Mint | h.s.

3.5

"Don't worry about him, you two are just alright."

I rewind to last night when I asked him various questions about Harry and I, so I get where he's coming from.

"Just alright? Damn, I thought you were gonna say something like 'perfect' or 'goals'. I'm disappointed, arch-buddy." I swiftly change the tone of the conversation.

My response makes him chuckle and shake his head. "Always the funny one, arch-buddy."

"You know it." I shrug my shoulders with a sassy attitude. "Tell Aleisha I said hi, gotta run." I start walking backwards.

"I will, bye, arch-buddy!" He exclaims.

I wave and turn around, starting to walk back home.

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The all-too familiar house comes into my view as I let out a sigh of relief. The walk from the bakery to home is longer than I remembered. As I'm walking to the porch, I see someone sitting on it, with their hands on their knees and head tilted down, so they don't notice me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask quietly.

His head snaps in my direction (a/n: LOL NO PUN INTENDED OK CARRY ON), green eyes intently staring at me. I notice his hair sticking in every possible way, like he has been running his fingers through it a couple of hundred times.

"Are you okay?" He quickly stands up, immediately towering over me, placing his hands on both sides of my face.

"Yea, I'm good, you?" I look at him confusingly, not getting the way he's acting. He should be in bed, sleeping his hangover off. "Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?" I voice my thoughts and chuckle.

His eyes hold confusion, as he keeps blinking, with his eyebrows pulled together. "Have you checked your phone?" He asks in a deep voice, meaning he's fully serious.

"No? Should I have?" I reply with a question, remembering that I have left it charging in my room.

He closes his eyes for a few seconds and then reopens them again. This time, they hold pain and something else I can't put my finger on.

"What's wrong?" I genuinely ask him, expecting an honest answer. I can tell something's off.

He drops his arms by his sides. "Let's go inside, it's chilly outside." He mumbles.

With question marks ringing in my head, I follow his steps and walk into the house. Taking my autumny jacket off, I enter the living room, where I find him standing in the middle of the room.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" I ask him the same question for the third time in the span of five minutes.

He cracks a tiny smile and shoots a sympathetic glance at me. After shaking his head he replies. "I'm alright."

I start coming closer to him. "Then what's wrong?" Now I'm standing right in front of him, patiently waiting for his answer.

He fiddles his fingers, distracting himself intentionally. I take his hands in mine, making him look up. I raise my eyebrows, still waiting.

"I-" He untwines his fingers from mine and runs his through his curls. "I have to tell you something."

I nod. "Okay? And that is?"

He gulps, his adam apple going up and down. Letting out a sigh he snaps his gaze to my eyes. I notice a hint of red appearing in the corners. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of his heavy exhales.

"I-uh.. I- Elena, I... I cheated." His face flinches, as if it pained him to utter those words.

As for me, I didn't feel anything. Just numbness. It felt like my body, my brain, my thoughts, have stopped. I didn't feel a thing. My mind was blank, my heart has stopped beating, my organs have given up. I could feel a wave of goosebumps touch every inch of my body, from my feet, to my legs, abdomen, heart, arms, neck, face. All to my eyes, where they started burning. I kept blinking, trying to consume the numbness. But, I couldn't.

It felt like rain on a wedding day. Bad news on your lucky day. An F in your favourite subject. Putting on your favourite socks and seconds later, stepping into a puddle of water.

But at the same time it felt like none of those things. I didn't wanna shout or throw things or kick something.

I just take a sit on the sofa and lean back. I stare at the white wall, recalling this morning. I shake my head at myself and let out a chuckle.

"That damn balance." I mutter to myself.

Harry watches my every move, but I don't care. I'm numb. I don't feel butterflies or excitement. I feel nothing.

"Say something." He quietly says.

"You know what my mum once told me?" I keep my voice steady and calm. Giving him no time to answer, I continue. "She told me there is always gonna be a balance, between the good and the bad. I guess this is our balance, who knows."

He stays silent. Minutes pass with neither of us uttering a word.

"You should go." I get up and take his forearm, leading him to the front door.

"No, wait, say something, tell me what you think." He stumbles over his words. His rushed voice sends me over the edge and somehow all the numbness is cracked. Instead, now I feel blood pumping through my veins at a rapid pace, my head feeling like it's going to explode, the ground spinning, and most importantly I feel my heart dropping to my stomach.

"You want me to say something? Okay, I will. Fuck you, Harry! Fuck you so damn much for making me feel this way!" I raise my voice more and more by the second. He flinches when I spit the swear words at him, knowing I don't like to swear. "I was so stupid, thinking this would last forever! I thought that you and me were going to be one of those couples who went through hell and back, but still managed to stay together!"

He looks taken aback by my words. I can feel tears running down my cheeks, and his gaze softens when he notices them.

"We can make it, baby, please, just- we'll figure it out, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what I was doing, it was just one kiss-"

"I don't care." And the numbness returns. "Don't you get it, I've told you how much I hate cheaters. We're done." My voice cracks at the end, but I keep my eyes narrowed.

I see him crumble and break right through his eyes. He looks down, choking back a sob. He nods shortly and gulps down.

"I love you, don't forget that. I hope deep down you forgive me one day." He says with a raspy voice.

I see him take his jacket, through blurred vision. He opens the front door, but stops in his tracks. He quickly turns around, stepping so close to me, I can smell his worn off cologne. I stand with my muscles frozen.

His hand lifts, almost touching my cheek. Almost. He narrows his eyes one more time, fisting his hand and then dropping it to his side. The man I love is out of the door before I can even register what is happening.

I slide my body against the front door, hugging my knees as a tear rolled down my cheek. I close my eyes and whisper to no one.

"I love you too."