In the morning, I slightly open my eyes and close them.
"Harriet?" A knock on a door disturbs my attempt to go back to sleep.
"Kit?" I mumble.
"Harriet, wake up." He says as he opens the door.
"Did you shower already?" I ask him in a sleepy voice.
"Yep. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Anything."
"Fine, go back to sleep, and then eat when you wake up. I will be back later." He leaves the room and closes the door.
I am woken up by the sound of knocking for the second time. I take a glance at the digital clock on the bedside table, it is 13:00! I open the door, and Kit is smirking and folding his arms. I admit to myself that he looks amazing in his simple blue jeans and black t-shirt. If I had any friends from campus, they would probably go crazy over him. I would have been glad to hook him up with one of them. He deserves love and to have fun as well.
"It's time to go," he says.
Then he ruins everything.
"But I don't want to go yet," I walk back into the room. He follows me into the room. Then he takes a remove and opens the curtains.
"You are still in your pyjamas." He points out.
"I wasn't aware."
"Please. I understand what you are going through. I really want you to stay, but I don't want to get into trouble with your parents for keeping you here."
I roll my eyes at him.
"Lucky for me, I don't care if you roll your eyes at me. Go take a shower, and then we'll eat, so that I can take you home."
"If you don't want me here, just say so."
"Are your bags ready?" He ignores my attempts at emotional blackmail.
"Can't you let me stay for one more night?"
"No, that's what you said last night."
I find my bags packed already. A smile forms on my lips. It feels like the days when he used to help me pack whenever I had to go somewhere. It was always him or my mom. He has an ability to make things fit in a bag.
He is sitting on a couch, and he is deeply concentrating on his phone, with all my bags next to him.
I begrudgingly take two bags, and struggle with the third bag.
"You look like a lady," he bows.
"Let me help you. Are you not hungry?" He tries to take the bags from me.
"No! I will do it myself," I grunt.
He sits back on the couch.
I carry two bags, then put them back on the floor. If I take two bags, he would follow me with the last one. If I take one bag, he would follow me with two bags. He grins, and I don't have to ask to figure that he knows what I'm thinking.
"Fine, let's go." I say to him.
I carry one back and wheel the other bag, and we fight over who gets to take two.
"Take two, and I'll take one. I'm fine with it anyway. I need to send a text to someone." He walks away.
I carry my heavy bag and drag another. He carries my remaining bag with ease, and then when he opens the door, I find a porter who takes my bags and puts them on a luggage trolley.
"Thank you, James." He says with a grin.
I frown.
"You have always been so stubborn." He says as we follow James.
"You have always been competitive." I remind him.
"I'm not competitive anymore. I found a solution for both of us. You know what I would've done if we were still kids."
I chuckle in realization.
He would've let me carry the bags until I begged for his help, and then he would remind me of my stubbornness.
" See?" He smirks.
We get to his car, and he drives to Mc Donald's.
"I love you." I say as he pulls over.
He raises his eyebrows.
"You haven't changed. You can't let me say I love you."
"It's too much. Also, you love me for the burger, not me."
"I'm paying," I take out my phone and I quickly tap on the machine.
"But..." He looks at me defeated.
I laugh at him.
"No, buts. You took me out and paid for everything. You let me stay in your expensive hotel for free, and then you are driving me home."
"I'm always expected to pay. Even by my parents." He shrugs.
"Disadvantages of being a billionaire at your age."
Kit's parents are millionaires, but he managed to make more money than them. In their defence, Kit still ate out of their pockets while he made more money.
"I really missed you," he smiles.
"Hey, look who is getting emotional now."
We laugh it off, then we sit down to eat the smallest cheeseburgers and fries. We both agree that it is the safest choice, since my mother is going to force us, especially him, to eat as much as possible.
When we get home, my mother is overjoyed to see Kit.
"Forgive the messy house. I was doing laundry and many other things."
"That's not a problem, Mrs Marner." He gives my mom a kiss on the cheek.
Mom tries to update Kit on everything that has happened since he left, and him being his usual self, he partakes in the gossip.
"Where is dad?" I ask mom.
"He is in the garden."
"Okay, I'm going to see him, while the two of you gossip."
I ask Kit to help me take the bags to my room. Then we tell mom that we'll be in the garden.
We find my dad tending to the flowers.
He takes off his gloves and squeezes me in a hug, while my feet are raised above the ground.
"I'm so happy to have both my kids back," dad says, as he also squeezes Kit in a hug.
Kit volunteers to stay in the garden, and I help mother tidy up and prepare a meal.
We sit for dinner.
Just like old times, Kit and my mother gossip, then I talk to dad about gardening.
My mom loves to talk to Kit. He always entertains her, and he supports her when she judges others.
For the rest of the evening, mom takes care of Kit.
"Kit, let me get you a little more helping of a salad."
"Are you okay Kit?"
"How is the aircon?"
"Tell us about your trip."
Kit assures my mother that he will be at Blue River for a while.
"Even when this one is not around, you should come." She says to him.
"I also missed a gardening companion." My dad grins.
"Dad, I'm here." I whine.
"For when you are not here."
After dinner, I walk Kit to the car.
Kit gives me a peck on the cheek.
He drives off, and I turn face the house that has suddenly turned into a giant monster.
I take snail steps towards it. I open the door fast, and my pace quickens.
"I am extremely exhausted. Goodnight everyone." I don't stop, and I yawn with as much exaggeration as possible.
"We haven't seen your results yet." My mom walks after me.
"Oh! That? We can do it tomorrow." I pause and then I go to the table where they have been seated.
"No, please show us." I take out my phone, and they are delighted to see what they see.
"You are meant for great things in life. That is what we usually tell those losers." My mom says.
"Will you please forward them to me?" She continues.
"No." I shake my head.
"Let her be. We can still talk about the results without posting them. Everyone around here knows that our daughter is smart." Dad says to mom, and I sneak to my room while they discuss the right course of action.
Thirty minutes later, I get text from Kit, informing me that he is at the hotel. I send him a heart emoji.
The guilt weighs on me. I have never been deceptive to my parents, and now I had just shown them my tweaked chemistry results.
The next text is from Jay. My heart almost leaps out of my chest. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
I open the text with unsteady fingers.
Hi babe. I really am sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. I booked a plane to get there tomorrow. Can we have dinner? So that we can talk?
I immediately text yes. He replies with a heart emoji.
I almost do a happy dance, and I fall asleep with a smile.