You're My Everything

Chapter 25: After

Hey guys. I am so, extremely sorry for the lack of updates. Things happened, and we've been busy. I'M SO SORRY

-Liz

*Kate's Perspective*

The phone starts to ring as I make my final call, to Liz. Harry's "fine", but his voice broke as he told me the lie. He hung up very quickly, not even bothering to end the conversation. My family's perfectly alright, and Vic is worried about Gemma, like the rest of us.

"Hello?" Liz answers, like always.

"Liz," I breathe. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm doing alright." Her voice doesn't even shake. I can't see her over the phone, I don't know whether she's just pulling a brave face on me again, or legitimately not messed up.

"It's all going to be okay, eventually. You know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"People will find these criminals. Find out what they want from Gemma. And no, I don't think it's purely because she's Harry's sister, despite what I know he thinks."

"He does," she sighs. "He's killing himself inside for this."

I cringe at that terminology.

"We'll find out. Okay? We will."

"Yeah. I just-" I hear a noise at the other end of the line. She must've run into something again.

I hear a male voice. Someone, it appears, not something.

I hear Liz's voice, echoed with the male one. Okay, so she's friends with this guy if they're having a conversation. How come I haven't heard of this?

I wait for a minute or so, until Liz picks up again.

"Kate, I'm so sorry. I ran into this guy, literally, and-"

"Who is he?"

"Oh, he had invited me to his basketball game a little while back. Name's James. Nice enough, hasn't been snobby or mean or anything. He gave me his number just now." Her voice sounds flat, not even running into a very tall--possibly attractive-- man could distract her from the tragedy.

"Oh, well, people typically like us," I say sarcastically. I don't even hear a chuckle on the other end. This has hit her hard, it's official.

"No, they don't. I ran into him," she says dryly. She didn't even crack our running joke. "I don't think that's of his own free will. Wait-" I'm cut off again. I hear his voice, he must've returned for something. However, Liz isn't muffling the microphone, I can hear everything that's happening.

"What's of who's free will?" He-- James--asks.

"You, talking to me." She doesn't even bother to sound embarrassed.

"Well, I was actually trying to find-- hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just...something happened...within my family," she finishes.

"Oh, I'm sorry! What happened?" He asks. I can hear her thoughts straining to come up with a decent and acceptable answer.

"My...uh, close cousin was...found passed out in an empty street. She was seriously injured, stuff like that."

"Oh-" and then it's muffled again. He must've hugged her. Wrong move, kid, wrong move.

"I've got to go," she says quietly. "I'm sorry."

I can picture her in my head, running out with her head ducked.

"Kate," she says suddenly. "What am I supposed to do?" It only takes this once sentence for her to unravel and fall apart alone, away from every one else who would never care.

I take a long, dragging breath as I fall back onto my bed. I shut my eyes and search for the answer to her rhetorical question. "The only thing I've got is-" but I'm cut off by the door opening.

My eyes flit up to the door; my mouth freezes mid-sentence. The first thing I see is a flash of pale blond hair, then Lavender comes in walking backwards. I question this for one tenth of a second before I remember. It takes this long for the sound to reach my ears.

"Not again," I groan, but I am not heard. The sound of them sucking faces drowns out any thoughts of mine.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and use this moment to pull me to my feet. I walk over to the door, not two feet from their make out session. This is not the time for you, Lavender, I think. I reach out and slam the door, staring at them pointedly.

Neither of them flinch. Not annoying perfectionist Lavender, nor her long black haired, snotty nosed, rude, sad excuse of a boyfriend. I glare at them; my jaw set; my eyes are wide and fierce.

I exhale before giving up. There's no point with them. I plop back down on my bed and pick up my phone again. "Sorry I'm-"

"Kate? What is going on? And what is that awful noise?"

I screw up my face as I glance at them. "I don't want to talk about it." I picture her nodding to the phone as I'm sure she is doing right now. "So you're okay?"

"I'm okay," she confirms. And I let it be.

*October 1st*

*Liz's Perspective* ~again~

I hold my phone between my shoulder and ear as I zip my suitcase shut with a sense of finality.

"Okay, I'm leaving now," I speak into the phone.

I hear Drew mutter something I couldn't catch. But whatever. I'm leaving, I won't have to put up with her for another month, until November.

She's doing something on her laptop, I've never been granted the privilege to see. She's been focused on it for the past few weeks, and for that I'm grateful.

Harry says something, and I don't catch it. A jolt runs through me to know that I'll finally be able to hear-- really hear--- his voice again.

"I love you," I say. "I'm coming home now." And I simply hang up.

"'Bye, Drew," I murmur.

She doesn't reply. She looks up. And I couldn't tell what she was trying to communicate to me without words, but in this, I know she doesn't hate me.

She doesn't hate me.

I breathe in, rejuvenated with this thought and the new ability to be able to see and hear and finally feel everyone I love.

And Gemma. I'll get to see her for real. We've become so much closer ever since she was attacked, and I feel as if I know her well enough to know that she doesn't feel comfortable speaking about it over the phone.

I'll finally be able to see her!

And Harry... Harry.

"I'm going home," I say to no one.

We officially have 30 total chapters written guys. Can't wait to share. Xx

-Liz