VALERIE

Chapter 27: Vicissitude

THIS IS PROBABLY ANNOYING but ...

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Copyright © @zylgnagnaba 2013

VICISSITUDE n: an irregular, unexpected, or surprising change.

-- Webster's Dictionary

Valerie’s POV

Cold air embraces me as soon as I climbed off the car with Harry and Liam. The evening is still, except the bustling sound of wind waving withered leaves all around the place. The terror of this afternoon kept on replaying in my head, but nothing beats to the disturbing silence between Harry and me. He never spoke a single word since we got into the car until now, nor even pay me any attention. He never even asked why those girls chased me down. I am more distracted to the fact that Harry doesn’t talk to me than what just happened to me this afternoon.

As Liam bids us good night before heading to his home, Harry picks up the key under the mat and plugs it in to the knob to open the door for both of us. He immediately walks in without even checking if I am trailing behind him.

I know I told him things I never should have. In a way, I know I hurt him with my words. I made the matter worse by the fiasco I just got myself involved in. Again, I really feel stupid and he is right, I should have never gone out alone.

“Harry…” I call him but he kept on walking to the direction of our room, ignoring me. “Come on, tell me I’m stupid. Tell me I screwed up again. Tell me you told me so. Just talk to me.” I grumble on and he stops in his tracks to turn around and look at me.

His tedious green eyes lock with mine and he runs a hand on his messy brown hair. “I’m tired, Valerie. I just want to go to sleep.” His words and almost bored tone kind of take me off-guard. I am expecting him to yell at me again, but he doesn’t. With that, he turns on his heels and resumes walking again.

“Harry, I know I’m stupid, okay. I know I should’ve never gone out alone. I’m sorry.” I tell him and my bloodshot eyes are starting to well up again.

I don’t expect him to turn around again, but when he does I look down on the floor and wipe the tears on my cheek.

“Alright, Valerie. So since you’re pushing it, I’m going to tell you this. I’m fed up and I’m fucking pissed.” I flick my head up to see a scowl on his face. His expression is yet again, unreadable. He doesn’t yell but anger is laced in his voice. I can tell he’s controlling himself, but I really want him to yell at me. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Val. I’m just tired of this cycle. Whenever you do stupid things, I can’t help but worry about you. And when I reprimand you about that, you’d just say sorry and what? You’ll do another stupid thing. I’m just tired.” He shakes his head furiously and look away, rubbing his temple in frustration with his other hand propping on his hip.

“I didn’t mean to-“

“And you called Liam to help you instead of me?” He cuts me off. His statement sound like a question, the expression on his face tells me he wasn’t happy about it. “Why? Because you’re scared to admit that I was right and you were wrong? Because you did something I told you exactly not to do? And look where it got you.” He gestures his hands towards me, looking at me from head to toe in a way that says ‘you’re a disaster’. I know. I’m a mess.

“What’s it going to take for you to realize that you shouldn’t do decisions for yourself, Val? Everything you do affects other people. You’ll be all around the news for sure. And of course, because you are my girlfriend,” He quotes the last word with the two fingers of both his hands. “People are going to build up any speculations about me, or whatever.”