~Harry's POV~
"Do I know you?" I wondered. He said his name as if I should immediately know who is his. Is he famous in America or something?
Jesse just kind of looked at with mixed emotions. It looked as if he was debating whether or not to tell the truth. He also seemed surprised that I didn't, infact, know him.
"I... Uh, I'm Lissa's childhood friend..." He mumbled. Nothing really clicked until he held up the magazine article. There was a picture of Lissa and the guy kissing and then an article about me dumping her. I looked closer at the guy, then at Jesse.
"Are you...? I started.
"I'm him." He confirmed, before immediately defending himself. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know she had a boyfriend! I just kissed her. I know it was a stupid, rash decision. I'm sorry! She tried pulling away immediately and got really mad at me! But it was my fault! She didn't kiss me back or anything! I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at her for this!"
I stared at him, shocked. He seemed so flustered and worried.
"It.. It's fine." I sighed in annoyance. "I broke up with her because I thought she cheated."
"I know and I'm so sorry! Just tell her that you know better now. She really loves you."
"How do you know?" I asked, curious.
"After I kissed her, she got upset saying that she was dating you and that I had no right to do that. The way she acted just really showed that she really loves you."
Lissa didn't lie. She didn't cheat! Everything could work out!
"Thank you for telling me, man. I gotta go makes things right."
I rushed out the doors, completely forgetting about my hunger. I was surprised that I wasn't angry at Jesse. It was his fault that I was heartbroken. He was the cause of this, yet at this moment I only felt gratitude. I know knew for sure that Lissa didn't cheat and that she loves me.
As I neared the hotel, I started feeling stupid and guilty. I didn't trust her. I made her run away. It may be Jesse's fault for kissing her, but it was my fault for not trusting her.
Once I made it to the hotel doors, I basically ran to the lift. I impatiently waited for it to reach my floor and once it did, I was immediately pounding on Lou's door.
"What the he-- Oh Harry! Are you--"
"Lissa wasn't lying." I interrupted. "She didn't cheat!"
"Uhh.. Why don't you come in?" He followed me in to the suite and we sat on the sofa. "What makes you say that?"
I told him how I went for a walk and thought about Lissa. How I realized that she wouldn't cheat and then how I went to Starbucks and met Jesse.
"Oh." Was all Louis said for a minute. Then concern washed over his features. "Oh! We were horrible to her all all she did was tell the truth!"
I hung my head. "Yeah, I know."
"You need to call her and apologize! Tell her that you believe her!"
"But what if she's still mad that I didn't trust her and that I sang the song?" I asked, ashamed.
"You can't just give up. At least try. That's all you can do."
I nodded and pulled out my mobile. I hesitantly selected her number from my contact list and waited. It immediately went to voice mail.
"She declined my call." I sighed.
Louis snatched my phone out of my hand. "It takes about 7 hours to get to London. She's still in the plane." He handed my phone back.
I sighed in relief. That meant that she hadn't declined my call; her phone was off. Hopefully she would answer next time and she would forgive me.
I went back to my room and put my headphones in. "Goodbye" by Secondhand Serenade came on and I listened closely to the lyrics, surprised by how well they fit my feelings just hours earlier.
♫ It's a shame that it had to be this way. It's not enough to say I'm sorry. It's not enough to say I'm sorry.
Maybe I'm so blind or maybe we're the same, but either way I can't breathe. Either way I can't breathe.
All I had to say is goodbye. We're better off this way. We're better off this way.
I'm alive but I'm losing all my drive. 'Cause everything we've been through, It's everything about you.
Seem to be a lie, a countless, twisted lie that made me learn to hate you. I hate myself for letting it pass by.
All I had to say is goodbye. We're better off this way. We're better off this way.
All I had to say is goodbye. We're better off this way. We're better off this way, hey.
And every, everything isn't only what it seems. So hope these words that you never told me. It's time to say goodbye, it's time to say goodbye. It's time to say goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
Take my pain away. Tell me I, tell me I was wrong. Tell me I was wrong.
Take my pain away. Tell me I, tell me I was wrong. Tell me I was wrong.
Take my pain away. Tell me I, tell me I was wrong. Tell me I was wrong.
Take my pain away. Tell me I, tell me I was wrong. Tell me I was wrong. ♫
I know better now. Lissa didn't lie. And I certainly wasn't going to say goodbye ever again.
~LIssa's POV~
I cried myself to sleep as soon as I got comfortable on the plane. The air hostesses and the people around me looked at me with sympathy but said nothing, thankfully. I was in no mood to explain the situation and I hated lying.
