyton’s ‘friendship’.
“Reagan? Will you talk please, babe? You’re making me nervous. Whats going–”
“Its about what I was going to say earlier.” She cuts me off, her eyes finally meeting with mine.
“Alright…” I nod my head, calmly waiting for her to continue though my anxieties continue to heighten. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as the news about her and Peyton.
Reagan rubs her hands over her legs before taking a deep breath.
“Remember when we talked on the phone when you were in London and I told you about my mom’s suspicions? About why she thought I came home so abruptly?”
I try to think back and recall the conversation and it feels as if needles prickle at my skin when only one topic comes to mind. Reagan looks at me desperately but I can’t bring myself to speak. Words are at the tip of my tongue but refuse to come out. I'm not sure if it's because I'm biting it or if it's the fear of what would be said, but I stay silent waiting for her to continue, hoping that she doesn't say what I think she will.
“Harry, she was right. My mom was right. I took tests...I think I’m pregnant.”
Notes
Hello!!!!!!!!! Sory its taken me so long to update! I'm trying to get my act together I promise. What did you all think of this chapter? I'm sorry its unedited I'll go through and fix mistakes a bit later, but the cat is out of the bag!!!! Reagan told him! Do you think that this is a good or bad thing? Please load me up with comments guyyyyssss! I'm so eager and excited to read and reply so please please please drop me one or a few in the comments box below!! ALSO, please vote if you're enjoying! and sub? I haven't gotten any of those in a while and they make me happy as well :( AS ALWAYS LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH FOR READING!!!!! ~Xx
@XOXOH
Hi there lovely, I am a big fan of your books and you don't know how happy I am to see you back here. I LOVE THIS TRIOLOGY so dam much......so let me get this straight....you are not updating this story anymore on here? You are only going to continue this story on wattpad?? .....despite what decision you make I will be waiting for you because I want to know what will HAPPEN ....sorry I am weird xxx
8/22/15