The Vow [h.s.]

chapter thirty five

♡♡♡

I sighed in relief when I found him there.

He was still in his tux, as he admired the stars. But I couldn't help but admire only him.

"I thought I'd find you here," I said softly, walking closer.

He didn't bother turning around, he knew it was me.

"Hello, Emmie." He whispered as I stood next to him.

"What are you doing with the flowers?" I asked when I noticed Harry pulling his boutonniere apart and gently letting the petals fall into the stream.

"Well there's no use for them now." Harry shrugged, "I like the idea that tomorrow someone will see them floating by, and wonder where they come from." He paused, letting the remainder of the flowers float down into the water and flow against the streams soft current.

"You know," he began his eyes tracing the flowers that were fading out, "I would always put left over flowers from my mum's garden at peoples doorstep with a note that would say 'you are loved by someone in this world.'"

I looked up at him, a smile growing on my face.

"But then I started to wonder, what if people found out that the someone was me. Would they want me to be the one who loves them?" He shrugged solemnly, pouting his lips together as his gaze was again on his feet.

My heart broke at the sorrow in his voice as I slowly began to recall the flowers I would find on my doorstep.

"I would." I answered bravely.

He looks down at me, his eyes puffy from crying. I've never seen him cry like this, but it hurt me to know that he was hurting.

"I brought you a Milky Way..." I offered gesturing him to take it, "I thought you might need one."

He smirked at me, rolling his eyes, "Thank you," he said grabbing it reluctantly from my hand.

"How are you?" I asked cautiously.

Harry awkwardly coughed looking back at the stream as he unwrapped his candy bar.

"Well the girl I've been dating for a year and three months was a lie, my friendship with you was almost destroyed, and I feel like I have wasted everyone's time." He stated bluntly.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." I shook my head, not sure of what else I could possibly say in this situation.

"No," he interrupted me, "I'm sorry...Emmie, why did you never tell me? It never occurred to you to inform me that Violet was your bully? Even during all those year in secondary school, you didn't tell me?"

"I...it wasn't my place to tell you. Like you said, it was secondary school, it's in the past. And I didn't want to ruin something that made you so happy. You loved her, Harry." I continued, my voice cracking during my final words.

"I feel like an idiot," he sighed.

"You weren't the only one fooled into thinking that she honestly had changed." I reassured him.

There was a moment of silence that wrapped around us, but it didn't create any awkward tension.

It wasn't until he reached his hand towards me, intertwining his fingers within mine, when I felt a blush crept up my cheeks. I squeezed his hand softly in order to comfort him. He was still clearly torn up by all this.

You couldn't blame him though. I mean this girl just gave him the wrong perception of love and honesty, as she took his trust and ripped it apart. All of her love was based off of lies and deception as she tooled with his emotions and made him believe in something that wasn't real.

"You know," he paused looking down at me, "I don't think I ever loved that girl I thought I knew. I think she just filled the void of you not being here with me anymore."

"What?" I gasped furrowing my eyebrows.

Harry shook his head pausing for a moment before he met my gaze once again, "She broke your necklace...the one I gave to you." Harry frowned looking down at my empty neck, where the piece of jewelry used to be.

I touched the vacant spot, nodding my head solemnly.

"I guess it's a good thing I got you this then," Harry stated reaching into his pocket and pulling out a long black box.

"Harry," I sighed shocked at his unexpected gesture.

"Take it." He demanded.

I slowly grabbed the box and opened it, revealing a similar necklace. This time there were two shapes: the sun and the moon. I gasped at the stunning piece of jewelry.

"What's this for?" I asked looking back up at him.

"It's your graduation present, and it's also for all your help with the wedding...that didn't end up happening." Harry shrugged, "Turn around." He told me and I followed his direction as I felt him latch the necklace together in the back.

I placed on my hand the two shapes, playing with them gently.

"You know, I really hope I'm not too late." He said looking down at his shoes.

"Harry," I exhaled my eyes tracing the edges of his face as I rest my hand on the lower part of his cheek. As much as I wanted to say he wasn't, that wasn't the truth. I dropped my hand from his cheek abruptly, "I have to go."

"What?" He exclaimed, his voice quiet and concerned, "Why?"

I hesitated before I answered. This wasn't the way I wanted to leave him, but I had no choice.

"You're biting your cheek again, you only do that when something's wrong." Harry pointed as he noticed me gnawing on the inside of my cheek.

"I have a flight that leaves for New York. Tonight." My confession blurted out, as I bite down on the inside of my cheek harder this time.

"New York?"

"I got a job offer, and I've decided to take it."

"What?" He exclaimed angry, his eyes turning a darker shade of green.

Not the reaction I was hoping for, I thought to myself as I began to feel completely guilty.

"And you were just going to leave and not tell me?" He continued irritation boiling within his veins.

"Of course, I was going to tell you-"

"When? After your flight left?" He yelled, narrowing his eyes at me, "After I came looking for you, only to find out that you're gone?" His voice boomed with every vicious word.

"You were just so busy with the wedding, there was never a good time!" I argued.

There was a long pause as he looked away from me and down at the water. I desperately wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, to make him feel my love that was radiating off my body like the hot suns rays.

But I didn't. I stood there, and watched his heart break even more than it already had right in front of me.

"We tell each other everything." He whispered looking down.

"It's not like you can't visit Harry." I tried to reason.

"You know what..." he began shaking his head, interrupting me from my train of thought, "Just go."

"Harry-"

"Go Emily." He then looked away from me walking closer to the river. "You deserve this opportunity."

I stepped away from him, hurt. My eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

His expression was hard, his eyes avoiding my own. I sighed, gently touching his cheek. He didn't even flinch.

"Goodbye Harry."

He didn't even look back at me as I walked away. My heart breaking with each step I took.

It is what it is, but I really wish it wasn't.