By 7pm Eve was hungry and had been in the same clothes all day and needed to change. But changing meant going back to Harry's room. Eating meant going to the restaurant which would mean being out in the open which also meant potentially bumping in to Harry. She was going to have to face him at some point. Wether it was now or tomorrow morning when they were due to go home. Eve knew she couldn't go to dinner in her pyjamas trousers and an oversized hoody so it made her decision even easier.
When she got to Harry's room door she didn't know wether to knock or just let herself in. 24 hours ago she would have breezed in without a care in the world. Tonight she didn't know what to do. She hesitated for a moment before slipping the key card into the lock. The door clicked and she pushed it open. The room was quiet and Eve realised she was disappointed at the prospect of Harry not being here. But as quickly as the thought passed through her mind it was replaced with regret as Harry flew round the corner.
"You came back?" He looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Despite his casual uniform of black t-shirt and black skinny jeans, his clothes looked disheveled. He was so close that if Eve wanted to, she could reach out and touch him. But she didn't want to. His closeness felt suffocating.
"I just came to get changed" She avoided eye contact as she squeezed by him.
"Eve please, we need to talk" Harry pleaded, not moving from his spot.
"Not now Harry. I just want to get changed then I'm going for dinner" She dismissed him as she disappeared into the bedroom. She looked out a plain white vest top, jeans and a navy cardigan. She quickly changed and brushed her teeth before pulling her hair into a top knot. She washed her face and was ready to go. She left the bathroom to find Harry sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. His head popped up at the sound of Eve.
"Eve please. Let me explain. Please talk to me" His eyes pleading with her. Her heart broke for him. She knew he must be hurting and there was a part of her that just wanted to wrap her arms around his body and tell him it would be ok. But her head just couldn't do it.
"I don't want to talk about it right now Harry"
"So what? That's it? We're over because you don't want to talk to me?" Harry gestured, pushing himself off the bed.
"I didn't say it was over Harry, I said I don't want to talk about it" Eve's voice was rising as was her temper.
"So what? We'll just stop talking to each other? I know I fucked up Eve but please can we talk about this?" Harry's mood quickly turned from angry back to pleading.
"No, Harry" Eve yelled. "We can't talk about, I don't want to talk about it. I have absolutely nothing constructive to say to you right now. I'm angry and I'm hurt. I don't care if you want to apologise and explain yourself because I don't want to hear it right now" She huffed and went to move past him. For a second she thought he might reach out and try and stop her, but he didn't.
Eve barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes she replayed her conversation with Harry. Unsure if she was being too harsh. The idea of driving back to the airport then back into London with just Harry was making Eve feel sick but she had no choice. She left it to the very last minute before going back up to the room. She knew the plan was to leave at 10am to be at the airport in time for Anne's flight. Eve had showered in her own room again, put her old clothes back on at was outside Harry's room at 9:45 but she still needed to change and pack all her stuff up.
She'd left the key she had in Harry's room yesterday so she had no choice but to knock. Harry answered the door quickly, too quickly, as of he'd been standing on the other side, waiting for her to come.
"Morning" Eve could tell he was trying to inject some life into his voice but he looked miserable.
"Hi" Eve gave a quick nod before moving past him. Harry followed her straight into the bedroom. Immediately she noticed her bags already packed and an outfit laid out on the bed for her.
"I didn't know if you'd be back in time so I packed your stuff up for you" Harry ran his hand through the back of his hair. He looked sheepish.
"Thank you" Eve mumbled before lifting up the outfit and heading into the bathroom. Harry had picked out the perfect travelling clothes, black leggings a lose fitting striped top and a grey cardigan. She sorely wanted to be touched by his effort but she couldn't work out if this was Harry being sincere or just trying to get back in to her good graces. She took moments to change and when she came out the bathroom Harry had vanished with all the bags bar one. She folded her dirty washing in to the bag and carried it out to the room. She sat beside the bag on the couch and looked around the room. The room was beautiful. Decorated in muted warm toned browns and cream. The furniture was sleek and stylish and through the window she could see fields and trees for miles. It was a beautiful building with beautiful surroundings but already this place held so many bad memories.
She was jolted from her daydream by Anne coming into the room.
"Ready?" She smiled.
"Where's Harry?" Eve asked, immediately regretting failing to say hello or something similar before barking questions at Harry's mother.
"He's down at the car. I think he's trying to give you space" Anne sounded hopeful.
Eve gave a small laugh. "I'm going to be stuck in a car with him for the next four hours. I don't think you get much less space than that"
"I know. Maybe it'll be a chance for you two to talk?" Her voice was hopeful and Eve couldn't face distinguishing her hope.
"Maybe" She agreed as she grabbed the bag and her handbag, gave one last sweep of the room then closed the door behind her.
The journey from the hotel to the airport was awkward to say the least. Anne tried so hard to inject the awkward silence with conversation but it was a struggle. Eve found it difficult to give more than one words answers. Eve hated herself for being rude but she couldn't find it within herself to concentrate enough to engage with anyone. After short goodbyes, in which Anne promised she would see Eve again soon and she promised her son that if he fucked up any further she would be back quicker than he thought. Harry and Eve walked back to the car in complete silence. The silence lasted only until they reached the M4.
"Will you talk to me now that my mum's stopped with the incessant chatter?" Harry was attempting humour but it fell on deaf ears.
"That's rude, Harry. She was trying her best" Eve answered without her eyes leaving the window she was aimlessly staring out of.
