Fool's Gold (harry styles AU)

chapter 8

chapter 8 

Harry

I watched as Rose quickly skated back to the back room and I almost shuddered as Rebecca ran her hands up and down my arm. I lightly pushed her off of me, ignoring her calls for me as I walked back to the kitchen. I leaned my ear on the bathroom door after she slammed it shut and heard small cried on the other side of the door. It was quiet for a moment before I heard something that sounded like...throwing up? Shit. The toilet flushed so I quickly went over to the grill, not wanting to be caught. She walked out and wiped under her eyes before talking to Jim and walking back out to the front of the diner. 

"She has had it tough." I guess Jim noticed me watching Rose so he came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. 

"What do you mean?" I asked, watching as she went to go take an order. I started making hamburgers as she put a ticket in the order window. 

"Well, imagine losing both of your parents when you're fourteen and having to go live with your grandfather." Jim told me and started cutting up some lettuce. "I don't think I have ever seen somebody so broken. It literally took the life out of her I think. She stopped wanting to go to school or even getting out of bed. It was awful." Jim shook his head, staring down at the unprepared food in front of him. 

"She got better as the years past, but it all went down the drain when her grandfather passed away last spring. She came and stayed with me and my wife on the weekends instead of going back to his house like she would always do. She still hasn't recovered from it yet." I flipped the burger on the grill, taking in everything that Jim was telling me. She really was a broken girl. 

"She's okay, though?" I asked tentatively and kept my eyes on the grill. 

"Honestly, kid, I don't know. She clams herself up to where not even her best friend can get anything out of her. So I couldn't tell you if she was okay or not." Jim sighed and I put the cooked burgers on plates and set them in the window. Rose came up and put them on a tray and I watched as her hands practically shook as she grabbed the tray. 

"Don't drop it." I tried to joke but she just blankly stared at me and I closed my mouth. Shut up, Harry. 

"Go fuck yourself." Rose quietly said, her voice raspy and I ran a hand through my hair frustrated. 

"Good job." Jim snorted and I sighed, leaning against the counter. "Now I don't know what happened between the two of you, but she's changed since that fight a couple weeks ago. Even though she is never a very outgoing, perky girl, you brought something out in her." Jim pointed his knife at me and I gulped at the sharp object being thrust into my face. "Now, I don't even know what's going on with her." Jim shook his head and lowered the knife to the cutting board. I sighed and messed with my hair, pushing myself off of the counter. 

"This is all my fault." Jim muttered a 'no kidding' and I let out a groan, dragging a hand down my face. "I am so fucking stupid." 

I watched through the window as Rose put the food on peoples tables before practically falling down at the counter. She plopped herself down in one of the bar stools and leaned her head on her hand. Her elbows were on the counter and she tugged at the roots of her hair. I could hear her sniffle and I saw a tear fall onto the counter. It felt like somebody had ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it with soccer cleats. 

Rose

I stood up from my leaning position on the counter only to see Harry watching me through the order window. I just wiped the tears off from under my eyes and started my walk back to the kitchen but stopped when I heard the nasally voice of Rebecca call my name. I hesitantly went over, this time keeping a fair distance from the table in case of any stray feet. Rebecca looked my outfit up and down and I swallowed, not wanting to be here. 

"No wander he cheated on you." She snorted and I let out a shaky breath. "I don't even understand why he was with you in the first place." 

"Everyone knew, you were just embarrassing yourself." Seth laughed and I just turned around to go back to the kitchen. "Even your best friend knew." I stopped in my tracks. Eleanor knew. She knew that Harry was cheating on me but she never said one word. I kept walking and didn't stop until I was in the back room. I grabbed my bag and ignored Jim's calls for me as I emotionless climbed into my car and backed out of the parking lot. 

I felt tears trickle down my face as I began driving back to the campus. I kept one hand on the wheel and leaned my elbow on the window sill, putting a hand to my mouth, trying to stop the cries that were escaping me. Tears clouded my vision, making it hard to see the road in front of me. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road and leaned my head on wheel, tears now freely falling onto my lap. 

I felt the familiar nauseous feeling begin in my stomach and I jumped out of the jeep, running around to the side by the grass. I bent over and leaned against the jeep just as bile came up my throat. I let a sob rip its way out of my throat as I sunk to the ground next to my car. I leaned my head against the metal of the passenger door and let loud ugly cries come out of me. I felt small droplets of water fall down around me and before I knew it, it was full on pouring down rain, masking my tears. 

//////////////////

"Do you remember anything that happened?" The police officer asked me as I sat in a small bed at the immediate care place. 

"I, um, left the diner but pulled over after a few minutes. I think it started raining and then I got here." I trailed off and fumbled with my fingers in my lap. 

"Were you drinking?" I shook my head and looked down. 

"So, let me get this straight, you pulled over and now you can't remember what happened?" He raised an eyebrow at me. 

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling well so I pulled over and got sick and after it started raining, I guess I just passed out. I don't know." I mumbled the last part and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"Alright, just be more careful next time." the officer said and left the room, leaving me with Jim. 

"Let's go." He sighed and I followed him out to the parking lot. It was still raining and the parking lot was empty, giving me the impression that it was kind of late. 

"Sorry that you had to pick me up." I muttered once Jim had pulled up to my stranded car. 

"Rose, what's going on with you?" he asked in a fatherly tone. 

"I honestly don't know." 

"I know that it's been hard on you these past couple years, but you can talk to me and Beth." 

"I know." I said simply and unbuckled my seat belt. "I'll see you tomorrow." I got out the car and pulled my keys out of my back pocket. Once inside my jeep, I began going back to campus. 

/////////////////////////////

"Why are you back so late?" Eleanor asked as I walked inside the room. I just blankly stared at her and grabbed some pajamas. "What's your problem?" She mumbled. 

"You knew." I said quietly and turned to her as she climbed down from her bed. 

"What did I know?" 

"You knew that Harry was cheating on me." Eleanor's mouth gaped open as she tried to speak but nothing came out. "You know, I thought that being friends with somebody meant that you tell them stuff that might help them and not practically kill them inside. Why didn't you tell me?" 

"Because, I knew this was how you would react! You get so worked up over things and I didn't want to do that to you." 

"So you just let me think that Harry actually liked me and I was the only girl he was talking to. That's real nice, Eleanor." I rolled my eyes and began to change into my shorts and oversized t-shirt. "I guess I am just somebody who is easy to lie to." 

"Rose-" Eleanor tried but I just got in my bed and turned my light off before turning to face the wall, ending the conversation.