Timeless [h.s]

Thirty

Stuart

Ever since I encountered Harry, my life became rather eventful. Many times, I felt fear and uneasiness, wondering if I should insist on it and follow my heart or let him go, do the honourable thing. If I could go back I would do plenty differently, but I would keep the essence of it all. My personal growth was almost tangible, and even though I still felt fear, I was no longer overpowered by the thought of Gaston and his plans. His message last night made my stomach churn unpleasantly, but I was not controlled by his mind games.

The only thing I cherished and wanted to preserve was Harry. If death was my destiny, I would accept it as long as he was safe. The prospect of telling the truth still scared me more than I wanted to admit, but I knew it had to be done.

"Charlotte, you'll be late for your fitting." Sienna's voice startled me. I had been silently thoughtful for a long time, not realising how many minutes I had lost.

"Shit, I have to go." I told her, picking up my black coat and my purse, waving goodbye. Sienna nodded and looked into my eyes with barely concealed giddiness, probably wanting to know all about my dress and the details of my makeup and hairstyle. She was oblivious to all my choices and I knew it was driving her insane, the curiosity and the waiting.

Smiling at the thought of her face when I first showed my outfit, I drove above the speed limit, paranoid, checking my rear view mirrors in case I was being followed. Nothing caught my attention, no cars lingering behind me for too long. The entire drive was filled with my observations and the mundane excitement of seeing my new dress finished.

"Thank you." I told the valet, smiling a bit as I handed him my car keys and took long steps towards the entrance of the designer boutique. A blonde receptionist greeted me, picking my coat and smiling like I had just given away a million pounds. They were far too nice for it to be genuine, but I understood that not all customers were as laid back and grounded as me.

"Welcome, miss Stuart. You can get comfortable in the changing room while I fetch you some champagne. Your dress will be here shortly." She smiled again, probably a well-rehearsed phrase she said more times than she could recall.

"Thank you, but I'll pass the bubbly. Perhaps a glass of water?" She nodded, her brown eyes softening a bit at my tone.

"I'll be back shortly." I smiled and made my way towards the large changing room. It was probably the size of my closet. A large mirror stood powerful in the main wall, giving me sight of the entire room. The adjacent walls had two large white couches, fancy decorative pillows and some magazines. In the middle, a small place in which we were supposed to stand while a handful of seamstress adjusted the bottom of our dress.

The place was beautiful but devoid of emotion. If I closed the door behind me, I could scream and cry but no one would hear me. The employees took pride in this particular feature of the room, considering it gave their clients some privacy, but I was not fond of it. If I got stuck inside no one would be able to hear me, and my paranoia always got the best of me in situations like these.

Interrupting my daydream, my phone vibrated, a new text from Sienna.

I looked through your credit card bills. You're welcome.

Her words made absolutely no sense, not until someone walked inside the room. I looked up from my phone and almost fainted at the sight in front of me. Harry, in all his glory, wearing a long sleeved shirt and black pants. He was holding a silver tray with two cups, smiling uneasily at me. At his presence, Sienna's words became clearer. She somehow managed to find which designer I chose to do my dress and convinced Harry to come. My heart pounded erratically, small tears filling my eyes as I watched him place the tray away and walk towards me.