Permanent
Chapter 25
Ellie Hoover
I walked into the suite and heard Harry singing quietly from the bedroom.
“You took a long time!” He shouted as the main door sounded shut.
“I went to a coffee shop,” I explained, entering the bedroom. “Jesus Christ, Harry,” I crossed my arms over my eyes. “You couldn’t have warned me before I walked in?” I turned to drop my stuff off on the end of the bed.
“It’s not like you can see anything and I don’t know why you’re complaining,” I looked back to see a smug smile on his face.
I rolled my eyes. “You are truly and an annoying bastard. You know that?” He sat in the bath, continuing to smile at me.
“I’m just relaxing. You look frazzled. Do you need a bath as well?”
“I don’t. I bought you a duffel bag. I figured you could fit all of your stuff in here.”
“Thanks, El,” I nodded and went into the bathroom to heat up the shower for myself. “I bought a ticket for you to Seattle too,” I heard Harry’s deep voice once more. “I can reschedule it if you want to stay longer. I just thought it would be easier for you to go back to Santiago with me since you were asleep the whole ride over,” he quickly said.
I leaned against the bathroom’s door frame. “You didn’t have to do that Harry. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, no. I made you take this trip with me,” he reasoned.
“But it was a great trip. You’ve paid for practically everything.”
“A great trip with a horrible ending,” he laughed. “It’s the least I can do. Consider this a Christmas and New Year’s gift.”
“Fine,” I gave in. “Is that more tea?” I pointed at the half empty mug resting on the chair beside the white bath.
“It’s warm water infused with nature crap.”
My breathing sounded in waves as I pushed them out, laughing. “Smartass.”
“There it is again. I was starting to think you forgot my nickname.”
“Good God Harry. I can’t wait to get rid of you,” his face formed to a pout once I made that accusation.
“What time are we leaving?”
“5.”
“Great,” I said before grabbing my clothes and stepping back into the bathroom.
The water warmed my insides as it hit my entire surface of skin. I had gotten quite a tan from being in the sun for the week and I couldn’t be happier. My winter color was never a good look on me. I massaged my scalp with shampoo in my hands as I let my body and mind unleash itself.
I had a hard time figuring out how to react with Harry. I knew he had to be feeling the same as me. After all, I was the one who stopped the kiss the early morning of New Years. On the other hand, we were both intoxicated. He hadn’t brought it up at all though and all he had been doing was joking about us, together. As much as I wanted a together, I knew my desires would pass. We were best friends and it could never work. Plus, he had a girlfriend, stunning, blonde, and the kind of girl Harry should be with. I had no place in romantic relationships. All I had was the dysfunctional scrap of sexual ambiguity with Ben. Ben was a whole different realm to enter. He texted me just about an hour earlier. He was livid over the pictures and articles surfacing around me being with Harry. He also thought I was still with my grandparents. Ben was impulsive, rash, and reckless. His moods scared me, but it was something I had learned to live with. It was my life I had learned to deal with and love. It was comfortable.
Dressed in black jeans and a white v-neck, I walked out of the bathroom.
“Honestly, don’t worry,” I heard Harry’s voice vibrate through the suite. “Baby, I know. I’m sorry,” he paused. “It’s nothing at all. This was a stupid trip to begin with.” I started to pack some of my things in my bag as I continued to eavesdrop. “Don’t cry, please. I’ll be with you before you know it. I really- I- yeah,” he continued. “Don’t listen to anyone. You know me and you know how I feel about you, so listen to me, babe.” I sat on the bed and brushed my wet hair. “You met her and you saw her. We are obviously just best friends. I don’t want you to stress anymore about this.” I walked into the bathroom to apply my makeup. I didn’t want to listen to his conversation any longer. What did he mean about ‘you met and saw her?’ I wasn’t sure what he intended, but his words stung a bit as they adhered to my inner ears and rung each time getting nastier and nastier. He had a perfect relationship and I had no part in it. I couldn’t ruin it in anyway.
