stay forever; harry styles

9

Mabel had spent most of the next week cooped up in her hotel room. She didn't want the break up to affect her trip, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't upset about no longer being with Steven, she knew it was the right thing for the both of them, but the cruelness of his words had really stuck with her. She felt unsettled about the way their conversation had gone, and especially how it ended. But, it wasn't enough to try and change it. She still felt strongly about the fact she didn't want to speak to Steven ever again but it was difficult closing that chapter of her life in such an unnerving manner.

Ingrid had stopped by a few times during the week, trying to get Mabel out of the rut she was in and encouraging her to try to move past it. It was easier said than done. Mabel didn't want him to have this power over her that would completely ruin her mood for the next two months, but she just needed some time to really come to terms with the fact she had been with someone for years who wasn't who she thought he was. It was hurtful to her that she had spent so much time with him, letting him know the best and worst of her, just for him to act completely out of character once things stopped going his way. 

She got out of bed, walking towards the window in her room and opened the curtains to let some of the sunlight in. She had been wallowing in the darkness, and she thought maybe some sun would bring her mood up. She stood there at the window for the moment, staring out at the scenery outside and watching people enjoy themselves out on the town. She let out a sigh before closing the curtains once again and sitting down at the edge of her bed.

Just as she was about to call in an order to room service, there was a knock at the door and she got up to check to see who it was. She peered through the peephole, seeing Ingrid standing outside of her room. She hesitated, wondering if she should play it off like she had been sleeping but something told her to let Ingrid in. When she opened the door, Ingrid immediately pushed past her and walked into the hotel room. "Hello to you, too." Mabel said, following her friend back into the room and closing the door behind her. 

"You're getting out of this room today." Ingrid told her, taking all the covers off the paid and putting into a pile on the floor for housekeeping to handle. Mabel figured it was her way of making it impossible for her to get back into the bed and wasting her day away sleeping. She didn't say anything in response, not really having it in her to argue. She thought Ingrid was probably right, maybe the only cure to the way she was feeling is to try and ignore by distracting herself with something to do other than working and sleeping in a dark room. 

"What are we going to do?" Mabel asked, and Ingrid seemed slightly shocked by her immediate compliance instead of the plethora of excuses she had been giving her over the past few days. "Let's just go the beach." Ingrid told her, going into Mabel's drawer and sifting through it for something for her to wear. She pulled out one of the bathing suits she'd brought, holding it up for her to see before shoving into Mabel's hands. "Change." She directed her, pointing towards the bathroom and Mabel obliged. 

Though someone else in her position may have been peeved by Ingrid's assertiveness, Mabel knew her well enough to know that she wasn't doing this because she needed Mabel's company, it was because she was genuinely worried about her and knew that this was the only way for her to get her out of the room. That was why she wasn't going to argue with her or turn down her efforts. She could see that her behavior was concerning to someone who cared about her and that was enough motivation for her to make an attempt to get past what she had been going through.

After she changed, she stepped back out into the room to see Ingrid had reopened the curtains and tidied up the area. She gave her a grateful smile, unable to express in words how much her friendship meant to her. Ingrid was always the person who picked her up when she was down, and she never once had to ask. "Much better." Ingrid told her, walking over to her and smoothing down Mabel's hair with her hands.