I soften my face, my eyes dropping down to Harry’s lips. “And if I wanted to stay?” I ask, running my finger across them. “Would you still prefer to be alone?”
I look up at Harry through my lashes, feeling like my heart might leap out of my chest.
Because he’s so beautiful.
He looks down at me, tightening his hands around my waist.
“Definitely not. I think that’s rather a brilliant idea, babe. Why don’t you just forget about Helen and the slumber party and stay with me?”
“You know I would stay if I could,” I say seriously.
Harry nods excitedly, his eyes sparkling. “Oh, I know you would. You love my bed. You’re actually quite the bed hog.”
“What?” I ask, my eyes flaring.
“Mmhmm,” Harry says, nodding some more. “You love to spread out your legs, taking up all the space. I swear, last week, when you stayed over, I found myself curled up in a ball at the edge of the bed.”
“Stop.” I blush, pushing Harry’s chest.
“Don’t worry.” He grins. “I didn’t mind. Besides, every once in a while, you would roll over, giving me a cuddle.”
“And did you like that?” I ask pointedly, a laugh escaping my mouth.
“Did I like it?” Harry repeats theatrically, taking a step back from me. But then his fingers are slipping down my sides, his lips finding my neck. “No, I didn’t like it. I loved it actually,” he whispers against my skin.
A new woman.
6pm
When I walk into the Williams’ house, I feel like a new woman.
My whole body is practically glowing.
Or floating.
I’m not sure which one it is, but does it really matter?
Because either way, I’m happy.
I close the door, quickly spotting Gene in the living room.
I open my mouth to say hello, but I hear snoring coming from his chair.
I lower my head to his level, seeing his closed eyes behind his thick glasses, his mouth slightly agape. My lips pull into a smile as I think about what Helen said about Gene.
That he’s always napping.
And that he can sleep through just about anything.
I search the living room, but there’s no sign of Helen or Noah.
And I’m a little deflated about it. Because I just want to jump up and down with someone, grinning from ear to ear.
But I also realize that would probably be wildly suspicious and that if Helen saw me grinning now, she’d definitely be able to tell that I wasn’t just studying with Harry.
I walk up the stairs slowly, taking my time.
It’s funny, walking up these stairs. I remember when I first got here, I looked at the staircase, thinking how narrow and long it was. Now, I can’t imagine anything different.
I push into my room and fall onto my bed like I’m falling onto a cloud. I let my body sink into the mattress. I know that I shouldn’t be so openly happy, so obnoxiously pleased, but I can’t help it.
Part of me wonders if I should be thinking through things with Harry.
I feel like I should be worrying.
Or stressing.
Because I’m not staying here forever.
And what did I mean today when I told Noah that I could see Harry as my boyfriend?
And who lets someone be their boyfriend after only a week and a half?
Loony people—that’s who.
And apparently, me.
But the thing is, it’s Harry.
And it feels like I’ve known him forever.
I grin to myself, knowing that I can’t think anything bad right now.
I roll onto my side, eyeing my backpack on the floor. I know that I should work on my homework. I need to make myself get up off this bed and focus. Study.
But my head feels like it might float away. And I really can’t be responsible for things like Latin homework when I’m in this state.
I decide to leave my homework and daydream about being with Harry instead.
The way his body pressed into mine.
How we were almost fully naked together.
I press into my bed further, pretending I’m back under Harry rather than lying here in my room.
“Hey.”
The voice coming from my doorway startles me, and my eyes instantly fly open. I sit up, seeing Noah peeking into my room.
I slam my palms against my skirt, feeling like I’ve been caught.
Which doesn’t really make any sense because it’s not like Noah can read my mind or something.
But my heart is pounding regardless.
“Hey,” I say back, trying act normal.
“Mum said you studied with Harry? I just got back from practice,” he says, pushing open my door.
He leans against the doorframe, his shirt thrown over his shoulder. I take in his long torso and deep V, my eyes making their way up from his stomach to his rounded shoulders.
“How was practice?” I ask, forcing my eyes onto his face.
Noah shrugs. “All right. Coach wants to start adding in more weights. Went through a new routine, so we’d be ready for practice tomorrow.”
“Makes sense.” I smile at him.
“You’re in a surprisingly good mood,” Noah comments, his eyes searching my face like he’s trying to figure out why. “Good study session then?”
“It was. We got a lot accomplished,” I lie, trying not to be obvious about it.
And I know that my answer is short, but I also don’t know what else to say.
I could say, Actually, I’m not in a good mood; I’m in a great mood. And if you were wondering why, well, it’s because, exactly fifteen minutes ago, I was tangled up with Harry in his bed. And did I mention I was sort of naked?
Yeah, I think I’ll keep that all to myself.
Noah scrunches up his nose at me. “All right then. That’s good. I’m going to shower.”
“All right,” I call out as he walks into the hallway. “Oh, and don’t forget, Naomi’s coming over tonight!”
That’s a big deal.
7pm
“Mallory.”
I slide off my bed, hearing my name being called from downstairs.
I move down the steps, meeting Helen and Gene at the bottom of the stairs.
