Lush Expiration | Harry Styles AU | BOOK 3 ✓

14

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Vicky West

I wasn't supposed to feel sorry for Harry in any sort of way that I felt attracted to his cousin Ethan. However, I did experience this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Perhaps I realized that we both had moved on from each other, something we had never seen coming a long time ago.

I remember that Harry greeted me awkwardly after we had been staring at one another for approximately 2 minutes – no one knew what to say.

I think this is the perfect example of two lovers accepting the fact that they were completely over.

Not long after I greeted Harry too, he asked me how I had been. Undoubtedly, things were going well in my life – besides the sudden drama with Emma. Still, I had no reason to complain about how everything was moving forward.

I had become a stronger and more independent Vicky than I imagined myself to be. Therefore, I was proud of myself that I had chosen for myself instead of the misery.

Obviously, I had felt the need to loathe Harry unconditionally after he made me feel so worthless for two years. But I wasn't the kind of person who desired to keep this constant hate towards one person, so when we were faced with each other in the hallway I accepted the fact that I couldn't hate him for the rest of my life. Yes, I had  been mad but not to that extent that I wanted to crush him.

We were going to work together for a long time, and if we wouldn't be able to greet one another properly in the hallway this job would not be exciting anymore. Putting our past behind was something that needed to be done, and it happened the moment I asked him how he had been doing. He didn't say much than ''Yeah fine'' and ''I'm awfully busy'' – words I expected to hear from him.

After that, I left to get my stuff and head back to the beach house.

The drive home was relaxing. There was hardly traffic, and I was home before I knew it. I got my stuff out of the trunk and searched for my keys hastily.

As I opened the front door of the beach house, I flicked the lights on and let the bag fall down next to my body. I locked the door, and placed all my keys away.

My eyes fell onto a white envelope, which laid on my ''welcome home'' mat. I grabbed it and looked at the front. The only thing that was written on it was my name.

I made my way to the living room, and sat down on one of the couches. I opened the envelope hurriedly, only to be met with a photograph that I had never seen before.

Harry and I back in New York City.

To be more specific, the day when he brought me to the Blue Moon and we danced together. One of his hands held mine delicately, whilst his right hand rested on my lower back protectively. The way I looked at him was beautiful – love was written on my face. Little did I know that so many tears would be spilled afterwards.

I sunk further into the couch as I reminisced over the day this picture was taken. I wanted to slap myself in the face for even reminding myself of what happened when we were there, but I couldn't.

My fingers held the photograph tightly and I kept telling myself that this was in the past and it must not affect the future.

At some point, my phone was pressed against my ear as I held the picture in front of me. Thankfully, Red picked up her phone and greeted me kindly – instantaneously asking me why I called her.