Effortless (h.s.)

Chapter TWENTY SEVEN - train hugs

this chapter is brought to u by the song 'everything i own' by bread

---

"You what?" Dylan yelled on the other end of the phone, my face scrunched up from the loud noise.

I had ended up renting a room in an old motel that looked like it was straight out of a seventies movie that's main plot was about sex and drugs. The sign out front glowed a fluorescent red. The name of the motel, "Roy's Vacancy Motel Cafe," was lit up by yellow letters that flagged me down while I was walking up the side of the road.

To be completely honest, I was kind of scared here. I had found a train for tomorrow morning though and I did need a place to spend the night. It was so much cheaper here than anywhere else in the area, so I decided to just suck it up and deal with it.

"It's okay, I have this room-"

"It's a fucking motel, Len. You're going to leave with bed bugs," I sat up off of the bed and disgustingly looked down at it before leaning back down slowly, easing myself from Dylan's harsh words. He let out a sigh, "You're staying there though? What's it called?"

"Roy's, it was like... a ten minute walk from the airport," I sighed, "I'll be fine, I'll call you in the morning before the train. Okay?"

Dylan was silent for a few seconds, my eyes glanced around the room waiting for an answer.

The carpet was a deep red color with countless stains, the walls were originally white but had a yellow tint from cigarette smoke. Speaking of which the room reeked of it. It makes since why it was so inexpensive.

"Yeah," he breathed, "Stay safe, please," the hurt in his voice caused my head to drop, guilt flooding into my body. I hated he was so worried about me, I shouldn't have left in the first place. To be fair though I wasn't aware of any circumstances regarding my parents. I thought when I would reunite with them everything would go back to normal and they would give me a hug, maybe even apologize.

Anything but that happened. They only brought me with to help mend the vision of a broken family in front of all of our relatives back in Canada.

"I will, it's late, Dyl," I noticed the bright red numbers reading out 2:43AM off the digital clock on the chipped nightstand. The wooden finish was almost completely scrapped off the top of it, "If I don't call by six, will you keep calling until I answer?"

"Of course," he whispered, "Get a little sleep in, talk soon, night Len."

"Night," I murmured taking the cell phone off of my ear and ending the call.

My dry eyes blinked to moisten the contacts that begged to be removed for the night. I sat in bed for a while and stared off into space, I wonder if Harry even noticed that I left. My apartment was unlocked, it would be as easy as twisting a handle to get in. But maybe he stopped pushing his luck with me, maybe he stopped caring since I was so dismissive.

I couldn't help but expect the worst, it was the most possible thing to happen at the point. I didn't even give him a chance to explain himself, instead I acted immature.

I kicked my boots off my feet, sending them flying to the other side of my bed. I pulled my hoodie up over my head and gently rested it on the stiff pillow beneath me. M y mind racing so fast my heart beat started to quicken.

I messed up, a few nights ago Harry and I slept in the same bed and now we were in a different countries. And I was laying in a bed so gross I refused to get under the covers.

The clock kept changing, minute after minute, hour after hour. I laid there and relived my actions over the past month. I thought about the first time I met Harry, how he kissed me on the cheek and told me to come to his if I ever needed anything.