Un-Tying the Knot {h.s.}

Chapter 43*

*mature content.
If this bothers you,
don't read it. :)*

Harry ran his hands through his wet, growing curls, clothes freshly hung on his body after showering. He had struggled with his five miles on the treadmill, bouncing back and forth between full on sprint to barely jogging, depending on his stream of conscious — but he finally made it through, unscathed.

He grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet — making sure he had everything before leaving the locker room to meander towards the exit through the bourgeois hallways of the overpriced gym. As he's about to leave through the front door, he nearly runs face first into someone, their bodies thumping hard against one another.

"I'm so sorry," he offered, face still in his phone as he quickly finished his text.

He looked up, and our eyes connected.

A pink blush tinted both of our cheeks, a growing pit of nervousness pooling in my stomach. I had agonized over the man in front of me for days, overthinking what it all meant. And here he was — on the one day I was praying I could not have to think about him.

Did he hate the kiss? Is that why he hadn't called, or texted? Did he hate me? Did he think it was a mistake? Did he just do it because he was needy or upset? Did it — did it mean nothing? Is he back together with Eleanor and just didn't know how to tell me?

A million and one thoughts had run through my head, yet I couldn't muster up enough courage to pick up the phone and call him. Worse, his absence from our day to day routine left a boulder-sized hole in my heart. And I was doing my best not to be angry about it. Harry was a gentleman most of the time — but this behavior certainly wasn't very gentleman-like.

I bit my lip, nervously catching his eyes again. We were both frozen, unable to move and unsure of what to say to the other.

"I'm sorry — "

"Livvy — "

Words spew out of our mouths at the same time, interrupting the other. He gently let his eyes flit down to my lips, hand instinctively moving up to gently push some hair behind my ear. He bit his bottom lip, too.

"You go first," I whisper, trying not to let the tingling sensation from his touch distract me.

"I...I'm an asshole," he offers.

Wow, wasn't expecting that. We both chuckle a little, me more than him, and the tension eases just a little bit.

"I...I shouldn't have just left you hanging like that after...after what happened. I'm sorry," he offered again.

I shrugged, instantly wanting to forgive him and accommodate him, because that's what I'm used to.

"It's okay, I know you probably have a lot going on. It was an emotional day, for you especially — I was just trying to give you space. Plus, I can't exactly check up on you anymore, and just come to your office like I used to..." I laugh nervously at the hard-hitting realization that Harry would be out of my daily routine from now on.

He let out a strangled acknowledgement, obviously also struck hard by the reality of my statement.

"It's not the same, you know..." I offer, trying to make it sting less.

He just smiles, but the awkwardness permeates the air between us. And it's hard, because awkward — it wasn't us. But maybe everything has changed, now.

"I know," he states, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

I pick nervously at my fingernails, desperately trying to figure out what to say or what to do.