Adulation / h.s

44

Rosie smiled walking into the brunch spot Harry had booked. She was happy he had listened to her and gone for a non-romantic setting. She was lead up to the terrace where few people were sat, Harry in the corner at a table overlooking London.

He smiled when he saw her, not a hundred percent certain she'd even show up until now. "You look beautiful," He complimented as she sat.

"Thanks," She brushed some hair out of her face and braced herself for looking at him.

"I'm glad you came,"

"Didn't think I would?" She sips her water.

"I doubted it," He shrugs.

"What are you ordering?" She asks looking at the menu, she was very hungry by now, she had worked ever since she woke up and only stopped when she had to rush to brunch.

"Eggs Benedict I think, you?"

"Probably pancakes, although the eggs do sound good."

Harry smiled as he watched her read the menu trying to decide. It felt in that moment like there hadn't been any lost time. Looking at her right now felt like they could have been together all this time and this was just a little date they organised to have whilst taking a break out of work. Like he'd never left her.

But his phone beeping distracted him from this and brought him back to reality.

Fiona: You're not in for lunch? Xxx

H: No, i'm out x

He knew sleeping with his new PA was wrong but it filled up his free time. He loosely called her his girlfriend, but he didn't think of her like that, he could never give her the title because that would mean she was as good as Rosie and honestly, no one would ever come close.

"Girlfriend?" Rosie asked, watching Harry frown at his phone.

He put his phone back in his pocket. "Well..yeah."

"You don't sound sure," She laughs.

"She's-"

The waiter interrupted them to take their orders, Rosie went with the pancakes like Harry thought. She always loved pancakes.

"She's not my girlfriend," Harry continued. "Well she is, but not.."

Rosie raised her eyebrow. "She's just a convenience?"

"No," He frowned, not wanting to call her that or anything. "She's not really.. my anything."

"Well she's your something by the frown on your face." She smirked.

"It's complicated."

Rosie sighed. "Sure,"

"And your boyfriend.."

"Is my boyfriend, I'm sure of that." Rosie laughed.

"You're happy?"

"Yes,"

"And he treats you well?"

"Of course,"

Rosie knew Harry's smile was forced, that he was trying to be happy for her. But what did he expect? That she wouldn't move on?

"Did.. did you ever think about me?" She asks, her fingers playing with her straw.

They both smiled as a thanks as their food was placed down.

"Every day," He answers, finally. "Every day that went by I thought about you. It was impossible not to."

Rosie looked away. "Did you not think to get back in touch?"

"When I flew back to London, the first person I thought about was you. The first thing I thought was that I could see you again, but by then I realised too many months had gone by and you wouldn't care about me or what I had to say. I drove to your place a few times, but then I got scared and drove home."

Rosie shook her head. "You should have knocked on,"

"Would you have answered?"

Rosie laughed. "Maybe,"

They both smiled at one another.

"Did you ever think about me?" He asks, glad they were comfortable now. The initial awkward air had disappeared.

"The first year I found it hard, I didn't know what I was doing. But then as time went by I kind of just accepted it for what it was. A few times I wanted to just book flights to LA and just show up but, it's not some Hollywood film and I wouldn't know where to go." She smirks.

"I never wanted this for us," Harry admits, both of them pushing their food around their plates. "I never wanted us to lead different lives, become strangers."

"I know," Rosie eats some of her pancake.

"I never wanted you to stop loving me,"

Rosie looked away, her eyes on the London skyline. "I think it's merely impossible for me to not love you, Harry." She decided it was pointless to hide away from her feelings. Lying doesn't get you anywhere.

"I've missed you,"

"I don't think you fully understand what I went through," She didn't want him to get his hopes up, or think this was all going to change things. "You can't come back into my life, say you've missed me and expect it to mean anything."

"I know,"

"You broke my heart, you hurt me, you did what you promised you wouldn't. I was completely broken."

Harry chewed silently.

"I'm happy we can see each other again, but it won't change anything."

Harry nodded. He completely understood, she wasn't his.

"You've just got to give me a chance to show you that I can change your mind. We met again for whatever reason. This was supposed to happen, we were supposed to be together again."

Rosie was silent.

"And now that you're back in my life, I don't intend on letting you go again." He promised.