Until Harry(31)

I exited the bathroom and headed back down the hallway towards my room. I glared at Kale, who still had his arse parked on the floor right next to my doorway. I shook my head as I stepped over his legs and entered my room, closing the door behind me.

Again, he said nothing to me; he didn’t make a single sound.

Damn stubborn lad.

I busied myself for the next hour with homework and some reading. I couldn’t get into either one, though. Anna’s cruel words and Ally’s shrill laughter replayed over and over in my mind on an endless loop. I glanced at my bedroom door, and after a moment I stood up and walked over to it. I reached out for the handle, and after a few seconds of hesitation, I gripped the handle and pulled the door open.

He was still there.

Still sitting outside my room, waiting for me to let him in. I stepped back and opened the door as wide as it would go. I said nothing, but Kale knew what I was offering. He pushed himself to his feet and entered my room.

I closed the door and turned around to face him. He was standing in the middle of my room, with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans as he stared at me. He gazed at me with sad hazel eyes. I was more than ready to tell him off and be mad at him, but when he silently lifted his arms and opened them to me, I broke down.

I felt a lump form in my throat as I walked into his embrace. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my head against his chest. His arms tightly closed around me; he even rubbed his right hand up and down my back to soothe me like he usually did when I was sad.

Damn him.

Why does he make it so hard to stay mad at him? I angrily thought.

I didn’t know how long we stood there holding onto one another, but when I calmed down enough to speak, I pulled back and looked up at him. He smiled down at me, his beautiful barely there dimples creasing his cheeks.

“Hey, Laney Baby,” he whispered.

I burst into tears and rewrapped my arms around his body. He lightly vibrated as he chuckled and put his arms back around me.

I pulled back once more. “I’m sad, Kale.”

He looked at me, his eyes heavy with anguish. “If I have to convince you that Anna O’Leary and Ally Day are just jealous of you, then you aren’t the smart girl I know you are.”

I grunted and moved away from him, and walked over to my mirror, where I glared at my appearance.

“They were right, though,” I said as I gazed at the hideous flaws Anna had evilly pointed out. “Look at me. I’m disgusting.”

Kale came up behind me and looked me in the eye; he was over a head taller than me, so he did this easily.

“Tell me what you see when you look into the mirror and see your reflection,” he urged.

I felt heat stain my cheeks. “A fat, ugly cow.”

He shook his head. “Do you want to know what I see?”

“No, not really,” I replied.

He ignored me and said, “I see a beautiful girl whose smile brightens up a room. I see a beautiful girl whose eyes are so warm and welcoming, they make people feel at ease with one glance. I see a beautiful girl who cares for others and loves so hard it’s impossible not to love her back just as hard. I see a beautiful girl who is so stunningly gorgeous, she will break her father’s and brothers’ hearts when she realises just how incredible she is and decides to give her heart to another. I see a beautiful girl who just doesn’t see how beautiful she really is.”

That was it; I was once again a blubbering mess.

“Damn you, Kale Hunt,” I cried, and turned to him once more, wrapping myself around him.

He held me to him and kissed the crown of my head. “There isn’t a hair on your head that isn’t beautiful, Laney Baby. Everything about you is beautiful; I’ve known that since the first day I saw you.”

I surprisingly laughed through my blubbering. “You first met me when I was two hours old. I probably looked like a shrivelled-up prune.”

“You did,” Kale agreed, “but a beautiful shrivelled-up prune.”

I shoved him, and he laughed, so I laughed with him. I pulled back from him and walked over to my bed.

“How can you remember back so far? You were only three when I was born.” I climbed onto my bed and turned to face Kale, who took a seat on the chair in front of my desk.

“I remember everything about the day I first saw you, Lane. It was the first time I ever saw an angel in the flesh.”

I covered my face as it burned up.

“Shut up. You’re so full of it!” I screeched.

He laughed. “Give over – you know you’re my angel.”

On the inside I purred with delight; on the outside I played it off with a roll of my eyes.

“Yeah, well, this angel is getting a makeover,” I said and pushed my long, dull brown hair over my shoulder.