small world

chapter 28

HARRY

Opening your eyes and keeping them open is always the most difficult part of waking up. When my pupils finally accepted the dim light, my heavy hung over eyelids pried open. I looked around me taking in my unfamiliar surroundings. The room was dark, lit only by the rising sun signifying that it was still early yet. I had zero recollection of last night – this was a hangover like no other. I usually could remember a blur but this was different, like I was roofied and blacked out. I sighed at the thought and with all the strength that I could muster up, I rolled myself over and was face-to-face with a passed out mess. Nothing in the world was better than waking up next to the love of your life; it was a feeling so perfect it felt like a dream, except today was definitely not one of those wonderful days. Today I was waking up next to a nightmare that made my heart wish I was still sleeping. Today I was waking up next to the last person I wanted to see anywhere ever, let alone beside me in a bed: Emma.

I shot up in the bed with the shock-induced adrenaline that fueled my previously exhausted body, causing her to stir in her dreams. I rubbed my eyes forcefully, blinking repetitively hoping I could wake myself up, that I was simply caught up in those same dreams, but this was reality. I jumped off the bed, backing away from it with feelings a mixture of fear and disgust, as if it was covered in a million little spiders, but the only thing I should be disgusted in was myself. What have I done? I said in barely a mumble under my breath as I paced the room, unsure of where to go or what to do next. I picked up my phone that was left on the side table to see the time: 5:27 AM. I hadn’t just fallen asleep at the house of evil; I had spent the night here. The sound of my heart thudding to the floor must have woken the sleeping devil, because her eyes glowing at me in the nearly dark room.

“What time is it?” she casually yawned, stretching her thin tan arms into the air. Every atom of my being hated her, but not as much as I hated myself. How could I do this? There was no one in the world who could even compare to Charlie; I could never love somebody the way I love her; nobody would ever measure up. And yet here I was. Waking up next to Charlie gave me a feeling of completeness, a feeling of pure untainted love. But looking at Emma in the bed where I previously lied at her side, I felt so empty. As empty as my side of the bed was last night because I didn’t go home to the love of my life.

“Emma” I said surprisingly more slowly than usual “What.. am I… doing here?”

She tilted her head as her eyebrows knit together “uh well we were sleeping and then you woke me up…” She said simply and I shook my head at her, throwing my hands into the air.

“NO Emma, why am I here, in your flat at five o’clock in the morning? Why did I sleep here? What happened last night?”

She just sat there, looking up at me coldly with lack of expression whilst my heart was pounding against the skin of my chest, nearly tearing it open. I felt like I was going to throw up, or drop dead, or one would lead to another. I wanted to crawl into a hole and sob in the fetal position and drown in my own pathetic tears. But above all, I wanted to be anywhere but here.

“You were too drunk to drive home, I said you could crash on my couch but it was no surprise you ended up in my bed,” she said with a sly smirk and I snorted at her.

“Did we…?” I started and she shook her head.

“Unfortunetly, no. We did make out but somehow even on drugs you know you’re in love with Charlie. It’s the damndest thing. I’ve tried everything!” she whined and my eyes nearly fell out of the sockets when I replayed her words in my mind. We did make out. Even on drugs you know you’re in love with Charlie. I’ve tried everything. My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to faint. And the next thing I knew I was down with a thud, blackness replacing my vision.