They’re both dressed up, and I take in their formal appearance.
Helen has her hair curled and pinned up while Gene has on a blazer and slacks.
“You guys look nice,” I comment, my eyes moving across Helen’s blue dress.
“Oh,” she says, her cheeks turning rosy. “Thank you, dear. We’ve got a dinner for Gene’s work tonight.”
“That sounds fun.” I smile.
Gene nods, his glasses slipping down his nose. He pushes them back up into place. “The company hosts a large dinner at the end of each fiscal year. They like to celebrate with a nice meal and a good selection of wines.” Gene’s cheeks tint pink.
“Oh, do I sense a wine connoisseur?” I ask, noting his enthusiasm.
“Well … I’m more of an aficionado than connoisseur. A nice glass of wine should be well appreciated,” he fumbles.
“My Gene knows everything there is to know about wines. He’s being modest,” Helen interrupts, beaming.
“That’s kind of you, dear,” he says, glancing over to her. “But the likelihood of me knowing everything there is to know about wines is rather improbable. Taking into account the numerous regions and grape varieties, you could easily be overwhelmed with the amount of information.”
He has a smile on his face, and I can’t help but smile with him.
And it finally settles into me where Noah gets it from.
Even though he looks so much like Helen, I can see Noah’s personality mirrored in his dad.
They’re both a little stubborn, extremely smart, and very concise.
“Oh, Gene.” Helen chuckles, fondly patting him on the shoulder. “We shouldn’t be out too late, but I thought it mig
ht work out well, giving you two some girl time.” She nods. “I made you all some food. It’s in the fridge. You can have Noah heat it up. And I’ve tidied up. After all, it’s not every night a Fleming comes to your house.”
I tilt my head at her but decide just to let it go.
“Thanks for making food. I hope you two have a great time tonight,” I say.
“Thanks, dear. Have fun.”
“See you,” Gene says as they walk out the door.
I plop down onto the couch, feeling antsy.
Mostly because I’m excited to have a girls’ night.
I think hanging out with Naomi will be fun, and the idea that we sort of have the house to ourselves for a bit is freeing. We can listen to music loudly or bake up a storm in the kitchen. I mean, not that I really want to do either of those two things. But the idea that we could, that anything is possible, has my head buzzing.
Or maybe I’m still buzzing about Harry.
I’m fidgeting on the sofa, listening to the shower run upstairs, when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it,” I call out even though I know I’m the only one who can actually answer it.
“I brought pizza.” Naomi grins as I open the door.
She has on high-waisted jeans and a sweatshirt, her blonde hair pulled up into a sparkly scrunchy.
“Hi.” I smile, kissing her on the cheek. “Did you have trouble finding it?” I ask, taking the pizza box from her hand.
“Nope.” She shrugs, dropping an oversize tote in the entryway, slipping off her shoes.
Naomi walks farther into the house, her eyes scanning across the living room.
I watch her gaze stop at the photos on the mantel. She picks up a framed photo of Mia and Noah.
“Aww.” She smiles, before putting the frame back down. “Show me around?”
I nod my head at her, taking the pizza into the kitchen and setting it on the counter.
“So, we’ve got the kitchen and living room.” I guide her between the two large rooms. “And then upstairs are the bedrooms,” I say, realizing that if I’m ever going to be a realtor, I need to get better at my house tours. I mentally add it to my checklist of things that I need to do when I get back to New York.
We start up the stairs, but a second later, Naomi is spinning around, racing back down to the entryway, her ponytail bouncing.
“Almost forgot.” She giggles, grabbing her tote.
“The supplies?” I question, raising my eyebrows at her.
“Exactly.” She nods, following me upstairs and into my room.
“So, this is me,” I state, looking around my room. Mia’s room. “Well, the room I’m staying in anyway.”
Naomi throws her tote onto the ground, her gaze switching from one piece of art to another.
“This is so cool,” she comments, looking at the Polaroid wall.
“It’s a pretty fun room,” I agree, feeling a tinge of pride.
Because I’m lucky to be staying here.
In Mia’s room.
With the Williams.
I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if I’d had to stay at someone else’s house for this exchange.
“How well do you know Mia?” I ask her.
Because she’s not only Noah’s sister, but also his twin. And it’s sort of hard to picture Noah with a twin.
Naomi’s round eyes brighten. “She’s nice. She seems shy at first, but at the same time, she’s almost more outgoing than Noah.”
“I think just about anyone is more outgoing than Noah.” I laugh.
Naomi grins. “Noah’s definitely the smart and quiet type. But he’s beyond fit. I mean, all the girls think he’s totally lush. He’s best friends with Harry and a top-notch footballer. I’ve never understood why he hasn’t had a girlfriend.”
My mouth drops out at her comment, and I have to force myself to close my jaw.
“He hasn’t?” I ask, almost choking on my words.
Because I thought Mohammad said he gets girls.
Naomi glances at me with concern, her forehead scrunching up.
“Nope. Harry always told Olivia that Noah was holding out for some perfect fantasy he had in his head.” She shrugs, sitting down on the bed. Her fingers slip across the purple-and-black bedspread, taking it in. “Oh, this is cute.”
