Chapter 18

Wedding Day

“Nora? You didn’t open your last present.”

I glanced up at Caroline, her thin lips spread into a warm, concerned smile. She placed a small box in my hand and I tried to moved over on the couch to offer her some room. Curled up on the corner, I absentmindedly picked at the sparkly holiday wrapping paper around the box, twirling it in my hands. 

“Open it silly! I helped Dad pick it out!” Lucy chirped happily, dancing across the living room, plopping down in front of the couch.

“More like used my credit card and went out and bought it herself!” Jonathon piped up from the kitchen and my mouth quirked up into a half-hearted smile.Family was family.

My mother, sister, and I sat in our pajamas and fuzzy socks around our brightly lit Christmas tree back home in Washington. Wrapping paper littered the floor, resembling a wasteland. The quiet buzz of the heater overhead mingled with the sound of Jonathon clanking around in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

After the Harry incident I ran back to the apartment and called Lucy’s cellphone from there, telling her there was no way I was going to spend another moment in Chicago before catching the first plane ride home. She didn’t question me, instead politely excused herself from the ball, hurried to our apartment, and helped me pack, coming back to Washington with me. I really did love her.

She called Rose and informed her that there was a family emergency and that we would be leaving a week earlier for Christmas vacation, along with all of our classes. She didn’t try to squeeze information out of me on the long plane ride home, but sat quietly beside me as I cried, stroking my arm and singing my favorite songs softly.

Caroline and Jonathon welcomed us back with open arms, surprised but happy that we were home early. It wasn’t until my second day here that they began to worry. 

All I’ve been able to think about is the fact that Harry and Tanya were getting married in less than 7 days. It was really happening. He was really going to leave me. Just like that. I closed my eyes and inhaled heavily, feeling a knot grow in my throat. Not that I would cry, my tears had dried up long ago. My entire body ached and I just wanted to disappear and never be seen again. I felt like I was falling apart. 

“Oh, I’ll just open it,” Lucy whined, reaching for the box in my hand. She pulled it out of my weak hands and tore the paper off excitedly, revealing a small white box. She pried it open with her tiny fingers and turned it towards me. A small blue Swarovski crystal ring surrounded by red velvet sat encased in the box. 

“Lucy,” I breathed, eyes growing wide. “It’s beautiful,” I sighed. Caroline giggled giddily and placed the ring on my thin finger.

“It is,” Caroline agreed, kissing my forehead. “Almost as beautiful as my babies.” I smiled and rolled my eyes and Lucy laughed. “Listen, I’m going to go help your dad in the kitchen, you girls start cleaning up.”

“Kay mom.”

Caroline patted my leg and stood up to leave. She turned back to me for a moment, leaning over the couch. “It’s nice seeing you smile again, darling,” She whispered. I bit my lip and blinked my sore eyes, staring at my hands as she got up and left without another word.

I watched Lucy fret around the room as she hummed to herself, picking up torn paper and ribbon. She stopped suddenly, turning towards me.

“Help would be nice, Nora,” She complained.

I scrunched up my nose and shook my head, resulting in a pile of trash being thrown on me. “Okay, okay, I’m up,” I surrendered, making Lucy laugh.

“Nora,” She began tentatively after we had gathered everything together in one giant garbage bag. My shoulders dropped. I knew what she was going to say.

“Our invitation arrived in the mail today.” She didn’t have to say for what.

I averted my eyes to the ground as she brushed past me towards the entryway and then came back, sliding a small, ivory slip of paper under my nose. I took it in my shaky hands and read the gold calligraphy slowly. 

“It just says your name,” I choked out in a strangled voice. My throat was on fire. My head was spinning.

“Yeah, but I’m sure it’s just a mistake. Or yours got lost in the mail or something,” Lucy argued, slightly unconvincing. She brushed a stray hair from my face. “C’mon. I think it’ll help. You have to go, Nora!”

Now she had started to sound like herself.

“No, Lucy,” I whispered, shoving the paper back into her hands. “I’m not going to watch Harry leave me forever. You go into that hell hole and listen to everyone make fun of me. I’ll stay here.”

“Nora! You’re being ridiculous! You have to!”  I rolled my eyes and turned to go back upstairs to my room. “Nora, you are going.”

I turned around, narrowing my eyes. “You always think you can just tell me what to do, Lucy! I’m not going. What benefit would I possibly get?!”

“Girls, what is going on?” Caroline shouted, running into the room. I turned and stomped my way up the stairs, forcing back the tears burning behind my eyes and slamming my door shut, hearing Lucy’s calm and steady voice explain to Caroline the whole situation. 

It was at least fifteen minutes before I heard a soft knock on my door. I buried my face into my pillow and pulled the comforter tightly around my head.

“Go away!” I shouted to no avail. I heard the door open just a crack and the padding of footsteps then the gentle sink in the mattress as Caroline sat down beside me. 

“Can we talk?” She whispered.

I sighed in defeat and sat up, pulling the blankets off. My hair was a mess and my eyes were probably red and hallowed from days of crying. 

“What’s there to talk about?”

Caroline smiled gingerly and wrapped her warm arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. I buried my face in her neck and she rubbed small circles on my back. 

“Darling,” She whispered softly in my ear with her warm coffee stained breath. “Why don’t you want to go?”

She pried my weak body off of hers, holding me at arms length and held my shoulders tightly in her hands. I dared a timid glance at her face. She was concerned. 

“Because I-,” I choked on my words and brushed a tear away. “Because I love him, mom. I love Harry.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears and she smiled weakly, pulling me back in. “I know it’s hard, honey. But I think it’s for the best if you go. What’s it going to hurt?”

“I wasn’t even invited,” I murmured into her shoulder. 

“So? What’s wrong with being a party crasher?”

I laughed weakly and let out a big breath. There was no point in arguing. Lucy didn’t get her stubbornness from nowhere. 

“Okay, Caroline. I’ll go.” 

*

I rushed from Lucy’s car to the large front doors of the Church. Lucy had left with her boyfriend ahead of me, and she let me borrow the Mercedes. Unfortunately I had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for 11:00 to arrive and woken up only five minutes ago. Ten minutes late. My once curled hair fell in unruly mats around my flushed face and my lacy black dress hung loosely on my tired frame. I probably looked like a corpse bride. 

I pushed the door open to a quiet room, but the faint murmur of a preacher’s voice led me to the set of doors to my right that opened to the wedding. I held my breath and gently pulled open the door, sliding in back with the rest of the attendants who remained without seats. I leaned weakly against the wooden frame. 

“-It is not to be entered into lightly, as marriage is a sincere and mutual commitment to love one another. This commitment symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives and still enhances the individuality of each of you.”

The room was filled to the brim with people. I recognized Louis and Chloe, standing at the front as the Matron of Honor and the Best Man. Niall, Mary and Mark sat towards the back. I searched for Lucy in the sea of expensively dressed people but came up short-handed. Finally, my eyes led to the front of the aisle. 

Tanya was a vision of diamonds. Her white dress glimmered perfectly in the long hall and her blonde hair fell in gentle ringlets under her thin veil. I couldn’t see her face from where I stood, but she looked stunning. And then there was Harry. 

My breath caught in my throat. His hair was wildly untamed, I guess from last minute jitters and his eyes remained solely on his and Tanya’s intertwined hands. He looked like a limp doll from where I stood. I suppose it was just the angle I was at though. Apart from his lazy stance, he was beautiful. His skin was glowing with life, cheeks flushed with nerves. His suit fit him perfectly, all the way to the bowtie. I silently wondered if he had tied his own tie or if he had gotten someone else to do it for him. As the preacher droned on and on Harry’s eyes remained transfixed on his hands when he suddenly glanced up without a warning. Right at me. 

I didn’t dare move or even flinch. Our bloodshot eyes met for a moment and I could feel him silently pleading me to forgive him. With one single shake of the head I turned away. I couldn’t.

“If anyone objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace…,” I heard the preacher announce in a loud, clear voice then pause for a moment. Funny, I thought, I didn’t know they said that in weddings anymore. My stomach lurched and I held back the urge to scream. To scream that I love Harry. To scream that he deserves better than Tanya. To scream that he deserved me. 

I closed my eyes as the room filled with an unbearable silence. No one stood up. The preacher continued uninterrupted. 

“Groom, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

My heart swelled and my hands balled into fists. I could feel Harry’s illuminant eyes on me. I swallowed back tears.

“I do.” His voice didn’t even shake. If he was second guessing himself, he didn’t show it. Those simple words made what I had cried over seem so silly and childish. 

“Bride, do you take this man to be your wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

I looked up to only find Harry staring straight at me. My eyes filled with tears and my ears began to buzz. This was it then. 

“I…no.”

A single, collected gasp spread throughout the room followed by loud whispers. I froze, my eyes finally meeting Tanya who had followed Harry’s gaze towards me. She gave me a weak, sad smile.

“I don’t,” She said loudly and firmly, turning back to Harry. His eyes were wide. “You don’t love me, Harry. You’re in love with someone else. And I can’t blame you for that,” She gave a small laugh. I saw a tear fall onto their intertwined hands. “I guess I’m not in love with you either, Harry. But I do love you and I only want the best for us. As separate people.” She leaned over and whispered something in his ear before kissing him softly on the cheek. He pulled her in tightly for a hug and whispered something back. My knees had gone weak. 

Everyone had begun to shuffle nervously in their seats and the preacher looked pretty startled himself. Chloe’s mouth hung open in shock. 

Tanya and Harry broke apart and she quickly turned, hurrying from the room down the aisle. Her long dress trailed behind her and she didn’t even glance at me as she shoved the doors open. I didn’t know what to think.

The room had transformed into a stunned silence. I was in a daze. I think I saw Niall pick something off of the aisle and leave in a hurry. He probably didn’t want to be in the midst of the confusion. Harry didn’t move. 

I wasn’t even aware that I had run from the room until the cold outside air hit me like a thousand knifes.  

“Nora!”

Harry’s voice. I broke into a relentless run again. The soft ground thudded under my feet and the dark sky hung heavy over the thick night air. The moon’s light was my only guide. I ran until my body felt like jelly and I fell onto the dry green grass bellow me, tired with the unbearable load of what had just occurred. It wasn’t even a minute until Harry fell down beside me. 

He didn’t say anything for a while. We just heavily breathed in the cold air, our breath visible in the dim light. My chest rose and fell until our breaths had synchronized into one soft sound. 

“I love you, Nora,” Harry breathed. 

“I love you, Harry,” I whispered back, a smile growing in my voice.

I turned to look at him. His silhouette was beautiful against the moonlight and hair was windblown. I stifled a giggled.

He turned towards me and caught me with his electric green eyes. He reached for my hand and pulled it softly to his chest. Above his heart that fluttered quickly in his chest.

“I love you, Nora,” He repeated, slightly louder. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” 

I closed my eyes. I felt as if I could melt into a thousand stars and sink into the ground. “Why didn’t you come running after me, Harry?” I whispered.

“I didn’t know you wanted me too,” He murmured, rubbing soft circles on my hand with his thumb. His heartbeat didn’t slow. He smelt like freshly cut grass and sweet cologne. “But I wasn’t going to let you get away again. I’d already made that mistake twice.”

I opened my eyes and leaned towards his until our foreheads were touching. His breath sent goosebumps along my arms. “I won’t let you,” I said with a smile. He grinned, flashing his perfect teeth before pulling me into him. 

Our lips met with an electric touch and I completely surrendered into him, growing weak. His hands hesitantly reached for my face, and as he grew sure of himself, tangled in my hair. He smiled against my lips. 

“I love you, Harry.”

“I love you too, Nora.” 

And in that small moment, on that small patch of grass it was just us. Just us drifting aimlessly into our perfect little piece of heaven. 

Chapter 17

The Good Prince

“Miss Nora, will you tell us a story before you go?” a little girl, Stephanie cried eagerly. “A fairytale?”

“Please, please, please!” the other children begged, instantly joining in. I sighed, but smiled. I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was already getting late, that I should be leaving if I wanted to be ready for the gala on time. But Dani was clinging to my leg with an adorable pout, her lavender eyes all shiny. I couldn’t say no.

“Okay, okay. Everybody gather round,” I said, sitting cross legged on the floor. The children formed a circle around me and Dani climbed into my lap, all of them listening with rapt attention.

“Once upon a time,” I began, ready to tell the tale of Cinderella, or perhaps Snow White, but something stopped me. I wanted to tell a different story. My own story. “There was a young prince and princess.

“The prince and princess both lived in a kingdom far, far away. The houses in the kingdom were small, and the prince and princess shared a room in a small house. They became best friends and they loved each other very, very much.

“But the prince and princess lived under the rule of an evil king. The king was a bad, bad man and he was very mean to the prince and princess.”

“Did he yell at them?” someone asked, staring up at me wide eyed. I half smiled.

“Sometimes. But the prince and princess stayed in the land with the evil king, because they wanted to be together, and they knew if they left they would be separated. They didn’t want to be apart, so they stayed in the small house, in the land of the wicked king.

“One day, the king came into their small house and yelled at the prince and princess. He was very mean to them. And someone heard, a kind king and queen who were visiting from another land. They came in and yelled at the evil king, who was sent away like all mean people are.” Many of the children were nodding in agreement, watching with wide eyes, completely enthralled in the story I was telling.

“But the kind king and queen didn’t have enough room in their kingdom for the prince and princess. So they took only the princess.” There were a few gasps and frowns at this. “The princess was sad she had to leave her prince, but she knew she would be happy in the new kingdom. She said goodbye to the prince, both of them thinking they would never see each other again.” I paused dramatically, more gasps filling the silence as I collected my thoughts for the next part of the story while trying to fight back the memories that were creeping to the surface.

“What happened then?” someone asked eagerly.

“The princess went to her new kingdom. She became best friends with her new sister, the fairy princess. The princess was happy, but she always missed her prince. She always had the toys she wanted and the clothes she wanted, but she always wanted her prince.

“Many years passed and the princess grew up, always thinking of her prince. She left her land to travel with her sister and the two were happy. She kept in touch with the kind king and queen and the princess and her sister explored many different lands, with many different people.

“The princess and her sister eventually settled in a far away land, a place that they both instantly liked when they found it. After they settled into their new castle, the princess decided to take a walk and explore her new home, the new land. And guess who she saw when she was walking along the streets of the new kingdom?”

“The prince!” came a few eager shouts and giggles.

“The prince,” I agreed. “The princess didn’t recognize him at first, although she thought he looked familiar. He smiled and the princess realized who he was. She ran to him and hugged him and the prince realized he had found his long lost princess and they were both happy.”

“Did they live happily ever after?” a little girl asked.

“They would have…except for the evil princess,” I said in an ominous voice. Many children gasped.

“The evil princess?” someone repeated, sounding afraid. I nodded.

“The evil princess had cast a spell upon the prince, making him fall in love with her.” Several gasps and cries of “oh no!” filled the air. I smiled softly. “But that didn’t mean the prince couldn’t still be best friends with the princess, his princess. And so they became best friends, just like before.

“But the evil princess wasn’t happy when the prince started spending all of his time with the princess. The evil princess’ spell was wearing off, but the prince still loved the evil princess. The good princess didn’t want to make her prince unhappy, even if it meant making herself unhappy.

“So the good princess remained only a friend to the prince she had once loved, and let him stay with the other princess, because the other princess did love her prince, and the prince loved the other princess. The good princess only wanted peace and happiness in the land, so she didn’t tell the prince of her love, and let the prince and the evil princess get married and rule the kingdom together forever.” I finished my story while many of the children gaped up at me.

“Well that was a crappy ending,” an older girl commented.

“Language,” I scolded.

“Sorry,” she said, grinning sheepishly.

“That’s not a very good ending,” someone else said and everyone murmured in agreement.

“But that’s how the story happened,” I said, not wanting to add that I didn’t like the ending much either.

“That’s silly,” a girl named Jenny said, shaking her head slightly.

“Dinnertime!” The children looked towards the door where Rose was standing. “And time for Miss Nora to go home. Say goodbye!”

“Bye Miss Nora!” the children chorused, showering me with hugs and kisses. Dani stayed firmly planted in my lap until the room was empty.

“Do you have to go?” she asked softly and I nodded pulling her tighter against me and kissing the top of her head.

“Sorry, sweetie. I’ll be back soon, okay?” I promised her. She nodded.

“Miss Nora?”

“Yes, Dani?”

“The princess should tell the prince she loves him. And live happily ever after,” she said, one of the most insightful things to ever come out of a toddler’s mouth. I sighed and hugged her closer, breathing in her familiar scent, and wishing her words could be true.

“I think so too.”

Lucy was furious when I finally got home, nearly an hour later than I was supposed to. She was already showered and had her hair done, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at me.

“I’ll hop in the shower right now!” I promised her instantly, hurrying into the bathroom and stripping off my jeans and sweater. The hot water of the shower was like heaven compared to the winter weather outside. I wanted to stay in there and relax the sadness and tension out of my body but I needed to get my ass in gear, so I quickly shampooed and conditioned and washed my body with flowery scented body wash.

I shivered when I stepped out of the shower, quickly towel drying myself off. I pulled on a strapless bra and panties and walked out of the bathroom with my hair wrapped in a towel. Lucy instantly pushed me into a chair and pulled out a blow dryer. She dried my hair as quickly as possible and plugged in a curling iron. She curled my hair into small, loopy curls and tied it back with an elastic so it draped over my left shoulder, just touching the top of my dress. A few loose pieces hung on the right side of my face, balancing off the look. It looked wonderful.

“Wow Lucy this is great!” I exclaimed. Lucy had outdone herself.

“I know,” she said smugly, but also quickly since we were in a rush. “Now close your eyes for make-up!” I did as she asked and held as still as possible as she attacked me with a variety of brushes. She pressed lightly on my eyelids, curled my eyelashes and covered my skin with a light layer of foundation. When she allowed me to open my eyes, I looked beautiful. My make-up was dark, which gave my face an elegant, night-on-the-town sort of look.

“Lucy seriously, you should be a professional,” I said, admiring my flawless looking skin.

“I’m just that good,” Lucy said, holding the blow dryer tip up to her mouth and blowing on it like it was a gun. I giggled. “Now we just need to get dressed and we can hopefully get there before people start arriving.” She sent me a stern glare here and I smiled apologetically. Lucy tossed me my dress, which was still wrapped in dry cleaning plastic, and I tugged it out and pulled it on carefully.

My dress was dark blue, strapless and floor length. The top part was tight, with silver beading across the top and a few silver beaded diamonds on the chest. The bottom flowed out, with overlapping pieces of fabric on the skirt. It fit me perfectly and looked amazing. I paired it with strappy silver heels to match the silver beading. Lucy’s dress was light purple, strapless like mine and floor length as well. It was tight along most of her body, but flared out at around the end of her thighs. The dress was all clipped together with a silver broach on her thigh, just under her hip. She had silver heels on as well. 

“Wow Lucy you look beautiful,” I told her, and she truly did. She had lightly curled her long hair and it made her face look even more delicate.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re hot, now let’s go!” she said, dragging me by the hand.

“One sec,” I said. “I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Fine, but hurry!” she said, sending me a warning glare. I promised her I would and waited until she was outside before rushing back into my bedroom. I pulled out a string of pearls and clasped them on and for the first time in a long time, I took of my locket. I twirled it around in my fingers for a moment and wondered if I was making the right decision. I sighed and shoved it into my small silver clutch before running outside to meet Lucy.

“Finally,” she muttered as I climbed into the car.

“Sorry I had to do something,” I said vaguely and Lucy just nodded. She hit the gas almost the moment I shut the door. She muttered to herself the whole way there, making me feel even more stressed than I already was. When we pulled into the parking lot my whole body was tense and stiff with nerves. My stomach was full of butterflies—even though I’d done this party for the last three years, and it had been successful each time, I was still a nervous wreck.

“Come on Nora people will be arriving in half an hour!” Lucy shrieked shrilly.

“Coming, coming,” I called, climbing out of the car and holding my dress away from the ground. Lucy was half running up the stairs towards the hall and I followed as quickly as my heels would allow. When I got upstairs, I beamed. It was exactly how I had pictured it. Perfect.

The chandeliers were dimmed and hung low, looking like a flowing waterfall, so that if you reached up, you could just touch the bottom, making them all shimmer and shake. The tables were draped in red velvet and high backed chairs lined the circular tables. The band equipment was set up on the stage, but the curtains would be closed when everyone first entered. There was a long table along the walls that was covered in food—Delia, one of the caterers, was walking along the table, muttering to herself and lying switching food around. Windows covered one wall, showing the city lights at their best. It was lovely.

“Holy shit,” Lucy gasped, grinning at the room. She half ran into the center of the dance floor and did a happy little twirl. “It looks great!”

“It’s just how I imagined it,” I said giggling giddily. My nerves washed away the moment I walked into the room—seeing it look just how I pictured it made me feel certain this party would be a success. I could feel it. I could only hope the rest of the night would be just as successful.

“Come on Nora we need to get ready, the guests will be arriving in like fifteen minutes!” Lucy gasped, glancing at the grandfather clock nestled in the corner.

“Right, right,” I said. I hurried to the bathroom to make sure my hair and make-up were perfect. Once I was satisfied, I made my way back to the entrance to greet people when they first walked in. The caterers were preparing as well—Macy, Delia, Bert and Kristy were holding trays, and waiting by the bar. I figured Monica would be in the kitchen. I had only met the caterers a few days ago, and they seemed like they would do, although I had my doubts about Monica.

“Welcome, sir, glad you could make it,” I heard Lucy say. I turned and saw a couple entering, the man a successful businessman, his trophy wife on his arm. They came every year and always made generous donations. I plastered a smile on my face and walked over.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Kelvin, how are you?” I asked, air kissing both of their cheeks.

“Ah, Nora, it looks perfect, as usual,” Mr. Kelvin said, winking playfully. I grinned and giggled back, knowing that flirting a bit always raised the donation—but not flirting enough that his wife felt threatened. It was a delicate balance that I had perfected in the last few years. I only did it for the kids though—not for anything else. Those creepy old men were gross.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, looking up at him from under my lashes. He grinned cheekily back.

“You’ve gone above and beyond, Nora,” Mrs. Kelvin said, smiling kindly.

“Well, it’s all for the children,” I replied, returning her smile full force. Another couple walked in and I turned to greet them. “Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, so good to see you again!” I said, heading over to them. I greeted them both as if it made my day to see them when it was quite the opposite—the wife was a wench and the husband was known for his love of eighteen year old girls.

“Honey!” I heard Lucy squeal and she ran over and nearly tossed herself into her boyfriend’s arms, kissing his lips, much to the disapproval of the guests that were steadily streaming in. He was looking dashing in a dark suit with a silver tie. He grinned with all the easy happiness in the world when they split apart, and I felt a stab of jealousy when they rested their foreheads together, grinning, clearly sharing a private moment of love. I looked away.

I continued to greet people until the gala was mostly full. Laughter and chatter filled the room as people ate and sat and caught up with their friends. The music wasn’t on yet, so no one was dancing, but I knew the band would be coming on in about a half an hour, and by then the floor would be packed. I waited by the door until almost everyone entered, and then I walked through the room, mingling, hoping to find someone around my age to talk to.

“Nora!” I whirled around to see Mary standing with Mark and I hurried over to them. “It looks wonderful here. You look amazing. I’m so glad you invited me,” she gushed. Mary was wearing a simple black halter that had a small slit up the middle that ended at her knees. Her pregnant stomach was barely visible, but she was glowing and had her hands rested on her stomach, fingers laced, and you could tell she was holding the baby in her stomach.

“You look beautiful Mary,” I said sincerely, pulling her into a hug. “How’s the baby?” I hadn’t seen Mary in a few weeks due to Christmas break, and it was great to see her again. It seemed like she had inflated since the last time I saw her.

“Oh she’s wonderful! She’s been kicking like crazy,” Mary giggled, rubbing a hand over her stomach again. “Feel.” She reached out and grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach. I waited for a moment and felt a light pressure pressing back up at me. It was a crazy feeling.

“Wow, Mary that’s insane,” I said in awe, pulling away. She instantly replaced my hand with hers. “Wow.” Mary giggled excitedly.

“I know, I know!” Mark was beaming as he stared at his wife, and he wrapped his arms around her stomach and pressed his hands over hers. Mary sighed contently. I felt another pang of jealousy—it seemed like everyone was coupled off except for me. I headed for the bar, hoping a glass of champagne would make me feel better. When I got to the bar, I noticed Macy, one of the caterers, sitting down, holding hands with Wes, the bartender, and they were whispering to each other and sneaking kisses when they thought no one was watching. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I just turned and headed for the stage so I could tell the band to get started.

When I got on stage, everyone quieted, and I knew they were ready for a speech. I smiled shyly and grabbed the microphone, clearing my throat once. It was almost silent in the room as everyone watched me. I felt a blush rising on my cheeks and nerves bubbling in my stomach.

“Hi everyone. I’d like to thank you all for coming here tonight. Your generosity really makes this event the success it is every year. Hopefully we can get even more for the children this year—let’s make it their best Christmas yet. Thank you!” Everyone clapped politely, knowing I would be giving another speech at the end of the night announcing the money raised for the children. I headed behind the curtain and told the band to go on in five. When I finally made my way back into the hall, the band was just starting their first song. Couples rushed onto the dance floor, excited to finally have music.

“Guess who?” a voice sang as large, warm hands covered my eyes. I giggled, reaching up to grab his hands and pull them away.

“Hi Niall,” I said and he was pouting when I turned to face him.

“I thought I might finally get you,” he said, frowning.

“It’s too obvious when it’s you—your hands are always warm,” I told him.

“Next time I’ll ice them before I do it, that way you’ll be totally baffled,” he joked and I just rolled my eyes. “This place looks great though Nora. You did an awesome job, congratulations.”

“Thanks. My speech kind of blew though, huh?” I said, grimacing.

“No, no, it was good,” he assured me and I just rolled my eyes. “Would you care to dance?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in a way that was clearly a challenge.

“Can you dance?” I asked skeptically and he made a face.

“Of course. I’m the best dancer ever,” he said, doing a little spin to show off his skills. I snorted a laugh.

“I’ll dance with you if you promise not to do that ever again,” I teased.

“Deal,” he chuckled, taking my hands and leading me to the dance floor. I placed my arms around his neck and he took the lead, slowly spinning us. My hands could barely reach his neck he was so tall, and it was a little uncomfortable. But I liked the feeling of dancing with him—it was comforting, and easy. And at least I wasn’t all alone.

We danced for a few songs before Niall slowed to a near stop, staring somewhere over my head, eyes narrowed. “What?” I asked curiously, trying to see what he was staring at. He quickly flipped us around.

“Nothing,” he said with an easy smile and I believed him. But a few moments later I saw what had made him stare angrily over my shoulder. Harry was quickly approaching, having spotted me, grinning my favorite gentle grin. Niall wasn’t a huge fan of Harry—he didn’t like him much at the dinner, but it just got worse as time went on. They never really got along and were always snapping at each other and trying to put the other down. It was quite frustrating.

“Mind if I cut in?” Harry asked, winking at me and tapping Niall on the shoulder. Niall closed his eyes and shook his head, but mumbled a “yes.” Niall let my arms fall and he stepped away, letting Harry step into his place. I couldn’t help but notice how nice Harry looked in a tux. It was black, contrasting with his light skin, and he was wearing a navy blue tie that matched my dress perfectly. I grinned and wrapped my arms closer around him. I noticed how much more comfortable and effortless it was to dance with Harry than Niall.

“Where have you been all night?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. I hadn’t seen him at all.

“Trying to find you. You kept slipping away,” he said, frowning at me. “I thought I’d finally catch you when you left the stage but this couple my parents know came up to me and they just had to show me the pictures of their granddaughter.” He rolled his eyes and I giggled. “But I’m glad I finally caught up with you.”

“Me too,” I said, sighing and leaning even closer to him. It felt so right to be in his arms and I hated that. After all, I’m not the princess in his happily ever after. “I feel like we never see each other anymore. And you’re getting…married…in a few days.” It physically burned my throat to say the word.

“Yeah,” Harry said uncomfortably. He glanced away for a moment before turning back to me, his gentle grin back on his face. “We have all of tonight though. Tanya’s at her bachelorette party remember?”

“Go—yeah, of course,” I said, quickly turning my grumbled “good” into something a little more positive. “Well I hope she’s having fun.”

“Not too much fun though,” he grumbled and I giggled, hoping she was having way too much fun—fun she would regret and that would ruin her wedding. Hopefully. I banished the thoughts before they could show on my face.

“Niall didn’t look too happy to see me,” Harry noted, an amused smile on his face. I could tell he liked annoying Niall.

“Be nice, please. He is my friend,” I reminded him sternly. He just laughed.

