small world

chapter 44

HARRY

DAY 8: DENVER, COLORADO (11:23 AM)

The only thing that would have made sleeping in and waking up to the beauty that was Denver, Colorado any better would have been for the doubly radiant Charlotte Parker to be in my arms, her bare skin pressed to mine. But the beautiful mind of Charlie did the best that she could, leaving me to wake this morning with her words laying on my chest, almost like having her sweet little head filled with all her thoughts nuzzled against my body. I reread the letter what felt like a hundred times, each time until this very moment did I overlook a word. A name, one that before was a small detail now became as evident as an elephant in the room, my eyes mentally circling it as they widened: Emma. “There’s a girl named Emma, who is definitely a fan of yours in particular.” A girl named Emma… a fan of me specifically. Emma. It couldn’t be. It was a wild coincidence, the universe messing with my head, punishing me for the decision I had made exactly two months ago today on January first when I decided to neglect the true reason Charlie had ran away from me, the one thing that could ruin the love that seems so untouchable. I set the letter down on the bedside table, swinging my long legs over the side of the bed as my feet hit the floor, resting my elbows on my knees and holding my heavy head in my hands. I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking the thought from my head. There was no possible way her Emma was my Emma. My spine tensed at the thought of even categorizing her as my Emma; she was nothing, she was irrelevant, and she sure as hell was not going to ruin the best thing that has ever happened to me.

CHARLIE

DAY 8: LONDON, ENGLAND (7:10 PM)

After class this morning I had headed straight to the store, spending every free moment glancing at my phone waiting for some kind of response from Harry. Between restocking shelves and dressing mannequins for the new spring line as we dove into March, I’d been mentally calculating the time difference. By the end of my shift it was 7 PM, 12 PM in Denver. As I started to walk homeward bound I went to check my phone again, but the battery icon flashed red across the screen as it faded to black. Shit, I muttered, considering that it was lunchtime and the perfect opportunity for Harry to reach out with me. I picked up the pace to get home and get my phone into the charger, hoping I hadn’t missed my only chance.

I slid the key into the lock, turning it and the door burst open. It was beginning to lose their scents as it had been a week since they’d all left. I openly considered taking Harry’s spare bottle of Bleu de Chanel and dousing the apartment but I refrained: he was away; he wasn’t dead… I wasn’t going to let myself go crazy. My bag slid off my shoulder and found a home next to the door as I closed it behind me, kicking off my shoes as the telephone rang. A jolt of energy ran through my veins powered by the melodic ring, I sprang for the phone off the receiver and breathlessly without even looking at the ID.

“Harry?!”

“I love you,” his deep soothing voice flowed with some sort of relief through the speaker.

“You got it.” I smiled, slipping down the length of the wall, becoming a puddle to the warmth of Harry’s voice.

“Do you even know how wonderful you are?” he said honestly, and I could hear the smirk in his voice through the phone. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before… you make me feel so lucky Charlie,” his voice cracked and I imagined the wetness pooling in his green eyes.

“You didn’t think it was dumb?” I said with my eyes squeezed shut and he laughed out loud “of course not. Oh Charlie,” he groaned, I could hear him stretching.

“What is it?” I wondered.

“I’m so in love with you.”

Our conversation went by too fast as they always did but I wouldn’t change those minutes for the world. It wasn’t even what we talked about, just the sound of his voice and knowing he was okay and having the time of his life. Every second of the day I needed to remind myself that it was worth it that he was away from me, that him being there was the best thing for his career and the band and his future. It was hard for me to believe that away from me was the best place for him right now, but it was, so I’d shoo away my missing him knowing only his return could rid me of my longing for him.