Chapter 33 My eyes crack open, the obnoxious sound of Harry Styles singing about watermelons and a familiar warmth wrapped around me-Henry's arm draped lazily over my waist-mixing in a confusing way. I flail the covers off my legs in a panic at first, and then I realize it's just my phone's new ringtone, and the bewilderment, of course, is because the last time I was wrapped up in a man, I didn't have a phone at all. Henry's still asleep, his breaths slow and even, my initial jolt of movement somehow not rousing him, and because of that, I decide to ignore the call entirely. Henry's still completely naked beside me, his big, strong, muscular frame looking like something out of my wildest fantasies. My mind latches on to the fact that I'm also naked, my clothes still gone from the sex we had late last night. The most perfect, soul-link-affirming, pleasure-bringing sex- Mid-thought, Harry sings again, the ringing getting incessantly louder by the second. Worried my obnoxious phone is going to wake Henry, I Gumby-stretch my arm over to grab my cell off his nightstand without moving otherwise. The screen is bright and offensive to my still-sensitive eyes, but with focus, I see Incoming Call June quickly. Shit. If the last two days are anything to go by, I'd say there's a seventy percent chance she's on her way to my condo right now. "Hello?" I mumble, my voice still involuntarily thick with sleep. "Where the hell are you? Why aren't you here?" June's voice is frantic, and I instantly sit up a little straighter. Okay, maybe she's not on her way anymore and, instead, standing at my door. Henry's arm slides off me, and he finally stirs, his brow furrowing in sleepy confusion. "Are you at my place?" "Of course I'm at your place," she says, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Where the hell else would I be, and why aren't you also here?" "Listen..." I hedge, glancing back at Henry briefly. "Let yourself in with the key-" "I'm already in! I still have my own key!" she cuts me off on a yell. "You didn't answer the door, didn't answer my phone calls or texts, so I decided to come inside and make sure you're still alive, but you're not here! Thank God, you finally answered my freaking call! I was starting to fear the worst! I thought I was going to have to call the cops again and tell them you're missing, Avery! Can you imagine what that's like? To think your best friend is missing for a second-" "June," I quickly cut her off, deciding that I've let her maniacally ramble long enough. "Relax. I'm fine. I'm not missing, okay?" "Relax?" she screeches, and I rub my forehead, already bracing myself for the hormonal storm. Uh-oh, here we go... "Relax?" June screeches again. "Avery, you were missing for two weeks! Do you have any idea what that did to me? And now you're just...not at home? Without telling me where you are? Where are you, Avery? Tell me right now." Henry's watching me now, his head propped up on one hand, his lips twitching like he's trying not to smile at what he's probably overhearing from my conversation with a very loud and worked-up June. But I'm here. In Henry's bed. The very last place a lot of people would expect. Truth be told, I'm not sure if Henry would want my brother Beau to know this. I don't even know what Henry wants out of this. I mean, I'm the one who came to his apartment in the middle of the night, not the other way around. Clearly, something happened between us on the island, but I'm not entirely sure either of us has wrapped our heads around it yet. I don't want to assume and make an ass out of you, me, and our entire families, for Pete's sake. The whole concept of a committed relationship is a foreign adversary in enemy territory with limited resources. I'm used to flitting from one guy to the next and never settling down, and even though I'm fairly certain I've gone and caught a serious case of feelings for Henry, all of that conditioning doesn't just disappear. I glance at his handsome face, the realization undeniable. Yes, I have feelings for him. But fuck, that's kind of scary. "Avery? Hello?" June is in my ear again, impatience dripping from her voice. "Are you there? Where are you?" "I'm here," I answer quickly. "And I...I had an early massage appointment," I lie, the words just kind of rolling off my tongue before I can even think them through. "Self-care, you know? Obviously, I have to get back on track after..." I stop before I can say anything about my being stranded on an island. Clearly, that's a trigger for my best friend. There's a pause on the other end of the line, and I can practically see June narrowing her eyes. "A massage?" "Yes, June. A massage. You know, for sore muscles. Probably a smart idea after having to survive off breadfruit and an occasional fish for thirteen days, don't you think? Or would you prefer I walk around with a constant kink in my