“I can’t help it if I don’t like him. He clearly likes you more than he should and that’s not okay with me,” he replied, glaring at a spot over my shoulder—a spot which I’m sure Niall was standing in.

“Be nice,” I said firmly.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said reluctantly and I giggled, pulling myself closer to him. He sighed contently and wrapped his arms tighter around me, and for a moment, it felt like he didn’t want to let me go. We were barely moving, we were mostly just holding each other, and for a moment, no one else existed. The room was empty, there was no Tanya and it was just us, the prince and princess, happy together.

“I brought your present,” Harry murmured in my ear. It made me shiver. “Since you’re not going to be around for Christmas.” Lucy and I were leaving for Washington in two days, Christmas Eve. We were spending the few days before New Years there as well and then coming back for the wedding (unfortunately). 

“What is it?” I asked curiously—what could Harry possibly give me? That wouldn’t break his fiancée’s heart or anything.

“It’s in the car,” he said, and he pulled away so he can look in my eyes. “Come with me and we can get it.”

“Okay,” I said eagerly. Harry laced his fingers through mine and led the way out of the hall—I didn’t even mind that I was leaving my own party. I just wanted to see what Harry had gotten me, and to just be with him. We rarely got enough time alone. Tanya was always there, or Lucy or Niall. It was never just us—the way it used to be.

“Come on,” Harry said, hurrying to the car. I giggled and lifted the edge of my dress up to keep it away from the snow covered ground. I made my way to his familiar white Chrysler and he opened the backseat and we both climbed in so we wouldn’t have to be in the cold. It was intimate in there, quiet and we were both squished together.

“It’s not much,” Harry said as he reached into the front seat to grab a bag. He handed it to me. “But I figured it’s quality not quantity right?”

“Always,” I agreed, pulling out the tissue paper slowly. I felt something soft and plush at the bottom and I tugged it out. It was an old, stuffed bunny, a small bow tied around its neck. It was clearly worn out and overused but that’s what made it special. It was my Bunny.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. “You kept it? All this time…” I stared down at the stuffed rabbit that had been so important to me, the token I had left with Harry that I thought he had long forgotten. And he had really kept it, all along. A tear fell down my cheek and Harry wiped it away silently.

“I love this. It’s the best gift you could’ve gotten me,” I told him, although I knew there was only one thing better. “I love it. Thank you.” I pulled him into a hug and let a few more tears fall. And as I did, I made my decision in my mind—I knew what I had to do next.

“I want to show you something too,” I said when I pulled away. “It’s only a few minutes walk from here. Can we go?”

“Sure,” Harry agreed, sounding surprised. I beamed at him and climbed out of the car, eager already. I held my dress up again and knew it would be frustrating to walk holding it up, but also knowing Lucy would kill me if I ruined it.

“You don’t want to ruin that do you?” Harry asked, making me wonder if he could read my mind.

“Lucy would not be happy,” I said, staring at the snow swirling along the ground.

“Fine then, hop up,” he said, standing in front of me and bending down slightly.

“Are you serious?” I giggled, looking at him like he was crazy.

“Yeah, just jump up, come on, it’ll be quicker this way,” he assured me.

“Okay…” I took a step closer, lifting my dress up so I could bend my knees more, and hopped up onto his back. He supported my legs with his arms and started walking, bouncing me slightly with each step. I was giggling like crazy, my arms clinging around his neck, hugging my body against his back. I rested my chin on his shoulder so I could see where we were going and he didn’t seem to mind. I noticed he was a lot more laid back since Tanya had left for her mini vacation.

“Take a left up here,” I said softly as we walked. It was mostly silent, but I didn’t want to ruin the peaceful moment. It was late, quiet, everything seeming hushed. A few flakes of snow were beginning to fall and I didn’t mind. My skin was overheating as it was, my heart beating too quickly. The snow helped cool me down, calm me. I was sure I could do this.

I’m sure we were quite the sight—him in a tux and me in a ball gown. Me hanging on his back while he walked, holding a stuffed bunny against his chest. Me not wearing a sweater in the snow. But I didn’t care. I was just happy to be where I was.

“Take this right,” I whispered and Harry followed mutely. He took the right and I told him to stop, right in front of the building I wanted to be at. I slid off his back and stood next to him, lacing my fingers through his so we were both facing it. Harry squinted his eyes to read the sign in the dark.

“Chicago City Orphanage?” Harry read. I nodded.

“Here,” I said, handing him a key that I had stashed in my silver clutch. I pulled the locket out as well, keeping it clutched in my hand. “Unlock it.” He walked up the stairs and I took his moment of distraction to quickly clasp the necklace in place, pulling my hair over it to make sure it didn’t show—not yet.

“You coming?” he called. I nodded and stepped up the few stairs towards the door he had just unlocked. He waited at the door and I took his hand. The doors were open and I knew that Rose and Garret had hired a few babysitters to make sure the kids stayed in bed and were safe. I waved to them—they knew who I was anyways.

“Good to see you again Nora,” one of the girls said, smiling.

“You too,” I answered. “I’ll be right back okay?”

“Have fun,” she sang, eyeing Harry with obvious interest. I winked back and pulled him into room 12.

“Why are we here? We can’t wake the kids up,” Harry said softly, trying not to wake the two small sleeping forms.

“It’s okay,” I told him. I sat at the edge of one of the beds and gently placed my hand on the forehead of the sleeping child. Her lavender blue eyes blinked open.

“Miss Nora?” Dani said.

“Hey sweetie,” I answered. She sat up and climbed onto my lap, resting her head on my chest.

“I missed you,” she mumbled. “You’re back early.”

“Yeah I am honey. I wanted you to meet my friend Harry,” I said, gesturing to Harry who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the bed.

“Hi Harry,” Dani said.

“Hey there,” Harry answered in a gentle tone.

“He’s pretty,” Dani said in a whisper that carried across the room. Harry bit back a chuckle and I smiled.

“I know,” I answered. “I’m going to stay with you till you fall asleep okay? But then I have to go with Harry.”

“Kay Miss Nora.” Dani crawled back under her covers, her blond curls splaying across the pillow.

“Harry, go wait for me in the playroom, alright?” I told him, gently playing with Dani’s hair while she closed her eyes. He nodded and silently exited the room. I sighed and twirled a strand of Dani’s hair around my finger. She yawned.

“Is he the good prince Miss Nora?” she asked, and I wondered if anything got by her.

“Yeah.”

“The good princess should tell him she loves him,” she mumbled sleepily.

“Yeah…she should.”

“I love you,” she sighed, just before falling back to sleep. I waited for a moment before standing and making my way into the playroom. Harry was waiting, examining the pictures on the wall. I noticed he had paused on one of me with the children all around me, a photograph taken last year.

“Is this where you work Nora?” he asked gently, somehow knowing I had entered the room.

“Yeah. For the last few years,” I answered. I sat down on one of the few chairs in the room and Harry pulled one up next to me.

“That’s amazing,” he said. I took a deep breath and I reached through the empty space between us and took his hands in mine.

“Harry…” I began. “I need to tell you something.” Harry stiffened, but didn’t pull away.

“What?” he whispered.

“I…we were such good friends when we were at our orphanage. You were my whole life and it killed me when you left. I never stopped thinking about you, ever. I couldn’t. You were the most important part in my life.” My voice was the only sound in the room. Harry barely seemed to be breathing. I didn’t look up at him—I knew if I looked up too soon, I would chicken out.

“And then when I saw you again, it was like my world was suddenly whole again. Because you were there again. Because I had my best friend again. And I was so sure that nothing could go wrong. You had Tanya, but that was okay, because we were only going to be friends, best friends. Just like before.

“Only we weren’t just friends. We were so much more. And…once I got to know you again, I still wanted to be just like before. I wanted to love you again, the way I did. And I knew you had Tanya so I tried so hard to keep my feeling away. I didn’t want to ruin anything you two had—but I was really upset because…I wanted more. I want more.” I finally looked up to meet Harry’s eye as I finished my little speech.

“I know this is wrong and I know it’s inconvenient…but I love you Harry. I’m in love with you. I know that you love Tanya and I know that if this works it would be so hard for us, but I don’t care. I know we can make it and I know we can work. Just like before.” I moved closer, staring into his blank eyes. “I love you Harry.” And I pressed my lips to his.

At first he was unresponsive. He didn’t move—he seemed frozen almost. I just attacked his lips with fervor until eventually he kissed me back. I nearly laughed as I laced my fingers into his hair, loving the feel of his silky soft hair. His hands moved to my body, one arm winding around my waist and pulling me closer, the other hand wound through my hair. He pulled me onto his chair and I pressed my body closer to his, letting every part of my body fit perfectly against his.

It was Heaven. It was perfect. It was everything I had expected it to be and more.

Until it wasn’t.

His lips were pulled off mine, his body away from mine. My eyes blinked open and I nearly fell as I stared. He was pacing, somehow across the room in the time it took me to recover. I could feel my heart sinking to the floor.

“Nora…Nora we can’t do this!” he choked, and his voice was desperate. My heart split in two. “I love Tanya…I-I’m getting married in a week! I’ve been with Tanya for years. Nora you’re my best friend but I’ve only been with you for a few months. It wouldn’t…work. It just couldn’t. Nora I’m sorry and I—” I just shook my head, wishing he would stop. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth I would throw up.

“Nora, please, I wish this could be different and I care about you too but—”

“Just go!” I shouted standing up. “Oh and give her this. It’s clearly not meant for me after all.” I reached up and yanked on my locket, breaking the chain. I didn’t care. I tossed it at him, feeling a slight rush of revenge when it bounced off of his forehead. I didn’t stay to watch him pick it up. I just ran.

I knew that at the hall Lucy was probably searching for me. Donations were probably being made, people were dancing, eating. But for right now, the good princess just wanted to go home and cry—because the prince would never be hers.

Chapter 16

Thanksgiving with the family 

“Nora, we’re so glad you could make it,” Emily said warmly as I entered Harry’s home.

“Thank you Emily. Thanks for having me,” I answered, smiling widely and politely. When Emily heard that I was spending Thanksgiving alone—Lucy was going out with her mysterious model man and I didn’t want to fly home by myself—she instantly invited me to Harry’s family dinner. I knew it was going to be pretty much torture, since Chloe and Tanya would both be there, but I could deal with it. I wanted to be with Harry, and it was better than pigging out on turkey and Ben and Jerry’s at home alone.

“No problem dear, you’re always welcome,” Emily said, and I could tell she truly meant it. Emily was one of those rare, really good people, who genuinely wanted everyone else to be happy. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I said, blushing pink. I had worn a dark gray Burberry dress. It had three quarter length sleeves and was a turtle neck, so it kept me warm, along with the dark tights I wore. It had a belt around the middle and fell a few inches above my knee. Lucy had forced me into a pair of red ankle boots to spice it up a bit, and had me wear my dangly ruby earrings, curling my hair and pulling it back to show them off. 

“Everyone is in the living room. Louis brought over his Wii and they’re having a Mario Kart tournament.” She laughed, shaking her head slightly. “They can get a bit intense, so proceed with caution.” I giggled.

“I’ll try,” I promised her. “I brought cookies for you,” I added, handing her the tray I had been holding.

“That’s too kind of you Nora,” Emily gushed, taking them from me. They were a simple recipe, chocolate chip with Reece’s in the middle, so it was sort of like a cookie, but in cupcake shape, surrounding the Reece’s. They were delicious, and I had to fight to keep them away from Lucy’s hungry mouth. She would’ve eaten the whole tray if I hadn’t gotten it away from her so quickly this morning. And who eats cookies early in the morning anyways? Only Lucy.

“It’s nothing,” I replied, and Emily just smiled affectionately, taking the tray out to the kitchen. I made my way into the living room and saw Louis, Harry and Noah in an intense game of Mario Kart, each of them holding a wheel, twisting their whole bodies as they played. They jeered at each other and laughed, each cheering as they took the lead, and cursing as they lost it again.

“Whoa this is intense,” I giggled as I walked in, and Harry was momentarily distracted, turning to grin widely at me. My heart fluttered. Tanya and Chloe, who had been sitting on the couch, both turned as well. Louis cheered as he took the lead over Harry, due to his lack of attention.

“These boys get very into their video games,” Tanya said, but she didn’t meet my eye. I sort of stood awkwardly in the doorway, not really knowing where to sit. Tanya and Chloe were dominating the couch, and if I wanted to sit in the overstuffed armchair in the room, I would have to walk in front of the television, and I was afraid I’d get a steering wheel tossed at me if I did that.

“Hey Nora,” Harry said quickly before turning back to his game and cursing at Louis for overtaking him. Louis laughed joyously.

“Hey Harry,” I answered, and I had to stop myself from swooning. He was wearing a tight sweater and jeans, and I could’ve died he looked so good. 

“Just hover awkwardly in the doorway why don’t you Nora?” Louis commented and I made a face at him. “Chloe, scoot over so Nora can sit with you two.”

“Of course, darling,” Chloe said in a sarcastic tone, but she reluctantly scooted over to make room at the edge of the couch for me. I walked awkwardly, clutching my red tote in my hands in an almost defensive way, like I would need to swing it at any time. I sank onto the couch, pressing myself as far into the armrest as I could get, not looking at Tanya or Chloe, choosing instead to watch the game on the screen. I smiled at their cheers and laughter—it was infectious. Harry ended up winning the race, and threw his arms up in victory before doing a geeky little dance. Tanya rolled her eyes while I giggled.

“Great race,” I said, holding my hand up for a high five. Harry laughed and slapped me five back. I noticed Noah sneak from the room.

“Thanks. I was doing awful before you got here. Maybe you’re my good luck charm,” he joked and I giggled again, feeling the familiar butterflies in my stomach and soaring of my heart.

“I guess I’ll have to come to all of your Mario Kart races,” I sighed and Harry laughed again. Not that I would mind, I added silently to myself.

“As much as we would love that,” Tanya said, effectively ending our conversation. “I don’t think Harry will be playing games very much. You know, he has a lot of things to finish before the wedding.” I felt the now familiar pang in my heart as I thought of the wedding. When it would be official that Harry could never, would never belong to me.

“Where did you find those shoes Nora?” Chloe asked, and I couldn’t tell if she was trying to be rude or polite.

“Lucy bought them for me, my sister. I’m not sure where they’re from,” I said truthfully. Knowing her they were probably designer and ridiculously expensive.

“Hmm,” she said, nodding slightly. I still couldn’t tell what that was supposed to mean, so I tucked my legs to the side, keeping my shoes out of sight. I thought I saw Tanya smirk, but it was gone as soon as I saw it.

“How come you didn’t stop by for breakfast? Emily makes killer pancakes,” Louis said, rubbing his stomach contently. I laughed.

“I had to stop in at work,” I said truthfully. Rose and Garret needed help cooking the turkeys for tonight’s dinner with the children. Plus they had to make all sorts of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and everything else that goes with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. They liked to give the kids a normal Thanksgiving.

“Your boss made you work on Thanksgiving? That’s a little ridiculous,” Harry said, and he was frowning.

“I wanted to stop by, it was my choice,” I said quickly. I didn’t want to give away what I did—I still had a feeling that it should be special when I finally told him—but I didn’t want to make it seem like I worked for mean freaks.

“Still Nora, it’s a family time,” Harry said, and I just smiled. I thought I heard Chloe mutter “then why isn’t she with her family?” under her breath, but I couldn’t be sure. I just didn’t acknowledge that I heard her.

“I know, I know. I promise you I wanted to go in. I have a fun job,” I promised him, smiling. This morning we asked the children how they prepared turkeys. The answers ranged from catching it outside and plucking the feathers to buying it precooked at the super market. It’s always funny to hear their answers.

“Are you ever going to tell me what you do?” Harry asked.

“I’ll show you sometime,” I promised him, smiling mischievously.

“It kills me that I don’t know.”

“I know.”

“You just like to torture me?”

“I guess so.” We both laughed and he shook his head at me, rolling her eyes.

“So Nora where is Lucy?” Tanya asked, cutting our laughter short. I started—I had almost forgotten that Louis, Chloe and Tanya were in the room. I got so caught up in my conversation with Harry that I forgot all about our audience.

“She’s out with this guy she’s had a crush on forever. It’s a huge deal to get to spend the holiday with him,” I said, smiling. Lucy had been so hyper and excited that morning. She had been freaking out about what to wear and what to bring to cook and all that. But when he came her whole face lit up and the stress was gone and she was out the door in three seconds flat.

“Where did they meet?” she asked politely, and I was mildly annoyed that she was being so polite.

“Actually, it’s kind of a funny story. They met at a modeling course. This guy was the model and Lucy was taking pictures of him. Then they saw each other at a party outside of the class and hit it off. Lucy shows everyone her photos when they walk through the door. It embarrasses him to no end,” I laughed and Harry joined in.

“Yeah she showed me. I can’t look at him in the same way anymore.” He shuddered and I snorted a laugh. Tanya let out a dainty, but forced giggle.

“I don’t really see what’s funny,” Chloe said, narrowing her eyes at me.

“I guess you had to be there,” Harry said, and Tanya folded her arms across her chest while Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Food’s ready,” Emily called from the kitchen. Harry stood, taking Tanya’s hand and Chloe wrapped an arm around Louis. I stood, feeling lonely, wishing I had someone with me. I could’ve brought Niall, I suppose. I wouldn’t have minded spending my day with him. It would have been better than being all alone.

I followed the two couples into the large dining room. It was long and rectangular, very fancy dark wood with about eight high backed chairs. Food and dishes were cluttered on the table, seven places set, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce covering every available surface. Louis was nearly drooling as he stared at the table. Noah was already seated at the head of the table.

“Everything looks delicious Emily,” I said warmly as we were all seated. Harry was on my left, Tanya to his left, and Emily to my right, at the head of the table opposite Noah. Chloe was across from me, Louis next to her, and an empty seat between Louis and Noah.

“Let’s say grace,” Emily suggested. She held her hands out, and I took one, lacing my other through Harry’s. Harry squeezed my fingers affectionately.

“Lord we thank you for the food we are about to receive, and for the fact that we are able to share it with so many loved ones,” Emily began. She glanced up at Chloe.

“I’m thankful for Louis, for my family and my friends, for my job, and home, and for all of the luxuries that I’ve grown accustomed to,” she said, flashing a wide, white smile before turning to Louis. My stomach flopped—I didn’t know we would have to speak. I bit my lip, trying to think of what to say.

“I’m thankful for Chloe, obviously, and for all of the delicious food I’m about to consume,” he said before turning to look at Noah.

“I’m grateful for my wife, for my children, and for the women they love.” I noticed he gave me a warm smile that meant he included me in this category. “And for the many blessings we’ve been given in this lifetime.” He turned his head up to Tanya and she smiled.

“I’m grateful for Harry and the wonderful wedding we’re going to have,” Tanya said, before turning to Harry.

“I’m thankful for my friends and family, for Tanya, and of course, for finally being reunited with Nora after all these years,” Harry said, sending me a sly smile and squeezing my fingers with his. My cheeks reddened and I smiled, feeling pleased that he had mentioned me specifically—even if he had mentioned Tanya as well. I could tell Tanya wasn’t pleased with this fact. I realized it was my turn and cleared my throat.

“I’m thankful for my sister and my parents. I’m thankful for this wonderful meal and the hospitality of friends. And I’m thankful for Harry, my best friend,” I said, sending him a sly smile that matched the one he sent me. He grinned.

“Amen,” Emily finished, and she was trying to hide a smile as she stared at her plate.

“Amen,” we all chorused. We dropped hands, and picked up our silverware. Louis was already tearing into the turkey, while grabbing spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.

“Take it slow this year Lou, I don’t want you throwing up again,” Chloe warned. Louis shouted a laugh, but looked sheepish.

“I’m a man, I can take it,” Louis said, flexing his muscles. Chloe laughed and playfully hit him, all while smiling brightly. It was the happiest I had seen her since I knew her. I guess being around Louis softened her up. A little bit.

“Oh yeah, big tough guy that can’t even beat his little brother at Mario Kart,” Harry teased.

“I was distracted,” Louis protested instantly. Harry opened his mouth to retort but Emily cut him off.

“No arguing at the dinner table,” she said firmly, glaring first at Harry, then Louis. Their shoulders slumped and they both grumbled “fine” while staring at their plates. I giggled—they sounded like two children being scolded. Harry rolled his eyes at me.

I piled my plate with a little bit of everything, and dug in. Everything was delicious—Emily made the best Thanksgiving dinner I had ever had. My mother was an awful cook, so we normally ordered takeout, and Caroline Brandon always took us out to a restaurant. Emily’s food was so much better than either of those places. I could understand Louis’s enthusiasm. I added more food to my plate.

“Emily this is absolutely fantastic,” I told her earnestly, and she smiled modestly.

“What does your family normally do for Thanksgiving, Nora?” she asked kindly, with genuine interest.

“Well Caroline normally forces us all out to a really fancy restaurant since she’s not a very good cook, but she still wants to have good food. My mother, Charlotte, used to try to cook, but would always end up messing something up and we’d usually order takeout. This is really my first traditional Thanksgiving,” I explained. I noticed almost everyone—except for Louis, who was too distracted by the food in front of him—was listening closely.

“What happened to your parents Nora?” Tanya asked sympathetically.

“Tanya,” Harry hissed, glaring at her.

“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that,” she said quickly, her cheeks turning red.

“No it’s okay,” I said, knowing she hadn’t asked to make me feel bad—she was just curious, as I’m sure everyone else was. “I don’t mind talking about it.”

“Nora, you don’t have to,” Harry assured me, and he reached over and took my hand in his, squeezing it comfortingly.

“It’s okay,” I assured him. Louis had stopped eating momentarily, and I noticed Tanya and Chloe were staring at our clasped hands. I pulled mine away silently, not wanting to cause any drama.

“I had to stay late after school, when I was nine. I had to get tutored in math; I was having a lot of trouble. So I called my parents from a payphone when I was finished, and they both decided to come get me. They never made it.” I stared down at the table, my throat tight, but I knew I wouldn’t cry. “I didn’t know much about it when I was younger. I found out a lot when I turned eighteen and had to go back to Chesire to pick up my inheritance. A drunk driver hit them from the side and sent their car tumbling and spinning into a telephone pole. They both died on impact.”

There was a moment of stunned silence. Harry reached for my hand again, and this time I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers and I squeezed back. He understood what it was like to lose your parents. He helped me through it before. I needed his comfort then, more than ever.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that Nora,” Emily said, and her voice was full of kind sympathy. I looked up and met her eyes, and she had nothing but warmness in them. I could tell she thought I was brave for telling my story. Even Chloe was watching me with sympathy instead of her usual hateful glare.

“It’s okay. A lot of good things happened to me afterwards. I met Harry.” I squeezed his hand again, and he smiled. “And Caroline and Jonathan adopted me, so I got a wonderful sister and family, and now I’m getting a good education. I’m very lucky, really.”

“That’s absolutely wonderful that you think that way Nora. Not many people have that optimistic outlook on life. It’s very mature of you,” Emily said, and she was smiling at me so brightly it looked like it hurt her face.

“Thank you,” I said shyly, glad that Emily seemed to like me so much.

“And it’s a good thing you and Harry had each other,” Noah added. I turned to him in surprise—he had barely spoken through the meal. “From what I’ve heard, it seems like you both helped each other.”

“I couldn’t have survived without him,” I said truthfully. Harry grimaced, knowing how literally I meant that statement. He gave me a look that clearly said they don’t know that so I kept my mouth shut about the abuse we suffered in Mr. Milligan’s care.

“And I couldn’t live without Nora,” Harry said. “Still can’t,” he added, grinning at me. I blushed a light pink and stared down at my lap, trying to hold back the smile I could feel creeping up my face. I heard Tanya sigh slightly, but both she and Chloe kept their mouths shut.

“Well I’m ready for dessert,” Louis announced loudly, easily breaking the tension in the room. “What’ve you got Mom?”

“Well, we have apple pie, chocolate cake, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and some chocolate chip and Reece’s cookies that Nora brought. I’ll bring it out. Nora would you like to help me?” Emily answered, and she stared at me with her warm brown eyes. I nodded, surprised that she had asked me out of everyone at the table. Emily stood and I did too, following her into the kitchen.

“I just wanted to tell you that I think it’s very brave of you to be here today,” Emily whispered once the door was shut. “I know Chloe and Tanya haven’t been very nice, but you tolerate it very well. You’re a strong woman and I know you’re going to make someone very happy someday.” Her eyes flickered to the door as she said this, and I wondered what—or who—she was thinking of. “Just be yourself Nora and I know everything will work out for you.” She wrapped her arms around me in an unexpected hug.

I was touched—Emily was being so kind and motherly, and she barely knew me, aside from the few times Harry had brought me to his parents’ home instead of his. But she was treating me like I was her own daughter. It was very touching. My eyes were watery when she pulled away, smiling brightly.

“Need any help?” We both whirled around to see Harry, standing with a few plates stacked in his hands, looking between Emily and me, confusion on his face.

“No,” Emily said, and her voice sounded a bit choked. I smiled. “We’re fine. Thanks for bringing in the dishes.”

“No problem…” Harry said slowly, glancing between Emily and me, clearly trying to figure out what he missed.

“Go grab the rest please,” Emily said. Harry nodded, still switching his gaze between my face and Emily’s every few seconds. He dropped the plates on the counter and walked back into the dining room. Emily and I both laughed quietly, and Emily sighed.

“I really hope he makes the right decision,” she said softly, more to herself. I didn’t answer, just moved to the sink to start washing the dishes that were already piling up. Emily joined me silently, and when Harry finished bringing in the dishes, he helped but them away. None of us spoke, but we didn’t really need to. It was a comfortable silence.

After a delicious round of dessert—Louis ate seven of my cookies, plus three slices of pie and promptly passed out on the couch, snoring loudly—and a quick round of Mario Kart—I was terrible I came in last and kept falling of the edge—I headed home. Emily hugged me tightly before I left, as did Louis. Noah thanked me for coming and patted my shoulder in a fatherly gesture. Chloe and Tanya both gave me fake-ish air kisses. Harry walked me to my car, holding a big bag of leftovers that Emily had forced on me.

“Thanks for coming Nora,” he said, wrapping his arms around me for a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my face on his chest, breathing in the scent of him. Musky and warm.

“Thanks for having me,” I replied softly.

“And thanks for putting up with Chloe and Tanya. I know they can get a bit much to handle sometimes,” he added, chuckling lightly. His whole chest rumbled pleasantly against me. I grinned.

“I’m used to it by now,” I said, and sighed.

“I wish you never had to get used to it. You’re my best friend and they need to accept it.” He hugged me tighter for a split second and I could feel his heartbeat, strong against mine. Then he let me go and I stepped away, feeling lonely, and cold. I missed his warmth against mine, and the feeling of his body tightly pressed against me.

“It’s alright. I can understand.” Especially since I’m falling in love with you so their fears are correct. I rolled my eyes and opened my car door. “Thanks again. Call me tomorrow okay?”

“Of course. Bye Nora.” He handed me the leftovers and I placed them gently in the passenger seat.

“Bye Harry.” He shut the door for me and I turned around to drive through the long driveway and back to the street. I couldn’t get thoughts of Harry off of my mind for the entire car ride. When I opened the door I found it empty. The phone light was blinking red, and that meant we had a message. I pressed the play button and Lucy’s giggle filled the room.

“Stop, babe I’m on the phone,” she whispered, still giggling. “Oh, um Nora? Babe, stop it! Hey Nora! Listen I’m not going to be home tonight.” Another giggle and she hissed the boy’s name again, playfully. “I’ll be home in the morning, okay? Call me if you need anything. Bye, I love you!” The message cut off and I just shook my head. That message was so Lucy.

I sighed, turning on the TV and then the radio, trying to fill the emptiness with noise. It didn’t work—I still felt lonely. So I crawled into bed and dialed a familiar number, since I knew he would come if I asked.

“Hello?” he answered, and his voice was husky and deep.

“Hey. I hope you’re not busy.”

“Not at all. What’s up?”

“Would you like to come over? I’m feeling kind of lonely. I need somebody to hang out with,” I whispered, feeling kind of pathetic.

“Sure Nora. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he promised.

“Kay. Thanks.”

“No problem Nora. Bye.”

“Goodbye Harry.”

Chapter 15

Stitches 

Midway through November came the first snow of the season, surprisingly early this year. It was a light, fluffy snowfall, it didn’t stick much, but it looked pretty coming down. I had given up and packed up all of my flip-flops (which I had been wearing with jeans and sweaters until then) and pulled out my rain boots and Uggs, and all other winter approved shoes. It was kind of depressing knowing I’d have to wait until next spring to show my toes again.

The kids at the orphanage were so excited about the first snowfall of the season. Rose, Garret and I had bundled them all up and took them outside. They gathered snowballs with the inch or so of snow that stuck to the ground, and tossed them at each other, a few children even trying to build a miniature snowman. It was adorable and they all had a lot of fun. Afterwards we had to bring them all back inside and make them hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup so they wouldn’t freeze.