I walked out to the main area, where I found Harry sitting on one of the structured leather couches. He looked at me and back to the rug underneath him as he listened to the device he held to his ear.
“Yeah,” he said once more. “Love you. I’ll see you in LA tomorrow.”
“Hallie?” I questioned after a minute of silence.
“Mhmm,” he said looking out the glass window in front of him.
“So it’s one now. I don’t feel like going out to eat and we have food left in the fridge, so would you like me to cook you some lunch?” I asked before going to the kitchen to look at the food.
He didn’t say anything, but I figured he was hungry. I stuck my head farther into the fridge and reached for the chicken. Chicken might be easy enough to cook, I thought. After I set the poultry on the counter, which was only a reach away, I quickly turned back to the fridge. The door swung shut and I nearly screamed.
“How many times have we had this conversation, El? I am not allowing you in the kitchen,” Harry said beside me with his arm over my head and his hand resting on the fridge he just shut.
“You fucker. How the hell did I not hear your huge clumsy feet move here?”
His grin touched the corner of his eyes and I realized the mistake I just made.
“You know what they-“
“Don’t say it,” I interrupted him.
“Alright, alright,” he backed off the fridge. “So chicken? Let me teach you a few things.” And that’s what he did.
“So this is it?” Harry looked at me. My flight was already boarding.
“Yep. Thanks Harry, really. For everything. You have my number, so yeah. Uh good luck,” I forced out awkwardly.
“Oh, don’t give me that. I may be going on tour but I’ll see you. I’ll see you,” he said before pulling me in for a long hug.
“You have to catch your flight. Bye smelly Ellie. Let me know when you get there,” he said as he released me.
“Bye, smartass. Let me know when you get back to sunshine.” He nodded and I turned my head as I took a step closer into reality. This time as I headed toward my plane, there would be no magical surprises. This time I had to face the normality of my life, without Harry.
I walked into the suite and heard Harry singing quietly from the bedroom.
“You took a long time!” He shouted as the main door sounded shut.
“I went to a coffee shop,” I explained, entering the bedroom. “Jesus Christ, Harry,” I crossed my arms over my eyes. “You couldn’t have warned me before I walked in?” I turned to drop my stuff off on the end of the bed.
“It’s not like you can see anything and I don’t know why you’re complaining,” I looked back to see a smug smile on his face.
I rolled my eyes. “You are truly and an annoying bastard. You know that?” He sat in the bath, continuing to smile at me.
“I’m just relaxing. You look frazzled. Do you need a bath as well?”
“I don’t. I bought you a duffel bag. I figured you could fit all of your stuff in here.”
“Thanks, El,” I nodded and went into the bathroom to heat up the shower for myself. “I bought a ticket for you to Seattle too,” I heard Harry’s deep voice once more. “I can reschedule it if you want to stay longer. I just thought it would be easier for you to go back to Santiago with me since you were asleep the whole ride over,” he quickly said.
I leaned against the bathroom’s door frame. “You didn’t have to do that Harry. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, no. I made you take this trip with me,” he reasoned.
“But it was a great trip. You’ve paid for practically everything.”
“A great trip with a horrible ending,” he laughed. “It’s the least I can do. Consider this a Christmas and New Year’s gift.”
“Fine,” I gave in. “Is that more tea?” I pointed at the half empty mug resting on the chair beside the white bath.
“It’s warm water infused with nature crap.”
My breathing sounded in waves as I pushed them out, laughing. “Smartass.”
“There it is again. I was starting to think you forgot my nickname.”
“Good God Harry. I can’t wait to get rid of you,” his face formed to a pout once I made that accusation.
“What time are we leaving?”
“5.”
“Great,” I said before grabbing my clothes and stepping back into the bathroom.
The water warmed my insides as it hit my entire surface of skin. I had gotten quite a tan from being in the sun for the week and I couldn’t be happier. My winter color was never a good look on me. I massaged my scalp with shampoo in my hands as I let my body and mind unleash itself.
