Chapter 37
Last night, Harry drove back to Grimmy's to get some clothes so he could spend the night at the house. I told him that he might as well consider moving back here, and although he said we'd have to take things slowly, but that he wanted to. Not that he wasn't enjoying living at Nick's, he actually told me that if I were to ever leave him, he'd probably permanently move in at Nick's place, but he misses the comfort of the house, and-his words, not mine-me.
But while he was gone, I made a call and left a message when the person didn't answer. I wasn't expecting an answer right away, but when my phone starts ringing in the middle of my drive back home from school, the smile on my face only widens at the name on my phone.
"Hello," I greet happily on the speakerphone, my hands gripping on the steering wheel not to let the conversation distract my driving. This car is so easy to drive that it almost is like not driving at all.
"Elena, hi," Gemma says. "I'm sorry I got your message this morning, I wasn't sure if you were at school. How are you, love?"
"I'm fine, what about you?"
"I'm good. Listen, I'm in London right now. Would you like to meet with me for coffee? So we can talk?"
And just as she asks me, I make a U-turn at the first possibility and make arrangements to meet in fifteen minutes at a coffee place near the university. Harry doesn't know that I called his sister in hope to fix things. Since he had called Alfie, I figured I could repay him and try to fix things with his family. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, but maybe they also need to understand that being in this relationship is my choice and I have to deal with the consequences, even if sometimes things don't work just fine. Harry definitely has issues that he needs to deal with and I know that if he wants to deal with them, I might suffer in the process. We had this conversation before going to bed last night, the fact that it might be hard because of his past and not just because of the fans, and I made him promise to talk instead of ruining things. He bleh-ed and ugh-ed, but he said he'd do anything not to screw up again. Or at least not as bad. I slapped him on the chest and poked him in the ribs.
It gave me even more hope that he'd be able to fix things with his parents. He's been trying. He wants to do it and the only way he could ever succeed is with everyone's support, including his parents'. And if they see that I have faith in him, maybe they will too.
Gemma is already sat at a table when walk into the cozy café, the bell chiming above my head as the door opens and closes. I smile at the hostess and walk straight to Gemma's table, grinning even wider when I see the tea in her hands and a coffee in front of her for me to drink.
"Thank you so much for calling me back," is the first thing I tell her as she gets up to greet me.
I kiss her cheeks, hugging her gently and compliment her on the gorgeous pastel blue and purple she got in her hair. "I was hoping you'd give me a call. How have you been?"
"I'm doing great," I say truthfully as I sit down. "How are you? What are you doing in London in the first place?"
She takes a long sip of her tea, blowing on the drink first because it's clearly hot from the smoke coming out of it. "My boss sends me to London once in a while and I'm going to settle here in a couple of weeks for good. I even found a flat that will be free at the end of the month, so I'll be living in the area. You're still at Harry's?"
I nod. "Yes, it's actually about this that I wanted to talk to you."
The conversation stops as we're shortly interrupted by the waitress coming to take our order. While Gemma goes for a burger, I go for a chicken salad that'll be less heavy in my stomach. Not that I want to watch my diet, but with the period cramps I've been having since I woke up, I'd rather not amplify them with an overload of food.
"How is he? Harry?" Gemma asks, her eyes lowering with sadness and guilt. She shouldn't feel guilty, Harry did something that night that was worth all the reprimand he got. "Has he been doing good?"
I give her a small, reassuring smile. "He's doing great. I know New Year's was... unexpected, and he made a mistake, but he has issues that he still has to figure out, and they won't be fixed without screwing up once in a while. He really misses all of you, though."
"You deal with things extremely well, Elena," she says, sipping on her tea. "He's lucky to have you, because after what happened I don't know many girls who would stick around to understand his problems. We were rough with him, maybe a little too much, but if you would've seen his face when we told him you were gone, it was like the world was ending, Elena. It broke my heart even more because it was like he realized that he'd done a huge mistake, and I think it's what hurt him the most."
