Butcher and The Baker |HS

Two

"I don't know about this."   

"Allie May, I've got you. It's gonna be okay." She sighed as we walked out the door and I turned to lock it, the cool spring breeze blowing against us. We started walking, making small talk and finding out what I needed to get until we made it to her car and got inside. The radio was on quietly through the drive, no words being spoken between us until we came to a stop in front of a building.

"I can't do this," she cleared her throat.

"You don't have to come in." We got out of the car, walking inside and we were both quiet. It felt as if I were going to complete a hit for the mob. We got in the elevator, the doors closing with a small creak. She pressed the 54th floor button and it began to move.  I could feel how nervous she was. Maybe it was a mix of nerves and hurt, I wasn't sure. Once we stopped, the doors opened and we quietly walked into the hallway. I followed behind her, stopping at a black door with 9B on the front in fancy gold plating. I reached up to knock and she gripped my hand tightly. She was shaking. The lock clicked and the door swung open. A tall, lean, dark headed woman standing there in a man's shirt.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Allie May's grip on my hand tightened and I took a deep breath.   

"We're here to get some her stuff," I replied.

"Who is it, babe?" a deep voice called and I could hear his footsteps approaching the door.

  "Allie May," he said, his smile falling.

"They came to get some of her stuff," the woman said, looking at him.

"Come in," he said firmly, the door opening a little more. Allie was stuck to her spot, still shaking.

"Hey, it'll be okay. I'll be back," I whispered. She let go of my hand, looking down at her shoes and I walked inside. Following behind him toward the bedroom, I took a deep breath, grabbing the Nike duffle bag she had mentioned and walking toward the left side of the dresser. Pulling open the first drawer, I neatly placed her clothes in the duffle bag. Continuing that with the next four drawers and slightly blushing when I reached her underwear drawer, I could feel-who I assumed was her ex- Jack's eyes on me.

"She mentioned something about her perfume and other things. Do you know where that is?" I asked quietly.

"Some of them are on top of the dresser and some are in the bathroom." I sighed, walking toward the bathroom and flipping the light on, grabbing as much as I could, putting it in the duffle bag. Making sure I got her toothbrush and toothpaste, I finished getting everything and made my way back toward the door.

"Take care of her," he said quietly. I nodded, fighting the urge to just deck him.

"We'll probably come back and get her books and the rest of the stuff tomorrow and Saturday." Jack nodded as I lifted the bag over my shoulder and she grabbed my hand again. The door closed with a small thud and she was biting her lip. We walked back to the elevator, her grip on my hand still as tight as before and once the doors had closed, silence surrounded us.

"What hotel are you staying at?" I asked as we finally made it back to the car and I sat her bag in the back seat.

"I was at the Astoria, but it looks like I'm in my car tonight," she said so quietly I almost didn't hear her.                                                  

"You're more than welcome at my place. I've got a pretty comfortable bed that you can have." Shit. "I mean, you can stay in my room and I can sleep on the couch."               

  "I can-"                                              

  "I insist. It wouldn't be right to leave you in your car." God, I sounded creepy. We drove back to the bakery in silence and I got in my car, making sure she was behind me. Finally pulling into the parking garage after navigating traffic for at least twenty minutes, I pulled into a space and sighed with relief when she pulled in next to me. We got out and made our way inside in silence, even the elevator ride was quiet.

"It's not much, but it's home," I laughed, the front door closing behind us. Georgia ran toward us, her tail wagging happily, jumping up on Allie's legs and she actually smiled.

"Sorry. She likes to jump on people."

"It's okay," she chuckled, petting her before squatting down and hugging her softly. We walked toward my room and I opened the door slowly, turning the light on.

"There's towels under the sink and I'm gonna make some food if you want anything."

"Thank you so much, Harry. I really appreciate it," she tried to smile.

"No problem," I replied, walking back toward the door quietly and pulling it shut. It wasn't until it closed that she finally broke. I stood there quietly, listening to her cry. It wasn't normal crying nor sobbing. She sounded quite literally like someone had stabbed her. My heart was beating in my chest, hard and fast. I knocked on the door, the noise immediately stopping.

"Yeah?" her voice cracked. I opened the door and her back was facing me. I took a few steps toward her, touching her shoulder lightly with my hand. I put my arms around her, turning her body and pulling her to my chest. We stood there. Her world falling apart while I was slowly trying to pick it back up and hold it together.

                                                                              ************

    The next few weeks, we grew to be friends. She seemed to have found her heart that Jack had previously ripped out.  Needing a job, I offered one at the bakery, knowing we'd grow even closer. At first she was shy, but as the weeks drew on, she seemed to bloom just as the leaves were beginning to change.  We'd begun making the fall themed cupcakes, the seemingly bleak Tuesday evening turning interesting. Allie had managed to get icing on her face as she meticulously frosted the pumpkin flavored treats.

"I feel really basic," she laughed, icing the final one. I couldn't help but laugh, looking at the hair that had fallen down around her face.

"Those are our best sellers in September and October."

"We might just give Starbucks a run for their money."   

"I always have." She laughed, shaking her head as she pulled a cool pan off the rack and began to ice them.   

"I see why you're so muscular now. It's hard to ice all of these."

"It's no easy task. That's why I usually get Louis, Liam, or Niall to do it."   

"Speaking of them, I wanted to ask if I could get off early Thursday."

"Absolutely. What's the occasion?"

"I have kind of a date." My eyes widened and I almost dropped the bag of icing I was holding for the Apple Cinnamon cupcakes.

"Oh really? With whom?" I asked, my back facing her as I pretended to look for something on the shelf.

"Um-" she paused. "With Niall?"