Heart

Chapter 48

— Chapter 48 —

— Dair —

“Dair, this is for table three.”  Enrique said softly while he handed me a plate with a tea biscuit on it.

“Okay.”  I said dully as I took the plate from him and slowly made my way over to the table.

It was a little strange hearing Enrique talk to me in such a soft, gentle voice lately.  Even when he was trying to get my attention, which was happening a lot, he wouldn’t raise his voice at me like he usually did.

The day I returned to work after everything that happened, Enrique knew something was wrong.  He would constantly ask if I was okay until he finally gave up on asking me, realizing I was just going to say I was fine as I continued to mope around the café.  I knew he was worried though.  I caught him watching me all the time, including offering me a month off or more if I needed it.  Of course I refused.  It was better for me to be at work and attempt to distract myself rather than sit at home where I would just lie in bed and soak my pillows and comforter with tears.

That’s what I had done all night that night.  Jack helped me bring Faye to a hospital, quickly disappearing after we got there, and thankfully the doctors were able to stop the bleeding and patch the stab wound up.  We had a short reunion when we got home and then I went to my room and cried.

I don’t really know how I wasn’t crying now.  Even though I cried until my eyes started to burn from dryness, I still came home from work every day to cry more.  Now, I just felt lifeless…empty…

I couldn’t believe he was gone.  I still expected to get a sweet text from him or see him when I got home waiting in my room, smiling so wide that his dimples poked out…but I didn’t.

I couldn’t even bear the thought of being with someone else right now.  If there was anything left of my heart it was a small piece…a small piece that I somehow managed to keep when it was shattered completely as Harry faded away in my arms.

I don’t know if that memory would ever go away.  That awful, torturous memory of feeling him disappear and suddenly looking up to see a pile of dust in his place.  Whether awake or asleep, that was all I could see.

“Dair?”

“Hmm?”  I whipped around to see Enrique standing there, peering at me with his worried gaze.

“Would you mind putting this outside?”  He held out a stand up sign to me that had a list of the new specials on it.

“Sure.”  I replied, smiling faintly as I took the sign from him.

I walked outside and placed the sign in front of the window beside the door.  I bent down to straighten it on the grass.

I contorted my face in confusion as I saw a shadow casting over the sign.

“Excuse me, could you please move just a little bit?  You’re blocking the sunlight.”  I said without turning to the person, trying to be as polite as possible.  I wasn’t in the mood to deal with difficult people today.

As if the gods were testing me, the person didn’t move, prompting me to stand up and turn around to glare at them.

My heart dropped when I saw who it was.

“H-Harry?”  I breathed.

The sun was shining from behind him, making him appear dark like a silhouette.

He smiled.  “Hi baby.”

My breath caught in my throat at the sound of his voice.  His deep, raspy voice that I had only heard in my head these last few days.  Just hearing him caused my hands to tremble.