Keep You Close - HO

•11•

I knock on Alice's door, and it opens to reveal her smiling face.
"Okay, I know you don't want to, but I desperately need an update on what the fuck is going on." She says as she pulls me inside. I'm glad she didn't invite everyone else, it's not as weird talking about it with just her.
"Hello to you too." I laugh.
"Sorry it's just- this is so unlike you." She says. "I know, but we made a deal." I start. "I stay with him for ten days, and he hires his marketing team to promote my book when it comes out. A good marketing team could either make or break me as an author."
"Okay I get that.. so? Has anything happened?" She asks.
"What do you mean?" I mutter.
"You know what I mean Kylie!" She groans.
She's right, I know exactly what she means, and I know she'd die to hear what happened this morning, but Alice is a bit of a blabber mouth. I can't trust her to keep it to herself.
"Nothings happened." I shake my head and her mouth drops.
"Oh my god you're lying!" She gasps.
"Okay but you can't tell Alex!" I say.
As soon as I bring up Alex, her attitude changes, in a weird way. I raise my brow at her, waiting for her to spill whatever it is she's hiding.
"Okay I'll tell you!" She sighs. That was easy.
"I think Alex may have just a teeny tiny crush on you because he's really freaking out about Haz being back." She says.
"Freaking out? In what way?" I ask.
"he came over the other night, drunk as could be, talking about how Haz just shows up and all of the sudden you forget about him." She explained and I frown. I never meant to make him feel forgotten or unwanted. I am being a little bit selfish, just up and leaving for the benefit of my book. Maybe I should reach out to him.
"Oh no.. I'll fix it. I'll call him later." I say.
"Okay but what happened with Haz?!"
So I tell her. I start with what happened this morning, but then I continue to tell her everything, from the moment I got there until now. I tell her all the different feelings I have about it, and how I almost am starting to miss him. It feels good to get this all out to someone.
"Do you love him?" She asks.
"Well, of course I do.." I sigh.
"So what's the problem?"
"I just, I don't know." I mumble.
"Maybe you should think less about what you're worried about, and go back to being the gross hopeful romantic that you are." She says and I laugh. "I'm serious, Ky. He seems like he's changed. Don't miss out on the love of your life because you're scared. Would you do that to your book characters? No. So why would you do that to yourself?"
For the first time in a while, I feel that light inside me glow brightly again. The part of me that dreams of falling in love, getting married, and having a beautiful life.
"Thank you, Alice."
___
After spending the day with Alice, I came back to the house and decided I need to text Alex and make sure everything is okay between us. I sit with my phone in my hand, struggling to come up with what to say. I hate that he thinks I've forgotten about him, cause I haven't. I never could. He's one of my very best friends.
Kylie: hey Alex, how is everything? Want to go get some food or something tonight?
I send the text and wait. I hope he doesn't think I'm only asking to hang out because of what happened the other night with him showing up at Alice's drunk and upset. I'm sure he doesn't even know that she told me though.
After a bit, I finally get a text back from him.
Alex: id like that. How about burgers in the car at 6?
Kylie: perfect.
That's mine and Alex's thing. We go through a drive through and eat in the parking lot and talk for hours. We haven't done that in a while though.
I put on some comfier clothes, excited to go see my friend. So excited that I've completely spaced the fact that Alice convinced me to try again with Haz until I hear his car pull in the driveway, and the front door open. There's talking, which means he must have people with him.
After getting ready, I go downstairs and see Haz, Tom, and a couple other guys I've never met before. Must be people he's hired after we broke up.
"Ah angel, come meet everyone." Haz calls me over when he sees me.
I walk over to the group that's sitting in the center of the large living room.
"This is Kylie." He introduces me. "Kylie this is Eric, Aaron, and Damon."
"Hi." I smile to them.
"So you're the girl he has a bunch of photos of in his office!" Aaron comments.
"You do?" I ask.
"Only one. He exaggerates." Haz rolls his eyes.
My phone dings, and I look down quickly to see the text.
Alex: really? He has his house gated?
I laugh lightly at the text, messaging back.
Kylie: be there in a sec.
"I have to go, it was great meeting you guys." I say.
"Go? Where?" Haz asks.
"Going to get food with Alex." I say.
"Oh.."
"I'll see you later. Bye guys." I wave.
"Bring me food!" Tom calls as I walk out the door.
I jog down the very short driveway to the gate, and open it to let myself out. I see Alex in his car with a smile, and get in the passengers seat.
"Hey!" I say happily.
"Ready to pig out on poor people food?" He asks me as he pulls out on to the road.
"Jesus Christ Alex you act like I'm a different person." I laugh.
"Ky you're wearing a Gucci sweatshirt." He states.
"It's not mine though." I point out.
"How's living in the mansion?" He asks.
"Pretty good, not a bad trade for getting a really good marketing team on my book." I say.
"Sounds like you're living the dream."
We pull into the drive through, and order our food. So far so good. Though he does seem a little off. He's not his normal silly self. We sit in th empty parking lot, leaving the car running so that we can have music playing quietly in the background.
"Is everything okay?" I ask, hoping to get this awkwardness over with so we can go back to being best friends.
He stays silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
"Honestly, no." He answers.
I wasn't expecting that...
"What's going on?" I prompt.
"Isn't it kind of obvious?" He laughs slightly and I shake my head in confusion.
"I'm sorry I don't understand.."
"Kylie I think- no. I know. That I am in love with you."
My body freezes in its place, anxiety from the unexpected moment shooting through me. I thought maybe it was a little crush.. but this?
"Alex you don't love me." I say quickly.
"But I do. Yes, it took another guy coming around for me to realize it, but I do. I love you Ky and I need to say it before it's too late." He sighs, his eyes searching my face for any reaction at all. "Oh.. it's already too late.."
"It is." I mutter quietly.
His face falls, his attitude instantly changing. Oh no.. this can't be what ruins our friendship can it? Alex is so important to me. He was there when no one else was.. I can't loose him.
"Let's get you home." He says, starting the car.
I guess this is it..
he drives me back to Haz's, in complete silence. I don't even know what to say to him. I know how he feels. How it is to love someone who doesn't love you back. I never saw this coming though, he always just seemed like a friend, he never made any implication before that he liked me more than that.
We pull up to the gate, and I look over to him.
"Am I going to loose you?" I ask.
"I don't know." He says.
I nod my head, turning and getting out of the car. I punch in the code for the gate and it starts to open as he drives away. Normally he waits for me to get inside. Guess he doesn't care anymore..
I walk down the driveway, with tears in my eyes. I might have just lost one of my very best friends. As I open the door and walk inside, I'm glad all of Haz's friends are gone, I don't need anyone seeing me cry.
My shoes kick off my feet, and my bag falls to the floor. Haz makes his way into the room, happy to see I'm home so soon but his happiness fades when he sees me crying.
"Kylie, Angel, what did he do to you?" He asks in a worrisome voice as he quickly makes his way over to me. His hands grasp either sides of my face, making me look up into his eyes. "Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"
"No haz he didn't do anything." I say through tears to calm him down.
He noticeably relaxes a bit, and simply wraps his arms around me, pulling me into him. He pets my hair soothingly as I rest my head against his chest.
"It's okay darling, you're okay." He coos.
This feels right. Him, and I. Even though I'm hurt right now, I can't help but feel content in Harrison's arms. He's the one.