We were better left unspoken


Violet


My eyes rolled to the side in reaction to his obnoxious words. Maybe Ashton is right about him. Harry doesn't seem like he has a decent bone in his entire body. I averted my gaze back onto his emerald eyes before crossing my arms over my chest and standing up a little straighter, gaining a new profound sense of confidence.

“Do you want the honest truth or the sugar coated version of it?” I questioned him, raising my eyebrows at the end.

“I don't care. Just say whatever it is you have to say,” He demanded, frustration evident in his tone of voice.

“Okay…” I sighed. “He basically said that you are an egotistical asshole who doesn't deserve anyone's time of day. And you know what? I'm starting to think he's right Harry,” I confessed bluntly.

As if my words had done more damage than he would've liked, Harry's face contorted in anger laced with hurt. Jaw clenching, his nostrils flared while he glared at me with those green eyes, but they were no longer the shade of their natural pale beauty. No, they were a jaded color filled with malice. Harry leaned forward, and instinctively I moved back until I was at the edge of his car.

“Think whatever you want about me, little red, but I promise you that I couldn't care any less than I do in this moment,” He spat at me. “Now, get your arse off of my car so we can get the hell out of here.”

---

The air between us during our drive was dense with tension. Any attempt made for social interaction had been unsuccessful, and we were stuck in a stubborn phase where two people couldn't find it in themselves to apologize or admit that they were in the wrong.

A soft tune I didn't recognize soon began to fill the car following the sound of fingertips drumming along the steering wheel. My eyes flickered toward Harry's face for a brief moment just to find his jaw still in a tight lock, but before I was able to look away, he caught me staring. I opened my mouth to speak to him, but my lips had trouble forming the words that were on the tip of my tongue. He noticed this too but chose not to say anything either.

I let out a frustrated sigh before covering my face with my hand. I haven't done anything wrong. I reminded myself. I did him a favor by getting rid of Ashton.

“Hey, uh, we'll be out of the city pretty soon so now's our last chance to grab a bite to eat. Do you want anything?” Harry offered, catching me by surprise.

I looked into his eyes and hesitantly nodded my head while moving a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I mean, if it's not too much trouble for you, of course,” I quickly added.

With the shrug of his shoulders, Harry redirected his attention towards the road again and was silent for the duration of the car ride. However, it wasn't until we were seated in a booth at some French restaurant arguing over what I should order when I realized that perhaps some words exchanged between us were better left unspoken.

“I'm not paying for Ratatouille if you it's what you decide to order,” Harry asserted, but his threats didn't sway my decision the slightest bit. My mind had already been made up.

“I never asked you to pay to begin with Harold,” I retorted as I set my menu in the center of the table. “I don't know why you're so against me getting this dish anyway.”

“Because…” He sighed, “it reminds me of rodents, and rats are disgusting.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” I remarked once I caught on. “Ratatouille was just a Disney movie, Harry. I'm ninety-nine percent sure that there are no rats who can secretly cook in Chef Meredith's kitchen.” I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his previous statement.

“You know what, Violet? I'm starting to forget why I was ever attracted to you in the first place. All you ever do is criticize every little thing I say, and sometimes I wish you'd just shut up,” Harry snorted as he leaned further into the cushion of his seat. My jaw dropped open at his words, and I shook my head in frustration.

“Alright, fine. If that's how you truly feel, you won't have to hear a peep out of me for the rest of our trip,” I assured him.

“No, no, that's not what I want. You didn't even let me finish.” He groaned.

I was about to open my mouth to tell him to please continue, but our waiter returned to our booth before I got the chance to speak.

“Are either of you ready to order yet or...?” The waiter, whose name I learned was Francis, asked us.

“Yes, I am,” I told him confidently. He nodded his head and flipped to a clean page in his notepad. “I'd like to order the Ratatouille but without the zucchini and mushroom, if that’s possible.”

“Of course it is. Ratatouille without mushrooms or zucchini, got it,” Francis repeated back to me. “How about you sir?” His focus then shifted to Harry.

“Hmm...” Harry hummed, contemplating his options. “I think I want a falafel sandwich with a glass of Citron Pressé,” He finally decided. “And please, don't add too much lemon juice.”

“Falafel sandwich and Citron Pressé, okay. What would you like to drink madam?”

“I'll have a glass of water with lemon on the side, thank you,” I said to the waiter before giving him our menus.

“No problem. Feel free to call me Francis by the way. I'll be right back with your drinks,” He assured us before heading in the direction of the kitchen.

