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Chapter 44: Rara Avis

HARRY'S POV

I was grateful he was still willing to talk to me, but I wasn't so grateful for the things he was saying. The brown eyed boy in front of me went on to tell me how selfish I was, how rude it was to do that, what kind of person that made me, made me question the concept of friendship, and to top it all off, he

told me that Andy would probably never fall for "my wooing" any more.

Right now I just wanted to shrivel up into a tight ball and die in a corner, or a hole, which ever had more solitude. I think I had had enough time to wallow in my thoughts before surgery. The doctor said earlier that stress before an operation was never good.

Liam leaned back in his chair that was a good two feet too short for his legs and back and ran a hand through his freshly cut hair.

"Liam," I muttered in the most apologetic voice I could muster, "I'm such an asshole for all of this and I really am sorry... Andy deserves so much more than me, she deserves so much more than Louis, hell, she even deserves better than you," I sighed. "She deserves someone who isn't going to fight her, or cheat her, and give her the love and respect she deserves. She needs a perfect guy... and I'm not that guy...,"

"Harry," Liam exhaled. "What she needs is what she can't have because the perfect man you're talking about doesn't exist. Right now, the man she wants.. or wanted, was Louis. You were getting in the way of that. But, from the sound of things, it looks like you've given up on her." he paused. "Am I right?"

I was definitely not done chasing her. I was going to win her love the right way. I was going to love her the way she deserved to be loved, treat her with the respect she wanted, and I was going to learn to be that perfect man. No, I was not giving up on her.

I sat silently in response to his question.

He nodded, like he understood my stance on the situation.

"You can do what you want, I'm not your boss, but I will tell you this," He paused to lean in towards me with a serious expression, something he rarely ever wore. "If you try to sway her heart to favor you, at least do it right and don't try to cheat your way in."

He stood up and walked over to the door, just as Ray was attempting to walk back in. "Good luck on the surgery, Hairbear," he said in an embarrassing mother's voice to which Ray giggled at.

Once he left and was clear down the hall, Ray flipped through a few pages on her clipboard, but I had learned from the 45 minutes that I had been in here that she wasn't really looking at anything; it was all for show to look like she knew what she was doing. This scared me a little bit.

"Alright, Curly, you ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," I whispered mostly to myself.

She shot me a look that said "what's-gotten-into-you," and unlocked my rolling bed and pushed me through the large door down the hall, all the way to these big black double doors that sent a chill up my spine. My skin rose with goosebumps and I could feel my hands getting shaky.

I hated the thought of surgery.

Just after I ran a shaky hand through my messy hair, Ray caught my hand. At first I wasn't sure what she was doing, so I just stared at the connection.

But then I realized she was attempting to comfort me.

I let a small smile escape my lips. It was funny, but assuring at the same time. After a second or two, I allowed the hand contact and gripped her hand as well.

"I can stay during the surgery if you want." she offered. "I do that for lots of patients who are nervous for surgery."

I still didn't like her, but having a known face, even if it was a face I had met no longer than 45 minutes ago that I would only see for about 30 seconds before I'm knocked out, would be a hell of a lot assuring.