I had a hard time figuring out how to react with Harry. I knew he had to be feeling the same as me. After all, I was the one who stopped the kiss the early morning of New Years. On the other hand, we were both intoxicated. He hadn’t brought it up at all though and all he had been doing was joking about us, together. As much as I wanted a together, I knew my desires would pass. We were best friends and it could never work. Plus, he had a girlfriend, stunning, blonde, and the kind of girl Harry should be with. I had no place in romantic relationships. All I had was the dysfunctional scrap of sexual ambiguity with Ben. Ben was a whole different realm to enter. He texted me just about an hour earlier. He was livid over the pictures and articles surfacing around me being with Harry. He also thought I was still with my grandparents. Ben was impulsive, rash, and reckless. His moods scared me, but it was something I had learned to live with. It was my life I had learned to deal with and love. It was comfortable.
Dressed in black jeans and a white v-neck, I walked out of the bathroom.
“Honestly, don’t worry,” I heard Harry’s voice vibrate through the suite. “Baby, I know. I’m sorry,” he paused. “It’s nothing at all. This was a stupid trip to begin with.” I started to pack some of my things in my bag as I continued to eavesdrop. “Don’t cry, please. I’ll be with you before you know it. I really- I- yeah,” he continued. “Don’t listen to anyone. You know me and you know how I feel about you, so listen to me, babe.” I sat on the bed and brushed my wet hair. “You met her and you saw her. We are obviously just best friends. I don’t want you to stress anymore about this.” I walked into the bathroom to apply my makeup. I didn’t want to listen to his conversation any longer. What did he mean about ‘you met and saw her?’ I wasn’t sure what he intended, but his words stung a bit as they adhered to my inner ears and rung each time getting nastier and nastier. He had a perfect relationship and I had no part in it. I couldn’t ruin it in anyway.
I walked out to the main area, where I found Harry sitting on one of the structured leather couches. He looked at me and back to the rug underneath him as he listened to the device he held to his ear.
“Yeah,” he said once more. “Love you. I’ll see you in LA tomorrow.”
“Hallie?” I questioned after a minute of silence.
“Mhmm,” he said looking out the glass window in front of him.
“So it’s one now. I don’t feel like going out to eat and we have food left in the fridge, so would you like me to cook you some lunch?” I asked before going to the kitchen to look at the food.
He didn’t say anything, but I figured he was hungry. I stuck my head farther into the fridge and reached for the chicken. Chicken might be easy enough to cook, I thought. After I set the poultry on the counter, which was only a reach away, I quickly turned back to the fridge. The door swung shut and I nearly screamed.
“How many times have we had this conversation, El? I am not allowing you in the kitchen,” Harry said beside me with his arm over my head and his hand resting on the fridge he just shut.
“You fucker. How the hell did I not hear your huge clumsy feet move here?”
His grin touched the corner of his eyes and I realized the mistake I just made.
“You know what they-“
“Don’t say it,” I interrupted him.
“Alright, alright,” he backed off the fridge. “So chicken? Let me teach you a few things.” And that’s what he did.
“So this is it?” Harry looked at me. My flight was already boarding.
“Yep. Thanks Harry, really. For everything. You have my number, so yeah. Uh good luck,” I forced out awkwardly.
“Oh, don’t give me that. I may be going on tour but I’ll see you. I’ll see you,” he said before pulling me in for a long hug.
“You have to catch your flight. Bye smelly Ellie. Let me know when you get there,” he said as he released me.
“Bye, smartass. Let me know when you get back to sunshine.” He nodded and I turned my head as I took a step closer into reality. This time as I headed toward my plane, there would be no magical surprises. This time I had to face the normality of my life, without Harry.
Notes
It's 2015, I don't feel well, and here is chapter 25.
xo.
YOU CAN'T JUST STOP HERE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE!!!
2/25/17