Chapter 4 #2
“Wrapped up in your head. Obsessive. You let it out like anger and impatience. Of course.” She snickers—that is seriously the best descriptor for how my mom laughs, it is like this silly high pitched ‘hehetehe’ sound.
I really love hearing it because it’s like the whole representation of her, a woman that embraces who she is as a person, no matter what.
It was pretty freeing to grow up with a mom like that.
Probably why I never apologize for being me.
“Yeah. That. Don’t worry too much about me.” I catch myself smiling in the mirror.
“Well, she is a fool if she doesn’t see just how fucking perfect you are.
” Her own truth woven into the words, she is always so sure of me and thinks I am the best thing ever.
Like I said, I really love my mom. It is also a bit annoying how she seems to always know what something is about without knowing.
“I’m going to get some work done before I crash. I love you.”
“Love you too my favorite son.” She laughs lightly.
“Your only son.” I chuckle.
“My favorite child,” she corrects with glee.
“Your only child.” I shake my head as I smile at her silliness.
“Still the truth.”
“Bye, Mom.” I smirk as she says bye and ends the call.
I finally make it to bed after three, but at least I got the contract I was working on completed. I fall asleep fantasizing about nails raking against my scalp in a soothing whirl.
We all show up on moving day to unload Harry and Roxy’s rented moving truck.
I lean against my Audi as my brothers, and I stand around waiting for them to arrive.
I am completely tuned out of the conversation around me.
I close my eyes and send up a prayer that after today I can let this obsession go.
When the heavy sounds of a smallish moving truck near, I force my eyes open.
Fuck. She looks just as fucking gorgeous as the last time I saw her. Even worse, she now sports the sexiest fucking smile. Her whole fucking face is lit up as she looks through the windshield, her hand up waving. Meadow is vigorously waving back.
Harry pulls the truck in park, I can see her car is on a trailer behind the truck, behind that I see Roxy pulling her car to a stop in their designated parking spaces. When their car doors open, I hear Hanger chuckling as he moves forward. “There are my girls.”
Harry rushes around the front throwing herself against Hanger’s chest. “Hey Dad.”
“Baby girl. I am so fucking glad you are here.” His arms hold her nice and tight, and I feel jealous I can’t hold her too.
She pulls back turning toward Mint, he yanks her into him, and they hug while Hanger wraps Roxy up off her feet pressing a kiss to her then speaking quietly with her.
She looks thrilled and she is pretty as fuck.
She seriously looks like she could be Harry’s…
sister… aunt… she looks too young to be her mom, but shit they look so similar.
Not in a weird or creepy way, just like they have enough similarities you would assume they were related, not that they actually look alike.
Harry makes the rounds with Mint, Wally, and Meadow.
Mint then introduces her to each of the guys.
When she meets Mouse, her head drops back so she can look at him, she laughs.
“When Dad said the Enforcer was Mouse and then Meadow mentioned you were super tall… I wondered. Damn boy, what do they feed you?”
Mouse’s deep chuckle and wide grin flashes. “When Mama gets a hold of you, you might grow a few inches with her food too.”
Harry grins. “I sure hope so, I could stop collecting platform shoes then!”
She looks so fucking good right now, some black overalls over a white tee that hugs her just right.
The pant legs are rolled up a little to expose her high-top chucks in bright red.
Her hair piled high on her head with a scarf tied up just behind her bangs, it is black with little skulls printed on it.
She turns her face to look at me. “Carbon.”
“Harry.” I give a slight dip of my chin, but keep my face flat, the last thing I need is for anyone to see me panting over her. Her face falls a little, her lips purse some, then she seems to give herself a one shoulder shrug that makes me desperately want to know what is happening in her head.
We spend the next two hours unloading the truck, carrying shit to their little apartment.
I may or may not be snagging as many of the things that say ‘Harry’ on them as I can.
I bring the last box up, straight to her room, she is bent over a box pulling bedding out.
I force my eyes away from her perfect little ass.
“Anywhere?” I question.
She straightens, turning toward me, her eyes meet mine holding for a moment before dropping to the box in my arms. “Uhm… right over there would be great, that’s shoes.”
I have learned in this unloading that Harry is very into clothes. I took a peek in a couple of the boxes and to say I am not excited to see her wearing all this frilly shit… fuck, I am already coming up with reasons to see her again.
I set the box down where she motions, turning back to her, she is watching me. “That’s the last of it. Need… ah… need help in here?”
She looks around the room then lets out a huff. “Would it be too much to ask for help getting the sheets on the bed? It goes faster with two people.”
“I can help.” Fuck yes, I can. Having a reason to touch Harry’s sheets… the things her body will be pressed against later tonight, yup. Sign me up.
She lifts up the fitted sheet, searching the inside. “Ah. This is this corner’s corner.”
She points to the foot of the bed by her, then holds out the sheet for me to take the other corner, our fingers brush, her pointy little nails feel smooth under the pads of my fingers.
Our eyes glue together as our fingers pull apart slowly.
I feel like the whole world just shifted on its axis and I know I never want it to shift back.
We both step back from one another as we move to her bed, getting the sheet in place in complete silence.
Our eyes keep flicking to one another and I feel confident she feels this tug too.
When the fitted sheet is hooked on each corner, I smooth my hands down the sheet against the bed, her eyes track my movement.
She twists away, grabbing the top sheet out, I love that she uses a top sheet, I use them too.
I get why some people don’t, but for me, nothing feels better than the cool sheets when you first slip into bed.
We get it over the bed, and I point to the bottom. “Tucked?”
Shaking her head, “I usually end up tugging it all up and burrito-ing myself and kicking my feet out. It’s weird… I know.”
I smirk. “Nah, I sleep with my feet out and the bedding fluffed against me too.”
She pulls out the fluffiest, coziest, most ridiculously fabulous comforter already in a soft duvet. When I grab one side it squishes just right, down. Her voice breaks the quiet, "It’s responsibly sourced… I love down but hate the?—”
“I have one too, worth the expense to know that the birds have a fair life.” Fucking hell, can’t there be just one fucking thing wrong with her?
She smiles. “Agreed. It was my second big splurge.”
I lift a brow. “And your first?”
Her head bobs as she looks around the room, then points, darting over to a box.
She pops the top and a moment later she is holding up a pair of earrings.
They are clearly made with real turquoise and are incredible.
“These. I got them at this consignment shop Rox and I love up in Portland. Wally says there are lots of shops like that here, so I think I am going to survive.”
I chuckle. “There are a ton of those kinds of shops, and other secondhand options.”
She sucks in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “Yeah, that’s good, it’s my jam.”
Mine too. “I really hate feeding into fast fashion and shit like that.”
Her brows lift high. “Right! I mean, I buy my underwear new, but like… most things I get gently used.”
We get her pillows set up on the bed, Mint pops in. “Hey, how can I help?” His eyes move over to me. “Thanks for helping man, I think they could use you in the living room with the couch.”
Offering a brief nod, I sidestep some boxes, and am out in the living room helping to connect the sectional together.
My mind on the woman I know that I will never be able to get out of my head.
I start going over how I can convince Mint and Hanger that I am serious about her, so they let me pursue her, but I shoot them all down because they both know I have never actually dated anyone.
I obsessed over Brie but never dated her. I fuck then move on.
Wait… how do I know this is more?
I think about that, drawing nothing but blanks. I decide this is something I need to give some concerted thought to before I approach anyone.