It was good to see Dani playing with some of the other children. She loved the snow and tried to catch snowflakes on her tongue when she saw some of the other children doing it. She made a small snow angel on the ground and tugged me down so I would make one with her. I did (getting mud on my face, might I add) and she beamed at the two angels in the snow, side by side, one big, one small. Her nose and cheeks turned pink with the cold and she was bouncing off the walls when she had hot chocolate, dancing and singing and running around with the sugar rush.

I stayed with Rose and Garret until the sugar rush wore off, and all of the kids collapsed in a tired heap. We tucked them all into bed early, the excitement of the snow tiring them all out. Since I left late, I was late getting home as well. I was hurrying down the streets, pulling my hat and scarf tighter around me, trying to keep warm in the snow.

The whole way home I debated about my feelings for Harry. I had to admit to myself that I was falling for him. I cared for him much more than I should, especially as a best friend, and towards an almost married man. I hadn’t told Lucy about my feelings, but I could swear she knew sometimes. She kept pressing me to “follow my heart” and “don’t think, just do”. But I knew that there were many other hearts in this equation that I had to consider. Harry’s first of all. I didn’t think he cared for me any more than as just a friend. And Tanya. She was in love with Harry after all, and if, by some crazy chance, he did love me, then he would break her heart.

I reached my apartment and was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the figure slumped outside of the door. At first I thought I was having a hallucination, since I had been thinking about him so much, that I just saw what my mind, and heart, wanted me to see. But then I realized that he certainly was real, and he was blocking the entrance to my apartment.

“Harry?” I asked curiously. He was sitting with his back against the door, a small duffel bag on his lap and his eyes shut. I could tell he was sleeping, his arm muscles twitching under his long sleeve t-shirt. He mumbled a bit, unintelligible words, and I could hear his light snores. It was all really cute. I just didn’t understand why he was waiting on my doorstep with a duffel bag.

“Hey Harry,” I said gently. I crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly. “Harry. Wake up, Harry.” I was using the voice I normally only used for the children when reading a bedtime story, or trying to comfort them when they were crying. Harry shifted a bit and mumbled my name. My heart fluttered.

“Harry, come on,” I said, shaking him a bit harder. He jumped, eyes springing open, and instinctively grabbed my arm, yanking it away from him with enough strength to cause me to tumble down on top of him. I let out a loud “oof” and fell right into his lap.

“Sorry, sorry,” Harry said hastily. He righted himself and peeled me off of him, quickly standing up and pulling me up with him. My cheeks were approximately the color of a stop sign. “I must have fallen asleep. Lucy isn’t home so I had to wait for you and—”

“It’s fine,” I interrupted quickly, trying to will my cheeks back to their normal color. “I just startled you.”

“Yeah you did,” he agreed, and he sounded kind of shaken. I bit back a giggle.

“So what are you doing?” I asked, trying to make sense of this situation.

“Tanya kind of…exploded on me,” he said sheepishly. “Can I sleep on your couch for the night? I would’ve gone to Louis’s but Chloe’s on Tanya’s side (as usual) and he doesn’t want to upset her.” His eyes and voice were pleading, begging.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” I told him instantly, honestly. I didn’t think it would help his situation with Tanya, but I wasn’t going to let him sleep in a hotel or something.

Tanya had been…really pissed off after the whole club thing, even though it was almost two weeks ago. Harry had gotten home around 4:30 in the morning to a severely pissed off fiancée. She had flipped out on him for about twenty minutes, accusing him from everything from cheating, to stealing and lying. Harry had to apologize to her (basically grovel) and tell her that he just lost track of time, that Lucy was with us, and it was all innocent. Tanya accepted his truthful answer, but ever since then she had been like a time bomb. I guess she finally went off.

“Sorry to hear that,” I said, while not really feeling sorry at all. “Crash here as long as you need to.” Forever would be nice.

“Thanks Nora,” he sighed gratefully. I nodded and unlocked the apartment door. Harry followed behind me and stood somewhat awkwardly in the doorway, holding his bag in one arm.

“You can just drop your bag on the couch,” I said and Harry instantly went over to the couch. He dropped his bag and sat down next to it. I could tell by the stiff way that he moved that he was angry. He placed his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. I made my way over to him instantly and wrapped an arm around him. I placed my hands over his and pulled them away from his face. I could tell by the look on his face that he was upset and angry.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, lacing my fingers through his.

“Tanya,” he snapped, although he wasn’t snapping at me, just at the thought of his fiancée. “She’s wrong. She’s been freaking out on me for everything lately! I went out today to meet with our caterer, and since it was snowing there was a ton of traffic and when I get home she accuses me of cheating on her with the caterer. The caterer is married! And pregnant! I mean, I feel like I’ve been walking on eggshells with her lately and I can’t stand it. Everyone’s saying it’s just wedding stress, but this is getting ridiculous!” Harry was breathing heavily at the end of his short rant.

I took a few deep breaths, my heart flying. Their fight felt like an opportunity to me. An opportunity to sabotage their relationship and try and get Harry for myself. But I could tell how hurt Harry was, and I didn’t want to make it worse. And I knew Harry loved her, and he was just angry. And as much as I hated to admit it, she loved him too, she was just insecure. I knew that I was slowly starting to feel things for Harry that I definitely shouldn’t feel, and that Tanya had a reason to be suspicious, although not of the caterer. I knew that right now, I had the power to decide if I would help myself or help Tanya.

“I…I.” I think you should dump Tanya and kiss me. “I think that Tanya is just feeling insecure right now. She…she just…” She’s just a manipulative wench and she doesn’t deserve you. “She just wants to know that you’re in this forever, because that’s what she wants it to be, especially with the wedding coming up. I don’t think she really believes you cheated on her,” at least not with the caterer, “but that she’s looking for reasons to pick fights to see how hard you’ll fight to keep her.” You shouldn’t fight. You should just give up. I wouldn’t treat you like this. “But I also think you love her too much to give up just because of a fight.”

Damn me and my inability to speak my mind.

Harry looked up at me with warm, emerald eyes and I felt like crying.

“Thanks Nora,” he sighed. He leaned over and hugged me tightly, and I felt him shake slightly with almost-tears. But his eyes were dry when he pulled away. “I think you’re right. She’s just insecure, and she wants to make sure I love her. And I do. I just need to prove it to her.” I nodded, biting my lip to hold back the many insults I wanted to say about Tanya. Harry was looking better, and I could tell he was feeling better. I just wanted to cry.

“Just give her some time to cool off and go apologize and tell her she needs to trust you. That you love her and only her, and that you would never do that to her.” And you won’t have to. Because I’ll never get the courage to tell you how I feel about you. I’m too much of a coward to actually make myself vulnerable, to actually admit that I care about you way more than a “friend” should. I suck.

“I will. I’ll go see her first thing in the morning. Maybe I should get her flowers. Or maybe that Tiffany necklace she’s been wanting for so long.” I hated how bright his eyes were, how much he seemed to truly care. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw up. I wanted Harry.

“That would be great,” I said weakly.

“Thank you Nora. You truly are the best friend I could have,” he said, wrapping me in another bone-crunching hug. I hugged him back just as tightly. A single tear slid from my eyes, and I inconspicuously wiped it off on my sleeve.

“You are too Harry,” I said truthfully. A bit oblivious, but that was okay. Because I knew that he would choose Tanya over me. I was just his best friend, his just friend. Tanya was his lover, his fiancée. The girl of his dreams. And I didn’t have a chance with him anyways. I was plain Jane; she was gorgeous, model worthy. Appropriate for someone as breathtaking at Harry. They were a match made in Heaven.

“I’m going to take a shower, okay?” At least in the shower I could pretend my tears were just water from the showerhead. My voice was a little shaky, but Harry didn’t notice.

“Okay,” he agreed instantly, letting me go. He beamed at me and I faked a smile back. His smile faltered. “Are you okay Nora?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” I said in a falsely bright voice. Harry didn’t buy it.

“No, really, are you okay? You can tell me anything, you know that right?” he persisted. I bit my lip to keep it from quivering.

“I know,” I lied. “Thanks. I’m okay.” He squeezed my hand sympathetically and I stood up, hurrying into the bathroom where I could finally let my tears fall freely.

By the time I finished with my shower and got dressed, Lucy was home. She was sitting on the couch, chatting casually with Harry. They had a movie playing on the television, but they both seemed to be ignoring it, caught up in their chat. They both stopped talking abruptly when I entered the room, clad in flannel pajama pants and a tank top. My hair was still wet, dripping a bit at the edges, and I was wearing my bright pink Happy Feet.

“Nice slippers Nora,” Harry snickered. I made a face at him and slumped onto the couch, feeling exhausted. Lucy gave me a curious look and I just shook my head.

“What’re we watching?” I asked. I snuggled into the side of the couch and pulled a blanket around me, ready to fall asleep, even though it was only about eight.

“The Blue Lagoon,” Lucy chirped. “It’s the one with the two kids that get stuck on the island. It was Mom’s favorite, you know?.” I nodded—I had heard of it, although I had never seen it myself.

“Sounds good,” I said flatly, closing my eyes, ready for a good nap.

“I’m going to go take a shower really quickly, if you don’t mind,” Harry said, standing up.

“No problem,” I said, waving him off.

“Thanks Nora,” he said with a grin. He showed himself to the bathroom and I heard the water turn on. 

“Nora, you stupid idiot!” Lucy snapped and I jumped up, eyes wide. Lucy was glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

“What the hell?”

“Don’t you act all clueless. You had the perfect opportunity to break Harry and Tanya up today. And you didn’t do it!” Lucy sounded scandalized and furious.

“Lucy,” I sighed, feelings frustrated. I already felt bad enough without her yelling at me. “I know I could’ve done that. But I’m not about to ruin his relationship just because I have feelings for him. That’s so selfish. I did my best to try and help him because I won’t have their break up on my conscience, even if I want them to break up.” My voice was rising with fury and annoyance as I continued.

“He obviously loves her and she loves him and I’m not going to break up love just because of a freaking crush! Just get over this whole ‘we belong together’ trash and leave me alone!” I was half shouting towards the end, but I heard the water shut off and instantly fell silent. I instantly felt guilty when I looked towards Lucy and saw she looked like she had been slapped across the face. I was instantly plagued with guilty.

“Lucy, I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you I just—” Lucy cut me off.

“No it’s fine. I get it. Sorry for trying to be a good sister and help.” Her tone was sarcastic and huffy and I could tell she was mad at me. I groaned and buried my face in a pillow. Why couldn’t I do anything right today?

“Did I miss anything?” Harry asked, coming back into the room wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that clung to his muscular chest. I just shook my head and turned back to the television screen and the movie I forgot was even playing.

I must have fallen asleep sometime during the movie, because when I woke up, I was tucked into my bed. I knew Lucy wasn’t strong enough to move me, so I figured Harry must have carried me. A small smile spread across my face as I thought of him holding me, although I wished I was awake to have felt it. My throat was killing me, and I knew I must have been crying in my sleep, although I couldn’t remember what I was dreaming. I glanced at the clock—it was three in the morning.

I crept out of my bed and tiptoed into the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water. I reached for a glass in the cabinet, and had to stand on my tippy-toes to reach it. My fingers brushed along the glass a little too roughly—it jerked out of the cabinet and came crashing to the ground. I let out a shriek and jumped out of the way, letting it shatter against the tile floor.

“Shit,” I cursed, trying to avoid stepping on the glass in my bare feet. I could feel tears prickling in my eyes. What a horrible day. First I tell the man I might be falling in love with to make up with his girlfriend, then I piss my sister off and now this.

“Nora?” a voice called groggily.

“Shit,” I swore again. “Sorry, Harry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Are you okay? What broke?” he called, and I could tell he was waking up, sounding more alert.

“Just a glass. Go back to bed, I’ll clean it up,” I said instantly. I heard him standing up and knew he was ignoring me.

“Dang Nora that’s a lot of glass,” he said, stopping at the edge of the kitchen.

“I know,” I sighed. I took a step towards him without thinking and his eyes widened as my foot sank into a piece of glass. I let out a small shriek of pain and bounced up, my other foot landing directly on another piece of glass. I whimpered with pain and stumbled, falling onto the floor. I could feel glass stinging different part of my body and tears flooded my eyes.

“Oh my God, Nora!” Harry gasped. He ran over to me, carefully avoiding the glass, and scooped me off the ground. “Shit, you’re bleeding a lot!” I just whimpered, wrapping my arms weakly around his neck and closing my eyes, trying to ignore the blood.

“What’s going on?” Lucy called, running out of her room.

“Stop!” Harry called instantly and she froze just before the kitchen. She saw the glass, then the blood.

“Oh my God Nora are you alright?” she shrieked, panic in her eyes.

“I’m fine,” I choked, trying to stem my flow of tears.

“I’m taking her to the emergency room. Some of these aren’t bad but they might have glass in them and the one on her foot definitely needs stitches. Can I borrow you’re car?” Harry asked calmly, carefully. 

“Yeah, I’ll grab the keys,” Lucy said in a rush. Harry maneuvered his way out of the kitchen, managing to avoid the glass and grabbed the keys from Lucy. I was fighting to stay conscious from the smell of the blood.

“Please don’t bleed on my leather interior!” she begged, tossing me a towel at us. I just rolled my eyes. 

“Stay with me Nora,” Harry said, and I looked up into his green eyes, trying to stay conscious. “Don’t pass out. Please.”

“I’m fine,” I protested weakly, but the walls were spinning. Harry carried me out of the apartment and down to the parking lot, where Lucy’s Mercedes was parked. Harry helped me into the backseat of the car, letting me lie down. It hurt, since my arms and feet were covered in cuts and bruises, and part of my stomach as well. Luckily the thick material of my pants had prevented most of the smaller pieces from going through them, although I could feel a nasty cut on the back of my thigh that was bleeding.

“We’ll be at the hospital in just a few minutes Nora,” Harry promised. “I know it probably hurts a lot right now.” His voice was sympathetic and worried.

“I’ve had worse,” I said lightly.

“I know,” Harry said darkly, and I realized he was remembering our time at the orphanage.

“What do you think happened to him? Mr. Milligan, I mean.” I don’t know what made me say it. Harry’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “And the other kids? John? I know you and Mary and I were all okay, but that doesn’t mean they were.”

“As for Mr. Milligan,” Harry began, spitting his name, “I don’t know and don’t care. Hopefully he served a hell of a long time in jail for what he did to you. It was unacceptable.”

“He was an awful man,” I agreed softly.

“As for the other children…well I hope they got adopted and are happy now.”

“Even John?” Harry chuckled lightly and I smiled, glad to have cheered him up, at least a little bit.

“Even John. I think he was only so mean to you because he had a crush. That’s what little boys do after all.” I nodded thoughtfully. I guess that made sense, considering things I’ve seen at the orphanage. We drove over a bump in the road and my arm jerked. I let out a moan of pain as it caused a piece of glass to further imbed itself in my arm.

“Sorry, Nora,” Harry said guiltily, even though it wasn’t his fault the roads weren’t well paved. “We’re almost there.”

“Keep talking,” I pleaded. His voice dulled the pain, it distracted me. It was like a drug and I needed more.

“About what?”

“Anything.”

“Um…I got an invitation to some Christmas gala for the orphanage,” he said randomly. “Tanya will be out of town that day though, so I don’t know if I’m going. She’s going back to her hometown for a few days with Chloe to have her bachelorette party.”

“No, you have to go,” I begged instantly. I couldn’t let all my hard work go to waste by not letting Harry see it.

“Are you invited too?” he asked curiously.

“Lucy and I help plan it,” I said, trying not to make it seem important. And we didn’t help plan it; we were the only two that planned it. But I wasn’t going to brag.

“Really? That’s amazing. Is this the one you were telling me about at the club?” Harry said, awe in his voice. I gratefully saw the lights of the hospital up ahead and knew I’d be all stitched up soon.

“Yeah it is, actually. We’ve helped out a few times.”

“That’s really cool of you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I will.” We pulled into the parking lot and Harry parked sloppily. He picked me up out of the car and carried me through the double doors, which made an ominous and familiar whoosh noise.

“My friend fell on glass and she’s bleeding profusely, I think she needs stitches,” Harry said to the nurse.

“Of course, sir. You can go right in, this is an emergency case,” she said kindly and Harry thanked her, walking inside and heading past the rooms set out for emergency room patients and began carrying me through the hospital.

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, trying to figure out where we were.

“My adopted dad Noah works here. Didn’t I tell you he was a surgeon? Well he has the night shift tonight, and I trust him more than other doctors, obviously,” Harry explained and I nodded. I trusted him more as well, even though I had only seen him a few times. Harry carried me through the hospital, attracting many strange looks, and knocked on an office door.

“Come in,” Noah called and Harry opened the door.

“Hey, kido. What’s wrong Nora?” he asked, eyes widening when he noticed the blood on my clothes.

“She broke a glass and then fell on it. I think she needs stitches,” Harry explained quickly. I blushed lightly.

“Looks like it. Most of these will just need band aids, but some will need stitches. Nora you’re going to have to take your pants off. I can see the cut on your leg, it’s bleeding through your pants and you’ll definitely need stitches on that,” Noah said. He sounded apologetic. He stood and led us into a room right next to his office so I could sit on the bed.

“Okay,” I said, feeling embarrassed knowing how little I was going to be wearing in front of Harry and his handsome father.

“You can keep your tank top on, just take of your pants so I can get to the cut on your leg,” Noah instructed. Harry had to help me take my pants off, and even through the pain, I could feel the heat on my skin when his hands brushed my thighs or my stomach. I looked up at Harry and he seemed to be trying to look anywhere but my body.

“Okay, most of these on your arms won’t need stitches,” Noah said as he examined my arms, plucking out pieces of glass with a pair of tweezers. He stuck band aids on the smaller cuts, and put some gauze and medical tape on the bigger ones, that were too big for band aid, but too small for stitches. He had to put stitches on the cut on my right foot, and pulled a decent sized shard of glass from it.

“Okay Nora, all in all you’re not bad. I just need to stitch up that cut on your leg. If you could flip over please,” Noah said professionally. Harry reached over to help me again, and his hands brushed over my bare skin lightly, causing me to shiver. 

It stung when Noah fished the glass out of my cut and stitched it up, but I was grateful for the bleeding to stop. He used alcohol pads to clean up the blood and wounds (it stung like crazy) before allowing me to pull my pants back on.

“The stitches are dissolvable, so they’ll fall off within the next few weeks. Be careful walking on that foot for the next few days. You should be okay to walk, but if it hurts too much sit down and rest until it feels better. Take Tylenol every few hours to help with the pain. And try not to break anything else,” Noah said, his voice turning joking at the end. I grimaced.

“Come on Nora, let’s get you home,” Harry said. I wanted to walk, but he insisted on scooping me into his arms again. I didn’t protest—I liked the closeness, being able to feel his body against mine, and hear his heartbeat.

“Thanks Noah,” I called as we exited.

“No problem Nora. Try not to let it happen again,” he chuckled. Harry carried me back through the hospital and to the car. I yawned constantly, almost falling asleep in his arms. It was four in the morning now, almost an hour since I had originally woke up and I was exhausted. I couldn’t wait to go home, pop a few Tylenol and fall asleep.

The car ride home was quiet, since Harry and I were both so tired. We reached my apartment quickly, and I was glad to see Lucy had swept up the glass and cleaned the blood from the ground. She was dozing on the couch when we got back inside.

“Nora?” she said groggily. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, just a couple of stitches,” I told her. She nodded sleepily and stood.

“I cleaned. I hope you didn’t stain my seats.” I rolled my eyes.

“I tried my best.”

“Good. Night Nora, Harry.”

“Night.” Lucy stumbled into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

“Nora, I want to make sure you’re okay during the night. Why don’t you sleep out here with me? Or I’ll sleep on the floor in your bedroom?” Harry suggested with genuine concern. My heart melted.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I told him—my floor wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place to sleep.

“Okay,” Harry yawned, carrying me over to the couch. He laid me delicately on the couch and sank next to me. He wrapped a blanket around us and I cuddled into his side. Lucy always used to get mad on family trips when I cuddled with her in the bed. But it was a habit—ever since the orphanage when I had slept cuddled next to Harry, I hadn’t been able to get through the night without cuddling something. Normally it was an oversized teddy bear or a pillow, but a person was a much better option.

“Goodnight Harry,” I whispered.

“Goodnight Nora.” I sighed and closed my eyes, letting the lullaby of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.

Chapter 14

The club

“Okay, so I’ve added Harry, Tanya, Mary and Mark to the guest list,” Lucy said, running the closed tip of her pen along the long list in her hands, brow furrowed in concentration. “And it’s pretty much all the same influential people as last year. Anyone else you think I should invite?”

I took the list from her hands and examined it, reading through the names, twice. Lucy and I were busying ourselves working on the guest list for the Christmas charity event we always threw for the orphanage as a way to earn money and toys for the children. I made sure all of the usual uptight businessmen and women were on the list, the ones sure to make large donations. I also added a few local celebrities, the mayor and the governor, knowing they would want to be seen at something so beneficial. Good publicity.

“Sounds good to me,” I announced after checking through the list. The most important guests were the ones sure to make donations, and they were all there, so it seemed good. I only invited a few of our friends, like Harry and Mary, so that I wouldn’t be stuck listening to all of the old farts prattle on about “back in there day” along with a few of Rose and Garret’s guests. At least with the presence of friends and alcohol, I could make it through the stressful night.

“What about the band? I’ve checked out a few local clubs and stuff to see if there are any good ones around, and there is one I like. I can take you to the club if you’d like to see them play,” Lucy suggested, smiling excitedly. I thought a saw a glint of something in her eye, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

“That sounds fine. I’ve already checked out the location Rose and Garret suggested to me and I think the price is pretty reasonable. It’s got a nice view, big picture windows and chandeliers and stuff, very pretty and classy. Plus there’s enough space in the back to store the presents, and a big stage for a band. It’s great,” I said. Lucy beamed. She was in her element. Every year Lucy looked forward to planning the Christmas gala. She loved being in control and seeing everyone enjoy her hard work. She was a lifesaver—I would never be able to do all this stuff without her.

The Christmas gala wasn’t until December (obviously) but we had to plan far in advance. Plus, October was quickly passing, and Halloween was on its way. Lucy had already forced me to carve Jack-O-Lanterns with her, and hung up our Halloween decorations on the door of our apartment. Lucy loved holidays like a little kid. We liked to get our invitations out before November so that everyone could be sure to clear their schedule for the day. That gave us about two weeks to send out the invitations, which was plenty of time.

“Good, good. Now, we’ll have to decide on who we want to cater. I didn’t really like the place we did last year and I thought maybe we could hire something smaller. I heard of this company called Wish or something that sound promising, so I thought about giving them a call,” Lucy babbled, still checking things off of a list in front of her.

“As long as they have enough servers for everyone and don’t mess anything up, they’re cool with me,” I said instantly. Last year we had hired a different crew who wound up spilling red wine all over the mayor’s wife’s brand new white dress that cost us a pretty penny to replace. Of course we decided to pass on them this year. “Now when can we go see that band?”

“I can take you tonight if you’d like,” Lucy said instantly, eyes lighting up. “Of course we’ll need some other opinions, so you should probably invite Harry and maybe Mary for another opinion. I mean, we have to make sure more than just us like it.” Lucy paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. “Actually, invite Harry. We’ll need a guy’s opinion to make sure they aren’t too ‘chicky.’” She made air quotes and rolled her eyes on the last word. There was nothing really about her little speech that was out of the ordinary—but I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

“I’ll call Harry,” I said, watching Lucy’s expression carefully. It didn’t change, except for maybe her eyes got a little brighter. I brushed it off, for now at least. “And we can go tonight at like seven. We don’t have classes tomorrow, since it’s Saturday, so we can stay out late if we need to.”

“Good,” Lucy said, smiling widely. “Perfect. They start their second set at ten and that’s usually better than the early one. So we’ll have to stay for both.” I rolled my eyes—I wasn’t much of a partier. But I had to make sure they were good if they were going to be playing at such an important event.

“Fine, whatever. Just pick me out something to wear please?” I asked pleadingly and Lucy’s smile instantly spread further across her cheeks, but she also closed her mouth, making it look much more mischievous. I could tell she had wanted me to say this and I instantly backtracked. “Never mind, I’ll pick something out for myself.”

“No, no, no!” Lucy gasped instantly, looking slightly horrified at the thought. “I’ll do it. You already said I could. Don’t worry Nora; I know what’s best for you.” She gave me a meaningful wink and skipped into my bedroom, presumably to look for something for me to wear. I just sighed—I had clearly fallen into whatever trap she was setting up for me now. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but Lucy was clearly up to no good. I pulled out my cell and speed dialed Harry’s number. He answered on the first ring.

“I was just about to call you,” he said with a chuckle.

“Great minds think alike,” I replied, a smile spreading across my cheeks.

“What’s up?”

“Listen, Lucy and I are going to a club tonight to hear a band. We need a guy’s opinion. Want to come?” I asked, hoping he would say yes. It would be much more…bearable with Harry there. Harry hesitated for a moment. “Of course Tanya could come,” I added, a bit reluctantly. It seemed Tanya kept intruding on our time recently. Like she didn’t want to leave us alone together.

“Well, Tanya is actually staying in with Chloe tonight,” Harry said, still not answering my original question. I couldn’t help but feel my heart lift at the thought of finally getting some time for me and Harry. We were rarely alone together anymore, and it was nice to just spend time with him.

“Then come! It’s better than just sitting around,” I said persistently.

“Well I was actually going to talk to the caterers for the wedding about switching the entrée…” Harry began and my face fell. “But I can always do that tomorrow. I’d like to spend time with you. So I’ll come. What time?”

“Seven. Lucy and I can pick you up,” I said eagerly, elated that he was coming.

“Alright, I’ll be ready. Bye Nora.” I could the smile in his voice.

“Bye.” I hung up just as Lucy burst out of my bedroom, a dress in her hands.

“Voila!” she announced, whirling it in front of her so the dress fabric spun before settling.

“Lucy, no,” I said firmly, instantly.

“Nora you are wearing this.” Lucy’s tone dared me to refuse. It was deadly and her eyes were slits.

“Lucy, I can’t. I won’t,” I said stubbornly, probably signing my death certificate right there. I knew Lucy was set on me wearing this dress. But I was just as stubborn as her.

“Nora. This dress would look so unbelievably good on you, you don’t even understand,” Lucy said, and her eyes widened as she spoke. “Remember when we tried this on? It looked like it was made for you.”

“Look, I only tried it on for fun,” I said, stressing the word fun. “And you bought it and stuck it in my closet. I was never planning on wearing that dress.”

“But Nor-ra!,” Lucy pouted, stomping her foot on the ie. “You have to wear this dress. You never know who you’re going to see at a club. You need to look good. Just in case.” I could see the slight lie in Lucy’s eyes as she said this, but it was gone before I could confirm.

“Lucy it’s too…too…reveling!” I burst. The dress was short and low cut. Appropriate for someone like Chloe who had a perfect body, but not for me. I couldn’t pull it off.

“Nora, it is not,” Lucy said, sounding outraged. “It’s perfect. You’re wearing it.” Her eyes turned to slits and her voice was so firm and scary that I just nodded weakly and she beamed, turning from devil to angel in two point five seconds flat. “Good. Now go get dressed. I’ve already got my outfit picked out and it’s more revealing than yours.” She gave me a “so-there” look and tossed the dress at me. I caught it and sighed, making my way into my bedroom to change.

I pulled on the dress, constantly trying to pull it up and down at the same time—down to cover more of my legs and up to cover more of my chest. It was such a dilemma. Chest or legs? The dress was cute though. It was black and white, black spots with white outlines, and a black leather belt under the chest. It was short and low with spaghetti straps and hugged my every curve. I had only tried it on for fun in the store, and a little confidence boost, and it had done its job. But Lucy literally forced me to buy it. It was adorable though, I had to admit. I spun and the dress flared out around me. I smiled, biting my lip.

“You look hot!” Lucy squealed as she danced into my bedroom. I was slightly relieved to see her dress—it was more revealing than mine, she was right. It was a pink halter dress that was loose on the top, hanging down past her chest in a V, revealing the matching pink bikini top looking bra underneath. It was tight on her hips and hugged her thighs and she had on one of the tallest pair of heels I had ever seen. She looked gorgeous. Only Lucy could make something so different look that good. 

“Luc you slut,” I teased and she stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed. “You look great too,” I assured her.

“I know,” she said smugly, winking. I rolled my eyes. “But you look amazing. That dress is so made for you.”

