model call || h.s

32.

"You need to go, Nora." Harry frustratedly puts his sandwich fixings back where he got them, in the fridge and cabinets, while Nora stands on the other side of the kitchen's island.

"I don't want to go, Harry." She spits back. He stops and exhales with his eyes closed.

"I'm not letting you miss this—"

"Miss what? The meeting with my agent? I can reschedule it!" He shakes his head.

"You already gave up enough of your time for this."

"For this?" She eyes him, angrily. "It's you and your family and I want to be here for you!"

"I'm fine though!" His voice carries and he consciously lowers it before going on. "I want you to go to your meeting, because it's important and huge for your career. You don't need to be here for the funeral."

"It's not important, my agent just wants to go over everything with me, and I can do that whenever—god, what is your fucking deal?!" As soon as the words leave her mouth, she stops. "You don't want me to be there."

"What? Of course I do—no, it's not that..."

"Then what?" A very thin layer of tears begin to well up in her eyes. "I'm telling you that I want to be here. I can be here, so why are you telling me that I can't?" He stands, expressionless...confused.

"Evelyn's coming." Before anything else can be said, Gemma walks in.

"Anyone wanna go with me to pick up the pastries for the memorial?" Nora doesn't answer, instead, she wipes at her eyes and storms out of the kitchen. "Did I say something wrong?" Gemma asks Harry. He shakes his head as the front door slams shut.

"No, we...I told her about Evelyn coming."

"And she's pissed about that? That's a bit selfish, isn't it?" Harry immediately jumps to Nora's defense.

"That's not why she's upset, Gemma." He bites.

"Alright, then why is she upset?" Again, he shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it." Without explaining himself further, he leaves the kitchen and follows Nora. There may not be snow on the ground, or ice falling from the sky, but the air that hits him as soon as he steps outside is unforgivingly cold. Her hair blows as she stands before the field next to his family's property. Without a word, he wraps his arm around her and grips her shoulder while burying his face against the side of her knotted hair. She holds onto his wrist as his other arm snakes around her waist. "I'm sorry."

"Do you not want me to come for my sake or for hers?" He doesn't let go of her, and she doesn't fight him.

"I don't worry about you for a second, okay? I just...Nora, she's fragile." Nora nuzzles her face into the warmth of his arm.

"She shouldn't—you can't choose her in this situation, Harry. You can't." She shakes her head, "I need you to choose me. Please, choose me." He stays quiet. "I've been so understanding about everything regarding her. I haven't asked you for anything."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to be here?"

"Well, one because I love you...and two, I'm going be really honest with you, I feel threatened. How many times has Gemma brought her up in the few days that we've been here?" The answer was quite a bit. "She's managed to bring her up in almost every conversation that we've had. Do you think that makes me feel good?" She pulls away and turns around to face him. "It doesn't. You said that your sister is the most important person in your life, aside from your mom, so when she's continuously reminding me of your ex...that they're still friends and that you two dated for so long..."