#Parfait is being best wingman

[wildkimiko]

So remember that thing in the beta leaks that said the twins had a Togekiss that just showed up?

Remember when I said I'd write a meetcute about it?

It's almost done, but I'm too excited so have a wip. Maybe I'll make this a comic, I don't know.

More below the cut

Emmet arrived in a few minutes as promised, panting heavily as he approached the office. Almost at once, Togekiss barreled towards him, stopping just shy of knocking him over.

"Hello, passenger! Where is your trainer?” Emmet asked. Togekiss just chirped, looking back in the direction Emmet came from, and then back to Emmet. It seemed to be thinking, shuffling from foot to foot.

Then, it gently headbutted Emmet’s legs before hopping into the air, gliding over to the Doubles platform.

Emmet and Ingo glanced at each other. Ingo shrugged; perhaps if they found out what Togekiss wanted, they’d come closer to finding its trainer.

When Emmet didn't follow it right away, it glided back, circling him before shoving him towards the platform.

"That is verrrrry rude!” Emmet exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender as he followed it, "Is your trainer on the Double Line? Please do not shove, we will find them!”

Ingo fought back a laugh as Emmet was guided away. Something about that Togekiss seemed familiar, but he just couldn't place his finger on it…

-----

Parfait was a genius.

It was true that wild Togekiss showed themselves in times of peace. It was also true that Togekiss brought blessings to humans if they were kind.

Parfait, however, was raised by Sheyla from an egg. And being in the wormhole during such a formative time changed her. She had this strange sense of Future Sight; she could see situations where Sheyla would become overstimulated before it happened, or moments where if she just nudged Sheyla in the right direction, good things would occur.

That was why Parfait was so well suited to being a Service Pokemon. She knew her trainer like she knew herself.

That being said, when Parfait felt that pull, and saw a brief glimpse of the future, she knew she had to act on it. Her trainer would never believe her if she told her, so she simply had to force her hand.

Navigating to the Subway was an easy task. Humans took photos of her, assuming her to be a wild Togekiss bringing good luck. But she wasn't stopped, and that was good. She managed to make her way inside until she saw one of the men Sheyla had helped a few months ago.

Parfait inspected him. This one wore black. This wasn't the one she was looking for. But maybe he knew where the other one was! So she shoved him back to a place she recognized; the office.

Finally, the man in white appeared, and Parfait felt that pull again. Hooray! This was the right thing to do. She shoved him back in the direction he came in. If they boarded the train, then Shey would have to come find her. She’d battle, maybe even battle the man, and everything would fall into place and her trainer would receive her blessing.

It was the perfect plan!

[let-me-write-shit]

Somebody To You: 19

Friendly reminder to please Like and/or Reblog. It helps more than you think! :)

A/N: Before you kill me at by the end of this chapter-just WAIT until Wednesday’s chapter. Promise?

Word Count: 5,972  (LONG AS SHIIIITTTT)

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CHAPTER NINETEEN:

After last night’s close call, Harry had made it a point to avoid all forms of interaction that might cause sexual tension between him and Zoey. Her reaction to their almost-kiss seemed clear enough; she was not interested in him romantically. What else could he do? Stand by as his soulmate fell for someone else? Well, he had no choice. He wanted her in his life, romantically or not. He wasn’t going to lose her. So he’d step back, for their friendship's sake.

Everyone had gotten up relatively early for Zoey’s first surprise of the morning. They had made a full breakfast spread with her favorite foods: pancakes, bacon, potatoes, parfaits, and mimosas. Katie was tasked to wake the birthday girl up and when she walked into the dining room, still puffy-eyed, to see the room filled with pink and white balloons and a plate of pancakes with a candle in it, she gasped, smiling widely as they all sang to her. Cheering erupted and she tightly closed her eyes, making a silent wish before blowing the candle out, thanking everyone. They all dug in, laughing and excitedly discussing the pending plans for the day. 

“Did you ever find out if Marco and his brother were coming?” Nancy asked.

Zoey nodded, swallowing a mouthful of food, “Yeah, they’re going to meet us at the docks.”

Great, Harry thought, shoveling more food in his mouth. Aurora looked over at him and gave him a tight-lipped smile. His eyebrows furrowed, confused why she was being so nice to him lately. Sure, they had cleared the air and remained civil, but things were definitely not the same after they ended. He wouldn’t necessarily say that they were super close anymore. Maybe she was trying to change that. Maybe she wanted a stronger friendship with him. He’d find out eventually.

