Stay With Me || H.S

44

The sound of Lana's hurling in the bathroom wakes me up for the second time in the same morning. It started around three hours ago – it's now eight in the morning. My usual inclination to see if she's okay is struggling under the urge to feed my ego.

Yesterday went just how I imagined it would, I tried to apologize and when it seemed we had come to an awkward yet working solution, our clashing attitudes caused us to say things we didn't mean. And by we I mean me and the way I ended up throwing her mistake of missing the pill in her face again, which landed us back to square one. And earned me a permanent resting place on the floor.

The sound of the faucet running cut out unexpectedly and the door to the bathroom creaks open, allowing a sliver of the blinding light to disorient my sight for a split second.

I listen as my eyes adjust to the dimness of my room once more, "Did you have -" I start out of the blue, startling her.

"Jesus – you scared me" Lana jumps, the sounds of the bed springs getting me to that conclusion, "I thought you were asleep" she barks as she makes herself comfortable again, and I sit up.

"It's kind of hard to sleep with the sounds of someone throwing up behind a very thin door" I sigh, "Has something you ate made you ill?" the words force themselves from my lips as my ego tries to fight them off.

"I don't know, maybe" she breathes after a moment, and I roll my eyes and lay back down on my bed of blankets.

[Lana]

"Morning" Anne chirps placing her freshly made eggs onto five plates. Her warm smile and caring gestures bring my mind back from the awkward silences I have had all morning with Harry.

"Morning" I brush my hair behind my ears, feeling a lot healthier now that I've had a proper shower.

"Um can I-" I begin as I point to the coffee machine with all it's freshly brewed contents.

"Of course! Go on take as much as you want" Anne gushes, rushing to put the pan down and reaching for a mug to hand to me. I watch in awe as she goes about the kitchen as if nothing has happened in the last few days. But I can only imagine how she must be really feeling, I better than anyone know what its like to pretend to be something they're not.

In the span of a few hours she lost her husband, her nice big house, and probably all her self respect for being so oblivious.

"Anne" I sigh, setting the mug down on the counter and reach for her hand.

She eyes the source of contact before looking directly at me. I don't have to say anything to let her know that I understand her, all I do is give her a small smile and her eyes start to water as she returns it willingly.

I take that as my queue to engulf her in a hug that lasts for a solid minute before Harry's interruption.

"Sorry – didn't know there was a hug fest going on"

Anne and I pull apart and I catch him standing by the door, straight out of the shower with his arms crossed over his chest, long locks still damp and that stupid smirk on his perfectly chiseled face. I literally have to remind myself that I am quite aggravated with his behavior to stop myself from running into his embrace. That, and my sudden urge to dispose of the contents of my stomach for the fourth time this morning.

"Sorry – be right back" I mumble, my hand to my mouth as I rush upstairs to the bathroom.

[Harry]

I roll my eyes at myself for staring at Lana's arse as she rushed upstairs to probably throw up her actual stomach this time.

I take a seat at the kitchen counter, while my mum dabs away at the light tears she and Lana have shared this morning.