I blink back a few tears and swallow. "To be honest, I'm lucky to have him," I admit because it's the truth. "You have no idea how well he treats me, despite what happened on New Year's. He's the best boyfriend I could ask for, and even if we fight, and sometimes it's not pretty," I think of last weekend after I slept with Vince, when Harry slapped me across the face. It hadn't been as hard as it once was, but even though it hurt, it's how we work. It's us. And I embrace that. "He's been so good, Gem, if you only could see the effort he makes."
"My brother has gone through a lot," she adds to my explanation. "And I know he's strong. I just want to see him get better, you know? It's hard for my mum and I to see him ruin what's good for him, because he doesn't really realize it until it's too late."
"He thinks you and your family will never talk to him again," I confess, recalling my conversation with Harry about the particularly sensitive subject. "He thinks he lost his family, and I think he needs to know that he hasn't before he leaves the country."
She gives a small nod. "Mum was so worried about him, she even imagined him at the house. One afternoon a couple of weeks ago she saw a Range Rover drive by a couple of times and she was convinced it was him. She cried for hours when he didn't call or showed up."
The day he went to speak to Amanda. Harry mentioned driving by his mother's house a few times just to check up on them, and he specifically said that he thought she'd seen him through the window. "It was him."
"What?" Gemma asks, confused, raising an eyebrow as she takes a bite in her burger that has just been delivered.
I give her a confirming nod. "He wanted to start fixing things. Apparently your mom said that he needed to change, and he wanted to fix what he did. So he drove to Holmes Chapel and met up with Amanda to apologize and tell her everything. He spent the night in Manchester and wanted to see if you guys were alright, so he checked up a few times on the house but didn't have the courage to come see you."
"Oh my God," she breathes, tears glistening in her green eyes. She freezes in place, placing her burger back in the plate as her bottom lip starts to quiver. "Mum cried for the rest of the day, she was inconsolable and she wanted to call him so bad, she just didn't know what to say. To be honest I think she feels like she completely lost him this time."
"He should be at the house later this afternoon, would you like to come over? I'm sure he'd be really excited to see you."
She frowns skeptically. "Are you sure it wouldn't bother him?"
I shake my head with a tiny smile. "We had this conversation last night, actually. I'm pretty sure he'll want to see you. Unless you're uncomfortable..."
"No!" Gemma exclaims, chuckling with a smile. "I miss my baby brother so much."
If I could morph Harry and Gemma's face together, I don't think anyone would see the difference. Both of them have big green, almond shaped eyes, very arched eyebrows even though Gemma's are definitely neater, the same pouty lips and the deep dimples that tend to charm people. The only thing that could be an indication of Harry being younger is the acne covering the sides of his face, while Gemma has impeccably flawless skin.
I observe the girl as she finishes her lunch, the conversation still flowing, and just the way she speaks and acts, every single move she does whether it's to pinch her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger as I tell her a story, or how she smiles before I even say the punch line of a joke, it's almost as if I'm looking straight at Harry.
Speaking to Harry feels like being the most interesting person in the world. Never does he seem uninterested or bored, and he always has a grin on his lips to show that he's listening. Sometimes he'll scratch the back of his neck, pinch his bottom lip or the bridge of his nose, or recently another habit that I've discovered is when he rolls his middle ringer ring around, but he'll never stop listening.
"To be fair, though," Gemma continues her story about school and work as we walk to the car, the unusual sun blinding us a little, "I do miss school. Being an adult is lovely but it's hard! And now I've got all my loans to pay back and it just sucks."
"I'm really excited to graduate, but I don't even know if I'll be able to stay here after," I confess with a sigh as I start driving out of the parking lot. "Like, are they going to give me a work visa?"
She shrugs shyly. "I don't know how that works, I've never studied out of the country before. How long is your student visa for?"
"Nine months." It basically starts from the moment I start school to just a little after I finish. Therefore it leaves just enough time to apply for another one. "I can renew it if I decide to continue school here, or I can go back to the US."
Gemma turns to her right and shoots me a knowing look with a smirk. "And do you plan on going back to the US?"
"In the future, yeah," I admit with a smile. "Definitely not right now, I have three years of school to finish, and so many things can happen in three years that I could decide to stay or to go back. I guess we'll see what happens."