Quickly, everyone got changed and ready to head out on their boating adventure. Harry drove with Andy in the passenger seat while Nancy and Aurora sat middle row and Zoey sat in the third row with her sister. He’d glance in the rearview mirror every now and then to catch a glimpse of her laughing and reminiscing with Katie, having to remind himself to cool down. When they arrived they noticed Marco standing by the edge of the dock, waiting with a slightly younger, shorter-haired version of himself. He almost hoped that Marco and his brother wouldn’t have made it in time.

Everyone clambered out, a couple of beach bags in arm, heading over to greet them while Harry met with the dock manager and captain. Katie squeezed Zoey’s arm tightly and they both shared a look which Zoey knew meant that she thought Marco’s little brother was cute. Hopefully, he was just as kind, too.

Nancy was the first to reach him and they all said their hello’s exchanging their customary pecks on the cheek. When Zoey reached him his smile grew even wider as he said, “The beautiful birthday girl,” he noted, kissing her cheeks, “we cannot wait to celebrate you today. Thank you for inviting us. This is my brother, Giovanni.” 

“You can call me Gio,” the boy stepped forward, smiling, his attention lingering on Katie’s.

Zoey couldn’t help but smile, realizing that Katie would probably get her summer fling after all. Wanting to be a good wingman, Zoey wrapped an arm around Katie, her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail like her own, “Gio, this is my little sister, Katie. I think you two are about the same age.”

“I’m eighteen,” Katie blushed nervously.

Giovanni smirked, not breaking his eye contact with her, “Yes, we are. I just turned nineteen.”

They were all greeted by the captain and were directed towards their double-deck boat. Jaws hit the floor in amazement. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever be on a yacht. 

“I thought you said it was gonna be a small boat,” Andy breathed, scanning around at the fully stocked kitchen area, dining area, several lounge areas, a large flat-screen television, and much more. 

Harry smirked, “I’ve been on bigger.”

They were instructed to have a seat at the large u-shaped couch on the main level. Zoey took a seat next to Harry, her leg pressing up against his despite all of the extra room beside her. She turned her head towards him, forcing him to look at her, as well. It was the first time they made eye contact today, and by looking into her eyes, it blew his plan on avoiding her out the window. Silly of him to think he could even try. The second her lip twitched upward into a grateful smile, he melted, his shoulders relaxing and giving her a welcoming smile back. She seemed to understand because she immediately got more comfortable, pulling her feet on the couch near her butt and looping her arm through his, hugging his bicep while the captain went over safety precautions. 

They stayed on the couch while the boat made its way over towards the small island off the coast. It was a little hard to hear over the wind whipping by their ears and the splash of the water, but they managed to talk about how beautiful their trip had been so far and their plans for the rest of the week, trying to maintain a more relaxing end of the week schedule. 

When they finally reached the island, they anchored in a beautiful cove, a few boats scattered a good distance away, as well. A large stone mountain shooting up to the sky made the scene even more dreamy, and Zoey had never seen an ocean more clear or beautiful in her life. 

Nancy was the first one in the water, diving in from the edge of the boat. “Come on! Don’t be a pussy!” she shouted back, floating on her back.

One by one everyone began peeling off their clothes and jumping in with Nancy. Harry was the first one in, looking up in time to see Zoey lifting her white swimsuit cover over her head to reveal her yellow high waisted bikini with a tied front top and ruched sleeves. She looked beautiful. And he was even more captivated by her smile as she laughed, staring down at her chanting and excited friends.

Harry knew her well. He knew that she was taking this moment in, trying to remember every detail so she’d never forget it. He knew that she wasn’t taking this for granted. He knew she was thinking back to this time last year, unable to celebrate her birthday knowing her best friend wasn’t there. She never thought she’d have a bond with anyone else as strongly as she did with Jess. She probably didn’t even expect to be making such big memories with anyone else. But here she was, in Italy, having the time of her life with new friends. Harry couldn’t help but feel proud of her and how far she’s come in a year. He only wished he could have been there for her at her worst. Then he could appreciate this moment even more. He could only imagine how Katie must feel to see her sister happy again.