neck and end up, like, out of alignment so I can answer your calls?" "Ugh! No! But you could've told me you had an appointment!" she huffs. "I was about to start another freaking search party!" "Juni, honey, do you think it's possible you're being a little controlling?" I tease, hoping to lighten the mood. "I do not care, Avery Banks," she snaps. "You need to keep me updated at all times. Do you hear me? All. Times." "Fine, fine," I say, holding back a laugh. "I'll text you my every move from now on." "You'd better," she mutters. "And don't you dare joke about this. I'm serious." We exchange a few more words, her tone gradually softening as the panic subsides. When we finally hang up, I shoot her a quick text. Me: Just want to keep you updated on my every move. I just got off the phone with my crazy best friend. Our conversation lasted exactly 5 minutes and 43 seconds. Her response is immediate. June: I know you're being a sarcastic biotch right now, but I don't care. Keep doing this. I set the phone down, feeling Henry's gaze on me. When I turn back to him, he's smirking, his head resting on his hand. The sheet is slung low on his hips, and I try not to let my eyes wander. Much. "So...you're at a massage?" he asks, his brow furrowed as we lock eyes. "What was I supposed to say?" I counter, crossing my arms. "'Oh sorry, June, I'm actually at Henry's apartment. Naked.'" He chuckles, but his expression softens. "Why didn't you just tell her you were here?" I bite my lip, looking away. The truth is, I don't know. Or maybe I do, but I'm not ready to say it out loud. "Oh, I don't know, Henry," I eventually answer, a little sharper than I intend. "Maybe because no one knows about what happened between us on the island. Beau certainly doesn't know that we hooked up." Henry's expression shifts, his smirk fading. "Hooked up?" he repeats. "C'mon, Avery. I think you and I were a little more than a hookup. Don't you?" Relief floods through me at the unexpected lash of hurt. If Henry doesn't want me saying things are casual, maybe it's not casual. My heart races with hope I wish I could control. I don't want to be at the will of emotion-it's vulnerable and not at all on-brand for Avery freaking Banks. Unfortunately, that doesn't make my very real feelings any less true. "Then what do you think we are, Henry?" I ask softly, searching his eyes for any signs of bullshit so I can backtrack quickly if I need to. He doesn't hesitate to respond, his eyes open and unguarded. "Well, we're not a hookup. And I definitely think we shouldn't be seeing other people. And we should be seeing each other a lot. Maybe constantly. Especially naked, but not naked as well. It's a pretty even percentage, though, so if pushed, I'd probably give a few extra points to the naked side." My heart skips a beat, and a smile curves one corner of my mouth. He's so freaking cute, I can hardly stand it. "So, we're together?" "Yeah," he says simply, no reluctance at all. "We're together." I'm quiet for a moment, mulling it over. I usually tell June everything, and her, me. Though, when she first got together with my brother, I definitely wasn't at the top of the list for shared information. I've earned a little bit of privacy on this-especially given how quickly I got over my anger when I found out about them. Truly demure of me. Henry's track record with relationships is even worse than mine, but holding him to that standard would be just as bad as holding me to mine, and given how much I forgot my last boyfriend existed, I don't think I'd like that. I have to give this a chance, and yet...it'd be the worst kind of experience to go all in with Henry and then for him to decide he doesn't want to be with me. Where would that leave me? He's Beau's best friend. And if we tell everyone we're together, what if it didn't work out? I need a compromise. At least for now. "Okay, we're together, but I think...just for a little while...we should keep it between us." Henry raises an eyebrow. "So, we're together, but in secret?" I shrug, wanting it to sound a little less clandestine. "Not secret. But...just a little more of our island bubble, but off the island, you know? I want the chance to get to know you, on my own, without you sticking your dick in other women and without my family and our friends making it the biggest deal, like you and I both know they will. Neither of us has committed before. They're going to have a whole freaking circus act to say about it." Henry's laugh fills the otherwise quiet room. "You have nothing to worry about, Avery." He pulls me into his arms, his lips brushing against mine. "I understand your hesitancy, and I'm willing to play along. But just so you know, I'm all yours, bubble or not." He kisses me again, slow and deep, and I melt against him. I'm all yours, bubble or not. Oh boy. I probably like the sound of that way too much.