London

27 - "We're okay."

Harry

My head throbs for the entirety for the next day, getting glances from either Pascal or Joseph although maybe I'm imagining that. Susie at least kept her word and hasn't texted me yet. I somehow expected a dramatic message in the middle of the night blackmailing me to keep hanging out with her. She has the power, I realize that and it scares me that a febrile girl with every motive to get revenge has a secret like that over me. 

Maybe I should just tell Susie that Alex knows but doesn't care, but she has seen Alex react to a simple declaration that she's met my parents. Susie saw the look in Alex eyes and after that night she knows that Alex is very unaware of my relationship with her. She will only know how afraid I am of Alex finding out the truth and maybe that will excite her even more to do just that. I have to keep quiet and pretend nothing is wrong. 

Alex seemed to believe me after I got home. She has no reason to doubt anything. The texts she read of Susie were innocent and somehow her anger faded as I went away. She even apologized like I hoped, but it also magnifies the guilt I already feel. Today she asked me last minute to go to the hospital with her to get her cast off. I know she already decided to go with Liam since he lives close by. Maybe it is the prospect of this car I rented out of nowhere or testing to see if I would cancel something for her. Probably both. 

"Why did you cancel another appointment?" Pascal asks as I clean my booth and make it tidy for the next morning. "It has got to stop."

"I need to go to the hospital," I tell him, just to get a shock out of him. 

"For what?" He asks and his tone has gotten softer. I like to play him and before I know it I lie to him just for the effect. To make him feel like the dick he is. 

"My mother is sick again," I lie and I don't even feel guilty about it as I see his face crumble. 

"That's tough," he says, taking a step back. "Maybe Joseph can take over some of your cliënts this week? Then you can stop cancelling everything."

I look over to Joseph, but I don't want him taking over anything of me. "No need. It will be a one time thing."

"Okay," Pascal mumbles. "Well, leave then."

Pascal doesn't need to tell me twice and I'm out of the door before he can withdraw his offer. It does remind me that I need to talk to my mother. So I text her, hoping she can meet me someday soon. 

Alex is waiting for me outside like I asked her to and hops in the car. Her eyes scan it first and I know that it isn't her style of car, luckily it is only ours for the week. 

"It stinks of fish," she says after she straps herself in. Daring to look over once, I can tell that she dislikes it, and the smell.

"Probably because there is fish in it."

"Well, you should throw it away. You are never getting this smell out of it. And you do have to bring it back, right?"

"Don't worry," I tell her, driving off. "I'm not keeping it."

"Good," she mumbles. 

"Don't like it?"

"No, it is so big," she says, looking around. I have to say that I asked for the biggest car there was knowing she'd hate it and I was angry with her when I decided a car was much needed. "It's not what I'd want."

"I liked it," I tell her, shrugging. 

We keep silent as I navigate us through London to the hospital and don't say much about last night. After she begged me not to, I did fall asleep on her chest and when I woke up this morning I was still on the couch, but Alex was long off to bed.