After about thirty minutes of swimming, Andy and Zoey both got back on the boat to grab some food. Harry was dragged over towards Nancy and Aurora who were talking to Marco and getting to know him more. Marco reminded him an awful lot of Brett with his charisma and how easily he made friends. A pang of jealousy ran through him as the girls laughed at something he said. He noticed Katie and Giovanni talking a little further away, flirting and getting increasingly handsy as time went on.  

Harry was in the water for at least two hours by the time he decided he was hungry enough for some lunch. He went back on board, grabbing an already made sandwich and a bowl of grapes from the kitchenette and walked around, looking for Zoey. Marco, Gio, Katie, Andy, and Nancy were all talking on the couch. He decided to check the front of the boat where, sure enough, both Zoey and Aurora were laying down, tanning. Aurora was laying on her back and seemingly had fallen asleep while Zoey was laying on her stomach, facing the ocean, with a book in hand, turning the page. 

Truthfully, Harry was feeling a little bit better about Marco and his brother coming on this trip. Only because Zoey hadn’t really spent a bunch of time with their tour guide. Maybe she wasn’t falling for his charm. As he walked closer to him, he got a better look at her figure. He felt bad for looking, but he couldn’t help it. Her legs looked soft and golden against the contrast of her bathing suit. He noticed a slight red patch forming on the back of her thighs, thinking she’d probably get a little sunburn there if she didn’t reapply SPF soon. And he noticed how round her butt looked in her cheeky high-waisted bottoms. 

His eyes squinted a little through his sunglasses, noticing a little black scribble near the top of her butt, barely peeking out from the bathing suit and his eyes widened. “Zoey!” he gasped before he even had time to process what he saw.

Her head shot back, twisting her torso to look at Harry, startled, she breathed, “What?”

He smirked, bending down and taking a seat beside her. Boldly, he pinched the hem of her bathing suit bottom near the top of her butt so that her tattoo that read ‘Bite’ in a delicate script font was now visible. “Found it,” he said.

When she realized what he was talking about, she closed her book and turned to her side to face him a little more, leaning on her elbows and smirked back, “You found one.”

His mouth dropped, “There’s more? How many do you have?”

“Just one more. But you won’t see that one.”

“Why?”

Her mouth pursed as she vaguely pointed down towards her front and his eyebrows rose, stuttering and unsure of what to say. A tattoo on her ass that said ‘Bite’ made him salivate at the thought of sinking his teeth into her perfect cheek, but the fact that there was another tattoo close to her pussy and he had no clue what it was drove him crazy.

She sat up, stealing a grape from his bowl, “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

“It’s not over yet,” he grinned, scooching even closer to her so that her leg was now resting on his. 

They looked out at the sea and talked for a bit longer, trying not to be too loud in case Aurora was sleeping. Like he had suspected, she mentioned the difference in her feelings towards her birthday this year without Jess and how grateful she was to be surrounded by such great friends. Her head rested on his shoulder and he thought he could stay here, just like this, listening to her talk forever, and that would be enough.

But soon the thumping and squeaking of wet feet bounding their way over caught their attention and they turned to see the rest of their friends coming up. The noise seemed to wake Aurora, who pushed herself up and everyone sat around them.

“So Marco was just telling us about this nightclub in town that sounds amazing. He and Gio were going to go tonight,” Andy explained.

Marco nodded, grinning his bright white smile, “I think you all would like it if you’d like to join us.”

Zoey looked between all of her friends and finally met her sister's eyes which were wide and pleading. She knew that Katie was really into Gio and felt selfish for not wanting to go. So she shrugged and nodded, “Yeah, we can meet you there after our dinner reservations.”

They excitedly squealed, getting up and heading back towards the back of the boat to continue swimming. Marco smiled down at Zoey, “Will you be joining us for a swim?”

She hesitated before saying, “Sure,” and standing up. She hesitated, turning back around to Harry, “coming?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

He watched Zoey and Marco jog towards the back of the boat and he let out a sigh, turning and startled to see that Aurora was still there. He couldn’t quite figure out her expression behind the sunglasses, but he figured it was on the lines of pity, which worried him. He didn’t want her to know how he was feeling. It would make him feel like an ass. ‘Sorry we didn’t work out, but I’m really into your roommate.’ Not one of his finest moments. 

They were out there for hours, intermittently napping between swims before they finally had to head back, wrapped in their towels and exhausted from a full day in the sun. Once at the docks, they got the club information from the two Italian brothers and parted ways, heading back to the house. The sun was already beginning to set and they had an hour and a half to get ready before they had to leave for their late dinner reservations. 

