SHE (bk 1)

FIFTY-ONE

The car ride to Harry's apartment was silent, both of them sitting on their respective sides of the cars back seat. It was awkward for them both, neither one wanting to make the first move to speak.

Harry was embarrassed he had lost control and punched Mitch, while hurting Clementine when he was angry. His eyes slowly panned over to look at her reddened wrist, a sadness sitting in his chest. Her small fingers were running over the mark while her teeth bit her bottom lip.

"I'm-,"

Her head whips to look at him as he starts to speak, "Wait until we get home," her voice was stern and eyes boring into his. Harry could tell she was going to lay into him once they got into his apartment, her mouth twisting as she thanked the driver.

The elevator ride upstairs was silent and as they walked into the apartment she threw her clutch onto the counter.

"What the fuck?," Harry's eyes widened as she looked up at him, hands placing themselves onto her hips. "Why would you punch Mitch he's your best friend."

Clementine knew he tried to kiss her but Mitch was completely wasted and out of his mind. He just needed to sober up a little bit and get back to himself. "What do you mean? He was grabbing onto you and trying to kiss you! You're my girlfriend not his," she knew he was right in a way but he could have approached the situation without violence.

"I know I'm your girlfriend but-,"

"Well it surely doesn't seem like it, I went looking for you and I found you kissing my best friend," her mouth drops open and Harry immediately regrets the words that spilled from his lips.

Clementine narrowed her gaze, "You really want to go there? How about you hanging out with your ex and her model clan all night as I stood alone? Mitch wouldn't have go the chance to kiss me if you hadn't abandoned me," her tone was clipped and teeth clenched as she fought back.

How dare he accuse her of that when she was trying so hard to get Mitch to stop.

"Oh yeah here we go...she just grabbed me for a little bit to catch up. I like her friends they are nice."

Clementine laughed gently as she hopped onto the counter, "So you told me to stay while you went to talk to them...couldn't you have just introduced me?," he always seemed to have an excuse for everything.

"You're not like them you wouldn't-," his head was placed in his hands as he spoke. He heard her feet hit the ground as she stormed toward her room, "Clem wait."

"No," her loud tone made him jump, "You're right I wouldn't fit in, and that's fine just let me get out of your hair," he quickly followed her into her room as she grabbed the suitcase from under the bed.

She was hastily grabbing things from the closet and inside the bathroom, "You know what the crazy part of this is Harry? How hard I have always tried to make you comfortable and feel like you're apart of my life but you can't do the same," her suitcase hits the ground as she moves to go past him.

"Clem no I don't want you to go...I just...we live two different lives. Those people aren't like you; they're not down to earth and sweet they're mean," her nostrils flare as she pushes past him, nothing he said was making any sense.

"Why do you like them so much if they're mean? The same reason you liked Camille, you feel more powerful when you can tear people down. It's so funny because of how kind you are that you'd be at a party making fun of people with your ex while I stood and waited for you," her mouth was moving faster than her brain, everything she wanted to say was jumbled.

"I don't like to be mean and of course I hate that they do it but I don't want that for you. You're so perfectly yourself that I would hate to have people corrupt you but the person i'm seeing right now is not who you are," he was way too drunk to be arguing with her, eyes glossy as she waited for the elevator. This night was not how he had planned, the notepad with all of his sketches was sitting on his bed waiting for her.

She laughed humorously, "I'm not myself right now because I disagree with you?," did he even know what he was talking about? "This version of me that you created in your mind is not my responsibility."

"Yeah well maybe you're just not who I thought you were," her chest feels like it might collapse and her shoulders droop as the words leave his lips. Was he saying she was no good for him?

She bit her bottom lip as the elevator door dinged, "Or maybe I'm just not who you need right now...," turning on her heel she walked into the elevator and looked at Harry. His eyes were wide and chest heaving, "I um I think we need to be done for right now...thank you for everything and tell your family I said goodbye," the doors start to close when he lurches forward.

"Wait Clem no-," the doors close and soon he is gone from sight. Her body collapsing as she let the tears fall from her eyes, she had never imagined it would end like this. The beating of her heart felt like it might explode and the pain in her stomach was just the beginning.

She stood up as the doors opened and her eyes looked around the empty lobby. Clementine took a deep breath as she pushed the doors open to look out at the streets of New York. She was ready.

Clementine was ready to start her new life, a life that revolved around the diner her mother loved and the apartment she needed to get back in order.

There were a lot of things she wanted to say to Harry but she knew she didn't need to. He had helped her through the toughest time in her life and she did the same for him. Maybe they were only meant to be temporary pieces to each other's puzzles. Each of them giving each other something they needed but not something permanent.

Nothing had ever been permanent for Clementine, people always left and things never worked out. But as she looked out at the city before her she knew she would never let that diner fail.

Mel's Diner would be her soul, and all of her attention would go to the place her mother left her.

And well Harry?

He had lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. And as he sat back onto the white couch Clementine hated so, he knew the next few days would be unbearable.

Harry grabbed onto the sketchpad that held all of the drawings of her, each one causing a new pain in his chest. He used the pen on the coffee table to start scribbling down words. Words that described Clementine, words that would suit her.

"Watermelon Sugar," he sang to himself gently.

Watermelon Sugar.

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Yoooo guys that is the end of this book and I want to know if you'd like a sequel that takes place two years later or maybe more?? Just let me know if you'd like a continuation of Clem and Harry or if I should just start a new story. Much love xx