Harriet scratched her head, her eyes fixed on Zoey's sleeping form. She had planned to sleep alone in her room at the vacation house, but Zoey had fallen asleep after crying, and now Harriet couldn't bring herself to disturb Miaâwho was supposed to be Zoey's roommate for their getaway.
"What the hell am I thinking?" she muttered under her breath, sinking down onto the floor. She leaned her back against the wall, fingers tugging at her hair as if trying to keep her sanity in check. With a frustrated sigh, she threw her head back, staring at the ceiling. Her hand drifted to her chest, tapping lightly over her heart, hoping to calm the erratic rhythm beneath her palm. You're not supposed to feel this way, Harriet. What are you even thinking?
"She had a heart transplant..." Harriet mumbled, turning her head to glance at Zoey's peaceful face. She sighed, still trying to process everything Zoey had shared. "How much more can life throw at you?" she whispered bitterly.
A hollow laugh escaped her lips. "And here I am, thinking losing Sophie was the end of my world." Harriet shrugged, feeling a pang of guilt. Her eyes lingered on Zoey, and for the first time in a while, her own heartbreak seemed small compared to the pain Zoey had endured.
Harriet stood up and walked toward the bed, sighing as she sat on the edge. "I need to sleep beside you because, clearly, I don't want to sleep in the living room," she muttered softly, tapping the pillow lightly before pulling the blanket over herself. She turned her back to Zoey, determined to avoid any temptation or awkwardness. Another sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off to sleep.
Zoey stirred, furrowing her brow slightly as she felt the warm breath of someone close to her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, glancing upward only to find Harriet's face inches away, peacefully asleep.
What the fuck? Zoey cursed inwardly, her eyes widening in shock. She quickly checked herself, relieved to find she was fully clothed. But then she realized her current positionânestled against Harriet's arm, with Harriet's other hand resting on her waist, and her own hand entwined with Harriet's.
She gulped, trying to carefully slip away, but Harriet instinctively pulled her closer, tightening her hold. So close... Zoey thought, shutting her eyes as Harriet's soft scent enveloped herâdelicate and soothing, unexpectedly calming her nerves.
"You're not supposed to smell me like that, sweetheart," Harriet's sleepy voice mumbled, her lips barely moving.
Zoey's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly pushed Harriet away, flustered. "What the hell, you're already awake?"
"I just woke up," Harriet said groggily, releasing her hold on Zoey's waist and rubbing her eyes. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Ugh, such a headache," she mumbled, massaging her temples, clearly trying to brush off the moment.
"But why am I in your room? I didn't do anything crazy last night, did I?" Zoey asked, sitting up quickly and instinctively putting some distance between herself and Harriet.
Harriet glanced at her, chuckling softly before closing her eyes again. "No, you just fell asleep after crying. Nothing crazy," she assured her, her voice calm.
Zoey groaned, smacking her forehead. "Gosh," she muttered under her breath. "Sorry, I disturbed you again." She laughed awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by the situation.
Harriet opened her eyes, sat up, and turned to face Zoey. "You don't have to apologize," she said gently. "I brought you here because I figured Mia was already asleep. It's no big deal, really." She gave Zoey a small, reassuring smile. "You didn't disturb me."
Zoey peeked out from Harriet's door before quietly slipping out, closing it behind her. She tiptoed her way to the room she was assigned with Mia, carefully opening the door just enough to peek inside. To her relief, Mia was nowhere to be found. Great! she thought, knowing that Mia would've mercilessly teased her if she had seen her coming back.
Quickly, Zoey grabbed some clothes from her bag and rushed to the bathroom. She needed to be fast, in case Mia returned. After getting ready, she headed outside, strolling toward the garden for some fresh air.
"Oh, Zoey!" Zoey silently cursed as Mia's voice cut through her thoughts. She turned to see everyone already gathered in the gardenâeveryone except Harriet.
She forced a small smile, walking over to them, nodding awkwardly. "Where did you sleep last night? You didn't come back to our room," Mia asked, handing her a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
Zoey gulped, feeling the weight of everyone's gazes on her, waiting for her response. Just as she was about to say something, a voice interrupted. "She slept in my room."
Zoey turned to her side and saw Harriet standing next to her, already looking her way.
"Really?" Mia asked, giving Zoey a mischievous look.
Harriet scoffed, lightly flicking Mia's forehead. "Yeah, she slept in my room after we talked last night. What's going on in that brain of yours?"
Mia pouted, rubbing her forehead. "Just talked?" she asked, her eyes darting between Zoey and Harriet.
"Just talked," Zoey and Harriet said in unison. Zoey gripped her glass tightly, catching Harriet's gaze and feeling a flutter of something she couldn't quite name.
"Alright, just talked..." Mia laughed, and soon enough, the rest joined in, teasing them both.
Harriet just shrugged and gently guided Zoey into her arms. "Sit here," Harriet said, tapping the chair beside her. Zoey, momentarily speechless, followed without question. Harriet pulled up another chair close by and sat down, her presence calm but protective.
Zoey felt a light nudge on her side and turned to find Vera grinning at her. "Wow, you've made some progress," Vera teased, her smile playful.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, confused. "What progress?" she asked, leaning in closer.
Vera motioned toward Harriet with her mouth. "Harriet being all touchy? That's new," Vera said with a playful shrug, trying not to burst into laughter.
Zoey's face heated up, and she quickly glanced at Harriet, who seemed completely unbothered. "Is she really?" Zoey whispered, still processing the whole thing.
Vera winked. "Oh yeah, you're special," she said, smirking as Zoey rolled her eyes, trying not to let Vera's teasing get to her.
Zoey glanced at Harriet, letting out a quiet sigh. Special? Zoey chuckled inwardly, dismissing the thought. No, that can't be right.
Harriet, sensing Zoey's gaze, turned to her, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.
Zoey blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Huh?" she replied, clearly distracted.
Harriet leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You're staring at me like you're trying to figure something out."
Zoey's breath caught in her throat as she became acutely aware of everyone else watching them. "You're too close," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zoey's heart raced as Harriet leaned in even closer, her teasing smirk making it hard to breathe. "And?" Harriet asked again, her voice low, challenging.
Zoey gulped, suddenly hyper-aware of everyone watching them. She glanced around, seeing Vera grinning like she was watching the best part of a movie, while Mia's raised eyebrows hinted at her growing curiosity.
"You're... too close," Zoey mumbled again, her voice barely a whisper this time, feeling the warmth of Harriet's breath on her skin.
Harriet's smirk deepened. "Does it bother you?" she asked, her tone playful but filled with something moreâsomething that sent a shiver down Zoey's spine.
Zoey swallowed hard, her mind racing for a response but finding nothing that would make sense in the moment. All she could do was shake her head slightly, her face turning red as she fought to keep her composure.
Harriet chuckled softly and leaned back, as if savoring Zoey's flustered state. "Good," she said, the word dripping with satisfaction as she settled back into her chair, leaving Zoey completely rattled.