“If you don’t keep your hair down for your birthday dinner tonight, I’m going to kill you!” Andy shouted at Zoey as she blowdried her hair after her shower. “You always have your hair up! It’s your birthday! We’re in Italy! Do something different!”

“I hate my hair down,” Zoey retorted, tossing it to make sure it was completely dry.

“How would you know? You never let it down? I’m getting Rory, she’ll help with it,” he decided, slipping out of her room.

She laughed, shaking her head and continuing to dry her hair. Minutes later, Aurora stepped in, already finished with her hair and makeup, still wearing a dressing robe, a curling wand in hand. The model smiled sweetly at the sight of Zoey, “I’ve never seen you with your hair down. I didn’t realize how blonde you are. You look beautiful. But I’ve always wanted to see you with loose waves, so I’ll just quickly curl it for you,” she said, plugging the wand in.

Zoey was nervous, feeling a little self-conscious at the idea of her hair being down. She always hated the way it framed her face and looked so flat at the top, but she trusted Aurora to make it look nice. It only took her fifteen minutes to put in some scattered loose curls and brush it through with her fingers, setting it with a little bit of hair spray. She turned to look in the mirror and smiled, surprised. She couldn’t remember the last time she let her hair down, let alone curled it. They were right. It looked amazing.

“You look like a different person!” Andy shouted, “Alright, we need to find you a dress that you can wear to dinner and the club. Oh! What about that white dress we got from the boutique right before we came here?”

“It’s hanging in the closet,” Zoey said, staring at herself in the mirror.

He disappeared and reappeared, draping the dress on the bed, “Alright, you finish up, and we’ll go get dressed.”

He and Rory closed the door behind them and she stared at herself for another minute or so before throwing on the smallest amount of makeup and slipping into her white midi dress with an off-set neckline and some strappy red heels before heading downstairs to check on her sister. All of the girls looked great, her sister wearing a simple halter style black dress, Nancy wore a short champagne slip with a cowl neck that looked beautiful when contrasted with her dark, curly hair, and Aurora wore a lacy, beige, wrap dress that made her look both beautiful and classy.

“Yep, we did good,” Andy said smugly, nodding his head towards Aurora who grinned.

“Who are you?!” Nancy whistled while Katie hugged her big sister. 

Harry sputtered his water as he walked into the room to see Zoey, the dress hugging her hourglass figure perfectly, her hair down, and her nose and cheeks sunkissed from the day's events. If he thought she was beautiful before, this took the cake. 

“Wow. You all look so great,” he complimented, eyeing her a little longer. 

Throughout dinner, he found it hard to focus on his food or the conversation at hand. He was too distracted stealing glances at her across the table. He wanted to blame Mitch and Adam for putting the thought of him and Zoey being MORE in his head in the first place. If it weren’t for them instigating and provoking him maybe he wouldn’t be in so deep right now.

They went around the table handing off cards and little gifts to Zoey for her birthday which included gift cards to her favorite places, a purse, a handmade photo album from Katie, which Zoey didn’t open because she didn’t want to get it messy from the food and drinks, swearing she’d look at it later, and finally a card from Harry that said ‘I O U-a shopping spree before we leave.’

“You’ve spoiled me enough with this trip,” Zoey shook her head.

“Shut your mouth, don’t be stupid. He’s offering a free shopping trip,” Nancy shoulder checked her, smiling at Harry, “she means thank you.” He laughed.

Harry had hoped that they might have forgotten about their promise to meet Marco and Giovanni at the club, staying well past they had finished their meals. But sure enough, Katie peeped from her seat next to her sister, “Gio says they’re at the club now.”

“We should probably get going,” Nancy said, followed by a chorus of agreements.

Harry drove slowly, not eager to get there. He was still tired from being in the sun all day and honestly wasn’t in the mood to get shat on by a handsome Italian man stealing his best friend away from him. But everyone else was all too eager, meeting the brothers at the bar and grabbing a few drinks before heading to the dancefloor. Seeing his friends laughing and having a good time put him in a better mood, especially when Zoey came up and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the group. There was no way he could stay grumpy for long. He decided to let loose and enjoy his time with his friends, dancing a safe distance away from Zoey, flapping their elbows and twisting their hips to the beat of the song. He grinned widely as Zoey threw her head back in a fit of laughter while comically grinding with Andy. 