“More like wild.” I laugh, sitting down with her, my mind flicking back to Mia. “So, did Mia and Noah hang out at school before? Like, did they have the same friend groups?”
“No. I mean, they talked at school. And you could tell they were close. But it’s always sort of been Noah, Harry, and Mohammad. Mia’s friends with this girl in our year, Sophia. They tend to hang out more with the drama crowd.”
I nod, listening. “I bet it’s hard for Noah. Having her gone.”
Because he probably misses her.
And it’s a little weird to think about the fact that it’s not just Noah, Helen, and Gene.
I mean, I am technically sleeping in his sister’s room.
I’m a guest in his house.
I’m temporary.
The thought makes me uncomfortable, and I push it aside, knowing that I can’t think like that.
“You look upset,” Naomi notices, tilting her head at me.
“I just … I guess, sometimes, the whole three weeks thing hits me at odd times.”
“In what way?” she asks.
I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s just hard to know what to do. You want to have a good time and make the best of it, but you also know the whole time that you’re going to leave. But you almost have to pretend that you aren’t.”
“You’re scared of getting attached and then getting hurt,” Naomi says, her hand coming down onto mine.
I look up at her, shocked. Because she just said exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid.
I am scared.
I’m scared of how hard it will be to leave.
I’m scared of how I’m feeling.
But I also can’t not be friends with them. I can’t just isolate myself.
Because if I only get so much time with the Williams, the boys, and Naomi, I’m going to make the most of it.
“You shouldn’t be. You should be having fun,” Naomi says, her cheeks rounding out as she smiles. “And don’t worry about Noah. I’m sure he’s just excited to have someone new in his house.”
“Thanks.” I smile at her, grateful.
Because I needed this.
“So, I have to know, have you peeked through any of her stuff?” Naomi asks, crossing her legs.
“Of course not.” I laugh, shaking my head. “They cleaned me out a few drawers, but I try to keep all of her stuff the way that it was.”
Naomi lets out a disappointed huff. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I would snoop.”
“Don’t tell me you’re as bad as Mohammad.” I chuckle.
She waves her hand at me. “Please, Mohammad is a gossip. I would just want to know for myself. Besides, it has to be hard, living in someone else’s room.”
“It’s different,” I admit. “At first, I tried to think of it as her room that I was just borrowing. But now, I’m not really sure. I guess I think of it as my room—at least for the time being.”
“I think that’s a good idea. You need to feel settled,” she says. “Want to change into something comfy and then go eat our pizza?”
I nod at her.
“Why are you still in your uniform anyway?” she asks, glancing up at me.
I look down, realizing that I never even changed. “I honestly forgot.”
“Ugh,” Naomi says, a shiver running through her, “I don’t know how you can stand it. I swear, the second I walk through my door, I start stripping off clothes right then and there. The uniforms need updating—badly.”
“I agree with you there. The first day I got here and saw the uniforms, I freaked out.”
“Everything’s so old and boring. I don’t mind traditional, but I think, as
the next generation, we need to update things.”
“What do you think Mr. Compton would say if you asked about changing the uniforms?”
“I think the headmaster would rather lead detentions for a month than battle another student on a uniform-update request.”
I let out a laugh as Naomi gets up off the bed and digs through her tote, pulling out a set of pajamas.
I follow her lead and go to my dresser. I pull open a drawer, thumbing through it for my cute pajamas.
“What do you keep in here?” Naomi says over my shoulder, startling me.
“Just T-shirts, pajamas.” I say, looking back down in the drawer. “Nothing exciting.”
But Naomi must find it fascinating because she sorts through my pajamas with her long nails, examining each item.
“And these?” she asks, scrunching up her nose. She holds up a pair of gray sweatpants.
Noah’s sweatpants.
“Oh, those are nothing. Just Noah’s sweats,” I comment, trying to brush it off.
“Noah sweats, huh?” she repeats with a smile. “What, do you two share clothing then?”
I roll my eyes at her. “Of course not,” I state. “Actually, I had to wear those for my first yoga class last week. I completely forgot to pack workout clothes, and Noah was the only one with something for me to borrow.”
“I remember,” she says, nodding her head. “We talked in the changing room.”
I nod back.
“Well, anyway, you won’t be needing any of these,” she says, pushing my drawer shut. “I brought you pajamas.”
“You did?” I ask, watching her move back to her tote.
And I swear, it must be like a Mary Poppins bag or something because she pulls out another set of pajamas from it.
“See.” She grins, handing me blush-pink pajamas with little gold hearts on them.
I instantly want to gag at the pattern, but Naomi is practically glowing, and I don’t want to disappoint her.
“Wow,” I say, trying to sound thrilled and not scared.
Naomi tilts her head at me, softening her gaze. “I know they aren’t exactly your style, but pajamas for girls’ nights should be special and cute.”
“I will wear them with pride,” I say, starting to strip off my uniform.
I pull my tights off and unzip my skirt when Naomi turns back to me, a pair of slippers in hand.
London Prep: Book Two Page 21