The afternoon is surprisingly free of traffic. Within twenty minutes we're already entering the familiar neighborhood, the narrow streets so much easier to drive in with this small car than with the Range Rover. "My brother has always loved the US," Gemma continues. "I'm sure he'd even move to California if he could, so you two would have a nice house there. I know he already has one but you could have a say in this. It's about time you start taking advantage of him a bit," she teases.
I roll my eyes at her but I can't hide the small smile dancing on my lips. "As I said, so many things can happen in three years. I could get out of the car when we get home and get hit by the bus. Who knows?"
"Oh my God," she suddenly squeals, and I look outside to see if maybe there's something that I haven't seen, maybe a cat in the middle of the street, but she simply keeps her gaze on me.
"What?" I ask with a frown.
She simply shakes her head and laughs, a deep stomach laugh similar to Harry's except that hers is slightly more high-pitched. "You call it home. The house, you call it home. It's just so bloody cute."
And right at the same time, we emerge on the street, just a block away from home. However, already from here I can spot the Range Rover on the street by the gates. Harry wasn't supposed to be home until a little bit later in the afternoon, but it definitely is our Range Rover. Well, his.
I park from the back inside the driveway because the Rover takes all the parking space available on the street, and Gemma follows me around to the front door. "Are you sure he's not gonna get upset? I'm a little bit nervous. He can be proper scary when he's angry."
"He'll be fine," I assure. I truly hope he will. As soon as we walk inside the house, I call out his name. "Harry?"
"Getting out of the shower," he shouts from upstairs, his husky voice travelling all around the house. "I'll be right there."
I lose sight of Gemma as she walks around the place, examining the living room and the kitchen area as if it's been a while she hasn't been here. And well, it has been a long time. She disappears in the kitchen after touching everything in the living room, looking at Harry's collection of DVDs and CDs, and glancing at the pile of coursework I left sitting on the coffee table.
Harry appears at the top of the stairs in nothing but a towel around his waist, his chest glistening from the water and his hair flattened on the top of his head. He quickly jumps every step until he reaches me, and places one hand on my waist to pull my body into his so he can peck my lips. "What are you doing home so early?" I ask, pulling away not to get wet. From the water!
He scrunches up his nose and brings his hand up to scratch it gently. "Left the meeting early, so I came over to work out a little. Got to keep this sexy body in shape if I want to look hot at the beach in the States."
From the kitchen, a loud gagging sounds at Harry's words, and he looks at me with clear confusion in his face while I can't help but giggle. "You should probably go put something on, Haz. I really doubt your sister wants to see you naked."
"Please, no! Spare me the details, I'm not looking," Gemma shouts through the walls.
For whatever reason, and I think it really is just because Harry has missed his family, his face lights up and his jaw falls slack. He glances from me to the kitchen area, then back at me as if he's silently asking for confirmation, so I nod. "Go change, she's not going anywhere."
He spins around and jumps the first step, but then he stops abruptly. I'm almost halfway to the kitchen when a hand catches me back the waist and twists my body around, and I collapse in Harry's chest but not accidentally. He brings his hand on the back of my neck and I can't help but melt into him as he presses his lips against mine, moving slowly and passionately. When he pulls away after a couple of seconds in which I've had time to melt in a puddle on the floor, his green eyes glint and he smiles widely. "Thank you," he simply says and then runs upstairs to change. I notice that he turns the corner and goes to our bedroom instead of the one he'd been sleeping in, and I just hope that when I go upstairs tonight I'll find his clothes occupying the same drawers as mine.
Unfortunately, as I join Gemma in the kitchen, the cramps in my lower stomach don't go unnoticed. The first day of my period isn't usually painful, but today the cramps just go on and on without stopping. I excuse myself and take some Advil, knowing that when Harry comes back downstairs I might have to go change my tampon.
"Big sistah," Harry shouts as he emerges in the kitchen dressed in black jeans and a red flannel. He jumps on her and tackles her on the wall, the smile on his face spread wider than I've ever witnessed.
"Jesus, Harold," Gemma squeals, hugging him back. "Have you gotten taller? It's like hugging a bear."
I swallow the two pills with a large gulp of water and chuckle. "I've been forcing him to eat his crusts. Didn't think he could grow any more, to be honest."