Some three songs in, she finally found her way closer to Harry. He leaned in, shouting in her ear, “I don’t recognize a single song that’s played.”

She stepped closer to him, the music and people so loud that they could barely hear each other, “Me either, but at least they’ve got a good beat to dance to.”

They were chest to chest, legs barely skimming each other as they continued dancing while talking over the music, “Karaoke would make this a million times better.”

“Oh, for sure. But not as fun as tracking me down in a dark alleyway, crying my eyes out near a dumpster,” she joked.

Harry shrugged, looking down into her eyes, multicolored lights flashing on her features he didn’t want to look away. “I don’t know. That’s the moment that started it all. I’d follow you into any dark alleyway.”

Normally she would have made a joking rebuttal. Instead, she stared up at him, her smile slowly vanishing and her eyes scanning his face, searching, longing, questioning. Without realizing, Harry and Zoey had gotten closer, and the magnetic pull between them started. The longer he looked at her face, the stronger the pull felt. He imagined kissing her plump soft lips, tangling his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer to him. He imagined slipping her dress off in search of her other tattoo. He imagined staying in bed with her all day, unmoving, and completely and utterly happy. But that image had quickly disappeared when a handsome, long-haired Italian walked up.

“Excuse me, birthday girl. I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could steal you for a dance,” Marco grinned between them, eyeing her up.

Zoey, flustered, looked between the two boys before stammering a quick yes and taking his outstretched hand. She shot him a tight-lipped smile as they walked away and he could hear Marco telling her how beautiful she looked. Angry, his jaw tightened and he half-stomped off towards the bar to grab another drink.

“Two,” Aurora said to the bartender making Harry’s drink as she slid up beside him.

Harry turned to look at her, a friendly smile on her face. “What’s up?” he asked.

Rory shrugged, “I was about to ask you the same thing.” When she saw his confusion she continued, “you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

The bartender handed them their drinks and they thanked him. She raised an eyebrow and a knowing look, taking a sip, “So you’re okay with Marco dancing with Zoey right now?”

He looked over at the two of them dancing, his hands dangerously close to her butt while her hands were placed on his biceps, both of them smiling and talking as they danced. His jaw flexed again and he turned back to Rory, his face relaxing, not wanting to admit defeat or reveal his feelings. Especially to her. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

She tisked and rolled her eyes, “Harry, I know you like her.”

“How?”

Her expression softened and looked into his eyes, saying, “Because you look at her the way I wished you looked at me.”

They were silent for a moment, just staring at each other. He felt a heaviness of guilt in his chest from the words. He was hoping that he’d lose feelings for Zoey before Aurora had figured it out, but she was always very observant. He should have known she’d realize it. 

“Rory, I didn’t like her when you and I were-”

“I know,” she shook her head, smiling sweetly at him, “I’m not saying this to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

He groaned, gulping his drink, “I mean, this sucks. I don’t know what to do. I didn’t mean to fall for her, it just kind of happened.”

“Does she know?” Aurora asked. Harry shook his head and she nodded, a pause ensued before slowly adding, “Well, you should tell her. Don’t make the same mistake you made with me.” 

Aurora patted him on the shoulder and joined the rest of their group. Seconds later a few fans had recognized him and came up, asking for a picture. He put his best happy face on and carried on a friendly conversation while trying not to lose sight of his friends. He noticed Zoey and Marco were now in a conversation with a smiling Katie and Giovanni while Andy, Nancy, and Aurora danced together which eventually changed to just Zoey and Katie talking while the rest of them danced. 

Harry had thanked the fans for their time and wished them a good rest of their night before rejoining his friends on the dance floor and even stealing an innocent dance with Katie, making sure she was having a good time on vacation so far and that her parents were satisfied with communication. What Rory said was still nagging him in the back of his mind, but at least he was in better spirits now that Zoey and Marco weren’t dancing together anymore.

It was nearly 2 AM and it was pretty apparent that everyone had passed the point of exhaustion, sweating from the humidity in the club. It was time to go. They all slipped through the crowd, people who noticed Harry patting him on his chest and saying a quick hello as he passed, breathing the fresh air as they finally made it outside. Aurora had sobered up while everyone else still had a few drinks in them and were on the tipsy side, so she took the keys from Harry and left to pull the SUV around the front while the rest of them said their goodbyes to the brother.

