"Harry asked for this."
That statement repeatedly rings in Nia's head and the anxiety heightens as they drive in silence back to Harry's flat.
Jeff hasn't demanded a reply and Zayn has chosen to let his friend take her time with making a decision.
Nia isn't sure why Harry would ask for this and she doesn't want to think about it. Their rejuvenated friendship is still at a weird point and for him to specifically make that request, something must be behind it.
No, wait. Nia shrugs that thought off and continues as they approach the private apartment building.
Jeff gives her a supportive smile and continues driving. Reminding herself that she won't be forced to make a decision, she steadies her breath and remembers that her priority is to help Harry focus on his recovery.
Of course, as a friend. All things in the past are done and buried. Jeff picks up a tiny black and presses some buttons as the car approaches a little security gate.
The gate opens and Nia adjusts on her seat as they slowly drive into the private car park area. Nia reaches for her phone in her sling purse and smiles at the messages from Harry.
"Did you mention I'll be coming back with you?" Nia clears her throat.
"No. Let's call it a friendly surprise, why?" Jeff asks, parking in a reserved spot.
"Nothing. He just texted that he's awake and his leg is feeling better than usual," she replies.
"That's a good thing, right?" he fights a smile.
"Hopefully. The physical injury doesn't bother me as much, weirdly," she sighs, looking out the window.
"Trust me, I understand that. You can imagine my reaction when I heard him speak," he drags his eyebrows together.
"It felt like a rug was pulled off - it was so weird," she nods in agreement.
"I was thrown off. I guess I was in denial till I met with him, but it's so great to know he has a friend around," Jeff circles back to the elephant in the room.
Nia chuckles and slowly shakes her head. She expected that.
"Harry has many friends. I mean, we see his pictures of him hanging out with his many cool friends," she smiles.
"Yeah? Well, where are those friends? Sure, they posted a lot on social media for like one day and what next? How many of them have cared to show up for him?" Jeff controls his anger.
"To be fair, some of them sent flowers and that colleague of his showed up," Nia bites down her lip.
"Celine? That must have been super weird for you," he mumbles.
"Not weird, more like frustrating. Hey, it led me to the truth," she shrugs.
"Do you know he also never told me the full truth? I had to use my connections to patch stories together and understand whatever happened with them," Jeff admits.
"Here I was thinking you urged him to do it, for the clout," Nia raises an eyebrow.
"Hey, I want him to be the biggest star ever, yes, but I also respect his wishes," He replies.
"Fair enough. Shall we?" Nia reaches to open the door and steps out.
The air feels a little lighter after that short chat in the car and she's hopeful about her full conversation with Harry.
The walk to the lift isn't as long and Jeff decides to stay downstairs, in case they will need their privacy. Nia rolls her eyes at him and enters the lift with her heart in her mouth.
There's a strangeness she now feels and she's not sure why she feels that way about Harry. As the lift goes up, she rubs her palms and starts to mentally rehearse how the conversation should go.
Knowing Harry, he will certainly flip the script and change the tone. The bell dings and the doors open, Nia gulps and walks out.
The flat opens and the housekeeper welcomes her with a warm smile. Nia politely declines an offer of Iced tea and she chooses to wait for Harry in the living space.
As if on cue, Harry slowly limps out from the kitchen and he freezes on the spot. There's a capri-sun straw between his lips and he instantly draws his eyebrows together.
In his plain dusty pink t-shirt and sweatpants, he looks soft and his hair is a curly mess.
"N-Nia!" Harry panics and nearly chokes on his drink.
Instantly, he starts coughing and he takes a step away from her like he's seen a ghost.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Nia fights a smile at his reaction.
"Jeff? You....not Jeff," he points at her with a frown.
"I'm certainly not a white man," she chuckles.
"No....you are Nia," he manages to smile a little.
"Well done on a fluent sentence," she quickly says.
"Why....h-here?" Harry steps closer to her.
"I saw Jeff and we spoke," Nia folds her arms.
Harry pauses and keeps his capri-sun aside. He flushes warm pink and rubs his palms on hearing this.
It was an intuitive and impulsive thought he shared with Jeff. He didn't think it through and now he has to face her.
There's a feeling pulsating through his nerves and he steadies himself by leaning against the table to support his recovering leg.
"And here....so fast," he nervously smiles.
"Yes, I think it's better for us to talk alone," she replies.
"Okay...okay, we talk...now," Harry vaguely gesticulates.
"Hey, do you want to sit down for this?" Nia points at his leg.
"Yes....h-hurting," he breathes out, slowly limping to the couch.
Nia calmly follows behind him and they make themselves comfortable on the couch with a healthy distance.
Harry runs a shaky hand through his curls and clears his throat, wondering where this conversation will start from. He's already mentally prepared for her rejection speech and he wants it over and done with.
"How are you doing?" she starts.
"No....don't do it," he frowns a little.
"Do what?" she asks.
"We....just talk?" he tries to ask.
"Right. You want to go straight to the point," she smiles.
"Yes! We....go to the point," he returns a smile.
"Fair enough. Jeff told me that you want me to move in with you," Nia breathes out.
"As...friends," he quickly adds.
"I know. Why?" She manages to ask.
"Okay...umm...friends?" Harry frowns, not sure how to explain himself.
"Harry, we just became friends again and we've lived together in the past," Nia replies.
"So...easy now?" he asks, a little uneasy.
Nia notices this and she slowly moves closer to him. Without saying a word, she takes his shaky hand in hers and he instinctively rubs circles on the back of her hand.
This happened in the hospital and it somehow comforts him in a strange way. He looks at her and gives a grateful smile. It's reasons like this. This is one of the reasons why he'd want her close to him.
It sounds selfish and it is possibly selfish. Fine, it is selfish. He just wants her around him and he doesn't want to keep explaining himself.
"I want you to be comfortable and tell me how you're feeling," she urges him.
"Feeling...plenty," he replies, flushing pink around his cheeks.
"It's okay. Don't be shy. I think I'll understand better if you tell me," Nia calmly states.
"Okay...okay, Nia....very nice to me," he withdraws his hands from her.
"Do you think I'm helping you recover better?" she asks.
"Yes...yes better," he quickly nods with a smile.
"Do you think it's weird for us to live together?" she asks, again.
"No. Friends," Harry calmly repeats.
"I know I'm dragging this conversation instead of just giving an answer," Nia runs a hand through her own curls and exhales.
" 'aving answer?" he pauses, that was fast.
Nia stands up and repeatedly sighs. The answer is obvious and so are her fears. They've been here. Romantically and not platonically. She doesn't know if they can handle living together just as friends.
It means uprooting her life back to this flat for a short while. Jeff already explained how she'd be able to continue working from home and then having a nurse join them.
Harry just needs the company of a stable friend and they all know it'd do wonders to his mental health.
"I do have an answer. It's yes, I'm just scared," she blurts out.
"Why? 'M....scary?" he looks up at her, confused.
"Not you, gosh no," she giggles in amusement.
"You...not...not saying much," Harry mumbles.
"Sorry, I'm just gathering my thoughts and being honest with you," Nia explains.
Harry frowns and clears his throat.
"I....miss you," he says without thinking.
She pauses and looks at him, lost for words.
Sorry it's short, still struggling with my writing x