Ebony & Ivory [H.S]

Sixty-Six

"Oh - Harry. Do you mind if I use your car again? I'm already late enough as it is."

Nodding, he fishes them out from his pocket, handing them over.

"I didn't know you had borrowed it, but that would explain why the seat settings had been changed. Where did you go?"

"Picked up a friend from the airport," I inform him, fixing my lipstick in the mirror before I go.

"Oh, right," he replies casually. "Did Ollie go somewhere?"

"No, actually. It was a friend of-" and I cut my sentence short when my phone begins ringing. "hang on" I mouth to Harry, before answering the call from his sister.

"Hey Gem, I'm almost there," I lie. "There's just a bit of traffic on the roads."

"You're still at home, aren't you?" she replies matter of factly, to which I laugh.

"I'm kind of scared how good you are," I admit. "I'm just leaving now."

We say our goodbyes before I hang up the phone, then I take a moment to remember what I was saying.

"Sorry, where was I?" I ask, mildly confused.

"I can't recall," he answers, swallowing a lump in his throat as he too checks his phone.

I'm almost at the front door when Harry calls out to me.

"Ebony," he says, addressing me.

"What is it?" I smile, spinning around. "You'll have to make it quick because I am disastrously late."

"I...er... I won't be here when you get back," he informs me, placing both hands in his pockets. "I need to-"

"Can this wait?" I ask, just itching to get out of the house.

In a rather somber manner, he looks at me wordlessly from a distance, and nods his head, and I'm unable to piece together what he could possibly want right here in this instance.

"Look, I'm really sorry Harry, but I really am late," I inform him, softening my tone for him.

I feel as though he wants to stop me, though I shut the door before he has the chance, and try to focus my thoughts elsewhere.

"Here she is," Ollie announces quite impatiently, as though he and Gemma have been waiting a significant time for me to show. Judging by the empty tea cups and crumbs leftover from their sandwiches, it appears to be the case.

"I know, I know," I express, manoeuvring myself carefully through the small gap in order for me to take a seat in the booth.

Ollie leans over to kiss me on each cheek, though Gemma, holding her stomach remains seated in her place.

"There's no chance of me getting up, I'm absolutely stuffed," she admits, laughing to herself as she pats her belly.

"Imagine how I feel," I reply, raising my eyebrows. "Only mine doesn't just go away. Another few months and it'll be a different story."