“It’s been so nice hanging out with you all this week. I hope to see you again,” Marco smiled.

“You’re the sweetest,” Nancy slurred, giving him a little hug. 

Marco laughed, giving his rounds of hugs and handshakes to everyone, including Harry who was pretty short with him, before turning to Zoey. He bent down, whispered something in her ear which caused her to smile and nod, and kissed her cheeks. Giovanni did the same with Katie before waving goodbye at everyone and following Marco down the street in the opposite direction just as Aurora pulled up.

Harry sat next to Andy in the very back, but the ride was silent, everyone too tired to talk. Most people headed straight to their rooms, but Harry made his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water in an attempt to sober up a bit more. A little snack sounded good, too, so he grabbed a cookie. He heard a door open and close in the direction of Katie’s room and he turned to see Zoey walk out and notice him. 

She grinned, making her way over and whispering, “Just got off Facetime with my parents. Katie passed out.”

“I’m sure they loved seeing their daughter drunk,” Harry smirked.

Zoey shook her head and grabbed herself a cookie and glass of water, “I told them she was just tired because we’ve been swimming all day and just got back from a nice dinner. The time difference went right over their head.”

He chuckled, stuffing the rest of his cookie in his mouth. Exhaustion was weighing on him, but he didn’t want to go to bed yet. He wanted to stay up a little longer and talk to Zoey. So, he nodded towards the patio doors and asked, “Want to go outside for a bit?”

“Sure.”

The two stepped out onto the terrace and made their way to the couch that was right outside Andy’s room. There was no light coming from his patio doors. He had probably gone to sleep by now. They sat beside each other and Harry looked down at her hand that held her glass of water, noticing a thin multicolored woven band that was tied onto her wrist.

“What’s this?”

She lifted her hand to look at the bracelet, “It’s Jess’. I made it for her when we were in seventh grade. Her mom let me take it after she died. I’ve worn this every day since I got it.”

Harry’s eyes widened, “Can’t believe I never noticed it before,” he said, taking her hand into his to inspect it, “Pretty good job for a seventh-grader.”

She laughed, pulling her hand back to take a sip from her water and set it down at the edge of the fire pit, “Yeah, well, it’s my favorite piece of jewelry.”

“Which reminds me,” Harry said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, flat box, “I do have one more birthday present for you.”

Zoey gasped and sarcastically said, “Oh my god, are you proposing.”

“Shut up, or I’ll return it,” he warned, placing the box on her opened hands. She gasped as she opened it and he explained, “It might not be as nice as your friendship bracelet, but I still hope you like it.” Zoey pulled out the thin tennis bracelet that was lined with alexandrite and peridot stones with diamonds in between them. “They’re Jess’s and your birthstones,” he pointed out.

“Harry,” she breathed, clapping a hand over her mouth, looking up at him, speechless. Her eyes formed tears. 

He knew how much this would mean to her, which was exactly why he didn’t give it to her at dinner. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable for crying in front of the whole restaurant. Harry slipped the bracelet out of her grasp and wrapped it around her wrist right above the woven friendship bracelet, clasping the ends together. She looked down at it on her wrist before leaning over to hug him. She squeezed tightly, staying there for a moment. Enough for him to take in her scent; soft and warm. It drove him crazy.

“Thank you,” she managed as they pulled away, her holding onto his hands as they sat facing each other, one leg under the other so that her dress didn’t ride up too much.

Harry nodded and quickly changed the subject, not wanting her to cry, “How was your birthday?” he asked. “Everything you hoped it’d be?”

“And more,” she grinned, her eyes lighting up, “Should I go grab the photo album Katie made?”

He nodded and she skipped off in search of it, stepping back out with it pressed tightly to her chest. She plopped down on the seat beside him and opened it up to see the first picture of her as a kid with her family.

“God, you were such an ugly kid,” Harry joked.

“Hey! I just had an awkward phase. No one looks cute without their two front teeth!”

They flipped through to see more family pictures of a growing Zoey. It didn’t take long before pictures of Jess showed up. You could see the change in Zoey’s personality in the pictures as soon as Jess was involved. She seemed happier and more confident. They had a ton of pictures together ranging from before school pictures, sleepovers, beach trips, amusement parks, graduation, college parties, and more. He wondered what it would have been like to know her back then. He wished he could have met Jess so he would know what it was like to see that side of her.