“It’s too short. And low,” I complained, tugging it up and then down again. Lucy examined the dress and I saw her eyes linger briefly on my necklace. She frowned at it, and it looked like she sort of zoned out for a moment—like she wasn’t fully there.

“Lucy?” I said, waving my hand in front of her face. She blinked a few times before laughing delicately—it sounded a little off.

“Sorry, spaced out there,” she giggled. She ran to my dresser and opened my jewelry box, sifting through it for a moment. She stood up and sighed, pulling out a long necklace with a large white gold pendant at the bottom.

“Put this on,” she instructed. “It’ll really work with the dress.” I did as she asked, letting the necklace fall on my chest. It fell to just about my cleavage, covering up the locket I was already wearing. “Now, I think if we just take your hair out of that bun it’ll fall in nice, loose waves. Very clubby.” I did as she asked and tugged the elastic out of my hair, letting my hair fall around my face. It fell in loose curls, some more round than others, some nearly straight. But the whole messy effect just made it look better. Like I had spent hours partying beforehand.

“Perfect,” Lucy announced. She ran her fingers through my hair a few times, fixing a few pieces here and there, and gave me some lip gloss to put on. “Are you ready to go? We still need to pick up Harry,” I reminded her.

“How could I forget?” she said with a devious smile. “Let’s go.” Lucy grabbed a white Channel tote off the counter and shoved her cell and a few other necessities in it, before taking my stuff too, so I wouldn’t need a purse. I thanked her and the two of us made our way downstairs to the Mercedes. I could feel the stares of other tenants that were outside of their apartments and I crossed my arms over my chest while tugging my dress down again. Someone wolf-whistled. I turned bright red and Lucy just laughed it off.

By the time we reached Harry’s house, it was a little past seven. Lucy made me get out of the car and go to the door to get him, because she refused to dig my cell out of her bag so I could call. “It would take too long to find,” she insisted and I just rolled my eyes and got out of the car, going up to the door and ringing the bell. I kept tugging on my dress, trying to make it cover more of my skin.

“Hey Nor—” Harry froze, eyes wide as he opened the door. I saw his eyes flash to my legs and up before meeting my reddening cheeks. “Ah,” he finished as his eyes met mine. He looked a little stunned.

“Um, hi,” I said awkwardly, tugging on my dress again. Harry blinked twice and a flawless smile appeared on his face.

“It’s great to see you. You look…” he shook his head for a moment, as if he couldn’t think of the word. “Lovely. I’ll be ready in just a second, you can come on in.”

“Thanks,” I said, still feeling kind of awkward. I followed Harry inside and into the living room, where Chloe and Tanya were sitting, both in sweatpants and their hair up in messy buns, wet polish on their nails.

“Hey,” I said, smiling politely. Tanya’s jaw dropped when she saw me and Chloe’s eyes narrowed to slits. I froze in my tracks, crossing my arms over my chest as I walked to an armchair as far away from them as possible.

“Be down in a second,” Harry said, flashing me a smile before leaving to go upstairs. Tanya and Chloe were both staring at me with incredulous, and in Chloe’s case, angry eyes.

“Your sister is going to be with you guys right?” Tanya asked after a moment.

“Yeah,” I answered nervously. I wasn’t normally nervous around Tanya, but with Chloe and the way they were looking at me, I was freaking out.

“You’re a little dressed up to be going out with just friends, don’t you think?” Chloe asked, her voice dripping suspicion.

“You never know who you’re going to see at a club,” I said with a shrug, quoting Lucy’s earlier words.

“Hmm,” Chloe said noncommittally, nodding her head and sharing a loaded glance with Tanya.

“That dress looks really nice on you,” Tanya said, and her voice was honest and sincere, and I could tell she was making an effort to be nice, probably on Harry’s request.

“Thanks. Lucy all but forced me to wear it,” I said, tugging on it again.

“You don’t like it?” Tanya asked, her head cocking to one side, her eyebrows furrowing.

“I like it…it’s just a little too much for my taste. Or too little I should say. I don’t really have the body for a dress like this.” I had no idea why I was saying this to two of the most beautiful women I had ever met. But I was intimidated. Nervous. I shouldn’t have been, but I was.

“Don’t say that,” Chloe snapped suddenly, rolling her eyes. “You’re gorgeous. We all know it. Don’t pretend you’re all innocent and with low self esteem and all that crap. He won’t like you any more than a friend, even if he does see you as a charity case.”

“Chloe,” Tanya whispered, nudging her friend with a shush. But I could see the smile on her face. “Don’t start.”

“No I think she should hear this,” Chloe said hotly. “We all know you’re after Harry. The only reason you haven’t gotten him yet is because of Tanya. And now you’re dressing like a goddess to try and get his attention. It’s not going to work. Stop trying.” Tanya’s jaw dropped and I could feel tears stinging my eyes, although I hid them well.

“I’m not trying to steal Harry from anyone,” I began, my tone cold and hard. I knew she was Harry’s sister-in-law, but this was crossing the line. “He’s just my friend. We went through a lot together as kids and a bond like that just doesn’t break over time. He’s my best friend. Only my best friend.” But I felt like I was lying. I knew Harry was more than just my best friend…but I couldn’t exactly say what. It wasn’t like a brother…more like…I couldn’t describe it. Almost like a soul mate, but not in a relationship way, since he was with Tanya. More like, gravity pulls—pulls us together and keeps us by each others’ sides. Like we were meant to be there.

“Sure,” Chloe said sarcastically. “Like you don’t spend all of your time together and try and keep him away from Tanya—”

“I invited Tanya tonight; she already had plans with you—”

“Isn’t that convenient that the one night Tanya is busy you call Harry and-”

“How was I supposed to know she was busy tonight? I’m not a mind—”

“Well it’s certainly not a coincidence. We all know you want him and—” I had opened my mouth to retort, but another voice interrupted before I could.

“Knock it off Chloe,” Harry said harshly and Chloe’s mouth shut instantly. She glared at me from across the room. Tanya stared down at her feet, seeming embarrassed by her friend’s protectiveness, but also looking pleased that it had been said. Harry was glaring at Chloe, obviously angry. “Let’s go Nora.”

“Let’s,” I agreed, sending a snide look towards Chloe, who made a face back. I turned my head on her, letting my hair whip around dramatically, and stormed out of the house behind Harry, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. Harry took my hand the moment we were outside and squeezed it soothingly, already apologizing.

“I’m so, so sorry Nora. She gets more jealous than Tanya when I go out with you, especially since you’re so beautiful, she just gets nervous. I keep telling her to trust me, we’re just friends, but she apparently decided to take things into her own hands, which is ridiculous and she was being completely rude and inconsiderate towards you. I’ll be sure to talk to her about that later and Louis, I mean, she can’t just go around accusing—” I whirled around and pressed a finger to his lips, instantly quieting him.

“Whatever. I’m over it. If Chloe wants to be like that, she can be. I just want to forget about it. It’s not your fault, so don’t apologize. Chloe just needs to let Tanya handle her own battles and let you live your life.” Harry nodded instantly and pressed a kiss to my finger, grinning softly when I pulled my hand away, heat radiating from the spot his lips had touched.

“I’m glad you understand. You can’t choose your family, right?”

“Right,” I said, grinning. “Only your best friends.” Harry beamed in agreement and gave me a quick hug before leading me to the car, one arm wrapped casually around my waist. I climbed into the passenger’s seat and Harry slid in the back, saying hello to Lucy as he did. Lucy just nodded and turned the music up, already jamming out.

“I need to get into my rhythm before we get to the club!” she told me in a shout over the music. I rolled my eyes—and I could see Harry doing the same in the mirror. I smiled to myself, noting how alike we were. The music was too loud to allow talking on the ride to the club, so I contented myself to singing to the songs I knew and watching Harry when I didn’t. Sometimes he would mouth the words as well (I really got a kick out of his facial expressions during “Single Ladies” by Beyonce) and other times he would merely listen and nod along to the beat.

By the time we pulled up to the club, it was nearing eight. There was a huge line out of the club, and I grudgingly went to stand in it—but Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes, taking my hand in hers and dragging me to the front. I grabbed onto Harry behind me, interlocking our fingers so I wouldn’t lose him. Lucy paused when the bouncer held up his hand, but with one dazzling smile and a hefty tip he let us in without question. Lucy could work miracles.

The music was loud and energetic when we got inside. There were people dancing all over the place, and the bar was packed. Lucy managed to squeeze her way past the crowd at the bar, straight to the front, ordering two drinks (of course, as the designated driver, she wasn’t drinking) and secured us a table near the back, since most of the crowd had gathered on the dance floor. That was a good sign, I noted—it meant the band could get the crowd going.

“Why did you need to see this band?” Harry asked curiously, taking a sip of his drink.

“It’s for this thing Lucy and I are planning,” I said nonchalantly. “You’ll get your invite soon, I’m sure. We do it every year.”

“Like a Halloween party?” Harry asked, sounding interested. I shook my head, glancing around. Where had Lucy disappeared to?

“More like a Christmas party. But fancier. It’s a charity event,” I said, not wanting to give away too many details. I still didn’t want Harry to know about my job—I had a way to show him already, and I was pretty excited for it. I knew he would appreciate it.

“That’s good, donating to charities. Very beneficial,” Harry noted with a small grin. “Who would’ve ever imagined shy little Nora Finely planning charity galas for the rich and famous?”

I snorted. “Not exactly. More like the semi-rich and famous of Chicago. The best we can do, you know? It’s all for charity anyways. That’s the most important part.” The party wasn’t too big of a deal to me. I just wished everyone would drop the donations at the orphanage and we wouldn’t have to bother with all of the party stuff—I’d rather be giving that money to the kids, anyways.

“It really is,” said Harry in an awed voice. He was staring at me like he was looking through me. It was unnerving.

“What?” I asked, checking to make sure I hadn’t spilled my drink down my shirt or something. I looked clean.

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just…you’re truly extraordinary Nora,” Harry complimented, taking a sip of his drink. I, of course, turned bright red and fiddled with my drink until Lucy slid back into our table, another drink for me in her hands. I took it gratefully, taking a sip of the icy drink (which was larger than the first), trying to cool the burning heat of my skin.

“They sound good right?” Lucy chirped, moving her upper body to the beat, basically dancing in her seat. “They’re really good! And we need a better band than last year.”

“They do sound good,” I noted, taking another sip of my drink. “Original. Dance-y. I like it.” Their music was a mixture of rock and pop and hip-hop, and something I had never really heard before. It was creative, and had the kind of beats that made you want to get up and dance the night away. I was already having difficulty sitting in my seat. I wanted to dance. Or maybe the alcohol did. But whatever.

“I love this song!” Lucy shrieked, clapping her hands together rapidly as the band transitioned effortlessly—definitely a good sign. “Come dance you guys!” Lucy grabbed my hand and yanked my hand, trying to tug me onto the dance floor behind her.

“Harry?” I asked, not wanting to leave him behind.

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” he chuckled, watching Lucy tugging on my arm with amusement. Lucy was tossing her whole, tiny body weight into it, and I was barely feeling it.

“Yeah, Lucy. I think I’ll go to the restroom really quick. I‘ll be right back,” I said, letting Lucy pull me up—she nearly toppled backwards as my resistance ended, but quickly wheeled around. 

“Fine, but make it quick.” She commanded, finally releasing my hand.

I smiled and shoved my way past people, desperately searching for the bathroom.

I found a door and pushed it open. But only to find it led outside.

“Hey, baby, let’s get out of here.” I whirled around to see a man I didn’t recognize at all, his hand locking around my wrist and beginning to tug me from the crowd.

“No!” I gasped, but my voice was a whisper, weak. I couldn’t see Lucy or Harry anywhere. My skin was burning hot, and the room was spinning. The man continued to tug me, even though I tried to struggle back—I was so weak I barely had an effect on his quick, steady pace.

The cold air outside sobered me slightly and I let out a small shriek, before his hand was clamped onto my mouth. My eyes widened in panic and fear and I let out a low whimper. And then I heard a voice—the voice of an angel. My angel.

“Hey! Let go of her!” The arms around me dropped instantly, and I fell to the ground, hitting the damp concrete below me. I could hear pounding footsteps as my captor ran and my savior came towards me, seeming to decide helping me was more important than chasing the man who had tried to kidnap me.

“Nora, Nora, are you okay?” Harry asked in a low, worried tone. I nodded weakly, tears in my eyes, my stomach protesting against the sudden movements. I didn’t throw up, luckily, but my stomach was turning, and my head throbbing. “Damn, Nora, you scared that hell out of me. Excuse my language.” He added quickly and I laughed weakly.

“I don’t know what happened,” I choked after a moment. 

“I know, Nora, I know,” Harry said soothingly. He sank onto the ground next to me and pulled me against his chest. I let my tears fall onto his shirt as he held me and stroked my hair softly, whispering comforting nothings into my ear. I didn’t ask him why he was outside, and I didn’t care just yet. I just wanted him to hold me, just for now.

“Nora, are you alright?” I heard Lucy shriek a few minutes later. “I didn’t know where you went and I was looking all over.”

“She came out here. I was…um, getting some air, and I saw her,” Harry answered for me. “Someone was trying to drag her off but he ran.”

“Oh my God!” Lucy gasped. She dropped to her knees next to me and pressed a kiss on my cheek. “I’m so sorry. I wish I had seen this coming but I was too focused on other things…” She trailed off, shaking her head, and I heard her mumble something about priorities.

“I’m okay,” I whispered after a moment. “I just want to go home.”

“Of course, we’ll go now. I think we know we want this band anyways, so I’ll just call tomorrow,” she said soothingly, softly, gently. I tried to stand up, but my legs felt weak underneath me. Harry easily scooped me into his arms and cradled me against his chest.

“Thank you,” I murmured. Harry slid both of us into the backseat and held me on the bumpy car ride home. I heard him tell Lucy to go to our apartment first, so he could help me in. I was drifting in and out of consciousness during the ride.

I remember the car stopping and Harry pulling me into his arms again. I remember his scent—musky, manly, and yet somehow still sweet and minty. I remember Lucy opening the door to our apartment and leading Harry to my bedroom. The last thing I remember is Harry placing me onto my bed, and his big, warm hands, prying my smaller ones off of his shirt, because I just didn’t want to let go.

Chapter 13

Dinner with magical shoes

“Lucy!” I called as I entered our apartment. “Lucy, you home?”

“Yeah,” she called, coming out of her bedroom, a dress in her hands.

“You are a lifesaver,” I gasped, freezing in my tracks. “How did you know?”

“When it comes to fashion Nora, I just know,” she said mysteriously. “Go shower. I’ll blow dry your hair and then we can put some hot curlers in it and that’ll help the curls stay in longer. Now I’ve got a pair of silver flats that’ll definitely spice up the dress, but I’m thinking black heels will match better…” Lucy was mostly muttering to herself know, tapping her finger against her lip and pacing. She froze when she realized I was still standing there.

“Go! Shower, now!” Lucy commanded and I didn’t dare disobey. I half ran into the bathroom, putting the hot water on full blast and tearing off my clothes, just leaving them in a pile on the floor. I didn’t have too much time to shower, reservations were at six thirty and it was already a little past five thirty, plus it would take at least fifteen minutes to get there.

I washed quickly, shampooing and conditioning my hair at top speed. I was out of the shower in five minutes flat. Lucy was digging through her closet as I pulled on my robe and began to blow dry my hair, setting it as high and hot as it could go. I was pulling a round brush through it, making it as dry as possible before setting down the hair dryer. I had about half an hour before I needed to leave.

“Put this dress on,” Lucy commanded, tossing a black dress at me. I quickly pulled it on and admired it in the mirror. It fell to just past my knees and had sleeves that just covered my shoulders. The top dipped low in the front, there was a strip of black fabric underneath the V-cut that helped separate the tight from the loose—after the strip the dress fell gently, flowingly, so if I spun it flared out around me. It was gorgeous.

“Lucy, I love you,” I said instantly, spinning in the mirror and admiring the dress from every angle. “You seriously are the perfect sister. I couldn’t live without you.” Lucy allowed herself a satisfied smile before shoving me down in her vanity chair and beginning to attack my hair with hot curlers. They weighed down my neck and made me look like an old woman.

“Okay, for make-up I’m going for very, very subtle, so that it’s like it’s not even there. You’re naturally beautiful Nora, and I only want to enhance, not cover. See, the neutral tones help make everything look smooth and even, but the browns and pinks bring out your eyes and make them sparkle. The clear lip gloss makes your lips seem fuller and shinier, therefore more appealing to men,” Lucy lectured as she brushed some light brown eye shadow and liner onto my eyes. “You won’t need any blush, since you have a natural blush, and your lips don’t need any color since they’re very pretty already. You’re a lucky girl Nora.” I nearly snorted at this—Lucy was the most beautiful girl I knew and she was calling me lucky.

“’Kay,” Lucy said, allowing me to open my eyes. She was right—the make-up only enhanced my features, it didn’t make me look like a Barbie doll or anything. Lucy began pulling out the curlers so my hair fell down my back in loose waves. She clipped my bangs back and twisted my hair into a sort of knot, letting it fall over my shoulder. I looked…beautiful.

“Lucy you can perform miracles,” I breathed, unable to believe the face in the mirror was actually me.

“I know,” Lucy said smugly, spraying hairspray on my hair. Lucy slid a pair of diamond studs into my ears and said I was good to go, handing me a small black Coach clutch.

“I need shoes,” I reminded her, staring down at my still bare feet.

“Nora I found shoes for you,” Lucy began in an important tone. “They are the legit perfect shoes for your outfit. They’re Jimmy Choo and black and they pull the whole look together. They’re one of my favorite pair. Take care of them.” Lucy presented the shoes to me and I felt rather like a child being handed a delicate antique.

The shoes were gorgeous; I had to give Lucy that. They were sandals, with two crossing pieces of cloth just by the toes and a thin strap around the ankle, simple, yet beautiful. They were perfect, she was right.

Except for the deadly looking heels attached.

“I can’t Lucy I’ll kill myself!” I gasped, staring down at the shoe. “This has to be like four inches! And it’s as thin as a pencil!” I had no clue how a heel that thin was supposed to support my body weight.

“It’s four and a quarter actually and they pull the look together Nora! Look, you have to go now; we have no time to find you another pair. Just wear them!” she commanded. I bit my lip, but obediently slid them onto my feet. I teetered dangerously, holding my arms out for balance.

“Why am I such a masochist?” I asked rhetorically, thinking of sprained ankles and cracked skulls.

“Nora you’ll be fine. These heels make you look sexy and dangerous. Now go!” She handed me the keys to the car and half pushed me out of the door. I stumbled in the doorway, just managing to catch myself on the doorknob. “Oh and Nora?” Lucy called as I began my slow walk down the hall.

“Yes Lucy?”

“If you break my shoes, I’ll kill you,” she said cheerfully, slamming the door behind me.

And the scary part was, I don’t think she was kidding.

*

“Hello, Miss, do you have a reservation?” the hostess asked as I entered the restaurant at an oh-so-slow pace. I was trying to do minimal damage with these heels—they could be considered lethal weapons.

“Well, I’m meeting some people here. It would be under Mary Blake,” I answered and the woman flicked through the pad of paper in front of her and smiled.

“Right this way,” she said, grabbing a menu and leading the way to the table. I had to hurry to keep up, and I nearly took out a few people on the way. I looked around and was glad to see I wasn’t overdressed at all. I felt a little nervous as I made my way to the table, so I reached up to play with my locket—a sort of nervous habit—when I realized that I had left it on the bathroom counter when I took it off to shower. The thought made me frown. I was so used to wearing that necklace everywhere—I didn’t feel whole without it.

“Nora, glad you could make it!” I looked up to see I was right on time. Mary and Mark were already seated, as was Niall, but Harry and Tanya hadn’t arrived yet. Both Mark and Niall were wearing black dress pants, although Mark was wearing a white button up shirt and Alex was wearing a maroon one. Mary was wearing a pretty, but simple, gray dress that fell to her knees and had a round scoop neck that and short sleeves. It had a small gray, almost bow at the top, and her hair was done in an elegant bun. She looked very pretty.

“Of course,” I said, sitting down next to Niall, who looked relieved that I had arrived. I knew it must’ve been awkward with just him, his professor and her husband.

“You look nice,” Niall noted and I blushed lightly, thanking him.

“You must be Mark,” I said, holding out my hand. “I’m Nora; it’s great to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Mark said politely. He was a bit shorter than Mary, but I could see the love for her in his eyes. He was cute in a geeky, Seth Cohen kind of way, and seemed like a nice enough guy. I was happy Mary had found someone so kind. She deserved it.

We chatted idly for a few minutes, mostly Mary and I explained to Mark and Niall how we had known each other. Niall seemed especially interested in our life at the orphanage, but I didn’t go into much detail. Mark had heard it all from Mary before, and he didn’t ask many questions, so it wasn’t uncomfortable to talk about.

Tanya and Harry arrived a quarter till seven.

“I’m so sorry we’re late,” Harry said as he led Tanya by the hand to our table. Tanya was in a dress that seemed a bit too short to be appropriate, but that suited her well. It was an emerald green color, a halter dress that fell to almost her knees. There was a silver strap under her bust and it flowed nicely, while showing off her cleavage. Harry was wearing black dress pants and a matching emerald green shirt—they matched perfectly, so perfectly, I knew Tanya had probably picked out his shirt and giggled at the thought. The color looked much better on Harry though. It made his eyes sparkle and shine, making them the true green color they were.

“Harry Styles!” Mary exclaimed, standing up. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. She didn’t hesitate to toss her arms around him and hug him tightly. “You’ve grown up so much!”

“I could say the same for you,” Harry said, pulling out of the hug and smiling at her. “You look lovely.” I saw Tanya nudge him in the back with her finger in a move that was clearly not meant to be seen. “This is my fiancée Tanya.”

“A pleasure,” Tanya said, smiling as she took Mary’s hand. Mary smiled back, and looked rather amused, and I could tell she was just noticing the color coordination.

“For me as well,” Mary said. “This is my husband Mark.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mark said, shaking Harry and Tanya’s hands. Tanya and Harry both sat down and Harry’s eyes traveled to me, a smile on his face. I grinned back. Then his eyes found Niall and he blinked in confusion, his smile faltering.

“Oh! Sorry. Tanya, Harry, this is Niall, Niall this is Tanya and Harry,” I said, introducing them quickly.

“Nice to meet you both,” Niall said, shaking Tanya’s hand, then Harry’s.

“You too,” Harry said, and I noticed his arm flex slightly as he shook Niall’s hand. Niall pulled his hand away after a moment and I saw him stretching his fingers under the table, like Harry had squeezed them or something. There was a short, awkward silence that was saved by the waitress appearing at our table.

“Hello, my name is Michelle and I’ll be you waitress tonight,” she began, a smile plastered on her face. I noticed her eyeing the men at the table appreciatively. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“Since it’s a special occasion, why don’t you bring out a bottle of your finest red wine? On me,” Harry said, smiling politely at her. The waitress melted.

“Sure,” she breathed, jotting it done on her paper. “Anything else?”

“Can I just have a water?” Mary asked. The waitress nodded.

“Okay, I’ll bring your drinks right out,” she said, watching Harry as she backed away. She nearly took out a busboy that was clearing the table next to us.

“You don’t like wine Mary? I could’ve ordered something else,” Harry said apologetically.

“Oh, no thank you, I’m not really up for drinking right now,” she said with a smile.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Positive.” Mary’s answer was firm and decided, so Harry didn’t press it, although he looked a little confused. The waitress came back later with a bottle of wine and six wine glasses balanced on a tray. She placed a glass in front of each of us and poured the wine. It looked delicious. Mary accepted the cup, but pushed it over to Mark as another waitress came over with a jug, filling each of the glasses that were already laid out with water so everyone had a cup of water and of wine.

“I didn’t know you were bringing a date, Nora,” Harry said after a moment. He took a sip of his drink and I saw him eyeing Niall over the rim of the glass. Niall looked a little nervous, and I saw him wringing his hands under the table.

“I didn’t mention Niall?” I said, trying to think back to the phone call with Harry earlier.

“No, you didn’t,” Harry answered. He placed his glass on the table and his eyes narrowed infinitesimally. “How do you two know each other?”

“We’re in the same child development class,” Niall answered bravely.

“Hmm…so you want to be a teacher then?” Harry replied. Everyone’s heads were flickering back and forth, like we were watching a tennis match. Mary looked amused, Tanya looked annoyed and Mark looked confused.

“I’m not sure yet. I think so.” Niall nodded noncommittally.

“What subject?” he asked casually.

“Well I’d like to teach an automotive class, like an elective or at a technical school or something,” Niall said confidently.

“So you’re good with cars then?”

“Yeah. I’ve been working on cars since I was fourteen. I rebuilt a Volkswagen when I was sixteen.” I bit back a giggle when I realized Niall was bragging.

“Interesting,” Harry said, nodding slightly. I stared at Harry incredulously. What the hell was he doing? “My sister-in-law is wonderful with cars. But she mostly works with foreign and exotic cars.” I rolled my eyes at Harry’s attempted one-up. And I was also sort of stunned that Chloe was good with cars. Unless he had another sister-in-law I didn’t know about. Or he was making it up.

“Yeah, exotic cars can be nice but I’d get more business with the more typical cars, you know more people own those, not the fancy stuff,” Niall said defensively.

“Hmm. That’s nice,” Harry said, sounding almost condescending. My jaw dropped at his tone. Niall flushed lightly and I glared at Harry, feeling suddenly defensive of Niall. Mary was biting her lip to keep from laughing and Mark looked bewildered by their behavior. Tanya still looked annoyed.

“Hey Harry,” I said in a sickly sweet voice. He turned to me, his expression guilty.

“Yes Nora?” he said innocently.

“Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?” I asked, giving him a warning look, just daring him to say no.

“Um, sure,” he agreed nervously. “Be right back.” He squeezed Tanya’s hand once before standing up. I stood as well, following him to just outside of the restaurant. The moment we were both outside, I wheeled around to face him, hands on my hips and a scowl on my face, in the same stance I always stood in when disciplining children at the orphanage who had colored on the walls or weren’t sharing. Harry stuck his hands in his pockets and looked guiltily up at me from under his eyelashes. I tried not to be distracted by how completely beautiful he looked with his pleading eyes that stood out brightly due to his emerald shirt.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded angrily. Harry looked sheepish.

“I don’t know! I just…I wanted to make sure he’s good for you. You know, that he deserves you.” Harry shrugged and I could tell he was trying to play it off as not a big deal. I continued to glare at him.

“We’re just friends! I asked him to come with me tonight as friends!” I snapped and Harry looked surprised.

“Well…the way he looked at you was just very…I don’t know. In awe I suppose. Caring. Adoring. Something along those lines. And I just assumed that you two were together or something and I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t hurt you.” Abruptly, a playful smile spread across his lips. “I had to make sure he was good enough for my Nora.” I felt a small thrill when he called me his, but quickly brushed it off, remembering I was supposed to be mad at him.

“Just…chill with the big brother act okay?” I said, and Harry grinned, knowing I wasn’t angry anymore.

“Okay, okay. I won’t be rude anymore, promise.” He held up his pinky and I rolled my eyes, but hooked my pinky on it and we shook.

“Nice shirt by the way,” I said casually, fighting back laughter. “You and Tanya are totally cute being all matchy-matchy like that. Very manly.” I snorted into laughter at the end and he made a face.

“That’s why we were late. I refused to wear the shirt but we were going to be late and Tanya wouldn’t relent, so I just wore it. I feel very whipped.” He grimaced briefly and I giggled.

“Don’t worry, it looks better on you. It brings out your eyes,” I blurted without thinking. Harry smiled and he looked kind of pleased and flattered.

“Thanks. You look beautiful by the way,” he said, smiling. I smiled, flushing lightly and smiling. “And I won’t be a jerk to your ‘just friend’ anymore.” He wrapped his arms around me and I hugged him back, kissing his cheek. We made our way back to the restaurant, him keeping his arm around me. We teased each other lightly on the way back, me mostly about his matching shirt and him mostly about Niall and our “friendship.” He seemed certain we were something more.

“Sorry about that,” I said as we got back to the table. I slid into my chair next to Niall and Harry sat back down next to Tanya, who was half glaring at him.

“Can I take your orders now?” the waitress asked, and I realized she had probably been waiting for us.

“We already ordered, so it’s just you two,” said Mary, who was still smiling. Harry and I quickly ordered and the waitress left, looking annoyed.

“So Mary,” Harry said in a kind voice, raising his eyebrows at me to show me he was done interrogating Niall. “How did you get into teaching?”

“Oh I’ve always wanted to teach,” she answered with a smile. “At first I wanted to teach younger children, but when I was an aide in a classroom, I saw that half the teachers didn’t know what they were doing, so I decided I wanted to teach adults how to become better teachers, so a greater amount of kids than I could’ve taught would still get the same learning experience.”