"Sorry" He mumbled as he tapped his hand on the steering wheel. The most obvious sign that he was nervous.
"I just need you to talk to me Eve. I don't know what else to do. I can only apologise for my actions so many times. If you don't believe me then I don't know what else to do"
"What are you apologising for exactly Harry?" Eve finally turned to face Harry, the seatbelt restricting how much she could turn.
"Almost beating a man to do death? Scaring you?" Harry shrugged, letting out a frustrated sigh.
Eve couldn't help but mirror his frustration. "This is the part that I'm struggling with, Harry. You don't understand why I'm angry. Fundamentally, as a human being, I know what you did to Jake was wrong. But that man caused me years of pain and suffering. I stabbed him, with a knife, to get away from him. God knows I know what its like to want to hurt that man. He was a man that caused me harm, you were protecting me. I get that. I can comprehend that. I'm not angry about what you did to him. I'm angry that he had been snooping about your hotel for weeks, he'd been sending letters there. About me. For weeks. You knew he was inside that hotel, and you lied to my face. You told me it was nothing for me to worry about and you left me in that room so you could go and deal with him. I didn't think you'd ever lie to me Harry. That's what I can't get over."
Silence descended as Harry processed her words. Eve feeling a weight lift from her chest. She felt better getting that off out in the open, articulately. Eve didn't know if this would help them move forward. But it felt good to get her feelings out in the open.
"I..." Harry began but trailed off, instead indicating to come off at the next junction. Although Eve's knowledge of London's motorways was still patchy at best, she knew this was not the usual junction they took.
"Where are we going?" Eve asked glancing out at the slip road they were driving down.
"I need to show you something" Harry spoke with a renewed sense of purpose. She knew they weren't awfully far from the hotel but they weren't quite heading in the right direction. The area grew more suburban the more they moved away from the motorway. Eve peered out the window with a growing sense of familiarity.
"Why are we in Hampstead?" She asked
"I want to show you something" Harry peered out the windscreen looking at the street signs and buildings. "Just up here" He mumbled as they drove by a park and parked in front of a row of large houses.
"Come on" Harry's nervous and timid demeanour had been replaced by purposeful Harry.
Unsure what the hell was going on, Eve unbuckled her seatbelt and followed Harry onto the pavement.
"Down here" He nodded and Eve followed again till they came to end house in the row.
Harry approached a gate and tried to get in. But it seemed locked. He shoved against gate and it opened with ease.
"That's the first thing we'll need to get sorted" He mumbled and disappeared through the gate. Eve followed.
"Harry, what the hell are we doing?" Eve eyed her surroundings. They were clearly in someone's garden. The house in front of them was tall and white. It looked modern in that it was all very square. The driveway they were standing in was lined with beautiful flower beds filled with the most vibrant flowers.
"Do you like it?" He asked
"For what purpose?" Eve eyed Harry suspiciously.
"For us?" Harry eyebrows raised in hopefulness.
"What? For us?"
Harry nodded before taking a deep breath.
"I get it Eve. All I needed was for you to talk to me for me to get why I hurt you" Harry nervously ran his hand through his hair leaving it sticking up in all directions.
"Please know that I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought I was doing the right thing for all of us by leaving you out of it. I didn't do it to try and hurt you or manipulate you. I wasn't trying to control you in anyway. I wanted to keep you from hurting. That's all I was trying to do" Eve watched him closely as he looked up to the sky for inspiration.
"Ever since that first day we met I had this insane need to protect you. You were so scared and shy, God, you couldn't even tell me not to replace your breakfast."
Eve tried to suppress a laugh at the memory. Harry's eyes met Eve's and her heart skipped a beat. Harry stepped closer taking Eve's hands in his own.
"But what I'm forgetting is you're not that frightened little girl anymore. I've watched you grow into this confident, beautiful sometimes sassy woman, that can take on almost anything that's thrown at her" Eve could feel the tears stinging her eyes and the ball of emotion in her throat that was making it hard to swallow.
"Because of you..." She whispered
"Huh?" Harry asked
"I've become that person because of you Harry" He wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
"You became that person because of you Eve. I just kept you safe, to flourish" The smile that enveloped his face made the tears come faster for Eve.
"I shouldn't have kept it from you. I realise that now and I'm sorry" Harry pulled Eve to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
"I still don't get what this is" Eve eyed the house beside them.
"I want to buy it..." Harry pulled Eve away to gauge her reaction. "... for us"
"What? Why?" Eve asked perplexed.
"Because I don't want to live out of a hotel anymore.I want to buy a house that we can make our own, together. I want to build a life with you Eve. Will you move in with me?"
Let out a nervous burst of laughter. "We already live together"
"I know. But officially, in a house, with no housekeeping, or restaurant open 24/7, or room service whenever we want"
"You make it sound so appealing" Eve's eyes crinkled as smile danced across her lips.
"But it'll be just me and you. A house that we can decorate how we want, in any colour you want, we can have an open fire in the living room, with bedrooms that we can make into a nursery when the time comes. I want a forever home with you. I think this could be it. Will you move in with me?"
"Yes" Eve whispered as Harry leant in to place a soft kiss on her lips.
"I love you, Eve" Harry whispered against her lips.
"I love you, Harry"
THE END
Ahhh and that's it done! Thank you so much to everyone that read, commented and voted. It means so much! I really hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Keep your eyes peeled for my next Harry fic, coming soon!!! xxx