"Do you know why I named an album that's full of songs written about you, 'Harry's house'?" He asked softly, boring his pale eyes into hers that were spilling with emotion.
She shook her head and whispered a quiet "no".
"Because you're my home, V...
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— ❀ —
THE TALL TREES that line the park's pathway sway gently in the wind – their shredded leaves floating to the ground and creating a colourful montage of yellow, orange and brown that crunch under Violetta's black combat boots. Bandit walks calmly beside her, panting softly to cool himself down after their game of fetch. His misty puffs evaporate into the crisp afternoon air that nips at the parts of Violetta's skin not covered by her thick tracksuit or oversized puffer jacket. The breeze is a welcomed change from her stuffy apartment that she had been cooped up in all morning, working on tasks that were way above her pay grade. When her eyes started getting heavy around 2 pm, she decided it was time for a well-deserved break and grabbed Bandit's lead off the hook.
Two laps around the park and ten numb toes later, Violetta heads in the direction of the tube station to make her way home. She wants to beat the rush of students who would fill the carriages – they often touched Bandit without asking. Bandit was a friendly dog but he often got overwhelmed if strangers forced themselves in his face. It had taken Violetta the best part of two years, since adopting him from the rescue shelter, to help him become the confident dog he is now and she would be damned if she let a bunch of kids undo it all.
As Violetta and Bandit reach the exit of the park, a petite woman approaches in the opposite direction. Despite her thick maroon scarf concealing the majority of her face, Violetta feels a spark of recognition as she gets closer. Sensing Violetta's curious stare, the woman's eyes flick in her direction as they pass and she flashes a polite smile. After a few moments, her brain catches up with her and her steps grind to a sudden halt. She spins on the soles of her black Converse and removes the earphones that were hidden by her hair.
"Violetta?" She calls questioningly. Violetta stops to turn around at the sound of her name and, upon better inspection, recognises the woman's pretty face. However, she can't quite put a name to it, "You don't remember me, do you?" The woman smirks at Violetta's face that is screwed up in thought.
"I'm really sorry," Violetta gushes in embarrassment as she takes a few steps forward so they're within talking distance, "I don't mean to be rude, I'm just better with faces than names! I'm standing here racking my brain but it's blank,"
"It's okay, really," Sarah assures her with a genuine smile, "You were a little preoccupied with being abducted by Harry when we met so I think I can forgive you," She laughs.
The mention of Harry takes Violetta's mind back to the one and only time they'd met: the night at the sushi restaurant. She pictures him sitting at the long table and the way their eyes had magnetised to each other as soon as she walked in. She had blinked herself out of the trance after a few moments and awkwardly peered around at the others sitting at the table to mask her blatant staring. The woman in front of her was amongst those faces, sitting two seats down from Harry with a dark-haired man between them.