“That’s amazing,” Harry said, beaming at his old friend.

“What about you? How’s the music career going for you?” she asked him.

“Great actually,” Harry answered, tossing a smug sideways glance towards Niall. I scowled at him and he smirked unapologetically. “The guys and I just finished recording the album and the release date is going to be pretty soon. It’s pretty sick.”

“That’s wonderful Harry,” Mary said enthusiastically. And I found myself grinning with…almost pride when I thought of Harry’s accomplishments.“What do you do Tanya?” Mary asked politely, turning to Tanya.

“Oh I’d like to be a nurse,” Tanya answered, smiling brightly in a way I could tell was fake.

“A pediatric nurse?” Mary asked curiously.

“Oh no, no,” Tanya said instantly with a light laugh. “A normal, adult nurse. Hopefully in a hospital in the ICU.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Mary said, sounding a little put off. I was a little confused too—the way Tanya had denied being a pediatric nurse sounded like…like it was ridiculous to work with children. I knew Mary had heard it too, but I don’t know if Harry did. The waitress came then with our food and everyone dug in. It was delicious and went well with the wine they had brought us. Everyone chattered happily throughout the meal, conversation flowing easily as we ate and drank. Mary was the only one who didn’t have any wine, choosing instead to sip her water.

The waitress made her way the table silently and laid the check on the table, smiling at us.

“I’ve got it,” Harry said instantly, reaching for the check. I had reached for it as well, and our hands bumped, causing a static like spark on my hand. I retracted my hand, and Harry did as well, both of us seeming a bit shocked (pun not intended.)

“I can pay,” I said quickly.

“No, I’ll pay,” Harry said, reaching for the check again. I snagged it before he could, pulling it onto my lap.

“I invited everyone to this dinner. I’ll pay,” I said firmly.

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you pay?”

“A gentleman who listens to what the woman wants.”

“But it would be rude to let you.” Everyone’s heads were flipping back and forth between Harry and I just like before. We were both leaning towards each other, almost unconsciously, ignoring everyone else at the table.

“But it’s what I want.”

“Nora,” he sighed.

“Harry,” I responded, matching his tone exactly.

“How about I pay?” Mary suggested, almost timidly.

“Of course not!” I said instantly.

“No,” Harry said, shaking his head. “I’m paying.”

“How about we split?” I suggested. Harry thought about it for a moment.

“How about I pay for the meal and you pay the tip?” Harry countered. I frowned, knowing I’d be paying much less than he would. But I figured it was probably the best deal I was going to get.

“Deal,” I finally gave in and Harry smirked triumphantly.

“Um, shouldn’t I pay for something?” Mary repeated and Harry and I quickly waved her off.

“I think I should chip in too,” Niall said, frowning as Harry pulled a wad of bills from his wallet.

“Not a chance. You’re my date, I’ll pay,” I said, nudging him playfully with my elbow. “I’ll go Dutch.”

“Fine,” Niall said, a playful smile on his face. “If I pay next time we go out.” I thought about it for a moment. I had fun with Niall and he was a nice boy, a sweet man.

“Okay,” I agreed, giggling lightly. Niall was watching me with flirty eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel flattered. Harry’s jaw was hard as he watched our exchange, his eyes narrowed. The waitress came back and Harry handed the money. She brought him back change quickly and I left a large tip on the table. All six of us stood, still chatting as we made our way outside, pausing at the parking lot.

“Well it was amazing to see you again Harry,” Mary said.

“You as well,” Harry said, reaching to give her a hug. Mary returned the hug, smiling widely.

“Nice to meet you Tanya,” she said, shaking Tanya’s hand. Tanya smiled warmly back, having become much friendlier due to the amount of wine she had consumed.

“You too,” Tanya said enthusiastically. Harry and Tanya both shook Mark’s hand as well before Mary came up to me and Niall.

“See you guys next week in class,” Mary said, giggling. “Bye Niall.”

“Bye Mary. Bye Mark.” Mary came up to me and I pulled her a few feet away, out of hearing distance of the rest of the group. They looked confused, but didn’t object. I gave Mary a stern look.

“Mary,” I began cautiously. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?” Mary turned pink again, her eyes going slightly wide, and stared down at her feet.

“No,” she said, but she didn’t even sound like she believed herself.

“Really? Nothing about not drinking tonight and the paper you were looking at before class?” I continued and Mary froze.

“You know, don’t you?,” she said softly, quietly.

“You’re pregnant,” I guessed. She nodded glumly. “What’s wrong with that? It’s a blessing.” I smiled at her, trying to get her to cheer up.

“I haven’t told Mark yet. I don’t know how he’ll react. We didn’t want children just yet, we’re both starting new jobs and I’m worried. I mean, I know they can’t fire me for having a baby, but it’s only my first year so I don’t have any seniority,” she said in a rush. “Mark and I only just got a home and we were planning on doing all sorts of improvements to it before moving in and we’ll have to do everything quickly and it’ll be so expensive! I guess I’m just worried about everything.” She bit her lip nervously and met my eye.

“Mary, I know this may not be perfect timing,” I said gently, soothingly, taking her fingers in mine and squeezing them lightly. “But a baby is a wonderful thing. How far along are you?”

“About two months,” she answered.

“So you’ll be due in June. The school year will be almost over and you’ll have the whole summer off to take care of the baby. You won’t have to miss much at all,” I said gently. Mary nodded.

“Your right. It’s a good thing,” she said, trying to convince herself as much as me. She smiled up at me after a moment. “Thanks Nora. I’m glad I have you now.”

“No problem Mary.” I gave her a quick hug and we walked back to the cars. Harry and Mark were chatting and Niall and Tanya were talking as well. They looked relieved when Mary and I came back. Mary and Mark left quickly, Mary driving away, promising to get together soon.

“It was wonderful to see her again,” Harry said as they drove off.

“It really is. I wonder how many other kids we’ll meet up with. It seems like we’re all migrating to Chicago,” I said teasingly and Harry laughing.

“Hey Nora,” Niall said, and I turned to face him. “I’d better get going. I do have classes tomorrow.”

“Oh,” I said, slightly disappointed. Niall was truly a great guy, a good friend. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you soon then.”

“You have my number,” he reminded me with a smile. “I’ll talk to you soon.” He leaned down and gave me a soft, lingering kiss on the cheek before getting into his car and taking off, waving as he left.

“Just friends?” Harry asked disbelievingly. “I don’t believe it.”

“You don’t have to,” I said crossing my arms over my chest defensively. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Bye Nora.” He leaned down and wrapped his arms around me, giving me almost as big of a hug as the first day we saw each other. I felt safe and warm in his arms. I kissed his cheek as he gently let me down, having lifted me slightly off my feet.

“Bye Harry,” I said breathlessly. “Bye Tanya.” She smiled briefly before turning and stumbling to Harry’s car. He rolled his eyes and followed, waving one last time. I waited until they were long gone to climb back into the Mercedes and make my way home.

*

“How’d it go?” Lucy asked as I walked inside, yawning.

“It was fun,” I said truthfully, thinking of Harry’s eyes and Niall’s flirting and Mary’s baby. “I had a great time.”

“It’s the shoes Nora,” Lucy said seriously. “They’re magical.” I just rolled my eyes at her.

“No shoes are magical Lucy,” I said, making my way into my bedroom for some much needed sleep.

“Shoes can change your life Nora!” Lucy called after me. “Just ask Cinderella!”

Chapter 12

The fifth wheel

I could hear my cell phone ringing from inside my bag as I hurried down the street, my hair whipping around in the Chicago winds. It was getting cooler as we entered October, autumn was quickly approaching and signs of it were everywhere. There were signs for pumpkins and apple picking and freshly baked pie everywhere as the autumn crops began to bloom. Halloween decorations were starting to crop up everywhere, giant bats, fake spider webs and jack-o-lanterns and ghosts.

I found myself outside of my child development class quicker than usual, probably because the chilly wind made me walk faster. There weren’t many students there yet, but Mary was sitting at her desk, reading a paper with a frown. I pulled out my cell phone, knowing I had missed a call earlier, and saw that it had been Harry. I decided to call him back after class.

“Hey,” I said to Mary, causing her to jump a bit and look up, quickly hiding the paper she was reading on her lap. She sighed in relief when she realized it was only me.

“Oh, hey Nora,” she replied.

“How are you?” I asked, sensing she seemed a little out of it.

“Could be better,” she said with another sigh. I waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t. There was a lull in the conversation and I quickly changed the subject when I realized she wasn’t going to say any more.

“You’ll never guess who I ran into last week,” I began excitedly. Mary looked up again from the paper in her lap, her eyes meeting mine.

“Who?” she asked curiously.

“Harry Styles,” I half squealed. Mary’s jaw dropped.

“That’s amazing Nora!” she gasped, jumping up to hug me. I quickly hugged her back, my smile so wide it almost hurt my face. “How did this happen? Where were you? When was this? Have you heard his music? Isn’t it crazy?” I giggled as the questions tumbled from her mouth at top speed. I quickly filled her in on how he walked by Starbucks and I recognized him and how we had been hanging out since then. Most of the class had filed in while I was talking, some of them trying to eavesdrop, others giving me dirty looks, like I was trying to suck up to the teacher.

“And even though we haven’t seen each other in so long, it’s like everything is picking up where we left off. We’re still best friends, we still talk about everything and hang out whenever we can,” I finished, a smile seeming stuck on my face. Mary let out an “aw!” and was smiling as well at the end of my story.

“That’s so romantic. A story to tell your children,” she said with a wink. I laughed, shaking my head.

“He’s engaged.” Mary’s jaw dropped again.

“No way!”

“Way.”

“Oh man.” She shook her head disbelievingly. “Well gosh. I always thought you two would end up together.” She shook her head again.

“I guess not,” I said with a shrug. My smile was gone.

“Well we’ll all have to catch up. I’d love to see him. How about dinner tonight? I can bring Mark, have Harry bring his fiancée and we’ll all catch up,” Mary said, still shaking her head slightly.

“And I’ll just be the spare tire?” I asked. Since there were already four wheels, I wouldn’t just be the fifth wheel, I’d be the spare.

“Just ask someone to go with you,” Mary suggested simply. “Now go sit down, I actually have to teach.” I smiled apologetically.

“Sorry for distracting you.” I turned and ignored the weird looks I got as I went to the open desk next to Niall, the boy I had met at the previous class.

“What was that all about?” he asked as I sat down.

“We’re childhood friends that just got reunited,” I said, giving him the simplified version. “We were just talking.” Niall raised his eyebrows.

“Well that’s lucky. Maybe you can use your connections to get me a good grade on my childhood essay,” he suggested jokingly, bumped his shoulder against mine in a playful way. I giggled lightly.

“I don’t know, what’s in it for me?” I teased.

“The pleasure of knowing you helped out a friend?” Niall suggested. I snorted, rolling my eyes and he laughed.

“Okay class, we’re going to present out essays now,” Mary began loudly, gaining the attention of the class. “I don’t want you to read your full essay, but I want you to give us basically just a few of the key points and details, then pass it in to me. No late papers will be accepted. Let’s start with…Niall.”

“Good luck,” I sang as Niall stood up, clutching his stapled essay in his hands. He made his way to the front of the room and stood behind the small podium Mary had set up while we were talking. Niall looked slightly nervous and uncomfortable in front of a crowd. His eyes met with mine and I raised one eyebrow challengingly. He smirked back and looked down at his paper.

“To me, childhood is the beach near my house. I spent almost all of my time there as a child, and it holds almost all of my favorite memories. Childhood to me is fishing and riding in the boat, swimming in the water and seaweed and sand. Childhood is when my mom was always there to comfort me, and when I thought my dad was unbreakable and invincible. Childhood is my older brother teaching me to play his guitar that was twice my size. Basically, to me, childhood is memories, my mom, and the beach.” Everyone clapped politely as Niall finished and he handed his essay to Mary before coming to sit back down next to me.

“That was cute,” I said sincerely and he made a face.

“Nora, how would you like to go next?” Mary said.

“Good luck,” Niall said in a mocking voice and I stuck my tongue out at him, grabbing my essay and making my way to the front of the classroom. I could already feel my cheeks turning red—I always blushed in front of crowds. I cleared my throat, turning to look at the class.

“Um…childhood to me is when my parents were my best friends. When I thought my mom was the most beautiful woman on Earth, and my dad was the smartest. Childhood is when we believed the sky is the limit and nothing bad could ever happen. But mostly, to me, childhood is my best friend, the boy who helped me see that good things can happen even in the worst situations.” Mary clapped along with the rest of my class as I finished, my cheeks still a flaming red. I handed Mary my essay and she was beaming, the only person in the room who knew exactly who I was talking about.

“That would deserve an A even if you didn’t have the teacher to cheat for you,” Niall noted as I sat down. I made a face at him and he chuckled before turning back to the front of the room.

We listened to the other students talk about childhood, most of them mentioning simplicity and friendship and parents. It was actually pretty interesting, hearing all of the other point of views on childhood. There were some students who talked about their childhood longingly and you could tell they regretted growing up so quickly. Then there were others who talked about childhood with a sort of anger or disgust, and some who just seemed uncaring. I thought back to what Mary had said about there being three types of children, the kind that want to grow up, the kind that want to stay young, and the kind that enjoy the present. I could classify almost every one of the students who spoke into these categories based on their essays. Mary really knew what she was talking about.

“Okay class,” Mary said as the last student finished presenting her project. “Next week we’ll be talking about how autism can affect the child, and how to get past the disability to see the bright student underneath. I suggest a little research on the subject, just so you’ll be able to keep up. It’s not a requirement, but I definitely recommend it. Class dismissed.” There was a near deafening scrape of chairs and tables being pushed back as students began to file out. I lulled behind, packing up my bag, and Niall stayed with me.

“Hey Niall,” I said after a moment.

“Hey Nora,” He answered, matching my tone perfectly.

“Would you like to come to dinner with me tonight?” His eyebrows raised and I quickly added, “I mean as friends? Because I’m supposed to go out with Mary and her husband and my other friend Harry and his fiancée and I don’t want to be a spare tire.” Niall’s face fell slightly and I felt guilty—but I wasn’t really up for dating right now, even though Niall is sweet. I would rather spend my time with Harry and Lucy and at the orphanage. I didn’t want to have to devote my time to a boyfriend as well.

“Wouldn’t you be fifth wheel?” Niall asked curiously.

“Well, yeah, but how many vehicles do you know of that have five wheels? But a lot have four and then one spare tire. So that’s me,” I clarified. I never understood why everyone didn’t understand my term—I had to explain it to plenty of people in my life.

“How many do you know of that have six wheels?” Niall countered. I thought for a moment before smiling up at him.

“Touché,” I noted. We both laughed.

“Sure, I’ll come,” he answered.

“Good,” I said. “Can I have your number and I’ll call you with details?”

“Sure.” He took out a pen and scribbled his number on a scrap of paper. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

“I’ll call you when I get off work,” I promised him. “Bye!”

“Bye.” He waved once, giving me a wide grin, before leaving the room. I realized then that it was only Mary and I in the classroom, so I walked up to her desk and she smiled, her eyes flickering to the door Niall had just gone through and back to my face, a question in her eyes.

“I asked him to come to dinner with us. As friends,” I said hastily, noticing the look on her face.

“Sure,” she said sarcastically. I made a face at her. She laughed. “Listen, I know this great little restaurant we can go to, and it’s close by.” She scribbled down the name and address of the restaurant and handed the paper to me. I stuck it with Niall’s phone number. “I’ll make reservations for six thirty for six. Is that okay?”

“That’s perfect. I get out of work at five so that gives me plenty of time to go home and get ready,” I said, smiling.

“Good. I’ll call Mark, you call Harry and Niall and I’ll see you tonight.”

“How dressy is it?” I asked—I didn’t want to show up at a nice restaurant in jeans, or vice versa.

“Kind of dressy. I’d say a nice dress and heels are appropriate.”

“Not heels for me,” I said quickly, realizing the death trap that would be. “But I’ll dress nice. See you tonight.”

“Bye Nora.”I left the classroom just in time to see Mary pull out the same piece of paper from earlier today and frown at it again.

I called Harry back on my way to the orphanage. He answered on the second ring.

“Hey,” he answered enthusiastically, his voice was like velvet even over the slight static from the phone. “What’s up? I called you earlier.”

“I know, I was on my way to class though. I only have a few minutes now, but I wanted to invite you and Tanya out to dinner. Remember how I told you Mary was my professor?”

“Oh yeah! She was a sweet girl,” Harry said, a smile in his voice.

“Yeah, well, we’re going out to dinner with her and her husband. We can all catch up, it’ll be fun,” I said enthusiastically. I was excited to spend some time with Mary outside of the classroom. And, although I would never admit it to anyone, I wanted to see how Tanya and Harry acted in public together. So far I hadn’t really seen them together in a date like situation, or anywhere romantic. I wanted to see how they interacted…just for research purposes. To make sure they were good together and she was good enough for him. No other reason, of course.

“What time? And is it like casual or what?” he asked. I was getting closer to the orphanage now, so I knew I had to wrap up the conversation—I still hadn’t told Harry what I did, I had wanted to save it for a…I don’t know, a sort of special occasion I guess.

“It’s kind of dressy. Like a dress for a girl and probably dress pants and a nice shirt for you,” I said. I pulled out the little slip of paper as I walked, reading the name and address of the restaurant to Harry.

“Oh yeah, I know that place. Good food. Six thirty, right?”

“Right.”

“Do you need a ride?”

“I don’t think so,” I answered, cocking my head to the side as I thought. I was sure I could use the Mercedes and if not, hopefully Niall could drive. And if not I could get a taxi. The orphanage was in my sight now, only a few buildings away. “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight okay?”

“Alright Nora. Bye.”

“Bye.” I hung up quickly and made my way inside the orphanage, greeting Rose and Garrett as I made my way into the familiar playroom. The kids all let out ecstatic cries of “Miss Nora!” and I was bombarded by arms and legs. I got the same reception every time I came, even though I came every day after classes.

“Hey guys. How was your day so far?” I asked. Everyone instantly began shouting out answers and I laughed. “Okay, how about we all sit on the rug and get in a circle and we can all talk about what we did today,” I suggested and the kids busied themselves trying to form a perfect circle on the colorful rug on the floor. As I watched, I felt a tiny tug on my pant leg and looked down to see Dani, two fingers in her mouth, the other hand holding onto my pants. Her lavender eyes were wide and innocent, and her hair fell in cute little ringlets, all of them dangling as she craned her neck to look up at me. When she was sure she had my attention, she dropped my pant leg and lifted her arm up, reaching towards me, stretching her fingertips as far as they could go.

“Hey Dani,” I said softly as I leaned down to pick her up, knowing what she wanted. She cuddled into my side instantly, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Hi Miss Nora,” she said adorably.

“How was your day?” I asked her gently.

“I missed you,” she answered, ignoring my question. I sighed, willing myself not to cry. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get Dani out of my head. I was so attached to her, even though I knew chances were she would get adopted soon. She was young, cute, very loving—the prime pick for most parents looking to adopt. And she loved me. Every day she came up to me and hugged me and had me hold her for the whole time I was there. Usually I didn’t play favorites—but I was falling in love with the sweet child, almost like she was my own, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

I sighed and sat down, holding Dani on my lap. She curled up against my chest and rested her head on me, reaching to put two fingers back into her mouth, keeping her eyes wide open. All of the children were chattering away, all of them seeming to have forgotten the whole reason we had got into a circle in the first place.

“Miss Nora?” one boy, Jeffery said, raising his hand.

“You don’t need to raise your hand to talk Jeff. Go ahead,” I said kindly. He was about five, and only just started kindergarten this year at the local elementary school.

“Will you read us a story?” he asked, picking up a book off his lap and holding it out to me.

“Sure,” I answered, taking it from his hands. It was “When You Give a Mouse a Cookie”. I smiled at the choice—it had been one of my favorite as a child.

“Anyone who wants to stay and hear the story can stay on the rug with me, and anyone who doesn’t can go play quietly,” I said, turning back to the group. None of the children moved. I beamed.

“Okay, here we go,” I said excitedly and many of the kids sat up straighter and leaned towards me, eager smile on their faces. Even Dani lifted her head from my chest to look at the pictures as I held her on my lap.

“‘If you give a mouse a cookie’,” I began, barely needing to look at the page, I knew it so well already. “‘He’s going to ask for a glass of…’” I trailed off, raising my eyebrows to the children. They quickly caught on.

“Milk!” they shouted out, giggling excitedly.

“Right! ‘When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a…’”

“Straw!” they shouted again, their voices filled with excitement.

The story continued like that, the children shouting out the words I left blank. I read about the milk moustache, the nail scissors and the broom, the nap and the storybook and pictures. The children got so excited as they continued calling out words. Even Dani sat up and yelled out the words with everyone else. She could see the book, but she didn’t know how to read yet, so she would mostly just wait until someone else shouted the word before yelling it out. It was pretty adorable.

“‘He’ll hang up his drawing and stand back to look at it. Looking at the refrigerator will remind him that he’s thirsty so…he’ll ask for a glass of…’”

“Milk!” I laughed along with the children, loving their enthusiasm.

“‘And chances are if he asks for a glass of milk he’ll want a…”

“Cookie to go with it!” they finished and I laughed, congratulating them.

“You guys are excellent readers,” I said enthusiastically and they all began babbling away again.

“Can we make pictures Miss Nora? Like the mouse did in the story?” one little boy asked eagerly and everyone cheered their approval.

“Sure! And we can hang them all up with some scotch tape too,” I said and everyone cheered and laughed. Even Dani was giggling happily in my lap. I handed out paper and crayons and markers and all of the children set to work, much quieter now that they were concentrating. Dani even ventured off of my lap; although she made sure I sat right next to her at the table as I drew my own picture. I was mostly just doodling, although for good measure I drew a picture of a mouse and a cookie so I could actually show the kids something.

“Look Miss Nora I drew you!” I looked to my left and saw a little girl holding a picture of what looked like a potato. I gave a gasp, all the while thinking it looked nothing like me and I hope to God I don’t look like a potato.

“It’s beautiful. I love it,” I said and she smiled, seeming pleased with herself. I felt a tug on my pants again and I turned to face Dani, who had her fingers in her mouth again and was pushing her picture towards me.

I nearly cried when I looked at it. It was a picture of me and her, that much was clear. We were both stick figures, drawn clumsily in crayon. I was much bigger, and my hair was brown and I had blue dots for eyes. Then there was the small stick figure next to me with yellow hair and blue eyes. Their arms were attached and there was a big, messy heart drawn where their hands met.

“It’s us,” Dani said softly after a moment.

“I love it sweetie,” I said thickly. “Can I keep it?” I looked up at her and she was nodding, fingers still in her mouth. I smiled weakly and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly against my body. She hugged me back and buried her head in the crook of my neck, her blond hair smelling like strawberries, almost the exact same scent I used in my hair. I giggled lightly against her and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“Okay kids, supper time!” Rose called, coming into the room. I placed Dani on her feet and she gave me a pleading look.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I promised her. She sighed, but wrapped her arms around my neck again and placed a wet kiss on my cheek before walking out of the room with the other children. I glanced at my watch and realized it was already quarter past five. I really needed to get going if I was going to make it to the restaurant on time, plus I still had to call Niall.

“Bye Rose, see you tomorrow!” I called as I hurried from the room.

“Bye Nora!” I pulled out my cell phone as I began the ten minute walk home, dialing Niall’s number.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Hey, it’s Nora.”

“Oh hey! I was beginning to think you forgot me,” he said, and I could tell he was smiling.

“Of course not. I was just working.” I gave him the name and the address of the restaurant and told him to meet us at six thirty before hanging up.

I glanced at my watch. It was nearing five thirty. I still had to shower, get dressed, do my hair, everything. It was a good thing I had Lucy.

Chapter 10

Harry and Tanya Styles

I stared in shock. A wedding dress. A wedding dress. They were getting married!

“Tanya you look beautiful,” Harry said, jumping off of the bed. He ran up to her and took her in his arms, kissing her lips as she giggled giddily. I looked away, feeling my cheeks flush. I felt like I was intruding. But I still couldn’t get over it—marriage! Harry was only 23! That’s way too young for marriage! How could he already know the person he was going to spend his life with?

“Aren’t you not supposed to show me till the day of?” Harry asked after a moment. I looked up again, noticing Tanya looked a bit dazed. But at least they weren’t making out.

“Well I came over to show Chloe and she told me you were up here so I just had to come show you. It’s so beautiful, much better then I expected,” Tanya gushed. I could tell they had both pretty much forgotten I was there. I wanted to figure out a way to sneak from the room without them noticing.

“Still, though. Isn’t it bad luck?” Harry asked again. I could tell he was pleased to see it, and definitely loved it, but he was still a bit suspicious.

“I love you and you love me. That’s nothing a little bad luck is going to change,” Tanya said, brushing it off. “Plus, you were there when I picked it out, so you’d already seen it, just without the alterations.” She giggled and leaned forward to kiss Harry quickly. I started to stand up, trying to leave the happy couple to themselves. But Tanya came up to me then, smiling. I smiled back tentatively, still in shock. Marriage!

“Nora, I’m sorry I was rude to you earlier. I didn’t exactly know who you were and I thought you were an ex girlfriend or something and I was kind of jealous. Sorry,” she apologized, seeming sincere. Her apologetic smile was more of a grimace, but I could tell it wasn’t aimed towards me. “A beautiful woman throws herself at your fiancée, you’re bound to get a little jealous,” she said reasonably, although I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic by calling me beautiful.

“It’s okay,” I said breathlessly. She was making it very hard to hate her when she was being so polite. She spun around in her dress, squealing excitedly, examining herself in the full length mirror that hung on the closet door. She made several different faces in the mirror, twirling to examine every inch of the beautiful gown.

And she was right—her dress was beautiful. It was a gown of the purest white, with, tank top straps and hugged her body until her hips, where it went into a beautiful, puffed out gown style bottom. There was an intricate beading design leading from the chest until halfway down the puffed out skirt part. Tanya looked like some sort of fairy tale princess in her gown. Harry was beaming, watching her every movement.

“Nora, you’ll come to the wedding right?” Harry asked eagerly, seeming to remember my presence.

“S-sure,” I stuttered. Marriage! I couldn’t get over it. Marriage seemed so much more…real then just dating. It made Harry seem that much more unattainable. Not that I thought of him in that way…but I wouldn’t exactly push him away if he tried to kiss me. But he wouldn’t.

“I think I’m going to wear my mother’s diamond stud earrings as my something borrowed,” Tanya said as she played with her hair, trying to figure out different hairstyles she would like. “And I’d like a long veil with a sort of tiara, you know?”

“Whatever you want, you can have,” Harry said quickly, instantly. He was beaming up at his girl—fiancée, his face full of love. I just shook my head. Apparently, they were planning a platinum wedding. This would be interesting to see. I could probably bring Lucy with me as my plus one.

But I couldn’t help feeling a teeny, tiny twinge of jealousy at the thought of Tanya marrying Harry. Just a crush, I reminded myself instantly. Maybe I was more jealous of the fact that he had already found true love and I hadn’t. Sure. Let’s go with that.

“Chloe is going to help me pick out flowers tomorrow,” Tanya continued. She had fashioned her hair into a sort of elegant twist, but it was messy, a few blond, curly strands falling out. Somehow that made it look even better. “I was thinking roses, or maybe lilacs. Or lilies. I’m not sure yet, I’ll have to check what goes best with the bridesmaid dresses…” She was mostly talking to herself now and Harry sank onto the bed next to me, smiling still.

“When’s the wedding?” I asked as Tanya pulled her hair down again, fixing it into an elegant twist.

“New Year’s Eve at midnight,” he answered promptly, like he had been reciting the date in his head before I asked.

“Wow,” I breathed. That was only a few months away. And who has New Year’s Eve weddings? Honestly, they’re so tacky. Okay, put away the claws Nora…

“I know isn’t it crazy?” Harry asked, but his voice was more eager then the kind of crazy I thought accurately described his wedding.

“You’re so young,” I said softly, half of me not wanting him to hear.

“But I love her,” he said simply and I looked down at my lap, playing with my fingers. I have no claim, I reminded myself. No claim. He’s not mine and he clearly never will be. Especially if he’s getting married in a few months. Get over it. “I always knew that the moment I found the right girl I would marry her, as soon as I could. I think Tanya is that girl.” He smiled up at his soon-to-be wife who was playing with the beading on her dress, turning beads this way and that, still smiling.

“When did you pop the question?” I asked curiously.

“At the end of last year. After graduation. It just sort of happened and Tanya really wanted a New Year’s wedding, and we didn’t want to wait a year and a half so we decided this New Year,” he said, smiling happily. I just stared at him. I couldn’t imagine being married at his age—only a year older then I was now! It was all so crazy.

