"Harvey..." You began. Your drunken state made you feel invincible in this moment.
You knew what you had to do, you had to confess your feelings, now or never.
"Well, we're here." Harvey's sudden interruption jolted you back to reality. You looked up to see the familiar sight of your farmhouse, illuminated by the moonlight. You let out a sigh, feeling both relieved and disappointed at the same time.
"Thanks for walking me home," you said, your voice still shaking from the emotional outburst.
"Of course, Evangeline. You know I'm always here for you," he replied with a soft smile. "I just wanted to say too, thank you for your help the other day. I owe you massively."
"It's fine, looks like we both saved one another." You giggled, taking a step towards the door. You found your key in your coat pocket. "Let me help." Harvey insisted, remembering you previously struggling with the door. You smiled and stepped aside remembering too, allowing Harvey to open the door for you. He took the key from you and inserted it into the lock, turning it with ease. The door opened and he held it open for you to step inside.
"Wait." You began, looking at Harvey as he prepared to leave. "Why don't you just come in for a bit, I'd love to show you what I've done to the place since I arrived." You knew this was a stupid idea, but you didn't care. You weren't a fan of guests, but today you made an exception. Harvey seemed surprised at your gesture and replied with a smile. "Only if you are sure." Harvey followed you inside, taking in the cozy warmth of your home. He took off his coat and hung it up on a hook by the door before turning to you.
Harvey scanned the space around him. You watched as his eyes wandered across the room, taking in the small but tidy kitchen, the old-fashioned wood stove, and the modest living area with a well-loved leather sofa and armchair you had bought second-hand.
"This is really nice, Evangeline," he complimented, still looking around. "You've done a great job with the place, especially for the short time you have been here."
"Thank you," you replied, feeling a warmth in your chest. You had put a lot of effort into fixing up the old farmhouse since you had moved in and making it a cosy and loving space, it felt good to have someone finally appreciate it. Harvey made his way to the couch and sat down, and you sat next to him. You began to talk about the little changes you had made to the place, pointing out the new curtains you had sewn and the refurbished oak dining table that now sat in the corner. Harvey listened intently.
He had also noticed the photos on the wall, the photos of you at your graduation and selfies with your friends that you left in Zuzu City. He noticed how some of the frames were empty, and wondered if there were photos that you had taken down because they reminded you too much of your old life.
All of a sudden, an inescapable feeling of nausea washed over you. "Oh god, I think I am going to be sick!" You jumped up from the sofa, quickly moving towards the direction of the bathroom. You stumbled a little, the alcohol making your movements unsteady. Harvey immediately jumped up as well, following you into the bathroom to make sure you were okay.
You managed to make it to the toilet just in time, your body heaving as you threw up the contents of your stomach. Harvey held your hair back, rubbing your back in a soothing manner. "It's okay honey, I'm here." He reassured in a loving nature that you weren't used too.
After a few minutes, you finished throwing up and leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily, embarrassed beyond belief. "I'm so sorry, Harvey." You said, feeling embarrassed and weak. Harvey shook his head, his expression full of concern whilst knelt beside you, his arm on your shoulder. "Don't apologise, it's just your body voiding the alcohol in your system." You appreciated Harvey's kind words, but still couldn't shake the feeling of humiliation. It wasn't like you to lose control like this, especially not in front of someone you cared for. You looked up at Harvey, feeling vulnerable and exposed...
But instead of judgement, all you saw was a genuine concern in his eyes.
"Actually, it's probably best that the friend that holds your hair back when you are vomiting is a doctor afterall." He chuckled to himself, quickly stopping when he saw your blank expression. He was the epitome of awkward.
Harvey helped you clean up, handing you a glass of water to rinse your mouth. He began to giggle to himself as he watched you stumble to the sink to clean up. "I am such an idiot!" You shouted at yourself, annoyed you had let yourself get like this to begin with. "Evangeline, you are not an idiot." Harvey helped you to the sofa carefully, ensuring you had a bowl to be sick into if needed and a glass of water beside you. You fell down and sat sprawled across the sofa, Harvey sitting next to you at the end.
Harvey watched you closely, making sure you were okay. He could tell you were feeling embarrassed. He reached over and gently rubbed your back in a comforting gesture.
"It's okay, we all make mistakes," he said softly. "And it's better to make them in the comfort of your own home with a friend nearby, than out in public where anything could happen." He chuckled, slightly amused as you gazed at him hopelessly like a lost puppy. You giggled back, knowing the ridiculousness of the situation you had both found yourselves in. Harvey placed a blanket over you that was draped across the back of the chair, ensuring you were comfy and settled for the night.