Harry pouts. "She really has been forcing me to eat my crusts," he complains with a finger pointed in my direction, eyes focused on his sister. "Even 'ma knows not to make me eat my crusts."
Though I'd love to hear what they have to say to each other, I quietly excuse myself from the kitchen to give them some privacy. I make a quick stop to the bathroom upstairs, grab another set of school books from the bedroom, and make a beeline to the living room. It gives me enough time to rest on the couch until the pills start having an effect on my stomach, and with their voices barely audible from here, I manage to read a couple of chapters for one of my classes.
After talking to Alfie a couple of times since we met up, he promised that our very different schedules was purely accidental. He hadn't planned on not having a single class with me, and even though it happened that way, we still have the same classes but on different days. His school schedule fits better around his work schedule, and he even offered to change one class and take it with me, but I declined. I didn't want him to feel guilty and switch classes when his schedule is perfectly fine. At least we can still study together once in a while or meet up before essays, since we happen to have most of the same professors as well.
The essay I start working on is a free subject. The main goal of this project is to pick an item in history that was-and still is-a use in communication. I decided to pick printed photography and its history, but my main focus is its importance during World War I and World War II as form of propaganda. I've made a lot of research on who invented printing, then later on, who invented photography, and how it was used to pull people into going to war. My professor was thrilled to hear more about this topic after I got my plan approved, and not only am I confident about it, but it's also a subject that has always interested me.
So with my headphones on, I blast my music to cut any sound around me and open several tabs on Safari to further my research on the topic. I've already picked up a couple of books at the library over the past few days and photocopied important pages of old documents. I settle on the floor with my back against the sofa, my laptop on the coffee table and books scattered around me like I'm drowning in the subject.
As usual, I get distracted a few times because of text messages, emails or just the news network, but it's only a couple of hours later that Harry appears by my side and gently pulls the earbuds from my ears. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he chuckles when I jump from his cold fingers against my neck.
"Put gloves on, you're freezing." The chills instantly going away when he removes his hands prove my point.
"Do you see me complaining about your cold feet in bed? Or how I wake up most of the time with absolutely no sheets?" My lack of answer makes him laugh and I roll my eyes dramatically at him. "Exactly, love. I just want to know if spaghetti is okay for you for dinner. I'll drive Gemma back at the hotel right after."
The idea of food makes the cramps increase in my belly. I'd been good for lunch but the Advil don't seem to have taken any effect over the past few hours, except maybe for the migraine that had been starting on the right side of my head. I wrinkle my nose at him. "Not very hungry so you can eat whatever you want. I'm probably just gonna eat cereal or something."
He frowns. "Are you feeling poorly?"
"No," I reassure, smiling up at him as he sits on the sofa and reaches out to test my forehead. "Got my period this morning, now it's just hurting a little." A lot more than just a little, but if I tell him that he'll be worried.
"Figured that when I saw the tampon box on the counter. Have you taken anything for the cramps? I can go get you something if you want..."
"Harry, I'm fine," I roll my eyes but crack a smile at his carefulness. "It's not the first time I have my period, and I've taken Advil. Just go make dinner and I might eat some if I feel better, alright?"
He gulps but nods anyway, bending down to press his lips to my hair before getting up. "Fine, but if you need anything, just tell me. Dinner should be ready in an hour if you ever want to take a break from all that."
I watch him disappear behind the wall and inside the kitchen, the voices coming back as he and Gemma continue their conversation while I throw my headphones back on. I've already got just a little over one thousand words on my essay, and I had only planned on having five hundred for today.
With all that done, I close my books and pile them on the table. I save my references into my text, save the text into my documents, and shut my laptop off. There isn't a better feeling than knowing how in advance you are, because you can just procrastinate and do anything else for a little while, even if it has to be done with sharp pain in your uterus.
Harry is heating up spaghetti sauce on the stove when I walk in the kitchen, Gemma at the breakfast island with a coke in her hands. I interrupt them mid-laugh and Gemma pats the seat next to her for me to take. "Forget about what I said this afternoon about missing school. Seeing you do coursework gave me a headache. I can't imagine myself doing it again."
