Page 98 of Tangled Desires

I press my hands to my face, hoping no one hears me fall apart over something as ridiculous as this. But no, this stupid, infuriating thing is going to make me go to bed with my hair wet.The very thing I can’t stand. And now, I’m crying because I can’t even handle that.

“Immyyyyy, girl. I’m home!” Harrison’s voice drifts in from the front door, cheerful, like I’m not sitting here losing my mind. “We brought snacks. Mikey’s here.”

A strawberry thick shake and hot chips. Ice cream and chips. They stand frozen in the doorway, eyes wide at the sight of me, tears streaming down my face. I cry harder. This is so stupid.Fuck you, hormones.

Harrison’s by my side in a second, his hand brushing my shoulder gently. “What’s wrong, baby? What happened?”

“Nothing,” I croak, trying to suck it up. “It’s stupid.”

“No. Nothing is stupid when it comes to you. Tell me.” He’s persistent, his eyes so soft as he kneels in front of me. “Why haven’t you dried your hair yet?”

That’s it. That’s the problem.

“I can’t,” I whisper. “My back is killing me, and every time I lift my hands up to blow-dry my hair…” I choke on the words, the sobs wrecking me. “Th-they cramp up…”

I see Harrison’s jaw tighten. He stands up, glancing at Michael, who’s still stuck in the doorway, confusion plastered on his face. “Yeah, she’s yours, man. I’ll be inside.” Michael’s out of there faster than I can blink. Harrison doesn’t even waste a second. He’s right in front of me again.

“Turn around, sugar.”

“Wait, why?” I ask, dazed.

“Because I’m gonna blow-dry your hair for you, that’s why.”

I stare at him, unsure whether to laugh or cry harder. “What?”

“You heard me.”

I sniffle, feeling ridiculous, but I turn around, anyway. What else can I do? This is it. I’m that tired.

He powers on the blow-dryer, the rush of heat almost making me flinch as he holds it too close.

“Fuck, sorry,” he mutters, his voice soft as he adjusts it.

“Hold it back a little. Move it side to side quickly over the ends.” My voice cracks slightly, and I can’t stop it. He doesn’t say anything. Just moves the hair dryer exactly like I told him. He’s slow and unsure, but he’s doing it.Harrison is blow-drying my hair.

It takes longer than I would’ve, but hell, he’s trying. He’s doing something as simple as drying my hair, and I’m too tired to even mind that he’s not perfect at it. I don’t even care. I close my eyes for a second, focusing on the warmth of the dryer, the smell of it mixed with the faint scent of strawberry from the thickshake he brought. I’ve got no idea why, but my chest tightens.

A stupid, simple moment, and I feel like I could cry all over again. Harrison finishes drying my hair, the sound of the blow-dryer finally turning off, and I’m left with the soft hum of my thoughts. He runs his fingers through my hair, smoothing it down, and I can’t help but smile.

“You reckon I should fill in for you while you’re on mat leave? Not bad if I do say so myself,” Harrison chirps.

“Oh, shush,” I mutter, wiping my eyes. “I’m sorry for freaking out. I was just—”

“Hey, hey,” he cuts me off, his hand brushing over my face. “Never apologise for being sad or frustrated, okay? I’m here to help you, remember?” He presses a soft kiss to my nose.

God, this man.

“You won’t ever make me forget.”

“Damn right I won’t,” he says, guiding me to my feet. “Come on. We’re gonna sit in the lounge, watch whatever movie you want, and eat all the snacks.” He leads me inside, where Michael’s already lounging on the couch like he’s the king of the world.

I sink down into the couch, relieved to finally sit, and Harrison immediately shifts to sit behind me. His hands are onmy shoulders before I even have a chance to relax, his fingers working into my stiff muscles with surprising tenderness. He presses into my shoulder blades, and the tension I didn’t even realise I was holding starts to melt away. I let out a soft sigh, leaning back into him. His arm wraps around me, pulling me in close as his hands move to my upper arms, massaging the tension from my muscles with slow, steady pressure.

“I appreciate you so much,” I sigh contentedly. “Thank you.”

Harrison tilts my chin up with one finger, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Anything for you, Immy-girl.”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you, too.” Michael rolls his eyes dramatically, looking at us like we’re both nuts. I snort, the sound of Michael’s sarcasm more soothing than I thought it would be.

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