I slept through the whole flight - it being the middle of the night. An air hostess gently woke me when we landed. I didn't even want to imagine what I look like after crying and sleeping.
I slowly made my way through the airport, getting my luggage. I then exited the warm building and waited on the cold streets for a taxi. I asked the driver to take me to a hotel, not my sister's. I did not want to explain why I was home so early and moving out.
The car ride was fairly quick, but I took the chance to turn my phone back on and check my messages. I had about a million texts from Tess asking where I was and a missed call from... Harry?
Why would Harry call me after being the reason for my sudden departure? Why would he want to talk to me when he was so convinced that I was a lying cheater? I deleted the notification and proceeded to delete Harry's contact information.
Separating myself from Harry hurt, but it had to be done.
After arriving and checking in to the hotel, the first thing I did was unpack my laptop. I unpacked nothing more because I didn't plan on staying here long. I immediately went to a real estate agent website and began browsing through available flats. I found a nice one not far from my sister's hotel and called the agent. They scheduled an appointment with me only an hour later. I had a cab take me by the bank and withdrew money from the account Brittaney made me before meeting the agent at the flat complex.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Marsha." And elderly woman smiled and shook my hand as soon as I stepped out of the cab.
"Hi, I'm Lissa."
"Let's take a look inside, shall we?" I followed her in and we took the lift up to the desired floor. "So, what brings you here?"
"Oh, I just need a place of my own."
Marsha smiled and nodded. "You've reached that stage of your life."
She gave me a tour of the flat I saw online and I fell in love with it. It was already furnished, which was a plus.
"I'll take it!" I grinned. I signed some papers and payed before Marsha left. That was so much easier than I expected.
I called a cab -again. I need to get a car - and went to pick up my luggage and check out of the hotel. After arriving at the - my - flat, I unpacked my things and settled in. I sat on the sofa suddenly feeling alone. It was quite and lonely without Tess here.
Thinking about her made me remember that I need to answer her messages. I retrieved my phone from on the kitchen counter and quickly called her.
"Lissa! What was that! Where are you? You can't just run away like that! What were you thinking?!" She exclaimed as soon as she picked up the phone.
"Uh.. I flew back to London."
"What? But I called Brittaney and she said you weren't there."
I groaned and facepalmed. "You called Brittany? That's what I wanted to avoid. I don't want her knowing I'm here or she'll start questioning me and I don't think I can deal with that right now."
"Oh." Tess said in a quiet voice, as if she just remembered what happened happened with me. "I'm so sorry Liss."
"It's not your fault."
"Yeah but still... So where are you staying if not at your sister's?"
"Oh right.. yeah.. I may have gotten my own flat."
"You didn't! Lissa! Now I'll be all alone when I get back!"
"You can live with me! If you want to, of course."
"Yes! I would have probably forced myself in if you hadn't offered."
I laughed. "I know you would."
I heard a door opening and closing on the other line before a muffled voice. "Tess, who are you talking to?" I recognized Niall's accent.
"Lissa." Tess replied.
"Lissa." Someone else whispered. I cringed at his voice. Harry. "Can I...?"
"No!" I argued. "No Tess, do not give the phone to him. Don't. Just walk away."
Tess, not hearing what I said, hissed, "No. Harry. Get. Out."
"But I--"
"No! After what you did, do you honestly think she'll want to talk to you?"
I heard a door slam, before Tess spoke again - this time, into the phone. "Sorry about that.."
"Why would he want to talk to me?" I wondered. "He thinks I cheated and lied."
"I have no clue what goes on in that head of his and I'd rather never find out." Tess sighed. "I'm sorry that this happened to you. If only he would realize that you'd never cheat."
"Yeah." I whispered. "Well, I.. uh.. got to go now.."
"Okay. Love you Liss. Hang in there."
"Thanks. Love you too."
I threw my phone at the couch with enough force to make it bounce on to the floor before burring my face in a pillow and screaming in frustration. My screams didn't last long as the tears came.
~*~*~*~
Three days later. Three. Days. Three horrible days filled with sadness and anger.
I've been in my flat - never leaving - for three days. Each day was lonely and spent crying and wallowing in self pity.
I kept getting endless calls from an unknown number so I eventually turned my phone off and buried it in my sock drawer.
I was done. I was sick and tired of being sad and I was just done. I woke up this morning and made myself presentable before slipping on my shoes and heading out. I need to talk to someone. I couldn't talk to Tess without Harry interrupting, so I was left with only one option -- Brittany.
I knew she would be upset that I got my own flat and that I didn't let her know I was here, but she would understand my situation and help me get through it.