"This one's not as bad, though," I chuckle. "But I'd probably still rather sleep or go shopping than that."
"Well if you want to go shopping, you better text me this time," Harry cuts in, one arm in his pocket while the other one stirs the sauce. "Weren't you supposed to send me a message before you met up with Gems?"
I roll my eyes. "Shut up and make dinner, I'm hungry."
Gemma barks a laugh. "God, I'm so glad I'm not the only one anymore to boss you around, little bro. I thought it was getting old, but really it isn't."
"I think it is," Harry mumbles with a pout, temporarily removing his hand from his pocket to push his hair back.
Ignoring his comment on purpose, I turn to Gemma. "By the way, Gemma, you could've stayed here when Harry leaves. The house is huge and it gets a little bit lonely."
"To be fair, I didn't really know what was going on between you two since New Year's," she admits, looking down guiltily even though there's nothing for her to feel guilty about. "I didn't want to impose on the little bro, but the flat-"
"You're moving to London?" Harry interrupts her, dropping the wooden spoon on the stove. "You didn't tell me that."
Gemma frowns. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I got a promotion and the company is sending me to work in London at the end of the month."
"Gems, that's sick!" He grabs his sister and gives her a bear hug, dropping a kiss on top of her head. I wish I had a sibling... "I'm so proud of you. The spare room is yours all you want, and well the entire house. There's plenty of room for you here."
The spare room talk catches my attention, and I'm not sure if he means while he's gone, or that he won't be sleeping there anymore. For my own happiness I stick to the second option.
"I've already signed for a flat," Gemma replies. "But it's okay, I want my independency. I do miss living on my own, it's probably the only thing I miss about uni, so I'm just excited to find that again."
By now, the water for the spaghetti has boiled and I cut in to drop a handful amount of the pasta in the water while Harry keeps stirring the sauce. Harry insists on making his family's recipe, an old Italian sauce recipe that has stayed in the family for three generations now, handwritten by his mom on a piece of paper that he keeps in the cupboard with the other recipe books. Not that I complain, because really, the entire house smells absolutely delicious.
Harry listens to his sister with sparkly eyes, the pride in his eyes showing off. "Well, if you ever need a place to stay, the house is yours."
All my friends back home who had siblings would constantly fight. They would always scream at each other, argue, and I doubt that I would've ever witnessed them hugging like I just saw Harry and Gemma. And it strikes me because even in American movies, when are siblings ever friends? Obviously they don't hate each other but it is a common stereotype in Hollywood movies to see two siblings or even three just fighting around.
The entire time we eat, Harry and Gemma keep bonding and telling each other what's new in their lives. I admire their relationship, and seeing this side of Harry doesn't happen very often. But when Gemma finally asks him if he's going to call their mom, he freezes.
"Gem, I don't think I should," he tells her with hooded eyes, contradicting everything he told me the night before.
"Don't be silly," she protests. "It's been very hard for mum and Robin, and even if you were to call just to say hello, it would make them very happy. I really think you should give it a try, Harry."
It may not be any of my business, but I cut in anyway. "I think she's right, babe. I already told you that, but you should really try to call or visit. She'll see you're trying."
He looks between Gemma and I as we're conveniently sitting on the same side of the table, and sighs loudly. "Fine," he finally agrees. "I don't have time to visit, though, but I'll call them this week." He directs his next comment to me. "This way they won't see the heart."
I clutch onto my stomach to ease the pain as I throw my head back and laugh. "Yeah, H, what the bloody hell is that?" Gemma points at the human heart on his tattoo, still fresh. "What were you thinking? Mum is going to murder you."
"Jesus, Gemma, it's just a tattoo. It's not like I actually killed someone and glued their heart to my arm."
"Might as well," I mumble, only to earn a deadly glare from Harry and a snort from Gemma.
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Chapter End Notes:
HELLO EVERYONE! I hope you've been having a good week!
So, what do you think of Gemma coming back? What is gonna happen with Harry's parents now that he spoke to Gemma?
Oh and happy easter!💟
Don't forget to comment and vote!!Thanks!:)
-Katexx