"Evangeline, I am glad I found you." Harvey stated, his cheeks somewhat blushing. You turned to meet his gaze. "I'm glad I found you too..." You whispered. Harvey edged closer to you on the sofa, your bodies only millimetres apart. You found yourself loosing yourself in his eyes, noticing the flecks of green and gold in his irises that shone in the light. It was then that you realised just how close the two of you were.
Your heart began to race as you became more aware of his presence. You could feel the heat from his body, and his breath on your face. You wanted to lean into him and feel his arms around you, but you were frozen, unable to move in awe of this man before you. Harvey's hand brushed against yours, sending shivers down your spine. Any psychical touch right now would send you wild. You turned your hand over and interlocked your fingers with his, feeling the warmth and comfort in the simple gesture. It was a small action, but it felt like a huge step for the both of you, smiling from ear to ear at one another.
You leaned in slowly, your eyes locked on his.
Oh god, this is it, isn't it? It has to be! You told yourself in your head, panic but ease setting in at the same time. No, it can't be, I can't be this drunk! I can't kiss my doctor!
Suddenly, Harvey's phone rang, interrupting your conversation. He quickly checked the caller ID and then sighed. "I'm sorry Evangeline, I must take this." Harvey's attention now fully focused on the call. He answered and the call was somewhat short and brief.
Finally, Harvey hung up and turned to you with a serious expression on his face. "I'm sorry Evangeline, but I have to go. There's an emergency at the clinic and they need me there right away." You felt a pang of disappointment but understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Of course, go ahead," you said, standing up from the sofa. Harvey quickly put on his coat and rushed out the door, leaving you alone in your cozy home.
He didn't even say goodbye, he just... left.
You felt a sudden sense of emptiness as you watched him disappear down the pathway. You sighed and walked back over to the couch with a packet of sweets from the cupboard, sitting down and staring into the fire, Milo wrapping himself in your embrace. Your mind couldn't rest, and the alcohol was still present, enhancing your emotions further. You felt a surge of worry for him and prayed that everything would be okay at the Clinic, not knowing who was hurt or ill.
However a part of you wept. You thought about how close you were to finally being with Harvey, and how it felt like the universe had played a cruel joke on you. You had nearly kissed in one another's embrace- but not this time. It simply wasn't meant to be.
You let a few more tears gently escape your eyes before you drifted off into a deep slumber, Milo whining by your side, aware of your sadness. Your hangover tomorrow would be lethal.
- Morning -
The next morning arrived with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach. You groaned and opened your eyes, trying to adjust to the sunlight that was peeking through the curtains. You slowly sat up and immediately regretted it as the room spun around you in some sort of vertigo spell. The memories of the night before flooded back into your mind, and you cringed as you recalled throwing up in front of him. You wondered if you had made a fool of yourself and if Harvey would even want to see you again after that gorgeous performance. Your mind also wondered to what the medical emergency could of been, and if whoever was ill was okay.
As you looked around, you saw the remnants of the previous night scattered around the living room: empty glasses of water, a half-eaten bag of sweets, and the blanket you and Harvey had been snuggled under. Milo, who was lying on the floor by your feet, lifted his head and whined softly, sensing your sadness. You reached down and gave him a gentle pat, grateful for his comforting presence.
You forced yourself to get up and make your way to the kitchen, where you hoped to find some aspirin to help alleviate your headache. Finally finding the aspirin, you swallowed a couple of pills with a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table, resting your head in your hands.
As you poured the rest of your water down the sink, you felt your head dizzy again. You decided to push onwards and ignore your symptoms. You refused to be defeated so easily by your emotions and physical state. It was your fault after all.
It was raining outside thankfully, therefore you did not have to go outside to tend to your usual duties. Your chickens had plenty of hay from the day before and a heater inside their pen as the weather changed to its winter chill.
You settled back down onto the sofa with Milo, your head still aching. You switched the TV on to see the weather forecast. The weather forecast showed you that heavy rain was expected for the next few days.
Suddenly, a banging came from your front door. You recognised Marnie's voice calling through the door.
"Evangeline! I have something important to inform you about." She called.
You quickly jumped up in your pyjamas and rushed to the door, the same dizzy feeling overcoming you as you ran. The alcohol was not yet void.
"Marnie, what's going on?" You asked, your face etched with worry.
"It's Gus, he had an accident."