When Zoey turned the page she laughed at a picture of the two girls with a boy about their age with dark brown hair and arms covered in tattoos, holding Zoey close to him in an almost headlock, “Let me guess,” he said, “that’s your ex?”

She nodded, turning the page to see more pictures of the three, “Yeah, that’s Michael. Told you he was always the third wheel with me and Jess.”

“He looks exactly like I pictured him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you definitely have a type.”

She looked at him quizzically, standing up and walking a few feet away towards the edge of the terrace, leaning up against the stone balustrade fence, “What do you mean?”

He was aware of how rude he was starting to sound, but the drinks in him made his nagging jealousy hard to control his tone. Every time a word came out of his mouth he instantly regretted it, but there was no stopping it. He got up and stood close to her, their legs touching, “Your type. The cliche. Tall, dark, and mysterious. Every guy you go out with looks the same. Brett, Marco…”

“Every guy? You named two people.”

“You know what I mean…”

Zoey paused for a moment, trying to stare into his eyes. He couldn’t help but notice the hurt in hers and his stomach twisted, gulping as she spoke more directly, “If there’s something you want to say, then say it.”

He thought for a moment, Rory’s words prodding at him. Did he tell her that he liked her? How? How could he tell her when it could ruin everything? What if she didn’t feel the same? 

She looked at him, waiting. She knew he was still drunk. She knew that whatever was bothering him would pass, but he had never acted so accusatory towards her before and she didn’t quite like being treated like she was at fault for something. His eyes darted all around in thought before looking at her. Whatever he was thinking about was serious and she started to get nervous as they looked into each other’s eyes. She had figured herself to be pretty good at reading signs, and unless she was mistaken, this look felt a lot deeper than just a casual glance.

They stood so close to each other that she could feel his warmth radiating off of him. His eyes kept flickering from hers to her lips and she started to feel that magnetic pull, unable to look away. Not wanting to look away. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by yearning. His lips looked soft and she wanted to know what his body felt like on hers. 

Stronger, the pull brought them closer together. She could feel his hot breath on her face now as he hovered over her. She was practically looking up at him which caused her hair to fall back. He looked almost intimidating, noticing his jaws clench and unclench. He licked his lips hungrily, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he took a gulp. Their noses were touching now and she stifled her breathing, afraid that any sudden movement would stop what was about to happen. Her eyes began to close, the pull so strong that her abdomen began to tremble. Her lips felt numb, tingling as his lips barely grazed hers. 

He felt his large, strong hand clasp on the back of her neck and pulled her in, their lips finally connecting. She melted into him as they kissed, finally sucking in air as their tongues danced together. It felt so natural. Not forced as it had been with Brett or anyone else she’d been with in the past few months. She felt Harry relax into her and deepen the kiss by pulling her waist in closer to his while she had both of her hands on either side of his face. She began to throb, wanting more of him, pushing herself more into him, but it wasn’t close enough. It could never be close enough. She would be inside of him if she could. 

Harry had half-hoped that by kissing Zoey, it would have given him the proof that his relentless attraction towards her would magically disappear. He had convinced himself that if he just kissed her and got it out of his system, it’d all be over. But as soon as his lips touched hers, he knew. This wasn’t a passing attraction. It was the real deal. He was head over heels for this girl. This wasn’t just a kiss. This was more. He knew it. He felt it. And he knew that he couldn’t be the only one feeling this. There was something here. He had never felt so comfortable and vulnerable all at the same time. This kiss made him feel higher than any upper ever could. He needed more.

Without warning, a bright light flicked on and a deep gasp made them quickly tear apart to see Andy standing wide-eyed and startled, “Oop. My bad,” he shrank away back into his room, closing the door and blinds.

Embarrassed, Zoey turned her body to face the garden, avoiding eye contact. It was silent for a moment, both of them trying to process what just happened. He felt a range of emotions from scared, relieved, excited, and anxious wondering what was going on in her mind. There was no way she didn’t feel anything.

She finally spoke, “I have a date with Marco tomorrow night.”

Harry’s heart dropped, “What?”

She turned to look at him, woeful, “It’s a double date. With Katie and Gio.”

“Well don’t go,” he pleaded, taking her hands in his. 

She frowned, face full of regret, “I’m sorry,” she whispered, slowly backing away before turning and hurrying inside, leaving Harry outside, alone.

KEEP READING

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