Chapter Text
It's weird how you can just sense when someone's looking at you. I'm exhausted and a little disoriented lying on this bed that I know isnt's mine but the first thing I notice are those pair of eyes floating at the foot of the bed. No, they're not floating, they belong to someone.
The moonlight starts to reflect the outline of his face, his angular jaw, hair that's slicked back on his head. I couldn't stop staring at his eyes. They're so dark, like two endless holes staring right through me. He moves and starts to come towards me, my head just followed like a puppet as he walks around the bed and stops right beside it. He's is so close, I could feel him breathing. He reaches out his hand and gently closes my eyelids with his fingertips.
Oh wow, that was one vivid dream. I had another one but I couldn't remember it now that I'm awake. I'm staying in my mom's old room which is so different than the rooms we have in our own house. The bed is all rosewood and soft red velvet and there are french doors that lead to the balcony right outside. The room even has it's own private bathroom, which I don't have back at my own room in San Diego.
I get up from the bed, stretching and enjoying the nature sounds I don't get to hear in San Diego in the morning. I head for the bathroom door when I remember something important we forgot back in the car, our luggage. All of our stuff are still in that car, how could we just leave it there? I storm downstairs looking for mom and I start to smell breakfast being cooked. I follow the smell and end up in the kitchen. Mom is at the stove, looking up and smiling right when she sees me. I instantly forgot about my dilemma right when the smell of food hit my nose.
"Morning, Mom. Need some help?"
"No, this is just about done. Go get a plate." She scoops up the bacon and eggs from the pan while I go and get a plate.
"Just one? You're not eating? Wait..." I stop, holding the familiar blue plate in my hand. "How is this here? We left our stuff back in the car, right?"
"I had a little help." She takes the plate from me. "You're the only one who's eating because you woke up late." She hands me back the plate with breakfast.
"Help from who?"
Mom glances at the entrance of the kitchen and I almost slip under my feet when I a saw a guy standing there. But this isn't just another guy, this is the guy from my dream. Okay, that doesn't sound right but I swear he was the one in my room last night. But that was just a dream, right? He couldn't have snuck in my room and watch me sleep.
Oh my god, what if he did? "You're the guy. The guy in my room last night."
He smirks and raises an eyebrow at me. "You sure, princess?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I am definitely sure." I walk over to him and he is just as I remembered, same face, same clothes, same smell.
"Where do you get off, you pervert?!" I yell at his face. I push him out of the way and head straight upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me. I can't believe he was in my room. That douche.
A few seconds later, someone knocks at my door. "Go away!"
"Taylor?" It's mom. "Harry just dropped off your bags in your room last night that's why he was there."
"My bags are n---" I start to say but sure enough they're there at the corner of the room, which I didn't notice until just now. Okay, maybe that explains why he was here but it doesn't explain why he was watching me like a creep. Though I was staring right back, but only because I thought it was a dream.
"Come on, Taylor. He wouldn't do anything to you. He's a good person." I don't know if I should trust my mother's judge of character but I unlock the door and open it anyway. She walks in and sits on the bed, quietly looking around. "Harry's the son of an old family friend. He's going to keep an eye on you while we're here."
"What?" Did I hear her right? "Why would you let him keep an eye on me? He's a stranger, mom!"
"You don't know anything about this town and I think it would be great if I know someone's protecting you because I'll be too busy here."
"Protect me from what? Bears? Hungry squirrels? We're in the middle of nowhere town, mom! It's not like someone's gonna rob me when I step outside." Ever since we got here, mom's been acting weird and I've tried to understand that. But now she's assigned me a bodyguard just because she thinks I'm too incapable of taking care of myself, and I just can't take it anymore.
I storm out of the room again, heading out of the house but then I run into the last person I want to see. "Woah, where are you going?" He laughs. His leather jacket reflecting the light outside the screen doors.
"None of your business, stranger." I step pass him, opening the door that leads to the porch. "And don't even think about following me."
"Oh, I just thought you needed a ride." He casually motions to the shiny black motorcycle park just outside the house.
I ignore him and keep walking ahead of the road. My legs are actually killing me but I don't want any of his help. I think it's kind of ironic that my mom would let me be watched over by a boy who's the embodiment of the type of guy every parent wants girls to stay away from. He oozes that bad boy aura with that permanent smirk of his. Come on. A motorcycle?!
Actually the motorcycle doesn't really sound so bad now that I'm pretty sure my legs are ready to quit on me. I normally walk as far as a mile back home and last night's journey to this town has really taken it's toll. But I'm just gonna have to get used to it if I want to survive this town for who knows how long.
A few minutes of walking later I hear the loud roar of a motorcycle engine behind me getting closer.
"Hop on." Harry stops in front of me, warnlessly throwing a helmet in my direction. He looks annoyed and I don't know why that catches me off guard. "I made a promise to your mom that I'm gonna watch over you and I can't do that if you act like a brat all the time."
I stop myself from throwing the helmet back at his face. "I am not acting like a brat!" I yell at him, which kind of defeats the purpose but he is really getting on my nerves. "Let me just get this straight. I didn't agree to any of this protecting thing and I really, really don't like you so would you just---"
A phone stops me in the middle of my point. There's a moment of staring between us before I get the phone from my pocket. I look at who's calling and it's Ed. Oh god, I forgot to call him. I promised I'd call him once we arrive at the house.
"Ed! I'm so---" All I hear is static at the other end. "Hello? Are you there?"
"Hey...can't...no..."
"Wait Ed, what?"
Harry laughs all of a sudden. "What he's trying to say is he can't hear you because the phone reception here is close to non-existent."
"Ed, I'll try to call you back, okay?" I hung up. Harry looks at me like he's waiting for me to say something he knows I'll say eventually.
I breathe in and sigh in defeat.