The hotel was close enough to my flat that I could walk. I needed to clear my head anyway. It took me about 15 minutes at my slow pace and I entered quickly, heading straight to the front desk.
"Lissa! What brings you here?" The receptionist asked.
"Hey Linda, I'm looking for Britt. Is she here?"
"Course! She went up to her flat for a bit."
"Thanks Linda!"
"No problem hun!"
I made my way to the lift and waited as the doors opened. I stepped in and would have stepped right back out had the doors not slid shut. The elevator music. The. Bloody. Music.
Just my luck. I groaned and tried not to focus on the lyrics that I had escaped once already.
♫ ...I had to see the girl of my dreams cheating on me... ♫
The lift made it to the uppermost level and I walked out, staring at the door to the flat that was once mine - or still is, I suppose. Why did I ever move out? Why did I want my own flat in a real flat complex?
Because it was a new start. Because the boys could never find me, although I doubt they'd ever want to. Because it was time to find a real job and grow up.
I turned to the other side of the hall and knocked on Brittaney's door. It took a few seconds before she answered.
"Lissa!" She hugged me before dragging me into the living room and demanding why I disappeared.
I told her everything. What happened with Jesse, with Harry. I told her how I got my own flat and wanted a real job. She understood and and felt so bad for what I've been through.
"It will get better, I promise. You'll have a new start, a new job, and eventually a new boyfriend. You'll forget about the pain Harry caused you and move on."
I nodded. She was right. I need to move on, however hard that was. And I will move on, I just can't yet. I still love Harry.
Brittaney was much more understanding about my disappearance and purchase of the flat then I thought, and I was thankful. She comforted me when no one else could.
"I think I need a car." I said after the heartfelt conversation had ended.
"Yes, you do." She laughed. "I've been saying that sonce you turned sixteen."
"I just now realized how horrible it is to drive a cab everywhere." I admitted.
Brittaney was so excited for me to get a car that she decided she'd take me now. She told Linda that we were headed out and drove me to a car dealership. It was very sudden, but good to keep my mind off Harry.
It didn't take long for me to fall in love with a cute little sliverish-blue car. It was anything fancy, it was simple, and I loved it. Despite my constant protests, Brittaney payed for it. She was rich and said that she wouldn't even notice that the money was gone. I sighed and agreed, although I hate feeling spoiled.
It was a nice day, actually. No crying, no selfpitty. All in all, a much better day.
When I got home, I logged on to my laptop and saw that I had a bunch of emails from Tess asking why I wasn't answering my phone. I sighed and went to get my mobile from the back of the sock drawer. It took a minute to turn on, but when it did, I saw that I had a bazillion missed calls and a couple messages.
All the messages and about 10 missed calls were from Tess, a few from Niall, and, surprisingly, a few from Louis. The rest of the missed calls were from the same unknown number.
I texted Tess, not wanting to call and have Harry try talking to me again.
Me: Hey
Tess: Where've you been? Why didn't you answer?
Me: I went to see Britt & she got me a car
Tess: About time.
Me: Yeah. So what's up?
Tess: You need to talk to Harry
I stared at the message for a long time, not being able to reply. What did she mean? I had no obligation to talk to that boy after what he did. Why would he even want to talk to me. To him I was nothing more than a lying cheater.
Me: You are kidding me
Tess: No. You need to work things out. He's been miserable since you left.
Me: Really?
Tess: Yeah
Me: Well, that's his problem. He didn't trust me. He dumped me. So no, I will not talk to him
Tess: Please, he really wants to talk to you. He's been calling
Me: No, now drop it
He's been calling? That would make sense seeing that I've been getting calls from an unknown number and I deleted his contact info.
Tess: Fine
I was in no mood to talk to her anymore. She was siding with Harry now, it seemed. I was about to shut my phone off again when I got another text.
Unknown: Please answer my calls
Me: No. Leave me alone. You made your choice
Unknown: I was wrong. Please.
Me: No
Unknown: I still love you.
My vision got blurred with tears as I read that. It hurt so bad.
What do I do now? He didn't trust me. He called me a liar and a cheater. He humiliated me in front of millions of people when he sung the song. He didn't care about me.
Now he wants me to forgive him?
He thinks that four words can make everything go back to normal again?
No. He hurt me. Badly. I can't go crawling back to him. Not ever. He made his choice and that's his problem. I need to move on.
I read the message one last time as tears trailed down my face. I shut my phone off without replying.
To those of you who were worried I wasn't going to update: I have every intention to finish this fic. I don't know why you'd ever think I wasn't. When it's over, you'll know.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!