Intensifiedbanging sounds and clattering came from down below causing me to wake me up earlier than I had originally planned. I grabbed my pillow and threw it over my head as I groaned loudly into it and attempted to blank out the noises, which currently pounded my temples. The sudden replayed thoughts struck my mind like screenshot snippets of the evening screaming away in my head. I jumped up and looked to my left and put my hands on my face, as I noticed on my bedside table was the water and painkillers. I took a couple of small sips as my mouth tasted like a sewer, a deep breath as the evidence remained in place and I noticed my lace black underwear was still on.
“Elijah, shit.” I made a pass at the one fucking guy that I hated. The one that sent my life into turmoil.
Fuck, why me?
I can’t just do anything by half; I had to go and make a tremendous, fucked up mistake. Damn it.
The noise downstairs started to get louder, and I knew Johnny was making me pay. Most of the night was hazy by a good stretch, to be honest. The parts of my lack of judgement, shall we say with Elijah, were vivid and colourful though. Meaning that him and Johnny must have been at Murphy’s, and I did something crazy. Or to be honest with my limited memory skills, I got completely slaughtered.
Shit, I bet even worse I must have made a huge fool of myself too.
Right then, shower first, at least that would keep Johnny at bay, and I could figure out what to do about the rest of the pieces that were blocked or missing from the night. The scorching hot water sprayed over my skin; the feeling was welcomed, as I let my mind start to unfold thanks to the tablets as they took effect. I wished some of what I had recalled had remained in the drunken, hazed memories behind my rose-tinted appearance.
The only way I thought to overcome the awkwardness, was if I pretended it never happened. If I couldn’t remember it, then there was no need to have mentioned anything. It wasn’t like Elijah was going to have screamed it from the rooftops. I’m sure there must have been a code about sisters and best friends anyhow, plus ultimately antagonists never tended to make a move on one another.
Going downstairs much more refreshed, I noticed that Johnny had prepared a hot mug of coffee. At that moment, I didn’t know if I should have apologised or hugged him. The coffee was just a perfect example of what I needed as he directed me to the breakfast bar. As Johnny’s words poured out with every emotion wrapped within.
“Harlow, I know you just want to have a little unwind time, I was twenty once, too. It’s just learning what others can be like and the advantages they could take of you. I don’t want to see you hurt. That’s why last night shocked me, a picture I hadn’t imagined, you have got to remember it’s been two years without you. To then see that you’re in a bar drunk, with guys all over you, not a care for your well-being. It panicked me.”
His jaw ticked as the emotion he had endeavoured to kept control of, started to wane.
“Shall we still go to Murphy’s? I have a flight to catch later, and I want to spend some quality time with my sister before I go.”
I was gobsmacked; I was sure that he would’ve told me he was staying put.
“You’re still going?” I said the words as if they were caught in a knot.
“Yep, still going. Two weeks though no more, hopefully, a little less. A meal together would be nice, and I guess you could do with something to soak up all that alcohol that remains?”
He jabbed me in the arm with his cockiness in full swing, this was the Johnny I knew all too well.
“Alright, I deserved that one, give me five then I’m ready.”
I ran up the stairs to make myself look presentable. After last night, I wasn’t thrilled to be heading back after making a mockery of myself, but with my head held high, they will know that nothing will have fazed me. Just a girl who had fun that was all.
Johnny slid his phone away when I approached the stairs in his direction, it was not my place to question, I thought, as I headed to the door.
“Come on then, it’s seafood day today. Pity you’re going to miss Sunday lunch, I can’t wait for that when you’re gone.”
Twenty
Elijah
I laidmy suitcase out on the bed, starting packing what I would need for the next few weeks, a mini getaway I had portrayed it as in my head. The actual trip though was less than ten minutes away, with the girl I had cared for like a sister all my life. As it stood at the moment, my intentioned thoughts flitted against all platonic means. She was certainly all woman, hot and sexy too.
Once I got to the house, I wasn’t leaving the place to come back here. It would have defeated the object of my suggestion. At first, it seemed the ideal solution, but if Johnny had any idea of what happened in my head in the early hours, he would be less than pleased. Harlow had started to become a regular thought, that I couldn’t seem to shift.
With my phone checked, Johnny had sent various long-winded texts, to let me know the planned activities for the day. With Harlow being nearby, I was unsure if that was because she wasn’t awake yet, even though I knew they had planned a meal out together before he left. Johnny though, it was more likely because he always had his phone on loud and was enjoying the constant alerted sounds going off, hoping they annoyed her possible fragile state.Wind-up merchant.With his schedule now fixed, I knew that tonight I was to head around to the house around seven pm. He ensured that daily updates would happen as he had placed international packages on all the phones. With the fact he was going to have a heart-to-heart with Harlow over lunch.
Everything had been picked up, the only things left to do were ensure I had prepared the work schedules I could do in advance. Any meetings that I could postpone for a later time, were taken care of. Anything that couldn’t have been, those clients were made aware of the changed working availability of my week.
With everything tidy, fresh, and correctly placed, I could attempt to have relaxed, even if the anxiety screamed to escape. Harlow was a woman who had always known what she wanted, that had never changed. Last night proved that fact alone, she was her own person with dreams. The difference was how she be able to have coped with me in her personal space?
An angel who I should have avoided at all costs had infiltrated my walls. The issue was, I didn’t want her to leave them. Maybe she thought the enemy was under her nose, but a lot had changed, she certainly had. It was now time for her to see the light and those opinions hopefully would be changed right before my eyes.
Twenty-One
Harlow