“Wow,” I repeated, shaking my head. Tanya had stopped talking, realizing no one was listening to her, and went back to admiring her dress in the mirror instead, her face glowing with happiness. I sat next to Harry on the bed, still in shock. The thought of getting married at his age was so foreign to me. Sure, it wasn’t that young. A lot of people got married at his age. But it was Harry—my Harry, the little boy I remembered from my childhood. I just couldn’t picture him getting married.

“I’d better go change back into my normal clothes,” Tanya said after a moment. I jumped, pulling myself out of my thoughts and turning back to her. She didn’t seem to mind the closeness between Harry and me. “I don’t want to get it dirty or anything.” She kissed Harry’s lips quickly before half skipping from the room.

“You will come to the wedding, right Nora?” Harry asked again after a moment. “I’d love for you to be there. You can even bring Lucy and you can both bring dates if you’d like, of course.” His voice was quick and persuasive, like he only thought I was saying yes before out of politeness.

“I’ll definitely come,” I said quickly. “I promise. Is there a…a theme or anything?”

“No it’s just a typical New Years wedding,” Harry said half jokingly. “Lots of people wear silver and gold for some reason. Dark colors, you know.” I could tell he didn’t really know what he was talking about, but I assumed Tanya or someone had told him.

“I’ll need to get a dress,” I said after a moment. “Lucy can help me there. She’s very fashion forward.”

“Really?” Harry asked, sounding interested. “Chloe is too. She wants to be a fashion designer. After becoming a mother that is.”

“Chloe wants to become a mom?” I asked, surprise and shock clear in my voice. I couldn’t picture Chloe, the ice queen, snooty woman I had met downstairs taking care of a helpless baby. Harry laughed knowingly.

“She doesn’t seem like it, but she’s a total softie,” he said, still chuckling. “She’s only rude to people her own age. She’s wonderful with children. Loves them.” I was still trying to picture Chloe with a baby, with her light brown hair and Louis’s eyes. Louis I could picture a father, but his wife just didn’t seem to fit the part.

“I find that really hard to believe,” I confessed after a moment. Harry smiled and took my hand in his again. His hand was warm, soft, comforting. It made me smile.

“I find it really hard to believe that we’re together again. But here we are. Sometimes, it’s not so important that we believe. Just that it’s happening is enough.”

After talking for a little while longer, Harry insisted on coming over to meet Lucy. Neither of us wanted to leave each other’s company, not yet at least. I could tell that he, like me, thought that if we left each other, we may never see each other again. It was irrational of course, now that we lived so close together. But after so many years of being apart, being together was going to take some getting used to.

Harry whistled longingly as he examined Lucy’s Mercedes as he ran his fingers lightly along the glossy paint.

Lucy was the car buff, not me. As long as my car could go, I was pretty much okay with it. Lucy was the one who liked the fast, pretty cars. “Don’t drool on it,” I added teasingly and he made a face at me, sliding into the passenger seat, running his hands over the smooth leather interior.

“This is a nice car,” he said wistfully.

“It’s Lucy’s. We share it during the school year, but it’s really hers.”

“She’s lucky.” I spun the car around, not wanting to drive in reverse through the long drive, and began speeding back towards the street. Harry’s eyes glanced to the radio, the steering wheel, all the buttons and knobs that had no use as far as I knew.

“You can touch whatever you want, just don’t crash us,” I said, noticing his stare. He chuckled, slightly embarrassed, but instantly turned on the radio, flicking through stations as he chattered about XM verse FM and the quality of the speakers. He finally settled on one of the preset stations and a Taylor Swift song came on. I turned it up excitedly, since it was one of my favorites, singing along.

It was only when I heard Harry’s laughter that I remembered he was in the car. I instantly turned the volume down to almost silence, my face flaming red. “I like that song,” I mumbled.

“I could tell,” he teased and I childishly stuck my tongue out at him. “I didn’t mind. Your voice isn’t half bad.” He turned the music back up to a reasonable level, and my blush didn’t fade until we reached my apartment.

“Lucy?” I called as I unlocked the door. Harry followed eagerly behind me, eyes sweeping my apartment.

“In here,” Lucy chirped from the living room.

“This place is awesome,” Harry said, glancing at the appliances in the kitchen. I rolled my eyes—typical male.

“Thanks,” I answered with a smile. I took his hand in mine and pulled him into the living room, where Lucy was sitting in a cute, comfy Juicy sweat suit, a bowl of ice cream in her lap, watching Titanic.

“I love this movie!” I squealed, pulling Harry onto the couch as I sank next to Lucy. “Oh, Lucy, this is Harry, Harry my sister Lucy.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry said politely, reaching to shake her hand. Lucy took it, eying him appreciatively.

“You too. Nora’s told me so much about you,” Lucy said, her voice a bit far off, like she was only half paying attention. I could practically hear the gears buzzing in her mind; I just didn’t know what she was plotting. I shot her a look and she winked at me—not a good sign.

“Nora’s told me a lot about you too,” Harry said. “How’s the whole sex god model thing going?” I snorted a laugh as Lucy blushed about three shades of red.

“Nora,” she whined. “That’s sister talk. You can’t share it with your new boyfriend.” She smirked at the end, knowing she had officially gotten me back. Harry chuckled a bit awkwardly.

“I love this movie,” he said after a moment. I raised my eyebrows. “I know it’s sappy but the characters have a real chemistry and you can feel the love between Jack and Rose.” Lucy and I shared a stunned look.

“Harry…are you gay?” I asked slowly, only half sarcastic. Lucy burst into laughter and Harry scowled.

“Obviously not. I’m just saying.” He blushed light pink and I giggled apologetically.

“Sorry, sorry. I know you’re straight, you’re getting married after all.” Lucy choked on a piece of ice cream (how she chokes on something that melts in your mouth is beyond me) and tossed a horrified look between the two of us.

“You’re getting married?!” she shrieked.

“Um…yes…” Harry said tentatively, looking a bit afraid.

“No, no, no! This ruins everything,” she grumbled, tossing her hands in the air. “Finish my ice cream Nora. I’ve got work to do.”

She walked away grumbling about complications and changed plans.

“Your sister is kind of crazy,” Harry said after a moment.

“Yeah…” I stared at the door she had just slammed behind her, knowing I’d have to put a stop to whatever she was planning concerning Harry and me. “But that’s just Lucy.”

Chapter 9

Meeting the parents

Harry led me inside the house and the first thing I noticed was that it was very open and warm. The wide windows were opened, letting a gentle breeze in, the walls were painted warm, inviting colors and the furniture looked comfortable and stylish. There were pictures all over the place, most of them including Harry and a boy I didn’t recognize. I noticed the pictures of the other boy started when he was a baby, until he looked to be around Harry’s age, maybe a bit older. Harry’s pictures started at about eleven or twelve, and went until now, so I figured the other boy must be their birth child.

“Your house is gorgeous,” I told Harry truthfully as he led me into the living room, still keeping his hand in mine. The living room had a soft looking blue couch and a black baby grand piano in the corner, along with a huge fir place against the wall. I could tell Harry and his family were very well off, and I was glad for that. I had always wanted him to have the best of everything—he deserved nothing less.

“You must be Nora,” said a kind, gentle, female voice. I looked around, trying to find the source. “Welcome.” I then noticed the couple standing in the corner and butterflies ran rampant in my stomach. This was the couple that had raised my Harry for so long, the couple I had often wondered about. I was finally meeting them in the flesh, seeing the people who raised him for most of his life.

“Nora, this is my mother, Emily, and my father, Noah,” Harry said. The woman had dark brown hair and brown eyes, and the man was gorgeous with blond hair and hazel eyes. They were wearing identical smiles, their fingers intertwined, their dark colored clothes matching the walls and furniture.

“Hello,” I said politely, reaching to shake their hands.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Noah said kindly.

“You as well. Both of you,” I said sincerely, making sure they understood. I had always wished and prayed for Harry to get adopted by a nice couple, a good family. And he had. And I couldn’t be more grateful. Emily smiled knowingly.

“Well it’s good to put a face to the name. Harry’s told us so much about you over the years. Although you’re much more beautiful then I could’ve expected,” she said, and her voice was completely honest. I blushed lightly, ducking my head down a bit.

“Nora!” I turned around only to be scooped up into strong, unfamiliar arms. I let out a little squeal of surprise as the person chuckled and let me slide back onto my feet. I stared up at the man and realized he was Harry’s adopted brother, the one from the pictures.

“Nora this is my brother Louis, Louis this is Nora,” Harry said, chuckling at his brother’s enthusiasm.

“Well it’s good to know you actually exist Nora. I was beginning to think you were Harry’s imaginary friend or something.” Louis offered a huge smile and and gave me a playful side hug. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, returning his smile. I slid back over to Harry and took his hand in mine, squeezing it nervously. He squeezed my hand back reassuringly. I didn’t find it weird or strange that I was holding Harry’s hand. It felt normal, nice.

“Chloe, you made it!” Louis boomed suddenly, looking over my shoulder back towards the doorway. I turned and saw the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen in my life. A hundred times more beautiful then even Tanya. Her hair was long and light brown, her eyes a sparkling blue, a body any model would kill for and a perfect face. Louis ran over to her and swept her into his arms.

“Newlyweds,” Harry whispered into my ear as an explanation. I shivered at the sensation of his breath on my ear.

“Of course I did. I had to meet the girl Harry’s always harping on about,” she said, giggling, her face slightly flushed. She looked over at me. Her eyes flickered down to our entwined hands and then back up to my face. Her diamond eyes narrowed to slits. I squeezed the life out of Harry’s hand, startled at the hostility of her stare. The woman was glaring at me and I was completely intimidated.

“Chloe this is Nora, Nora this is my sister-in-law, Chloe,” Harry introduced quickly, gesturing to her as he said her name.

“H-hi,” I said, my voice a bit shaky. I cleared my throat, trying to be discreet about it.

“Hi,” she replied, her voice flat. Louis looked a little startled at her tone and Harry just shook his head at her, like this was what he was expecting.

“Nora, would you like a tour of the house? Afterwards we can go to my room to talk, catch up,” Harry suggested in the awkward silence in the room.

“I’d love that,” I said gratefully. He began to lead me from the room when Chloe called his name. He stopped and turned towards her, somewhat reluctantly. I waited fearfully for the words that would slip from her perfect mouth.

“I think I’m going to give Tanya a call,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowed, her words thick with double meaning. “It seems we certainly have a lot to talk about.” I understood the threat in her words and Harry’s eyes narrowed as he registered it too, his mouth turning down into a frown. His fingers seemed to tighten automatically on mine, but it didn’t hurt.

“I just left Tanya actually. She knew I would want to catch up with Nora, and she thought it was fine,” Harry said and I realized he was telling her that he didn’t take it as much of a threat.

“Good to know,” Chloe said. She sent a glare in my direction. “I guess I’ll just go call her.”

“You do that,” Harry said condescendingly. I bit back a smile. I didn’t like this rude girl, or the way she treated Harry and I. Harry waited until Chloe was gone before turning back to me.

“Sorry about her,” he said, grimacing. “She’s very overprotecting of Tanya. They’ve been best friends since they were kids.”

“It’s okay, I can understand that,” I said quickly. Honestly, I didn’t know why this girl would hate me just for being friends with Harry. It’s not like I could compare to the model like beauty of Tanya anyways. She had nothing to worry about.

“Let’s go see the rest of the house,” Harry said happily. He led me upstairs, pointing out Louis’s old room, the study, Noah and Emily’s room, Noah’s office, Emily’s painting and designing studio. Their house seemed to go on forever, it was so huge. Finally, Harry led me up to the third floor, gesturing to the only door.

“My bedroom,” he announced, opening the door. I slid in behind him and Harry kicked it shut lazily, pulling his hand out of mine. He walked over to the bed and sat down, gesturing for me to join him. I was a bit nervous, but I kicked off my shoes and sat cross legged on the bed so we were facing each other, our knees almost touching, but not quite.

“Just like old times,” Harry said distractedly. He shook his head, a smile on his face. “Nora.” He seemed so pleased to be saying my name. He paused for a moment before taking a breath and launching into his questions. “How’ve you been? Did that couple adopt you?”

“They did,” I answered quickly. I launched into a description of Caroline and Jonathan Brandon, along with Lucy. Harry listened with rapt attention the entire time, as if everything I was saying was so entirely interesting. “What about you?” I asked after a minute. I was much more interested in his life then talking about mine. “When did Noah and Emily adopt you?”

“I was twelve when they did. I stayed at another orphanage in Chesire for a few months and Noah and Emily were on a vacation with Louis-they adopted him as an infant-when they saw the orphanage. Originally, Emily just wanted to make a donation—she loves kids.” His voice was so loving as he spoke of his adopted mother. “And I was sitting in the main room, reading. Emily came right up to me and started asking about my life here and I told her. You came up a few times.” He smiled, remembering. “She ended up adopting me that night and took me home to Chicago the next day.”

“So you’ve lived in Chicago since then?” I asked. I couldn’t believe how close we were for so long without actually making contact. Harry smiled. 

“Kind of,” He said, shifting awkwardly. “Do you keep up with the X Factor?”

I crinkled my eyebrows, biting my lip as I raked my brain. “That’s….that’s kind of like American Idol, right?”

“Yeah,” Harry grinned, looking down. “I auditioned with Louis on it a year ago and we kind of got put into a group with two other guys, Zayn and Liam.”

I blinked, tilting my head slightly. I’d only ever heard Harry sing at the orphanage and he was alright. I mean, we were only kids so who knows what puberty could have done to his voice. “Really? A group?”

“Have you ever heard of One Direction?”

I opened and closed my mouth and my eyes eventually fell onto his dark red comforter. “No,” I admitted softly.

“Well, maybe you’ve heard our single? What Makes You Beautiful?” His voice seeped with sympathy for my obviously embarrassing lack of knowledge. 

“Oh!” I gasped, my head snapping up. I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I heard that on the radio at Starbucks the other day! That’s so amazing, congratulations!” Suddenly everything began to fall into place. The giggling girls, the annoyed Tanya, his “day off.” 

Harry smiled again with pride, but his cheeks flushed red and he gently pulled his hand away. “Thanks, Nora. I’m really glad you’re proud of me.” 

“Of course I am,” I nudged him with my knee. “You deserve all of it. It’s so strange I haven’t heard or seen you until now though.” 

“At least we found each other,” he said. I looked up to meet his gaze and he was smiling peacefully. I smiled back. I realized that as we were talking, we had scooted closer together and our knees were touching, just barely.

“What about Tanya? How did you guys meet?” I asked after a moment. I didn’t really want to know much about her, but I was curious as to how they met and everything.

“We met at a party,” he answered, smiling. “We instantly hit it off. We started dating and she came to Chicago to be with me over the summer.”

“That’s sweet of her,” I noted. I wasn’t too happy about it, but at least she was willing to move for him. That had to mean something. Not that I cared or anything.

“Yeah. She’s a wonderful woman.” I could tell Harry loved Tanya by the way he spoke of her. I bit my lip and glanced down at my lap again, frowning. I’m not jealous…I’m simply…concerned for Harry’s well being. That’s all. “What about you? I’m sure you’ve got hundreds of men fighting for your attention,” he teased, playfully nudging me. I felt electricity zoom up my body at his touch, but quickly brushed it off.

“Not exactly,” I said with a slight snort thinking of my nearly nonexistent love life. A few hook ups in high school had been about it for my experience.

“Really?” Harry seemed genuinely surprised, his eyebrows rising. “You don’t have a boyfriend or anything?” I shook my head.

“Not too many guys notice me,” I admitted with a frown. I was sure Harry had women all over him—he was so gorgeous, I was sure any girl would swoon at the sight of him.

“I find that very hard to believe,” Harry said, squinting slightly as if trying to pick the truth from my mind. But I was telling the truth.

“Well you don’t have to believe me then. Boys don’t really notice me.” I shrugged. It was something that came along with the territory of being a plain Jane.

“Well then the boys you know must be blind,” he decided after a moment, and I blushed, feeling pleased.

“Guess who I saw earlier today?” I said after a moment, changing the subject off of me.

“Who?”

“Mary Mason. Remember her?” I was pretty sure Harry would, since he was at the orphanage longer then I was.

“Yeah! Yeah I do. She was a very nice girl. She got adopted by that preacher right?”

“Yeah,” I said excitedly, happy he remembered. “Now she’s my college professor. She’s married too, can you believe it?”

“Well, she’s not much older then me,” he reminded me. “I can understand why she wants to get married.” His eyes sparkled a bit as he said this, although I didn’t understand why. “What does she teach?”

“Child development. I’m not sure what I want to do yet, but I know it’ll involve kids,” I said. “I love children.”

“Me too,”Harry said eagerly. “I’ve always wanted to adopt, actually. After the way we grew up, I always wanted to know I saved a child from that kind of life. You know?”

“Yeah…I do,” I said softly, thinking of my job at the orphanage. I thought about telling Harry, but decided I’d have to show him sometime instead. It wasn’t something I could easily describe with words, but if he saw it, I knew he would understand instantly. “What do you do anyways? For work?”

“I’m a pediatrician,” he said, smiling. “Or, at least, I will be. I’m still interning. But, like you said, I love kids. I want to help make them better when they’re sick.”

“That’s really sweet,” I said, smiling up at him, my eyes watering slightly. I was glad Harry turned out to be such a great guy, even though he had a bad childhood. I couldn’t imagine anyone better then him, not anywhere in the whole world.

“What about you? What do you do?” he asked curiously.

“I’ll show you sometime,” I promised him. He raised his eyebrows questioningly, but didn’t say anything. A doorbell rang downstairs, but Harry didn’t move to answer it. I assumed Noah or Emily would answer it anyways.

There was a sound of voices downstairs, and then footsteps on the staircase. Who would be coming upstairs? Harry and I both remained silent as we listened, trying to figure out who was coming. I noticed Harry slide infinitesimally away from me, so our knees weren’t brushing anymore. The footsteps were dainty and then I realized who it was, just as the door popped open, her face peeking in.

“Tanya?” Harry said curiously. She had a wide smile on her face, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. Her strawberry blond hair fell in ringlets around her face and her cheeks were flushed slightly. She looked so happy. She didn’t even seem to mind the fact that we were alone in Harry’s bedroom, both of us sitting on the bed.

“Look Harry it came!” she squealed excitedly, pushing the door the rest of the way open.

Harry and I gasped simultaneously as we took in the gorgeous white wedding dress that hung on her body.

Chapter 8

Best Friends Forever

“Lucy! Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!” I shouted as I ran into the door, slamming it open with a bang. My grin was so big it was hurting my cheeks, but I didn’t care. I let out a squeal, which was so unlike me. I couldn’t help it. I was so excited, so happy! “Lucy get your butt over here!”

“Nora, what is up with you?” Lucy asked, looking bemused as she walked out of her bedroom. I ran at her with a shriek and ripped her into a hug. She laughed, hugging me back. “Why are you so happy?”

“Because!” I squealed. I pulled myself out of her arms and did a little twirl, laughing. “I just got reunited with my best, best, best friend from the orphanage! I haven’t seen him in years! I’m so excited!” My voice was so bubbly and excited; I could tell Lucy had never seen me like this before. She seemed so confused, but I could tell she was happy for me.

“Wow, Nora! That’s awesome!” she answered, hugging me again. I laughed exultantly, picking her up and spinning her around easily. “Shoot, he must be some guy.”

“He is! Or, at least, he was. He basically saved my life when I got there and he was so good to me and we were best friends. He gave me my necklace.” I pulled the locket out from under my shirt, letting it fall on top of my shirt.

“I always wondered about that,” Lucy mused, picking it up in her fingers delicately before letting it fall again. “I figured it was your parents or something.”

“No, you know I didn’t inherit anything until I turned eighteen. I’ve had this since I was ten,” I said, shaking my head. I did another little spin, dancing around the living room before falling onto the couch, laughing the whole time. Lucy danced over to me, cracking up, sinking much more daintily onto the couch next to me.

“So, is he cute?” she asked eagerly.

“No. He’s freaking gorgeous! Legit model worthy. But he has a girlfriend,” I said, shrugging. I mean, we’re just friends, even if he is totally gorgeous, not to mention I knew nothing about his life in the past twelve years. Lucy waved me off.

“She can be replaced. By you,” she sang. I laughed again, shaking my head.

“I don’t have a claim on him, he’s not mine. I’m just glad to have him back in my life. Don’t kill my buzz Lucy,” I growled teasingly and she laughed.

“So are you going to see him again?” she asked curiously. I gave her a warning look. “In a totally innocent, friendship kind of way?” she amended.

“Yes, but I don’t know when. He’s calling me tonight to make plans to get together,” I said excitedly, beaming.

“So what about the girlfriend? How’d you find out about her?” Lucy asked. She folded her legs underneath her, preparing to listen.

“She was with him. Totally gorgeous, of course, just like him. Tall, skinny, strawberry blond with icy blue eyes,” I explained, trying to think of words to describe the model-like woman Harry was with.

“What did she do when you guys were ‘reuniting’?” she said suggestively, making air quotes on the last word. I rolled my eyes at her.

“Well, he sort of ignored her when he realized who I was. And he hugged me and he sort of picked me up, I sort of started crying and we sort of had a little intense private conversation while she had no idea what was going on,” I explained sheepishly, biting my lip. It sounded much more…risqué when I put it that way. Lucy let out a little shriek and hit my shoulder playfully.

“Nora you little slut,” she said jokingly. “Good for you. I bet she hated that.”

“She did look pretty fuming. I sent him a text a few minutes later apologizing and he said it was worth it,” I said, a little pride leaking into my voice as I thought of the way he saw me.

“Oh my God you guys totally flirted! He definitely likes you. Even if he doesn’t know it yet. And we can get rid of the girlfriend pretty easily. Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving her hand nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes—he was probably just happy to see me again, the same way I was about him. “This is so exciting.”

“I know. I’m so happy. I never thought I’d see him again and now, here he is.” I sighed, shaking my head. It was all so unbelievable—like a cheesy chick flick or something. Only real. “So…how was your day? How did the photo shoot go?” Lucy gasped in a deep breath and placed a hand on her heart.

“Oh…my…God. Nora. We were photographing people for magazine sort of stuff. And I had to take most of them on this guy, he was freaking gorgeous! So hot. God, I was so distracted I could barely focus on my camera! You should’ve seen his muscles. The best muscles on any guy I’ve ever seen. And he had a total six pack. Nora, this is like, my dream guy.” She sighed wistfully, probably remembering the mental picture. “When I get the photos back, ones going over the mantel. With a little spotlight over it.”

“Did you talk to him?” I asked curiously. I mean, how was she supposed to start that conversation. “Nice bum where you from?” Not exactly the best conversation starter. I can only imagine how awkward that would be. The again, Lucy is much more outgoing then I am. Knowing her, she would say that.

“God no,” Lucy said instantly. “What would I say?” I was surprised. Lucy was usually so well put together, especially in front of guys.

“Just say something to him next time. Once your done. Tell him…I don’t know. He’s got a hot ass.” I snickered at the thought and Lucy tossed a throw pillow at me.

“I can’t just go up to him,” she half whispered, looking a bit scandalized. Her face was almost comical. “I mean…he’s so intimidating. So confident. What other guy would be secure enough to pose in front of a bunch of strangers? I can’t …do it.” She shook her head and I stared, not remembering a time when Lucy had ever been intimidated by a guy.

“Can it be true? Did the infamous Lucy Brandon actually meet her match?” I asked in a faux-scandal voice. She made a face at me.

“If he hadn’t been beautiful and perfect, I could’ve talked to him. But he was. So now it’s hopeless.” She pouted at her lap.

“Aw, Luc. It’ll work out,” I promised her. “And if it doesn’t, at least you’ll always have the pictures.” She punched my thigh playfully as I laughed, giving me a dead leg.

After a nice long chat with Lucy, I went into my room to get started on my childhood essay. I knew Harry would be a huge part of it, along with Lucy and my parents and adopted parents. And I knew Mary would be able to truly relate to my story, unlike most professors.

I had my cell phone on the desk next to me, the ringer on high so I’d be sure to hear it the moment he called. I sincerely, honestly tried to work on my essay. I really did. But I kept getting distracted, my eyes flickering over to my cell phone every two seconds, checking for missed calls or texts or anything. I saved the few sentences I wrote and shut down my laptop, knowing it was useless anyways. I grabbed a book to try and kill time, but, once again, I kept getting distracted.

I was about to go grab a snack when my cell phone rang. I grabbed it, answering it on the second ring. “Hello?” My voice was slightly breathless and much too eager, but I didn’t care.

“Hey Nora,” Harry’s musical voice answered. I felt giddy. “How are you?”

“I’m…good,” I finished lamely. I was much more then good. I was excellent, amazing, joyous. But I wasn’t going to tell him all that and sound like some sort of creeper. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” he answered, and I could hear the smile in his voice at our formal tone. “Sorry I didn’t call earlier. Tanya’s still slightly angry and was a bit…hesitant about leaving us alone. But I managed to convince her she was being ridiculous.” I smiled, not regretting hugging him, but regretting that I hugging him with his girlfriend right there. Now she’d constantly think he was cheating on her with me or something.

“It’s okay. I was reading and stuff.” For about the five minutes I wasn’t waiting for you to call. “And I’m sorry I got Tanya mad at you. I was a bit wrapped up in the moment and sort of forgot she was there.”

“Don’t worry, I did too,” he confessed quietly, chuckling. “I was too in shock at seeing you again. And I was the one who picked you up, so she can’t be angry with you.”

“But I also basically pounced you. And apparently caught you on your day off?” I turned the last part into a question, asking him to explain.

“How about we talk about all this later? I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to come over and meet my adopted family. They’re wonderful people and I’m sure they’d love you. Plus, they’ve heard enough about you that they’ll be just as excited as I am. Of course, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to come, I thought that maybe you’d like to see where I’ve been for the last twelve years and—” I quickly cut off his babbling, fighting back giggles at how nervous he was. How could he possibly think I wouldn’t want to meet his new family? After all, I had always hoped and dreamed he found someone nice to take him in. Now I would get to meet the people who did.

“I’d love to,” I answered, grinning broadly. I heard him sigh in relief. “When should I come over?”

“I can pick you up if you’d like,” he offered. I thought about it for a moment, but then decided that it would be better to drive myself, since I didn’t want to inconvenience him.

“No, thank you,” I said politely. “Just give me directions and I’ll find you,” I promised. I knew most of Chicago from the past three years of college, especially since I had often met with couples who were thinking about adopting. I was a pro at following directions.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Positive,” I said.

“Okay.” He listed off the directions to his house and I wrote them down on a spare piece of notebook paper.

“Okay,” I said, jotting down long, path at the end of my directions. “I should be there in about twenty minutes.”

“Good. I’m really looking forward to seeing you. I know it seems irrational, since we only knew each other for a few months, but…I really missed you. We were more then just childhood friends you know?” His voice was passionate and intense and I almost sang. I felt the exact same way. Somehow, even though we had known each other for such a short time, our lives became intertwined. There was a reason I had been assigned to room twelve all those years ago, there was a reason I lived with Harry and met him specifically. And there was a reason we were reunited, all these years later. Maybe we were meant to be best friends, always.

“I know. I feel the same way,” I assured him. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye Nora.” I hung up the phone and sighed wistfully. He was so perfect—why in the world did he have to have a girlfriend?

But it didn’t matter either way. I wasn’t in love with him, not at all. He was just familiar, a piece of my past, someone I had loved. That made me drawn to him. Not to mention he was incredibly good looking, so I clearly felt some lust. But it was nothing more then old feelings resurfacing, a small crush and physical attraction. I had no claim to Harry and I wasn’t about to break up a relationship with him and a girl he probably loves just so I could have him. It’s not right to do that to him.

“I’m off Lucy, and I’ll have the car for the night,” I sang, dancing out of my room, grabbing my bag. Lucy grinned, seemingly unbothered by the fact that I would be taking her precious Mercedes. It had arrived early this morning, courtesy of our parents.

“Going to see Harry?” she asked suggestively.

“No, actually, I’m going to meet up with the lovely model and tell him how much I appreciate his abs,” I retorted. I shut the door just in time to avoid the shoe she had tossed at me, and hear it hit the wall and fall to the floor. I laughed, shaking my head at my crazy sister before making my way downstairs to Lucy’s car. I loved the feeling of driving her car, feeling the road fly by underneath me as the car held steady. I couldn’t feel the speed in her car, so I tended to go a bit faster then I probably should.

I took the left that I thought went into his drive, it was exactly the way he described it to me. But after a few minutes of slow driving, I thought maybe I was lost. Sure he said it was long, but could it possibly be this long? It was more of a road then a drive. I prayed I wasn’t getting lost.