Then it fell silent again.

---

After a well-deserved lunch, we were on the road again, trying to get me to my destination before sunset. Things had started to become less awkward between us too, and pretty soon I even felt comfortable enough to open my mouth and spark a conversation with him.

“Hey, Harry? Um, I am really sorry about Ashton...” I confessed. “If I could go back and fix things, I would.”

“Don't apologize. What's done is done," Harry simply said, “let's just try and forget about it, yeah?”

A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as my lips curled into a faint smirk. “Alright, but I also want to thank you for agreeing to drive me still. I know I can be a lot to handle, and anyone else probably would've thrown me out of their car by now, but I'm glad you didn't,” I admitted. “You may have half a heart after all.”

“Hey, hey. I may be a lot of things, Violet, but if I know one thing for sure, it is that I am a man of my word,” Harry affirmed, fully confident in his statement. “I always have been, and I always will be.”

“I'm sure you are.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I mean, look at you. I bet your folks must be so proud,” I joked.

His jaw clenched slightly at my words, and his grip around the steering wheel tightened, knuckles flushing white. I guess I hit a nerve. A frown replaced my smile as I debated whether or not I should recant my previous statement, but before I got the chance to say anything, Harry cleared his throat.

“Well, my father died when I was around twelve, but I doubt he'd be proud of the man I've become now,” He unexpectedly said. “My mother sure isn't.”

I felt a slight pang in my chest due to the outcome of my sudden outburst. So much so that it lead me to lean over the center console and place a reassuring hand on top of his. Harry turned his head to look at me, green eyes briefly tracing over my face before settling on my eyes.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that,” I apologized. “But why wouldn't your mum be proud of you though? I hear you have decent grades.”

“You obviously don't know my mother. Straight A's just doesn't cut it.” Harry chuckled, shaking his head.

“My mother's kind of the same way. She's actually the person I'm going to see today.”

“Oh?" He said, sounding quite surprised as he flicked on his indicator and turned the corner. “Do you see her a lot?”

“Not as often as I'd like to. However, I did hear from my uncle that she's getting better, and I wanted to see for myself.” I shrugged.

“Well, you'll be able to find out soon enough. Norwood is at the next exit. Where do you want me to drop you off?” Harry asked.

“I'm staying at Grants Hotel on Swan Road,” I said to him after checking my phone.


It wasn't long before we arrived at our destination, and Harry was helping me unload my duffle bags from his trunk. I heaved a sigh as I strung the bag's strap over my shoulder and smiled at him tiredly. He buried his hands in his front pockets and took a step forward, dimples prominent in his smile.

“How about I help you bring that stuff inside?” Harry proposed, though I knew his real intentions were anything but innocent.

“No, that's okay. I think I'll manage,” I politely declined. “Thank you for the offer though. I appreciate it,” I made sure to add.

“That's a shame...” He shook his head, removing a hand from his pocket to pad his thumb across my cheek. “We could have a lot of fun together.”

“That's probably true, but I'm not looking for a no-strings attached kind of relationship,” I blurted out. “I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime.”

“Oh, I understand. That doesn't mean we can't be friends though, right?”

“Hey, if a platonic relationship is what you want, I think this could be the start of a mind-blowing friendship.”

Harry tipped his head back in a laugh at my words, his eyes reflecting his happiness. I found that I liked this particular shade of green in him. His eyes were like the color of the trees after they had been soaked by the summer rain; deep pools of green that captivated anyone brave enough to look into them. A strange feeling began to develope in the pit of my stomach the longer I stared at his eyes, and it was making me flustered.

“Call me if you need anything. I'll even give you a ride back to school when you decide to leave,” Harry told me.

“Thanks, I'd really like that, Harry. Try not to speed so much on the drive back.”

“No promises.” He dropped his right eye in a wink before turning around and getting back in his car. “Goodbye, Violet.”

“Goodbye, Harry...”

Notes

Hi everyone. It's been a long time since I've updated, and I think you all deserve to know why. Sadly, my current co author is unable to log into the 1D site and I recently found out that she will no longer be helping me write Ink. I'll credit her for the chapters she has written, but I will continue this story alone unless someone else is interested in writing Ink with me? If so personally inbox me.

I ask that you all be patient with me since I am working on finishing Picture Perfect first, but I should update this story every two weeks. I won't have you all waiting one month again, and I'm sorry I couldn't have told you all this sooner.

Please comment, vote, and subscribe if you haven't already. It would help a lot and your feedback is highly appreciated.

Love
-M