6 Months Later
"Ella, close up shop for me, will you?" Mitch asked, hanging up his apron.
"Will do," I called back.
He grabbed his jacket off the hook, heading out the door. "See you in the morning."
"Bye," I smiled.
I continued to clean the tables, taking cups and plates leftover by customers, and collecting tips. I heard the bell ring behind me, indicating a new customer.
"Sorry, we're clo - "
I suddenly felt as if I had forgotten every single word I had ever learned. My mouth had lost all moisture, and I could feel my heart pounding through my ears, the sound deafening. A lank figure stood frozen in the doorway, just as stunned as I was.
"Harry," I squeaked. My attempt to be nonchalant failed.
"Ella," he breathed.
We remained silent, both of us trying to absorb each other's presence. He strode towards me, almost to figure out if I was actually in front of him. He let out a light chuckle, pulling me into an awkward hug.
"H-How are you?" he said nervously.
"Hanging in there," I grinned timidly. "Uh, did you want a cup of tea?"
"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," he answered, settling himself in a booth near the window.
I silently reprimanded myself for offering a cup of tea; I didn't want him to stay, I wanted to go home and pretend this didn't happen. I pulled the lever on the machine that dispensed hot water into the mug, adding two sugars, Earl Grey, and milk. I grabbed a spoon, mixing it before shuffling over to the booth and setting it in front of him.
"Thanks," he said tenderly. He gripped the mug, his ample hand wrapped around most of it. I gawkly stood next to the table, not sure what to do at this point. "Two sugars," he smiled. "You remembered."
I gave a genuine expression, hearing Harry's voice reminding me that he prefers two sugars in his tea. He burned it into my brain.
"You can sit, I'm not gonna bite you," he joked.
I hastily slid into the booth, sitting adjacent to him. There was heavy reticence as I gazed at him, taking note in the way he tucked an index and middle finger in the handle of the mug, the rest of his hand covering the expanse of it. The way his lips tucked in after taking a sip, his tongue running over them afterwards. God, all I wanted to was to kiss them, to taste them.
"Still have that habit of staring, I see," he remarked smugly. His lips curved into an egoistic smirk.
I rolled my eyes. "Still have that pompous attitude, I see," I retorted.
He shook his head, brushing off my comeback. "Seriously, Ella, how've you been? It's been almost - what - six months since I've seen you."
"Nothing much, I came back from Jersey, I went back to school and started working again, and that's it," I shrugged. "Nothing special."
"Hm," he nodded. "Your mum...she - "
"She's gone," I said abruptly. I hadn't really discussed my mother's death with anyone except Austin. Mostly because people never bothered to ask, which was fine.
"I'm sorry, Ella," he said, extending his hand for mine that lay on the table. I pulled away before he got the chance, knowing fully well what would happen if he did.
"You know, you would know what was going on if you had called." I had no intention of tying up loose strings with Harry, but I suppose that's what was going to happen.
"Well, I assumed that when you told me to leave, that would be the end of it," he retaliated.
"Yeah, and remember when I asked you, in the middle of night, half asleep to stay with me until the morning? And remember when you left?" Anger was beginning to bubble up inside of me as I rose from the booth.
Harry got up as well, coming to stand two feet away from me. "I swear to god, Ella, you are the most difficult person I have ever come across." His voice went up an octave. "Y-You say and do all these things, and then when you're asked to act upon them, you back out."
"I didn't back out of anything. You're the one that left."
"Just make up your goddamn mind!" he shouted.
"I did make up my mind!" I yelled. "I asked you to stay that night because I wanted to tell you how I felt. God, you're so clueless!"
He stood speechless, glaring at me to try and process my words. I brushed past him, taking up his mug and placing it on the counter. I grabbed the rag I was cleaning tables with previously.
"Ella - " Harry spoke.
I tossed the cloth on the table. "Do you understand how much it hurt waking up and not seeing you next to me?" I said, my voice lowered. "And it killed me not having you there with me when my mom died."
His face softened, the anger draining out of him as I fought back tears.
"I needed you."
I stared at my feet, hearing his feet scuff across the tile. I glanced up, Harry directly above me, feeling his warm breath hit my face and his pungent scent filling my nose.
"You said no matter what, you'd be there for me and you weren't," I said softly. He simply looked at me, lack of words obvious.
I shook my head, attempting to shake off the tears that threatened to roll down my cheeks. I took the rag and began wiping the table again.
"But you know what, it's been six months, and things change, so..." I drifted off. "I have to close up soon, so you should go."
I didn't bother looking at him, realizing that if I saw the disappointment in his face, my walls would come down and my heartache would grow.
Feet stomped against the tile, the door slamming shut. I began breathing heavily, gripping my hair before angrily flinging the rag somewhere. I collapsed in a booth, burying my face in my hands for few moments. I forcefully swallowed my pain as I inhaled and exhaled to calm myself down. I smoothed my apron before getting up, turning to see Harry in the doorway once again.
I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. I hesitantly advanced towards him, my brain not having control over my feet. My head lined up with his chest, my figure not close in comparison to his. I gaped at him while his jade eyes seared into mine.
"Harry, you - "
"Listen to me," he said firmly. "You can say whatever you want to say or do whatever you want to do to push me away, but I refuse to leave your side. I can't lose you. Not again." I could no longer hear my heart pounding, his words soothing somehow.
"I just want you, Ella," he whispered. "All of you."
He leaned in, his gentle hand against my cheek and his thumb grazing the bone. His soft lips meshed into mine perfectly, almost as if they were made for me. It was desirous and slow, yet the spark that I had immediately felt when his lips came in contact with mine made me crave more. Every fiber of my being was going into this one kiss, and I knew he was feeling what I was. The seconds passed by like hours, days and I never wanted to stop. The taste of his lips remained the same from the last time I kissed him; the slight tinge of peppermint mixed with something else that I couldn't describe.
He pulled away, lips still brushing as our foreheads rested against each others.
"Guess what?" he spoke.
"What?" I breathed.
"We broke all the rules, because you're definitely living a Nicholas Sparks movie."
We both laughed, both of us coming to notice how long we hadn't heard each other laugh.
"Hey, guess what?"
"What?" Harry answered excitedly.
"I still have to close up," I chuckled.
He groaned before standing up and taking my hand, dragging me towards the door.
"Harry, if I don't close the shoppe, I'm gonna lose my job."
"This is the part of the movie where the guy sweeps the girl off her feet and they go make passionate love," he said playfully. "If you want this Nicholas Sparks thing to have the full effect, you just have to go along with it."
"You're such a dork," I laughed, following him outside.
___________________
