Diligence [H.S.]

SEVEN

Chapter Song: K. by Cigarettes After Sex

...

HARRY STYLES

I knock on the door in front of me three times with a combination of desolation and pure angst coursing through me.

The loud sound echoes through the complete silence looming throughout the unfamiliar hallway. It may be well past midnight now, but I couldn't care less about the noise I'm making. For a brief moment, I almost feel guilty for not considering those who are sleeping in the surrounding apartments. It dissipates the moment the door opens slowly.

The air in my lungs is useless when I see the apprehension in the eyes staring back at me.

"Jo," I speak up, only to give a bland, pathetic excuse of a greeting.

"H-Harry," she stammers in disbelief.

Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot, a telltale that she has been crying for a while. Not helping the nausea bubbling in my stomach. I take in more of her appearance, noticing the redness spreading across her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Her shoulders are slumped. Discouraged.

If I were in a decent state of mind, her appearance would be enough for me to bring myself down and remain calm in this situation. But I'm not in the right state of mind.

"Is she here?" I ask. My tone is much sharper than I meant for it to be, but I don't apologize for it.

"Look, Harr—"

"No," I stop her, "Answer me."

Jo closes her eyes and takes a second to push down her urge to slap me across the face. She opens her eyes and finds a way to avoid having a short temper with me. As well as ignore the faint but evident resentment I hold toward her currently. She isn't one to hold back, no matter how upset she is, but this situation isn't quite ideal.

The last time we saw each other, she nearly ripped my head off. That only further discombobulated me in attempting to comprehend what the fuck went wrong between Andrea and me.

None of it made sense.

"I was at the bar," I admit, and her eyes widen in realization, "I saw the people she was with, that guy...Travis, and you helping her out of the bathroom." My chest heaves up and down as the emotions I've held in for months start to surface. "I went to her apartment," I breathe out shakily as I replay the moment in my head, "And the new tenant who answered the door told me the previous renter was evicted months ago."

"Fuck," Jo mutters under her breath and opens the door fully.

Nothing could have prepared me for that moment.

I fully expected Jo or Andrea to open the door, maybe even Oliver or Noah. Not a complete stranger. Given my incessant knocking, I immediately apologized to the new resident and asked if Andrea still lived there. My last hope was the possibility of her getting a roommate, but I never would have guessed that she had been evicted. Moved out? Possibly. Eviction? Never. She's smart, and she wouldn't have let it get to that point. It's unlike her.

After that, I only have one option left. Jo's place. It took me forever to find the address since it was buried deep in old text messages from last year.

"So I need you to answer my question," I tell her with a stern yet trembling voice, "Is she here?"

"Yes and no."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Can you come in, please?" She asks in a composed manner. I hesitate at her offer, even with my nagging curiosity telling me to say yes, and her eyes flash with the unfortunate understanding of what is going through my head. "I know the last time we saw each other, I snapped at you. I yelled at you...I was not kind or welcoming, and I am genuinely sorry. That was not fair to you. I promise you, I am not going to act like that this time. I will explain everything. I should have explained when I last saw you."