Deserve [H.S.]

Chapter 42

TENSION

Tension is a funny thing.

The physical definition of tension involves something being tightly stretched, like an elastic band. Prior to the development of tension, the elastic band is one connected object, free to intertwine naturally. However, when it is stretched apart, two ends form and are pulled away from each other, resulting in the tension forming and only worsening the more that the band is pulled.

Tension between people isn't much different. A couple may be a happy unit with their lives intertwined in the best way possible, but the moment that they're pulled apart from each other in any way, tension develops. With constant distance, there is no chance for tension to ease up. As such, the tension builds and builds until it becomes too much.

Even though she was worried about how the conversation would go, Noah was eager to get it started. She was hoping that they would be able to talk things out maturely, though she was sure the both of them had a lot to get off their chests.

After a momentary silence of Harry just standing by his front door and Noah looking at him from the couch, she decided to say, "can we just fast forward through the awkwardness and jump right into the conversation?"

Harry exhaled a deep breath and simply moved closer to the living room, where Noah patted on the couch next to her, urging him to sit down. Harry took it as a good sign that she wanted him to sit next to her and not on a separate chair.

Noah was sitting with her legs crossed in front of her on the couch, and she had positioned her body to be turned more in Harry's direction. Harry was sitting with one leg off the couch as usual, but the leg closest to Noah was bent and resting on the couch between them, such that his body was angled in her direction, too.

"Okay," Noah started once Harry was sitting down, "first off, are you okay after that conversation?"

The genuine care and priority Noah placed on Harry never ceased to make his heart skip a beat.

"I... uh, it was pretty shitty to hear just how fucked up Anthony was to you, but I'm glad I know everything now. Better to know than be kept in the dark."

There was a poignant silence after that last sentence. Though Harry hadn't necessarily meant to be petty by basically referencing how she had lied to him about the plan, it was still relevant. Noah couldn't necessarily fault him, because it was somewhat deserved.

"Okay, go ahead and say what you need to," Noah said. "We need to talk through these things, so go ahead."

If it were anyone other than Noah saying that, Harry would have assumed it was a set up. He knew Noah, though, so he knew that she really did want him to express his feelings over the lie in order for them to come to an understanding.

Harry cleared his throat before saying, "okay... well, it was really fucking frustrating that you lied to me about the plan. You've never lied to me like that before, so it just really hit me hard because I never thought you would ever lie to me like that."

Noah took in Harry's words, knowing that he was entirely valid for feeling that way. "I'm sorry for lying to you about the plan. I really am. I know we have always been open with each other and I had no right to keep that from you. I was just... desperate to get Anthony out of your life so you could be happy. And I knew you would never say yes if you knew the real plan."

It was tough for Harry to stop from huffing to himself, but his annoyance was still evident in his tone as he said, "of course I would have never said yes to that. You knew that I never wanted you to ever be put in danger like that. I tried desperately to keep Anthony away from you and you just walked straight into the lion's den and lied to me while doing it."