AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for sticking by me during my summer hiatus. Or whatever it was. I love you and appreciate you! Please comment and let me know your thoughts, or follow me on Twitter if you just want to chitter-chat and talk dirty about how HOT Harry is.

Expect PRAIRIE to be updated this weekend, and more STRONG next week, because I don't have any assignments due! SWEET. xo

TWITTER: @lovethedinklage

*****

HARRY:

"Even if she does fall in love with you, years of looking after you and being in a sexless relationship will take its toll. She might stay out of guilt, but she'll be miserable. Is that what you want, Harry?"

Her words shouldn't affect me since I'm well aware of her motivation, but in my weakened state she manages to penetrate my armor, leaving me tired and emotionally numb.

"I just want to be alone. Please." Please get the fuck out before I have a nervous breakdown.

"Okay, baby," her lips brush my cheek in a goodbye. "We can talk about it more tomorrow."

"Alright," I say. Anything to get her out of the house.

Goodnights are quick after that.

I praise God briefly that she's gone, and then for the first time since my childhood, I cry myself to sleep.

*****

SHERRY

I'm a little pissed when Kate drops me off at Harry's for "work" Monday night because I didn't hear from him at all on Sunday. I texted him to ask how things went with Paige, even sending a follow-up note to see how he was feeling. He didn't respond to either. If he hooked back up with Bitchy McBitcherson, he should at least have the balls to tell me.

The housekeeper lets me in, looking a little wary despite my friendly greeting. Am I underdressed? Harry said scrubs were "hospital-y," so I'm comfy in my jeans and Hank Williams Jr. t-shirt. I even wore my Monday panties just in case.

"Everything okay, Mrs. Daniels?"

"I thought we agreed you were going to call me Julie?" She reminds me.

I smile and repeat my question, this time using her name of preference. Why wasn't I better with names?

"Mr. Twist wanted me to give you this." Julie hands me an envelope that feels oddly weighted and then rushes off to the kitchen.

Being a person with zero patience, I immediately rip open the envelope while I'm still standing in the foyer. There's a set of keys and a note from Mr. Twist. One key is for the house and the other is for Harry's new car. Mr. Twist wrote that while Harry is incapacitated, I might as well put his car to good use so it isn't sitting in the garage rotting a gasket. I grin to myself at his phrasing and briefly imagine myself speeding around town in his sports car before I head down the hall to Harry's room.

As I approach, Liam makes a swift exit, a look of concern flashing across his face before he can mask it with a smile.

"What's going on here? Everyone is acting weird." I whisper to him in the hallway.

"What?" Liam looks confused.

"Julie was strange, and now you. It's like y'all have been body snatched or something. Replaced with aliens."

"Are alien abductions common in Texas?" Liam asks with an awkward chuckle.

"That's a movie, dork. Invasion of the Body Snatchers?"

"Never heard of it," Liam shrugs in passing. "Tell Harry 'good night' for me," he yells as he runs down the hallway making a hasty exit.

"What has gotten into these people?" I laugh as I enter Harry's room and set my things on top of the dresser. I notice a lot of extra things in the room that weren't here before.

"What's all this stuff?" I ask, turning to Harry for answers.

Harry sits and stares, his mouth agape and cheeks a little red.

"What? Is something on my face?" I swing around to look in the mirror at myself. Seeing nothing, I check my teeth quickly before turning back to Harry.

"Umm. You're fired," he says in a quiet, pained voice.

"What do you mean I'm fired? No one told me I was fired? What for?"

"Dad didn't tell you?" Harry inquires, unable to hold my gaze.

"No, dad didn't tell me. In fact, dad gave me keys to the house and your new car." I hold up the envelope and shake it so he can hear the keys rattle.

"What the fuck? I told him to fire you." Exasperated and confused, he covers his face with his one good hand, then drags it slowly upward through his hair. One more glance at me and his hand is back over his face again. Hiding.

What the fuck is going on? Did he get back with Paige and she's forcing him to fire me? Did she tell his dad she caught us messing around? And if I was fired, why didn't someone tell me about it? Is this why Julie and Liam acted so strangely?

I pull out my phone and ring Mr. Twist, but there's no answer. I leave him a voice message to call me and then I sit in the chair by Harry's bed and give him the once-over. He still has his hand over his face, but I catch him peek at me from between his fingers. Pussy.

"Harry. Stop being ridiculous. Take your hand away."

"I don't want to," he retorts. I can hear his pout.

"Goddammit Harry," I get up and grab his wrist with both my hands and try to wrestle his hand away from his face. "Don't . . . be . . . a . . . baby." I grunt out the words amidst the struggle, wondering why I am not winning since I have two good hands and he only has one.

I hear him stifle a laugh and realize I've got to fight dirty. I take one hand from his wrist and tickle his left side and armpit.

"Tickling is not fair! I'm handicapped! I AM HANDICAPPED!" Harry squeals out the words between peals of laughter, but I'm relentless, not to mention pissed off. This little fucker wants me fired. His laughter weakens him and I easily pull his hand away.

"I am not fucking fired, Harry," I huff as I wrestle his good hand back against his pillow. "Take it back! I'm not fired! Say it, Harry!"

Our eyes meet briefly and his smile fades. Good. He needs to—

Harry's good arm quickly pulls me in and his lips are on mine in a desperate kiss. My senses are overwhelmed in such a way that the only thing I can do is respond. He deftly parts my lips with his tongue, and despite the current situation, I do not consider stopping him. His tongue fills my mouth and I suck on it, crawling into his bed to accept his hungry kiss. My hands lightly stroke his cheeks, and then drop to his neck before finally sliding around beneath his long hair.

A muffled moan escapes Harry's lips and he pulls back. Breathless, he says, "I've missed you."