But then I saw it. The trees opened up and disappeared, leaving a huge clearing open in the center. The front yard was huge and filled with wildflowers, more of a meadow then a yard. The house was a huge mansion, about the same size as my home in Washington, but very old fashioned looking and beautiful. It was a shady red with white shudders and wide windows. I parked Lucy’s Mercedes in the driveway and got out of the car, staring up at the huge house in front of me.

“Nora!” I looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway beaming and waving. I waved back, his smile infectious. I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach, like I was meeting the parents of a boyfriend instead of a best friend. I made my way up the front steps and he pulled me into a hug again. I hope this would become routine with him. I liked hugging him, being in his arms. “Nice car. I’m glad you could make it. My family has been dying to meet you.”

“I’ve been wanting to meet them too,” I said truthfully, pulling away but keeping my hand in his. He grinned, the gentle smile I was already growing used to. It was just like his old smile, only much more…perfect. I would recognize it anywhere.

“Ready?” he asked, turning to open the door. I nodded and took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter 7

A friend

“Okay kids its dinnertime. Which means time for Miss Nora to go home,” Rose said, coming into the playroom.

I was reading them a story, everyone seated in a circle around me, one little girl, Danielle, sitting in my lap and sucking her thumb. She was the newest person here, only three years old, and still very confused. She kept asking where her mommy and daddy were. Every time she did it broke my heart. It wasn’t fair that children so young, so innocent, were losing their families like this and had no place to go.

“Five more minutes,” one little boy, Samuel, begged, his voice pleading. He had been here for a few months and knew me pretty well by now.

“Sorry, kids, but Garrett made Mac and Cheese and you have to eat it before it gets cold. And there’s even some ice cream for dessert!” Rose said enthusiastically.

A few of the kids let out excited cheers and booked it from the room, the lure of ice cream clearly outweighing story time. Almost everyone else followed, slower, saying goodbye to me first. I got plenty of kisses and hugs from the children who had known me longest, or grown more attached. Danielle stayed firmly in my lap, clinging to my shirt. I didn’t have the heart to put her down.

I waited until the room was emptied before turning to the small child in my lap. She had long, curly, pale blond hair and pale skin, with beautiful purplish blue eyes and a tiny, button nose.

“Don’t you want some ice cream Danielle?” I asked her, trying to encourage her to get off of my lap. This had happened a few times before, with different children, and every time I wanted to take them home. But I couldn’t.

“No,” Danielle answered in a small, high pitched voice.

“How come?” I asked sympathetically. I knew how hard this must be for the poor baby.

“I wanna stay with you,” she whispered brokenly. I saw a tear slide from one of her lavender eyes, landing on her lap. “You smell like Mommy.” My heart broke.

“Oh Danielle,” I murmured back, my voice breaking. I could feel my eyes watering. This was the only thing I hated about my job. It broke my heart.

“Dani,” she corrected.

“Okay Dani,” I continued. “I’m sorry sweetie, but I’ve got to go home.”

“Can’t I come?” she asked, looking up at me with her big, doe eyes. I let out a slight whimper. I wanted to take her home with me so badly. I knew Lucy wouldn’t mind. Caroline and Jonathan would support whatever decision I made. But I couldn’t take care of a child—I was practically a child myself! I hugged Dani closer to me and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m sorry, Dani, but you have to stay here. I’ll be back tomorrow though. I’ll come visit you every day,” I promised, trying to stop her tears.

She continued crying into my shirt, shaking her head against my stomach. I held her in my arms, wanting to just take her and go. She was so beautiful, so young and innocent. It was cruel that she had to lose her parents so young.

“Don’t go, Miss Nora,” she whimpered, holding me tighter. “Please.”

“Oh sweetie,” I sighed, rocking her gently in my arms. She was such a little peanut. I rocked her gently, humming the tune of My Sunshine in her ear. She snuggled into my chest and her breathing became even as she fell asleep in my arms. Rose came back in the room, and frowned upon noticing the tears in my eyes.

“Nora, you can’t get attached,” she scolded. “You know that.”

“I know, I know,” I said, sniffling. I stood up, holding Danielle in my arms still, whispering so she wouldn’t wake up again. “But she was so sweet, so confused. She said I smell like her mommy.”

“I know, she’s going to be such a pretty woman one day,” Rose sighed. “But still. You know that a child like her is going to get adopted quickly. You shouldn’t get attached. It’ll only hurt you both in the end.”

“I know,” I sighed, wiping my eyes one-handedly. “Let me just put her in her bed and then I’ll go. I’ll be back tomorrow, same time as usual.”

“Okay,” Rose answered. “She’s in room twelve.” I froze momentarily, my eyes widening. Room twelve. The room number I had when I was in an orphanage. Rose noticed I had stopped and turned around, a curious look on her face. “Coming?”

“Yeah,” I answered, shaking my head. It’s just a coincidence. Not a sign or anything. I was much too young to take care of a child, especially by myself. “Sorry.” I continued to follow behind her, into room twelve.

In Rose’s orphanage, it was much roomier, more comfortable, and you could tell children lived here, unlike the wretched place I had stayed as a child. There were crayon colored pictures taped to the wall, and stuffed animals on the unmade beds. I placed Danielle in her bed and kissed her forehead. Rose frowned as she looked on, knowing I was getting attached. But I couldn’t help it.

Rose isn’t unfeeling or uncaring—not at all. She told me the first few children that came to stay with her became like her own. But after a while, they each got taken away, and every time, it broke her heart. She said she couldn’t stand getting attached, knowing they could find better homes someplace else, with parents who could afford children and could love them. She took care of each child, and loved them all, but she couldn’t get too attached. It was too painful.

“Nora,” she warned.

“I know, I know,” I repeated. “Sorry.” I stepped out of the room with her and she walked me to the front door.

“I still appreciate everything you do for us Nora. This place couldn’t function without you,” Rose said gratefully, smiling. Every year, my parents would donate to this place, and I would volunteer, sometimes even getting Lucy to come along with me. I also ran a toy drive during Christmas to get gifts for all of the children, and whatever wasn’t donated, I’d buy. I did everything I could to make these children’s lives worth living.

I had always sort of felt like it was my…my duty, my calling to help children. I had only been at that horrible place for a few months, but they were horrible, and I never forgot them. But I was lucky—I made a friend, I had someone to help me and take care of me. That’s what I wanted to give these children. Someone who could take care of them, and love them, and help them through everything, someone who had actually gone through it themselves. They needed help and I wanted to give it.

“It’s my pleasure,” I told her sincerely. “See you tomorrow, same time as always.”

“Okay. Bye!” I left the orphanage, so many thoughts running through my head. I kept thinking about my childhood, the children, little Dani, crying in my arms. I couldn’t make sense of them all. I didn’t try to. I just kept walking, wandering aimlessly through the streets, not really paying attention to where I was going. After a while, I decided to stop into a Starbucks and grab myself a coffee. Thoughtlessly, I tapped my foot softly to the beat of the quiet pop song playing overhead. It sounded like a new, typical boyband. Singing about a girl who didn’t know she was pretty but when in reality she was. It began to grow on me and I silently cursed myself for it. I sat by the window as I drank my coffee, people watching.

There was a mother and two little boys, twins by the look of it. Each child had a lollipop in their hands, as well as all over their faces. Their identical grins made me smile. A group of teenage girls passed by next, arms linked, shopping bags in their hands, chatting and laughing. I was startled when I thought I heard one of their voices, muffled by the glass, say a name I hadn’t heard in years. I brushed it off quickly. No, it couldn’t be. I redirected my thoughts as a mother and daughter passed by, also carrying loads of shopping bags. It shocked me how much some women enjoyed shopping—maybe it was only Lucy the Nazi shopper that made it impossible to enjoyable. But I loved Lucy enough to endure shopping with her. A couple passed by next, holding hands, neither of them talking. The man was tall with brown, curly hair and the woman was a beautiful strawberry blond. A group of teenage girls standing off to the side giggled, pulling out their phones and snapping pictures of the man. I tilted my head to the right in curiosity. Something about the man looked familiar…

His nose was straight, angular. His hair was such a unique shade of brown, a shade I knew so well, yet couldn’t place. His eyes were the prettiest shade of sparkling green I had ever seen. He was much taller then the statuesque woman standing next to him, probably around six feet tall. I was probably remembering him from a television ad or a movie. Surely, a man that beautiful would be a model, an actor. The woman leaned over as I watched and whispered something in his ear. A soft smile spread across his lips.

And then I knew.

I shot out of my chair and out of the Starbucks, probably looking like a total creep. I could be wrong. This could be some other random person. But I had to find out. I had to know. Just to be sure. No regrets. Carpe diem—seize the day. I ran after him, pushing my way through the crowd, earning a few grumbles and a couple of choice fingers. I finally caught up to the man, his fingers still laced through the nameless blonde’s.

“Excuse me?” I said nervously, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, as did the blonde. I noticed she gave me a once over before staring at me, eyes narrowed.

“You don’t want a picture do you?” She growled. “It’s his day off for god’s sake.” Her voice was the sugary sweet kind that you always heard from the popular girls in high school. The kind that was fake and nice to your face, but chatted about you constantly behind your back. The kind of girls I hated. But I had no right to judge—I didn’t even know her.

I ignored her, moving my face back to the man’s and I saw his eyes squint as he took in my face. Recognizing. Remembering. Probably going through the same process I had just gone through in Starbucks.

“Yes?” he said slowly after a moment, his eyes still scrutinizing my face, trying to place me.

“Are you Harry Styles?” I asked, and I saw his eyes widen. I knew I was right then. The blonde blinked twice, her eyes flickering to his face and back to mine, measuring his reaction. He nodded once. I beamed.

“Nora?” he whispered after a moment, his voice curious and unbelieving, completely ignoring the woman next to him.

“I missed you,” I answered simply, my smile never leaving my lips.

“Nora!” he repeated, this time much more exultantly. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a bone-crunching hug. I squealed and giggled, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his shoulder. I was shocked to find I had tears in my eyes. He had lifted me off the ground with the force of his hug.

I couldn’t believe it. It was him.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Harry gently placed me back on the ground and turned to the blonde next to him, as if finally remembering her existence. She looked livid. “What the hell was that Harry?” she demanded.

“Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “I know this must be confusing to you.”

“Yeah a little bit,” she snapped, hands on her hips. “Please explain to me what’s going on here!”

“Tanya, this is Nora. My best friend.” I loved the way he referred to me as his best friend. Not old friend, not the past tense. But in the present. Now. “We lived together when we were kids.”

“So…you guys are related?” Tanya asked, confusion clear in her voice. “Or did Noah and Emily adopt her for a while as well?”

“No, no, this was when she was nine turning ten and I was eleven. Before Noah and Emily. Remember? I was at that orphanage? I told you all of this,” he said, sounding a bit frustrated.

“Yes, but you didn’t tell me about her,” Tanya snapped, giving me a dirty look. I stuck my tongue out at her and she looked taken aback.

“That’s because I haven’t seen her in years.” He turned back to me. “I never thought I’d see you again Nora.”

“I never thought so either. I left so suddenly and it was all so crazy.” I shook my head, remembering the pain of that day, both physical and emotional.

“I’m glad you remember me. I figured you would’ve forgotten or something,” he said shyly. I could hear the pleased tone of his voice. He was happy I had remembered him.

“Of course I remember. You were my best friend, practically my savior back then. I could never forget,” I half whispered, taking a step closer to him. One of his hands reached out to me, but he quickly dropped it, seeming to remember where we were. He glanced around at the pedestrians walking past us and then onto Tanya.

“Harry we need to go. We’ve got that cake tasting remember? We can’t be late,” she said fiercely, placing one of her hands on his arm possessively. He bit his lip, glancing back at me.

“You’re right. Sorry.” He turned back to me and pulled me into his arms again, squeezing my body against his. I could feel the muscles of his chest, even through his jacket. “Listen, Nora, can I have your number and I’ll call you and we can get together and catch up? I don’t want to lose you again.” He said the last part intensely, quietly, and I could tell he didn’t intend for Tanya to hear it.

“Of course,” I said instantly. “And I’ll be here as long as you want me,” I promised in a whisper. I saw a smile spread across his lips as he pulled out his cell phone. I read my number off carefully to him. He saved it before calling my phone so I’d have his number on my cell.

“I’ll call you later on tonight. I can’t believe we’re together again. It’s so crazy.” He shook his head, turning back to Tanya. “See you later Nora.”

“Bye Harry. I’ll talk to you soon,” I promised. He grinned softly and I saw Tanya’s nails sink into his arm slightly, seemingly subconsciously. He flinched and pulled his arm away as they walked. She was glaring daggers at him, looking ready to kill.

I pulled out my cell phone as I walked back to my apartment, unable to wipe the grin off my face. I couldn’t believe it. Harry. My Harry. Here in Chicago! Had he been here all along? Could we have walked past each other numerous times and never noticed? It was hard to think about him being so close and not being with him. I sent him a quick text as I walked.

Sorry if I got your girlfriend mad at you. I guess I was a little overexcited.

I sent, knowing that he was probably getting hell for it now. My phone buzzed a minute later and his name flashed across the screen.

It was worth it.

Chapter 6

First day

I woke up early the next morning, a little nervous for my classes. I would be taking a variety of classes, plus I started my volunteer job today. The latter I was more nervous for. It was…well, something that meant a lot to me, and that was very important in my life. I always felt guilty leaving over the summer, knowing it was upsetting to them, but I had to visit my family. I climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of dark gray skinny jeans along with an elbow sleeve length, black and dark gray striped shirt. I slid on a pair of black flats with black and white plaid buckles and I was ready for my first day. I let my hair fall down my back in soft waves, falling to about halfway down my back.

Lucy was still asleep when I went into the kitchen, so I decided to make breakfast for the both of us. It took me about ten minutes to figure out how to use the advanced coffee machine and I wondered if I could call our interior designer and ask if she still had the instruction manuals. I managed to cook some bacon and eggs and Lucy woke up a few minutes later, lured by the scent of freshly brewed coffee and food.

“Smells good, Nora,” Lucy sang, sitting down at the kitchen island. I flipped over a few pieces of bacon that were almost done and scooped the eggs out of their pan, passing some to Lucy. She poured us both cups of coffee and I finished up the bacon before placing a few pieces on each of our plates. I sat across from her at the island and dug in.

“You excited for today?” Lucy asked after a moment. I nodded, swallowing my food before answering her.

“I have a child development class I’m actually pretty excited for, you know, in case I decide to teach. And then I have my volunteer work,” I said, taking another bite of eggs. Lucy nodded, already knowing about my job. She understood why it was important to me, and she didn’t question it. She even thought it was sweet. “What about you?”

“Totally! I have my first photo shoot of the year today,” Lucy bubbled. She seemed so excited at the prospect of photography.

She stood up, dropping her cleared plate into the sink before going back into her room to change. I shook my head and cleaned up my plate, putting it in the dishwasher.

Lucy emerged six minutes later dressed in a straight-out-of-London Burberry dress. It was short sleeved and gray plaid and fell to almost her knees. A belt above her hips gave her an hourglass shape and their were buttons trailing down the middle, hugging her body. On her feet were a pair of black, open-toed heels and she had a black and white tote on her arm. Her hair was down and straight, her make-up perfect. Lucy could truly perform miracles.

“See you later Nora. Love you,” Lucy called, grabbing her tote and dancing out of the door. I walked into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, washing my face and trying to add some color to it. I gave up on that after a minute and grabbed my bag, leaving the apartment and walking towards school.

I made it to class a few minutes early, so I took a seat in the center of the classroom, next to two empty seats. I pulled out my iPod to listen to for a few minutes before class and pulled out a notebook and pencil in case we were taking any notes in class. The song was just switching to one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw a cute, blond boy standing next to me, his lips moving. I couldn’t hear him through my iPod, so I pulled an ear bud out.

“Sorry, what?” I asked apologetically.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” he repeated.

“Not at all,” I answered, smiling politely. He sank down in the chair next to me and smiled at me. I left one ear bud out in case he decided to talk again.

“What are you listening to?” he asked after a moment. I showed him my iPod and he wrinkled his nose. “Taylor Swift? Seriously?”

“What?” I said defensively. “She’s only twenty one and she’s an amazing singer, plus all of her songs are so real and inspirational and appropriate for kids to listen to, unlike the weird stuff most other artists are spewing these days.” The boy laughed, holding his hands up defensively.

“Chill. She’s just not exactly my favorite singer. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said, still chortling. I blushed.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t of spazzed on you like that. It was rude,” I apologized.

“I’m Niall,” he said, holding his hand out.

“Nora.” We shook hands just as the teacher was coming into the room. I rolled up my iPod and stuck it into my bag, turning to face forward.

“Hello, class,” she said, placing her bag onto the desk in the front of the room. “My name is Professor Mary Blake, but you can call me Mary. We’re pretty informal in this class.” She smiled warmly at the class. She had soft brown eyes and hair, and looked vaguely familiar.

“So, today we’re going to be talking about childhood. What is childhood? Sure we all know the dictionary definition—the state or period of being a child. But what is childhood to you? What does it mean to you?” she asked, her voice passionate. I could tell Mary really loved her job, and cared about children. Someone closer to the back raised their hand.

“Yes…?”

“Stacy,” the girl answered. “And I think childhood is the time when you don’t have any real troubles, and when you’re carefree and innocent and naïve.”

“Good. What about you…?” she pointed to Niall.

“Niall Horan. And…childhood, to me, is fishing with my dad and thinking girls had cooties.” He winked in my direction at this and I giggled slightly. “And everything was simple and fun and easy.”

“Very good, I like that. What about you Miss…?” she gestured to me.

“Nora. Nora Finely.” Mary’s eyes widened at this and she glanced at her class list then back at me.

“Go ahead,” she said a bit shakily. Okay, that’s weird.

“Childhood to me, is the time when my parents were the most important people in my world, and when everyone was friends, before we all had to grow up too fast.” I could hear the regret in my voice by the end, and so did Niall. He gave me a questioning look and I shook my head. Mary’s eyes widened further. She cleared her throat.

“Exactly. See, childhood is different to each and every individual person. For some, childhood could be the best time of their lives, the time when everything was fun and simple. But for others, it could be the time when everything is much more difficult then it should be, a time filled with hardships and tragedy.” I noticed her eyes flicker in my direction when she said this and I was a little freaked out. Did she know about my childhood or something? I didn’t think colleges looked at that sort of information.

“So, in my class, you’ll be learning about what childhood really is, in relation to the child you’re trying to teach. Some children are desperate to stay young and innocent, and those are the ones that are hard to teach, the ones who don’t want to learn. Then there are others who want to grow up, who act older, and those ones are easy to teach, eager to learn. And then there are the children content with living their lives in the here and now. And those are the most satisfying to teach, because they can teach you right back. Now, for next week, I’d like a two to three page essay on what childhood means to you.” Mary gathered up her class list and papers into a stack on her desk before turning back to us.

“Class dismissed. Have a great day everyone.” Everybody jumped out, and I began walking out with Niall.

“‘Before we all had to grow up too fast’?” he quoted questioningly, with his eyebrows raised. I opened my mouth to answer—I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, my childhood wasn’t exactly my favorite topic—but Mary interrupted my response.

“Nora, can I see you for a moment?” she asked and I was instantly suspicious.

“Um, yeah,” I answered, stopping short. Niall kept walking, but he glanced over his shoulder with a worried glance. Mary waited until the class was gone before turning to me. And I’ll admit, I was pretty freaked out.

“Nora,” she said, her voice curious, as if she was testing out my name. Her eyes examined my face with scrutiny until a small smile spread across her lips. “Nora Finely.”

“Um…yeah. Hi,” I said awkwardly.

“Oh! You probably don’t remember me,” Mary said, blushing. “I am a bit older then you. And you’d probably know me by my maiden name. Mary Mason.” I stared at her blankly for a moment, but then everything snapped into place.

Mary Mason. No wonder she knew about my past. She had been there. I only knew her for a short time, but we had made a bit of progress at becoming friends. In fact, she was probably my closest friend besides Harry at the time, even though she was a few years older then me. She was the first person I had seen get adopted.

“Oh my God! Mary!” I squealed, tossing my arms around her shoulders and hugging her. “I thought you were some sort of stalker.” She laughed, pulling away.

“You’re so grown up Nora,” she said in astonishment. “The last time I saw you, you were about two feet shorter and attached to the hip with Harry Styles.” She laughed again, but mine was more forced. It amazed me how I could miss him, even after all these years. “What happened? Did you get adopted?”

“Yeah I did, about two weeks after you left. But not in the way you would think,” I said, frowning at the memory.

“What happened?” Mary asked, concern in her voice. She led me to her desk and sank into the chair, pulling one up for me.

“Mr. Milligan went on one of his rampages and wound up hitting me. He almost choked me, and a couple walking by outside heard me scream and came in to help me. They got the place shut down and adopted me,” I told her and Mary half smiled.

“That’s awful that he would do something like that to you. But I’m glad that the place is finally shut down. I never got the nerve to tell my adopted parents about the place. Only my husband knows now. And I’m glad you got adopted.”

“What about you?” I asked. “How was the couple that adopted you?”

“They were very nice. Better then I could’ve asked for,” she said sincerely, and I could hear the love in her voice as she spoke of them. “They’ve treated me very well, and I wound up marrying one of their close friends and then getting a job teaching child development here.”

“That’s awesome Mary,” I said excitedly. It made me very happy to know that at least someone else got a happy ending out of that place.

“How’s the couple that adopted you?” she asked.

“Amazing,” I answered instantly. “I got two wonderful parents and a sister my age out of the deal. They’re extremely good to me.”

“That’s wonderful. What about Harry?Have you talked to him lately?” she asked, and I felt a tiny pang in my chest that I tried to push away. It was ridiculous to miss him, I only knew him for a few months, and it had been twelve years ago.

“I don’t know. I never saw him after the night the orphanage got shut down,” I admitted, frowning.

“Really? I always thought you two would end up married or something. You were so protective and loving of each other,” she said, surprise clear in her voice.

“It wasn’t really by choice. I had to go to the hospital and the Brandon’s took me home right after. I never saw him again.” I bit my lip, regret and sadness in my voice. I always, always wished I could know what happened to him, to at least know he found a nice family and lived safely and happily. But I suppose I would never know.

 ”Wait,” Mary began, eyes narrowing. “You haven’t seen him? I thought maybe since he-“

“Hey Nora, what class do you have next?” Niall asked loudly, head peering into the doorway, interrupting Mary. Ignoring Niall, I looked at her in confusion. Since he what?

Mary offered him an apologetic smile and I shooed him away with my hand and a small sideways glance.

“I’m sorry for keeping you; I was just excited to see a familiar face,” Mary said, laughing softly. “This is only my first year teaching.”

“Wow, I couldn’t tell,” I complimented her honestly. “But you’re right, I should go, I’ve got a job to go to. It’s really good to see you again.”

“You too Nora. We should get together sometime outside of school. Just don’t expect any special treatment,” she teased. I laughed

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said sarcastically. “Bye Mary.”

“Bye.” I walked out of the classroom, heading in the direction of my volunteer job. I had worked there for the past two school years, so most of the inhabitants new me by name, at least while they were there. It wasn’t too long of a walk from school, and I was outside in a few minutes.

I walked inside and up to the front desk, where Rose was already waiting, her husband Garrett beside her. They ran the place, just the two of them, but they got a lot of volunteers like me. Rose smiled when she saw me.

“Good to have you back Nora. How was your summer?” Rose asked politely.

“It was excellent, Rose, how about you?”

“Pretty good.”

“Did I miss much?” I asked curiously.

“A little, but not nearly enough,” she sighed. “We even gained a few. We’re running out of space here.”

“I know. But hopefully things will pick up this year,” I said encouragingly. Rose sighed.

“I certainly hope so. Everyone’s in the back, you can go ahead in,” she said.

“Thanks.” I walked past Garrett, who nodded politely, and into the familiar back room.

The moment I walked inside I recognized the drawings on the wall, the toys and books that littered the floor. I was attacked instantly by tiny hands and arms.

“Miss Nora!” they yelled excitedly, hugging my legs. I crouched down, reaching out to hug them. Everyone was squealing excitedly and I could feel tears stinging my eyes—as awful as their situation was, they were all so easily excitable and loving. It was amazing how innocent, loving and trusting they all were. It was one of the many reasons I loved my job, even if it was just volunteer work.

“Hey guys! I missed you over the summer,” I said truthfully, grabbing a few more hugs.

“We missed you too,” one of the older girls, Loren, said. “The Chicago City Orphanage just isn’t the same without our favorite helper.”

　

Chapter 5

A new life

12 years later. Nora is 22, Harry is 23.

“Please fasten your seatbelt as we prepare to land.” A woman’s voice came from the loudspeaker on the plane, smooth and professional. “We hope you enjoy your trip to Chicago and thank you for flying Delta airlines.” I pulled my seatbelt on, closing my eyes. Landing was my least favorite part. I hated how you would just drop, and go level, drop and go level. It made my stomach turn.

A lot had happened in my life since I left the orphanage.

The man and woman who found me—who I later found out were Caroline and Jonathan Brandon—adopted me after my trip to the hospital. Caroline held my hand as they put my pink cast on, and Jonathan hugged me tight when I had to tell the police what had happened. They were very nice, and comforting. They adopted me right after, bringing me home to my new life, a new country, my new family and my new sister.

My sister. I still remember when I came into the house and the tiny girl came skipping up to me, begging to sign my cast and telling me that we were going to be best friends for life. I didn’t even know they had a daughter, but Caroline explained to me that she was my age and their biological daughter. I let her sign her name, right across the wrist, in loopy letters. Lucy.

And she was right. We were best friends. After that day, we were nearly inseparable. Lucy stuck by me through some fun elementary school years, a few hellish middle school years, all of high school and college. We were on our way back to the University of Chicago to start our senior year, with a new apartment all set up for us. I was majoring in English Literature and Lucy was majoring in photography.

I was so happy to have Lucy as a kid. I didn’t make friends easily; in fact, I hadn’t even stayed friends with half of my high school girlfriends. I didn’t like getting close to people unless I knew they would be there. Everyone I loved in my past, left me. First it was my parents, although that was hardly their fault. And then it was Harry. Everyone I loved, everyone I cared for…gone.

I hadn’t seen Harry since the day he kissed me and told me goodbye. Automatically, I raised my hand to my neck, fingering the heart shaped locket with the diamond outline. As I grew, I had to get a new chain so it would still fit, but I never took it off. It was my favorite necklace, the only one I ever wore. It reminded me of my old best friend. I was surprised by how much I still missed him. It had been years, and I had only known him for a few months, but the pain of losing him was nearly unbearable, especially when I was young. Living together like we did gave us a connection. I couldn’t forget him. He was there for me in my hardest time. Lucy would never be my only best friend. I always had Harry.

“Nora? Nora!” My eyes snapped open and I saw Lucy, standing next to me, hands on her hips. “Where’d you go?”

“Sorry, I zoned out,” I answered apologetically.

“Well, come on, the plane landed. I’ve been calling your name for the last, like, two minutes. So get up,” she commanded, stepping into the aisle to open the overhead compartment and grabbing our bags. I stood up, shaking my head slightly. I couldn’t believe I had gotten so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t even felt the plane land.

I stood up, stretching after the long plane ride. I lived in Washington with Lucy, Caroline and Jonathan (I never called them Mom and Dad, it just didn’t feel right) and the plane ride to Illinois was long and exhausting. I yawned and brushed my fingers through my hair, knowing I probably looked a mess. My hair was all tangled and messy from sleeping on the plain and I was in my most comfy sweats for the long ride. The plane was nearly empty, since everyone was in a rush to get out and stretch their legs. Lucy handed me my carry-on bag and I took it, slinging it over my shoulder.

Lucy led me off the plane and the two of us made our way through the busy terminal, dodging businessmen and families running to catch their flights. Lucy looked tired as well, but still as gorgeous as always. Her long blond hair lay smooth on her back, her walk was as graceful as a dancer’s, and she was so thin it should be illegal. I didn’t resent her for it though. It was just good genetics.

We got to baggage claim and kept our eye out for our bags. Lucy had brought about five and I had about three. We did stay most of the school year, and we needed our clothes. One of Lucy’s bags was entirely shoes. It was slightly ridiculous. Lucy flirted her way into getting a strong guy to help get our bags and carry them out to the taxi. Lucy clearly had no interest in him, and when he asked for her number, she gave him a number I knew was fake. I bit back a laugh as the guy promised to call, but I felt guilty too. Poor guy was dazzled the moment he looked into Lucy’s ocean blue eyes.

We climbed into the cab and told the driver where to take us. He grumbled a bit about the distance, but Lucy flashed him a perfect smile and he drove off. Caroline and Jonathan would be sending Lucy’s Mercedes down soon enough, for us to share. Mostly it was to get to and from classes, but I knew it would mostly be used to drive us to parties (Lucy’s idea, not mine.)

