Cold Truths | H.S.

24

Davina's POV

Next Friday rolled around fast. I finally got settled in and was working from the living room, getting back into manuscripts not without profusely apologizing for missing so much work in the past month. My boss insisted that it was okay and proceeded to send me several manuscripts to go through, which kept me busy most of the week.

Harry only made brief appearances throughout the week, some days I didn't even think he was in the house. But those brief interactions were extremely awkward. We ate dinner together most nights but mostly in silence. When I looked at him all I envisioned was me on the countertop, as he touched me. It was eating me alive that we hadn't really spoken since that night and also made me hate myself that I wanted more.

Knowing that what he told me about his mother was ultimately a product of my own doing made me feel like a bad person. I so badly wanted to know more about him but I didn't mean for him to spill everything about his mother to me that night. I wish it had gone differently, on his own account rather than mine. But now knowing what I know about him and his childhood, things started to make more sense. He wasn't just a criminal in Gray's machine, he was forced into it to stay alive. To keep his mother alive. It hurt to think that the kid I saw in those pictures upstairs with his mother would have his world turned upside down in just a few years. There wasn't much I could say to him because ultimately I knew he didn't want to talk about it anymore, but I wish I could take that pain away from him. For some reason, I wanted to be that person for him. Someone good.

Harry had been gone the whole day today, not telling me where and I was now sitting in the living room with a cup of tea and my laptop open on my lap as I scrolled through the ending of the manuscript I had started this morning. It was a great story about a young boy searching for his biological father after being estranged for years. It had me crying throughout the day. When I finished the last page, I typed up a brief report and sent it over to my manager for manuscripts to consider publishing. I signed off for the day as five o'clock came around and sat back scrolling through the new phone that Harry had brought home for me the other day. I had insisted that I would pay him back but he refused and even got angry at one point when I kept bringing it up. I opened my messages and clicked on Caroline's contact, typing out a brief check-in text. I hadn't messaged her since being here so I figured I might as well, even though she'd probably see it later today. Shortly after, the front door opened and closed sending a cool rush into the room. Harry walked in unzipping his jacket and tossed it on the chair beside me.

I sat up putting my phone down as he looked down at his, typing quickly.

"Hey," I spoke up, his attention still on his phone.

He nodded slightly before bringing his phone up to his ear and exiting the room into the kitchen. I sighed, slumping back into the couch as I heard his voice fading into the distance. He was on the phone for about 20 minutes before coming back into the living room where I now had the TV on watching whatever was on cable. I reached for the remote lowering the volume as he stood across from me scratching the back of his neck, his nervousness apparent.

"Hey, so I've gotta go to London for the weekend..." He started sounding somewhat unsure of himself.

I wasn't sure what to say considering this is the most he's said to me all week. I assumed by his tone that he was leaving quite soon and it didn't sound like I was part of the plan. Part of me was nervous about why he was leaving for the weekend. Since we've been here we have barely left and now suddenly he was getting ready to leave. But why? It must've been something business-related but then that had to have meant Gray knew where we were which scared me even more. Suddenly I was overthinking and my brain became flooded with different scenarios.