Rhapsody (Part 2 of Medley).

4: NOBODY BUT ME.

          

"Go find him! He said something about calling a taxi but I didn't get the rest. I told him I'd drive you both back!"

I came looking for Harry to tell him I was ready to leave Kai's party and go home, but I found Jasmine sitting by herself at the sofa she was talking to him in, just a minute ago.

If he's trying to call a taxi but hasn't talked to me... Wait!... Is he seriously leaving without me?

"You go get him, I'll go get the car."

"No Jazz, don't worry. You stay and enjoy the rest of the party, I know Kai's can run all night. We had to leave anyways, got an early flight tomorrow." She stands up so we can say our goodbyes. "How bad was it?" I ask. I'd like to be prepared.

"I told him he has absolutely nothing to worry about, that he was overreacting. But you know, jealousy is irrational!"

Actually, I don't know. I've never been a jealous person.

"So I've gathered..."

"Leaving was the alternative to ripping Kai's head off, he said. Harsh, but cute as hell if you ask me." Jasmine adds.

We hug each other goodbye and I wish I could stay and spend an entire day with her. But I promise I'll be back as soon as I can and we'll keep FaceTiming in the meantime.

I spot Harry near the stairs, walking aimlessly, searching for a specific face in the crowd. I meet him halfway on our way to the door once he sees me.

"There you are." Harry says in a dry tone. "I've been looking for you." He doesn't give me a chance to speak. "I'm going home. Are you staying a bit longer or coming with me?"

"What kind of question is that?" I can't believe he's challenging me to indirectly pick between him and Kai! "We came together, we leave together. Why would I stay here without you?"

His face contorts as if he's fighting with all his might to restrain himself from answering that question and saying something unnecessarily hurtful he could regret later.

The elevator ride is filled with a silent tension, so heavy, I fear the elevator will free fall and crash with only us two inside and the unspoken words between us. We get in the taxi and I am glad we're only ten minutes away from my apartment. This quietness is infuriatingly unbearable to me.

"Are you mad at me?" I ask as soon as we take our seats in the back of the cab and he automatically fixes his eyes out into an indefinite point in the road ahead, a sign that he has no intention of looking at me at all.

"Not mad." That's all I get from him.

His eyes won't move from the emptiness they're staring at, and his voice still freezes my skin over, but at least he's not ignoring me.

"Okay. Be not mad at me while holding me?" I rest my head on his shoulder and wait for him to either accept or deny my request.

Before I can allow any thoughts of rejection to flood my mind, his arms uncross from his chest and his hand slides between the seat and my back to find its destination on my waist.

The silence is not so daunting with his arm around me.

"Talk to me."

We take our coats off and throw them on the couch. And I speak first in case he was planning on saying goodnight and going to bed without talking things through.

"What do you want me to say?" Harry finally looks straight at me. He hadn't since we left the party.

"Tell me what you're thinking, what you're feeling, what I did to make you upset."