When we got to our apartment, nervous, but excited butterflies fluttered in my stomach. We had picked out the apartment at the end of last year, but we had hired an interior designer to decorate everything and hadn’t seen any of it. We had told the designer exactly what we wanted, what our interests were and our favorite colors and she promised to decorate everything to our liking. I certainly hoped so.

Lucy paid the cab driver to help us take our bags up to our apartment. I pulled my key out of my pocket and pushed it into the lock, turning it slowly, building up the anticipation. Lucy was jumping with excitement behind me. I finally, slowly, swung the door open and revealed our apartment.

It. Was. Gorgeous.

I ran into the modern living room, marveling. The floors were a dark hardwood, with a plush white rug by the black leather couch which was long, against the wall and in an L shape. There was a huge window showing a breath taking view of the city, half of the couch was sitting in front of it. There were two black cushioned coffee tables next to the white rug, and a fireplace across from the couch. There was a TV against the opposite wall, so if you were sitting on the couch against the wall, you could see it perfectly, but if you were sitting on the couch against the window, you could only see the crackling fireplace.

The kitchen was just as beautiful. The floor was white tiles and the appliances were all black and new. Their was a black island counter in the center of the kitchen with two barstools next to it that we could sit and eat at when we wanted to. A variety of appliances, all high tech, were lined up within the counters. I ran my fingers over the smooth countertop, marveling in the softness.

I went to my bedroom next, shaking with nerves, hoping it was as nice as the rest of the house.

It was better.

I walked inside, the plush white carpet soft beneath my feet. My bed was huge, soft and littered with throw pillows. It sat against the wall in the very center of the room, with long, dark, wooden beams sticking up and leading to an almost canopy at the top. There was a mahogany desk that matched perfectly with the bed that had an old fashioned desk lamp on it and room for my laptop. One wall was entirely lined with bookcases, already stocked with the ones I had sent ahead. I ran my fingers along the familiar covers—Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte—realizing they had even been alphabetized. The wood of the bookshelves were the same as the wood on my desk and bed. Even the closet and bathroom doors were the same wood.

“Nora, come check out this bathroom! It’s sick!” Lucy yelled eagerly and I opened my door. We had only one bathroom, but each of our rooms joined with it and had locks. When I walked in I gasped. It was huge.

Against one wall was a huge mirror, a dark blue granite countertop beneath it with two white sinks dipping into it. I realized then that the mirror was actually three separate mirrors, and could be opened the reveal all sorts of products, toothpastes, shampoos and conditioners. All of my favorites were there, along with Lucy’s.

“Man, she really went all out,” I said, picking up a bottle of strawberry shampoo and sniffing it.

“Mom sent her a list of our favorite products and some money and she stocked it up,” Lucy answered. “Look at this bathtub! You could fit, like, ten people in it.” I turned around and saw Lucy sitting in the bathtub, marveling at its size. She could lie down flat, with her feet touching one end, and she had to stretch her arms above her head to reach the other side. It was a huge Jacuzzi tub and had jets and two faucets. Their was a steam shower next to it as well, with a small bench in it to sit down if you wanted to just turn on the steam. A matching cabinet sat up along the wall, filled to the brim with fluffy towels of all sizes.

“Holy smokes,” I muttered, feeling one of the towels in my hands. I wanted to shower just so I could use one of the towels.

“Okay, I love our parents,” Lucy said, climbing out of the bathtub.

“This place is completely over the top,” I added enthusiastically. “Look, there are even iPod speakers in here so we can listen to it while we shower and stuff.” That would be useful. I sang pretty much every time I was in the shower, even though I made screeching cats sound like angels.

“Oh my God. Nora. This is our year,” Lucy said, placing her hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes, making sure I understood what she was saying. “Everything we want to happen is going to happen this year. I just…can tell.”

“We all know Lucy is never wrong,” I teased and she beamed with pride, tossing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

“I’m going to meet my dream guy,” Lucy sighed wistfully. “I wonder what he’ll look like. I hope he’s tall and handsome. And strong.” She sighed again, her eyes going dreamy. I just rolled my eyes. I wasn’t a cynic—I believed in true love—I just didn’t think I would find love. I had high hopes for Lucy though. She was so pretty and funny and outgoing, any guy within ten feet of her would fall in love at first sight.

“I’m sure you’ll find him soon Lucy,” I said, knowing her well enough to just go along with it.

“Oh shoot!” Lucy gasped. “We left our suitcases in the hall!” We both ran into the hallway and found our suitcases, all sitting perfectly the way we left them. We sighed in relief.

“Okay, let’s get these inside before some creep steals our lingerie,” Lucy announced loudly. One of our neighbors who happened to be walking near our room gave her a look, but she ignored them. Lucy and I gathered our bags and pulled them inside, each going into our own separate rooms to unpack.

I mulled over what Lucy had said to me before, in the bathroom. After the whole amazing bathtub thing, that is. Maybe this would be a good year for me. I would be graduating college after all, and hopefully getting a job and maybe even possibly finding a guy. I smiled as I placed the last of my sweaters in the closet before climbing into bed. Maybe this really would be my year. Things finally seemed to be looking up.

　

Chapter 4

Gone. Forever.

Two weeks later…

I slept soundly in Harry’s arms, like I did every night. After the first night, with Mr. Milligan, I had just started staying in his bed. He was warm and comforting, and it felt nice to be so close to someone else. It reminded me of when I used to sleep in my parents bed after I had nightmares. Plus, Mr. Milligan’s rampages had been getting more frequent. In the past two weeks he had come barging in here, tearing everything apart, four times, not including the first time. It was getting ridiculous, and scary. Harry always woke up right before he came in, but I was afraid that he might not hear the pounding footsteps one night. I lived every night in terror, only finding comfort in Harry’s cozy arms.

A boy named Tyler had gotten hit the other day. Mr. Milligan came into his room and found Tyler eating food he had stolen from the kitchen. Mr. Milligan flipped out, and ended up knocking Tyler to the floor, giving him bruises all over his body. Tyler was too scared to eat for a week. He nearly fainted during play time one day, and that’s when we convinced him to start eating again. It was so scary. And I hated how Mr. Milligan could get to people like this. Who would want to live their life just to make smaller, weaker children fear them?

Everyone was scared. No one knew what had sent Mr. Milligan over the edge, what was making him drink so much more then usual and much more frequently. Everyone assumed it had something to do with his ex-wife or maybe his job. No one talked about it or asked him. The subject was taboo with the children. We knew not to say anything about it. We were scared, but we pretended nothing was wrong.

And I wanted so badly to tell someone, but I was too scared. Harry had told me that we would go somewhere worse if we got taken away from here. That’s what Mr. Milligan had told him. If anyone told, we would go to homes and get abused and they wouldn’t feed us. He told us we were lucky that someone took care of us. I didn’t know what to believe. But I was selfish and cowardly. I didn’t want to leave Harry and I wasn’t brave enough to tell anyone. So I kept silent.

“Nora?” a soft, gentle voice whispered from next to me. I shifted a bit, trying to hold onto the last dregs of sleep in my system. “Come on sleepy head, wake up.” I opened my eyes and saw my face was only inches from Harry’s. He was grinning widely. I yawned and pulled further away, sitting up and rubbing my eyes tiredly.

“Why’d you wake me up?” I grumbled.

“Because it’s your birthday!” Harry cheered. “Happy birthday Nora!” I stared at him for a minute, a bit confused. Was it already my birthday? Already September sixteenth? Time in the orphanage flew by apparently. Or maybe that was just time with Harry.

“Is it really?” I asked. I didn’t see how Harry could tell; none of us were tall enough to see the calendar hanging up in the kitchen. Days passing by were meaningless really. It wouldn’t matter until we started school next week at least.

“Yeah silly,” Harry said, chuckling. “You’re ten today! Do you feel older?” I looked down at my body, clad in pink pajamas. I wasn’t taller or bigger. I shrugged, bringing my eyes back to Harry.

“Not really,” I admitted. Harry sighed and shook his head.

“Well you are older. It’s your birthday so you’re the princess today and you get anything you want,” Harry promised quickly. “Extra food at breakfast? Done. Clean room? Done. Anything you want.” I knew what I wanted. I wanted my parents back. But I knew that wasn’t within Harry’s power.

“You know what I want for my birthday?” I asked him softly. He shook his head, gesturing for me to continue. “To spend the whole day with my very best friend in the world.” I grinned at him and he beamed back.

“I think that can be arranged,” he teased. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my body against his for a tight, birthday bear hug.

“Happy birthday Nora,” he said again.

“Thanks.” He released me and we both grinned at each other.

We got dressed after that before making our way into the kitchen for breakfast. We were just having cereal and milk, but Harry took some of his mini-box and gave it to me for my birthday. I protested, of course, but he told me if I didn’t eat it he was throwing it out. So I ate it reluctantly and told him I would pay him back someday.

After breakfast we were allowed to go outside for a little while. It was cold and raining out, but no one really cared. Everyone was running around and playing and having fun. Harry somehow managed to gather everyone at the far end of the backyard and they sang a muted version of happy birthday to me. It was really sweet of him. I nearly cried I was so touched.

Lunch was after playtime and Harry gave me half of his apple juice. I told him he was getting ridiculous, but he told me it was worth it. We went back to our room after that and just hung out, playing and talking. We read my favorite book again, even though we had read it just last week. Harry said he didn’t mind reading it again, but I thought I saw him roll his eyes every once in a while.

Dinner was quiet and silent because Mr. Milligan decided to stay in the room and supervise us. Harry didn’t give any of his dinner to me, probably too afraid that Mr. Milligan would say something about it. I noticed Mr. Milligan eyeing me throughout dinner. I wondered if he was truly oblivious that it was my birthday, or if he just didn’t care.

After dinner Harry brought me back into our room and we finished my favorite book, since we only had a few chapters left. We both changed into our pajamas and crawled into his bed, and were just talking when Harry suddenly shot up.

“Stay here,” he said eagerly.

“Why?” I asked suspiciously. Harry ignored me and crawled under the bed. I could hear the loose floorboard shifting underneath the bed and I knew Harry was retrieving something from our secret hiding place. He came up a minute later, something clutched in his fist, but hidden from view. He crawled onto the bed next to me and we sat criss-cross applesauce across from each other so our knees were touching.

“Okay,” Harry began, taking a deep breath. “I got you something for your birthday.”

“How?” I gasped. “Did you sneak out? Mr. Milligan’d kill you if he knew! And where did you get the money to—” Harry cut me off, pressing his free hand over my mouth. I shut up.

“I already had it. I didn’t need to sneak out or anything. It…well it was my mother’s.” He held out his fist and opened it, revealing a beautiful white gold, heart shaped locket. It had sparkling diamonds all around the edges and the initials AS were carved into the front in beautiful lettering.

“Oh Harry,” I breathed. “It’s so beautiful.”

“It’s yours,” he said softly. “My mom gave this to me when she was sick. She said I should give it to a girl I really care about someday. And I think that means you.” He grinned, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

“Harry…it’s…so beautiful,” I whispered again, eying it. It sparkled even in the low light of the room.

“Can I put it on you?” he asked eagerly. I nodded and turned around, lifting my hair up so he could clasp it into place. It was too long for me and landed right over my heart. I picked it up with my fingers and examined it. It was a million times more beautiful then anything I had ever seen in my life. And I knew then that I would never take it off. I could hide it under my shirt when Mr. Milligan was around, but it was never coming off. I couldn’t risk losing it.

“I love it Harry. It’s perfect,” I told him instantly. I flung my arms around his neck and pulled him in for another bear hug.

“There’s supposed to be a picture of us on the inside,” he told me, his voice apologetic. “But I don’t have any pictures of the two of us together. But maybe someday we can put a picture of us in there.”

“Sure,” I agreed instantly, releasing him. “Someday.” I smiled widely at Harry, still in awe of the amazing gift he had given to me. It was the best present I’d ever received in my life. It was…perfect.

“Someday Nora, we’ll—” Harry was cut off by a loud crash and bang as our door was flung open, smashing into the opposite wall hard enough to leave a dent. I tucked my necklace into my shirt instantly, hiding it from view. Mr. Milligan hovered in the doorway, clutching the wall for balance. He was drunk. Far worse then I had ever seen him. Harry’s eyes went wide and he shifted us so I was sitting behind him.

Mr. Milligan was standing in the doorway, breathing like a winded bull. His eyes were flickering wildly throughout the room, but it seemed like he couldn’t understand his surroundings. His shirt had a tear in the shoulder. His eyes slowly rolled around to the two of us, sitting on the bed together. Some sort of growl left his throat.

“You think just because it’s your birthday you’re something god damn special?” he slurred, his voice rough with anger. My breathing got heavy and my eyes flew open with fear and shock. “Come here, girl.” Harry’s hands flew to my arms as he tried desperately to hold me to the bed. I stood anyways, mechanically, walking forward until I was an arms length away from Mr. Milligan. Harry was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands gripping the edge of the mattress, rocking slightly. I could tell he was debating if he should jump in between us. I glared at him, a clear warning. He stopped rocking, but his fists didn’t relax.

“How old are you?” he boomed.

“Ten,” I answered in a timid whisper.

“Speak up,” Mr. Milligan demanded.

“Ten,” I said louder.

“Damn it girl if you don’t speak up I’ll—”

“Ten!” I shouted. Mr. Milligan froze. Harry froze. I froze. Everything in the room was still and silent.

“Don’t. You. Ever. Shout. At. Me. Again.” I saw his fist move towards me and I closed my eyes, bracing myself. The blow struck the left side of my face and I flew against the bed, hitting my wrist against the wrought iron frame. I heard a crunch and realized, with a horrified shriek, that my wrist was broken.

“Nora!” Harry’s horrified voice called out and I heard him jump down, running to crouch beside me. I was sobbing from the pain in my wrist. “Nora are you okay?”

“Get away from her!” Mr. Milligan yelled, kicking Harry aside. He came at me again and I let out a loud shout. Mr. Milligan clamped his hand over my mouth and I couldn’t breath. I thought I was going to die. “Shut up! Shut up!” he hissed and I fought against his arm uselessly, trying to get some air. He wasn’t moving. I couldn’t breath. I could hear Harry’s voice yelling my name, trying to fight Mr. Milligan off. But Harry was so small compared to the man choking me. My head started to get light, my vision hazy.

“Get off of her!” Mr. Milligan’s hand was dropped from my face and I gasped for air, my lungs burning. Harry came over to me and wrapped his arms around me and as I sobbed. I glanced up and saw an unfamiliar couple standing in the doorway. The woman was short with dark hair and dark eyes and the man was tall with brown hair and dark blue eyes that were like an ocean. The man came over and grabbed Mr. Milligan, pulling him away from Harry and me. The woman came over to me, crouching next to me, clucking her tongue.

“Oh dear, sweetie, what did he do to you?” she asked in a whisper.

“He hit me,” I whimpered. “And my wrist.” I held up my arm to show her and she gasped.

“Honey we have to get her to the hospital,” she shouted to her husband.

“I’m calling the police now. This guy’s passed out. Completely drunk.” There was disgust in the man’s voice. The man pulled out a cell phone and the woman sank down onto the floor, pulling me onto her lap. I sobbed into her chest, grateful for the responsible adult to be there for me. I held Harry’s hand with my good one and he kept silent, playing with my fingers occasionally.

“Yes, I need an ambulance. Abuse. A little girl, only about nine or ten. My wife and I were passing the orphanage in Portland when we heard a scream and came inside to see what had happened. We found a man here, choking the girl so she couldn’t breath. She’s okay right now, but it looks like she has a broken wrist. Yes. I’m not sure how many other children, but the man fainted. He was drunk. Yes. Thank you, sir. Alright. Bye.” The man hung up his phone and turned back to his wife.

“The police are on their way. They said to just wait here incase the man woke up again,” he said. He came and sat down next to me. “How are you feeling sweetie?” he asked gently.

“I’m okay,” I told him softly. “Harry? How are you?”

“I’m okay,” he answered, but his voice was weak.

“Is this your brother honey?” the woman asked me. I shook my head.

“He’s my friend.” The woman looked at her husband, her eyes pleading. He nodded once and she turned back to me and pulled me closer, being careful to avoid my wrist and my quickly swelling eye.

“You’ll be all better soon, dear,” she told me. “I promise.”

The police arrived shortly, and the man yelled out to them, telling them where we were. They came into our room and quickly handcuffed Mr. Milligan, who was still passed out. They took him out to the police car and the man went with them to tell them what had happened.

“What’s your name sweetheart?” the woman holding me asked.

“Nora Finley,” I answered, sniffling.

“That’s a very pretty name.” She smiled warmly at me.

“Thank you.”

“Excuse me miss?” We both turned and saw a police officer standing in the doorway. “Both of these children need to gather up their stuff. They won’t be coming back here and we need to sweep for evidence. The girl will need to go up to the hospital, and if you’d like you can go in the ambulance with her.”

“Can I go too?” Harry asked instantly. The officer frowned.

“Not unless you’re family, buddy,” he said, his voice kind and apologetic. Harry sighed. I pulled myself off of the woman’s lap and walked over to him as the police officer walked out.

“Will you be okay for a moment if I go wake the other children and help get them out?” the woman asked.

“We’ll be fine,” I answered instantly.

“I’ll be back in five minutes. Don’t move too much, I don’t want you to hurt your wrist.”

“Okay.” The woman smiled at me and turned away, leaving the door open. I turned to Harry, tears in my eyes. I knew what was going to happen now.

“They’re going to adopt you, I think,” Harry said quietly. “That woman loves you already.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” I whimpered. Harry gave me a weak half smile, but I could see the tears in his eyes.

“I don’t ever want to leave you either Nora. But you’ll be safe and happy with them. I can tell.” His voice was warm and encouraging.

“What about you?” I demanded. “Where will you go?” Harry shrugged nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” he answered.

“You promise?” I took a step closer to him.

“Promise.” He wrapped his arms around me for a hug and nearly crushed me in his arms. I could feel his tears hitting my shoulder and I ignored the pain in my wrist as I hugged him furiously back.

“Let’s get our stuff,” he said after a moment. He took a deep breath and pulled away from me. I walked over to the dresser, tears sliding steadily down my cheeks. I pulled my duffel bag from the drawer and started to pack my clothes away. Harry went under the bed to get our valuables. He came out as soon as I was finished packing my duffel. I pulled his out as well and began piling clothes in it, one-handed. Harry came over and took over for me. The pile of our valuables was laid on his bed. I walked over and grabbed the few pictures I had of me and my parents and what little toys and books I had brought. I stuck them in my bag and turned back to Harry.

He had his back to me, everything sealed up in his duffel bag. I could see his shoulders shaking slightly, but when he turned to face me, he was perfectly in control. He looked up at the bed, which was now empty.

“Don’t forget Bunny,” he said, picking her up off the floor and reaching over to me. I waved her off.

“You keep her. To remember me,” I said softly, tears continuously running down my cheeks.

“But you love her,” he protested.

“And I love you. Keep her.” It was the first time I said I love you to him and it felt slightly important. I loved Harry just as much as my mommy and daddy. And I was going to miss him so much.

“I love you too Nora. You’ll always be my sunshine.” We both grinned weakly at the shared joke from what seemed like ages ago. “Thank you,” he whispered and I saw a tear slide down his cheek. I reached forward to wipe it away and Harry grabbed my hand pulling me closer to him and pressed his lips to mine for a brief second, keeping my hand clutched in his. It felt so strange to kiss Harry. My lips tingled differently then when I used to kiss Mommy and Daddy goodnight.

“You ready to go dear?” the woman asked, coming back into the room. “Which bag is yours?”

“That one,” I said, gesturing to my duffel bag. I kept Harry’s hand clutched in my own, tears sliding down my face. The woman wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began leading me from the room. I kept hold of Harry’s hand, pulling him until his fingers and mine were stretched all the way, barely touching. And then his fingers fell away from mine, falling back to his side. Gone. Forever.

　

Chapter 3

Mr. Milligan

One month later…

The last month had passed quickly at the orphanage. John left me alone, too afraid that Harry would hit him again. For a few days, his bruise rivaled Harry’s, and I was surprised that Harry had the strength to bruise John so badly. Harry’s bruise faded, although it wasn’t forgotten. He and I spent all of our time together, rarely leaving the safety and comfort of our room, and each other.

I still hadn’t witnessed one of Mr. Milligan’s drunken rampages. I was fortunate for that. There were a few times when he had wrecked the kitchen or gone into another room closer to his office, but I had yet to see him in person. And I didn’t want to. I was more terrified of him then ever, especially after what he did to Harry. It was unforgivable in my eyes, and my greatest fear.

I had witnessed my first adoption though. A girl named Mary was adopted by a preacher and his wife, a nice couple. Mr. Milligan dressed us up in his fanciest clothes and had us all stand in the hallway, like pets on display. The preacher and his wife, looking uncomfortable, made their way past us and into Mr. Milligan’s office. When they came out, they chose Mary and left, filing the papers. I hated it. They were choosing on what Mr. Milligan said and looks alone. It didn’t seem fair to me. They knew nothing about her, except for what she looked like. They didn’t give anyone else a chance. Mary was a very nice girl, of course, but they could’ve at least talked to her before taking her home with them.

Harry and I were sitting on his bed, reading. We were both in our pajamas, since it was almost bedtime. Harry had one of his few books out, my favorite. We had already read it tons of times, but it never got old, at least not to me. We were both lying on our stomachs next to each other. Harry played with my hair when he got bored, taking a few stands and twisting them together, braiding them, before untying them again. It felt very nice. Just like what my mother used to do to me.

“My mom used to play with my hair all the time,” I told him softly. I rarely, if ever, talked about my parents to Harry. He froze, his fingers dropping my hair. “Don’t stop! I like it,” I protested quickly, and Harry picked up the strands he had dropped and went back to playing with them. He was quiet for a moment. He knew my parents were hard for me to talk about. After the first night with him, I never mentioned them. It hurt too much. I flipped the page of my book and continued reading.

“Do you miss them?” he whispered after a moment. I sighed.

“Every day,” I answered softly. “I thought time was supposed to make the pain go away. But it still hurts. I still miss them so much.” I stared at the words on the book, not really reading. I was trying not to cry. I hated to be weak, especially in front of someone as strong as Harry.

“I miss my parents too,” Harry admitted after a second. “It doesn’t make you not brave to miss your parents. It just makes you human.”

“I know.” There was a moment of silence, but it was comfortable. I was always comfortable with Harry.

“Your birthday is September 16th right?” Harry asked suddenly.

“Yeah,” I answered, sounding confused. “I’ll be ten.”

“That’s only in two weeks. Are you excited?”

“Not really,” I said, shrugging. “I mean, it’s not like I’m going to get much of a celebration. It’s just another day.” And it was true. I was never a huge fan of birthdays in the first place, and without my parents, it just seemed useless. The only person I wanted to spend my birthday with was Harry. And I got that every day. Plus, time didn’t seem to mean much here. It just flew by, never meaning anything. And it’s not like I was going to change in some huge way just because I was ten.

“Come on Nora,” Harry said, nudging me with his shoulder. “Double digits! It’s a big deal,” He insisted eagerly.

“Not to me. I don’t expect any presents or anything. It’s just another day,” I repeated.

“Nora it’s not though. Your birthday is important and—” Harry froze suddenly, his eyes going wide. I froze too, instinctively, listening. I could hear thundering footsteps coming down the hallway, too loud to be any child in the place.

“Go!” Harry hissed, half shoving me off the bed. I stumbled off, trying to be quiet, nearly falling. Harry followed instantly, the book in his hands. He pushed me under the bed, following quickly, popping open our secret hiding place and shoving the book inside. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into the furthest corner, against the wall. I could see the door clearly from my position, but I knew we’d be all but invisible underneath the bed.

There was thundering footsteps and banging of doors as Mr. Milligan went on a rampage. I knew then that I was witnessing my first drunken rampage. I knew he was going to come into our room. It sounded like he was going into every room in the hall. I was terrified, shaking like a leaf under Harry’s arms. He shushed me sympathetically, and I tried to make my breathing silent. It seemed impossible. My breath seemed to echo throughout the room, my heartbeat as loud as trumpets.

And then there was a huge smash and our door was flung open. I could see Mr. Milligan standing in the doorway with red, bloodshot eyes, stumbling. He half ran into the room, stumbling until he caught himself on my bed. I could only see his legs now and I watched as he steadied himself, seeming uncomfortable on his own two legs. He was still for a moment, trying to regain his balance. When he did, he stumbled over to the dresser, ripping open a drawer.

“Let’s see what the little girl is hiding,” he growled. Clothes started flying in every direction. I recognized my pajamas, shirts, sweatpants and jeans flying across the room in every direction. One shirt flew underneath the bed towards us, and I saw a sleeve had been ripped off. My chin quivered.

“Nothing!” he hissed, ripping the drawer out of the dresser and tossing it onto the floor. “Did her parents not love her enough to give her some heirlooms?” His words hit home and I choked back a sob, placing my fist in my mouth to muffle the sound, just in case. Mr. Milligan didn’t notice as he ripped open a second drawer and Harry’s clothes began flying around the room. I knew that Mr. Milligan had no idea what he was talking about, that he was just angry and drunk. My parents did love me; everything they gave me was either hidden under the floorboard or locked up somewhere safe until I turned eighteen.

When he finished ripping through Harry’s clothes he let out a frustrated roar, tossing Harry’s drawer across the room so it hit the wall with a bang. I jumped and Harry held me closer, rubbing his fingers along my arm soothingly. I closed my eyes, burying my head in my arms, hiding my face. It was ridiculous what Mr. Milligan was doing. It was scary and mean and unnecessary. Mr. Milligan kicked the door open and stormed out, slamming it so hard behind him that the single window in our room rattled.

Harry waited at least ten minutes before crawling out from under the bed. The entire house was silent; the only sounds our breathing and my pounding heartbeat. Harry wordlessly grabbed his drawer and fit it back into the dresser, having to push and shove with effort. I followed suit, grabbing my own, less damaged drawer and placing it underneath his. We began shuffling around the room silently; picking up clothes and folding them before placing them back in their respective drawers. I didn’t want to break the tense silent, but I wanted desperately to say something. When all of our clothes were safely put away, the room back to normal, I turned to Harry.

“Looks like we’ll have to throw away that shirt,” he said. The tone of his voice made it clear that he had seen this many times, and that it still affected him, although he was trying not to show it. “But everything else seems to have survived. That’s good.”

“Right,” I said breathlessly. “Sure.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that Nora,” Harry said, his shimmering green eyes going soft and apologetic. “Mr. Milligan is an awful man.”

“I know,” I said quickly. “I’m okay. It was just…really scary.”

“It won’t be as scary next time,” Harry promised, although I doubted his words could be true.

“Sure,” I agreed anyways, trying to comfort myself as much as him. “At least it’s clothes and not us.” Harry shivered.

“I don’t know what I would do if that was ever you,” he whispered, his voice horrified. He shuddered again.

“It won’t be,” I told him, much more confidently then I felt.

“No, of course not,” he agreed instantly. “We should probably get to bed.”

“Yeah…sure.” Harry handed me Bunny, who was tucked under his pillow. “Thanks.” I pulled her into my arms and climbed onto the bed, curling up under the blankets as I shivered. I clutched Bunny closer, trying not to think about what just happened.

But it didn’t work. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mr. Milligan, slamming the door open, tossing our clothes around the room. I saw his bloodshot, red eyes, glaring at the room. I could hear the bang of the dresser drawer hitting the wall and Mr. Milligan’s thundering footsteps as he stormed around our room like a rampaging bull. My shivers had nothing to do with the cold. I was terrified. More then terrified, I was petrified. I kept thinking Mr. Milligan was coming back, but going to take his anger out on me or Harry instead of our clothes.

I jumped out of bed, clutching Bunny in one hand and my blanket in the other. I walked tentatively to Harry’s bed, biting my lip indecisively. He was facing the opposite wall, his back to me. I knew he wasn’t asleep—his breathing was too erratic. He was curled into a ball and shivering a bit. I could tell he was scared, although I knew he would never admit it.

“Harry?” I whispered softly. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight? I’m really scared.” My voice shook as I spoke. Harry rolled over, glancing at me. His eyes met mine, and as he read the raw panic in mine, he patted the bed next to him, sliding halfway across the bed so we could both fit. I gratefully crawled into bed next to him, pulling my blanket over both of us. It was warmer with the two old blankets instead of just one. I snuggled closer to Harry, my head resting on his chest, his heartbeat right beneath my ear. Bunny was squished between us, but Harry’s arms still felt safe, comforting and warm.

I closed my eyes, feeling extremely safe with Harry. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. His breathing became steady and I closed my eyes, letting the lullaby of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.