Forever | h.s.

Chapter 71

~Annabel's POV~

"You sure you don't want me to do it?" Harry raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think I need to."

"Okay..." He says sounding unsure. "If you need anything call me. Right away."

"Okay, I promise." I say and look him in the eyes. He leans in and kisses my lips gently.

"I love you."

"I love you too." I smile and open the car door.

The walk to the doors seem way too short and I push them open with the piece of paper in my hands.

"You can just... go right up." Nikki, the front desk woman says and I know she's heard about what happened.

"Thanks." I don't even bother going to Jack's office. I head straight to mine, and pack everything in cardboard boxes an employee has provided me.

"Knock knock." I hear a familiar voice.

"Bea." I smile at the familiar friend. She gives me a
sympathetic one back.

"Need any help?" She asks but walks over anyways, and begins to pack things. I watch as her eyes travel to the resignation papers. "I can... I can turn that in for you."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Yeah- of course. I'm um... I'm giving him mine anyways, so what's another one right?" She forces laugh, as realization hits me.

"You're..."

"Yeah, I think it's safer that way." She nods.

"Good for you." I nudge her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah... I'm alright." I nod.

"I'm sorry that happened, you don't deserve it." She says.

"Thank you." I say. "For everything."

"Yeah no problem. It was nice getting to know Louis anyways." She laughs lightly to lighten the mood.

"Good, good." I smile as I tape the second to last box shut.

"This is a good picture. You guys make a very good couple, don't let anything tear you guys apart." Bea says placing a picture frame of Harry and I into the last box.

"Thank you, Bea. For everything." I hug my friend and she hugs me back. It's a welcoming feeling, and Bea has become someone I've gotten to trust and love like an old friend.

I walk out of the building with boxes stacked up on one another, and it's hard to see around them. I watch my feet and step carefully off the curb, and I hear a car door slam. I look around the cardboard and Harry's jogging over to help me, taking two boxes from me and leaving me with one.

"Thanks," I smile and he nods.

"How did it go?" He asks skeptically.

"I didn't turn it in myself, Bea said she'd do it for me along with hers."

"She's resigning?" He asks with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah," I breathe out.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"That's... that's good."

"It is." We load the boxes onto the backseats of the car in silence and begin driving home.

It's silent the whole ride, but not awkward. There's thick tension; words that want to be screamed but aren't seem to fill the air although there isn't a sound made. Once we reach our apartment building, Harry turns off the engine, but neither of us make a move.

"Annabel..." He whispers, and I can hear him swallow.

"Harry." I look at him, his eyes are sad and worried, and I imagine mine are the same.

"Are we okay?"

"I... I don't know." I answer, my eyes closing.

"What now?"

"I don't know. Do you... do you want to take a break?"

"What do you mean?" He asks, sounding genuinely confused.

"I mean... like..."

"Like... break up?"

"Just for a little bit." I say, and the words kill me.

"No! I mean- no, I don't want to do that, no." He shakes his head and a feeling of relief takes over my body and mind.

"Okay, we won't." I nod, swallowing. "But... we should talk."

"Okay." He agrees, and I nod. I'm the first one to get out of the car and I gather the boxes. "I got it." He whispers and I nod, watching him take the boxes in his arms.

We walk into the apartment together, and it's cold. I turn the heat up and change into something more comfortable than jeans.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asks,
walking in as I'm removing my shirt. I use it to cover myself, and swallow. "Oh... sorry I didn't-"

"It's fine." I interrupt awkwardly. I'm half nude and he's still standing there. Granted, he's seen me like this before but it's still embarassing and we're probably not in the right place to do anything.

"I'll just leave." He tells
me and I nod.

"I'll be out in a second." I say and he nods and shuts the door behind him. Breathing out, I look around for a T-shirt of mine I can slip in. For a second, I contemplate wearing Harry's and afterwards, I decide to anyways.

His black t-shirt fits as it always has, and I take a whiff of it, breathing in his scent. I open the bedroom door and head out. Harry's preparing dinner, and he looks behind him, and I can see his eyes scan me up and down in a non-sexual way.

"What are you making?" I ask.

"Fettuccini Alfredo." He answers softly.

"Sounds good." I say, and then, silence.

I don't understand why things have changed so drastically, even when I thought Harry cheated on me it was never quite awkward between us. But maybe that's because he didn't... and I did.

That's something I'll never be able to forgive myself for; hurting Harry. I plan speech after speech in my head on what to say to Harry once we have our 'talk' but I'm afraid once we do, I'll draw a blank. My mind won't be able to process anything.

Harry transfers some of the pasta into two bowls, and sets one in front of me. I wait until he's seated and eating before I take a bite, and it's good.

"This is amazing, Harry." I compliment.

"Thanks, it's something I've worked on perfecting for a while." He tells me and I nod.

"You did it. This is the best Fettucinni I've ever tasted." I tell him honestly and he thanks me again.

We eat in silence and it kills me that we can't laugh about things we used to. I'm afraid for our relationship because Harry had been the best thing that's happened to me and losing him will mean losing my happiness, and pride and joy.

"We should um... we should talk yeah?" He says, placing his fork into his empty bowl.

"Yeah. I suppose we should." I say, my tone of voice shaky and nervous. I stack his bowl ontop of mine and bring them to the sink, washing my hands afterwards. I wipe the wetness off on my thighs and slowly turn. He's still sitting at the table, hands joined on the surface.

I sit down to join him and take a deep breath.

I don't think I'm ready for this. Am I?
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Sorry I haven't updated in a while!