flower. h.s ✔️

thirty seven.

"Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of the pavement staring into empty space?"

I jumped as someone spoke and even though I hadn't heard the voice in twelve days I knew exactly who it was.

"Waiting for someone." I replied.

Turning to look over my shoulder I caught a frown before it disappeared and a sharp and short nod replaced it.

"What are you doing here Harry?" I asked, my words falling out of my mouth in a sigh before he could ask who I was waiting for because I knew he wouldn't like the answer.

Not that it was any of his business who I spent time with anymore. If it ever was.

"Your class finished an hour and a half ago, why are you still here?" Harry ignored my question and I rolled my lips into my mouth.

"I told you, I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"Why does it matter?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest as I finally turned to face Harry and I was confronted by the fact he was still incredibly hot.

I had hoped he would have suddenly got ugly since I last saw him.

"Why are you wearing a fuckin' dress? It's November."

Harry's lips twitched and I let out a frustrated breath of air from my nose, why did he care?

Why was he asking so many questions?

Why did he think he could just turn up at my university acting like nothing had ever happened, like he'd never kissed me multiple times in one night only to act like a complete arsehole and disappear for over a week?

And even though it didn't hurt as much as it did before, thanks to Ollie who I'd stayed with for almost that whole week, I was still annoyed, but I really wanted to know why was I ready to forgive him in an instant?

"Because I wanted to." I said, making him raise an eyebrow at me but he didn't say anything else.

I was glad Ollie had convinced me I was overreacting that day on the tube, because I had been.

Nothing else had happened since then and I was just incredibly weird and paranoid. Maybe it was because I'd been crying so much, my brain was all out of sorts.

I was mostly glad that Ollie had convinced me I didn't need to text Harry.

Because that would have been embarrassing.

And now just like it had been on Halloween, when we saw each other for the first time in a week, it was awkward between us again.

Neither of us speaking, my hands buried in my jacket pockets and Harry's arms crossed over his chest.

I'm sure we must have looked fucking weird to anyone walking past.

I looked up as I caught Tom leaving the gym and I smiled instinctively as he met my gaze across the street, his eyes flicking towards Harry and I saw his steps falter before he looked at me and shook his head slowly making me frown.

"Looks like your plans just changed."

I stared at Tom's retreating back as he walked completely the opposite way, Harry's voice smug in my ears as my heart sank and my blood boiled.

This was Harry's fault.

Was that the whole reason he was here? That he somehow knew Tom and I were going to hang out after uni and decided that it wasn't enough just him making me miserable, he needed to make sure I had no friends either?

I knew Ollie had classes until five but I also knew where he and his flat mates kept the spare key and I knew they wouldn't mind if I hung out in Ollie's room until he got home. It wasn't like I had any other plans now.

I just didn't know why Harry was here and not leaving.

"Why are you here?" I asked Harry again even though I knew I'd either receive no reply or a snide remark about Tom.

"Wanted to see you."

I sighed and licked my lips, "Yeah I get it, you don't like Tom but I've known him since-wait, what? Oh."

I looked up at Harry as if he had three heads, his eyes rolling briefly and I swallowed. That wasn't the answer I was expecting.

"Why?" I asked stupidly.

"Do I need a reason?" Harry drawled as I shifted my feet, eyes flicking about behind him.

Was this some kind of joke?

"Is it really hard to believe that I actually enjoy your presence Carmichael?"

I frowned at the appearance of my surname, although there was a smirk on Harry's lips which told me that unlike before when I was exclusively Carmichael, he wasn't annoyed with me.

"Uh, yes, kind of." I admitted making Harry snort and his eyes roll.

I wanted to ask about Halloween and what happened on Liam's landing and his kitchen but what if I was making it out to be something more than it was? Harry knew how I felt about him which is what made this all the more confusing.

"Poppy," Harry started and my heart went into overdrive as I relished the way he said my name as he rubbed his jaw. "Listen, we need to talk."

Suddenly the scabs on my leg started to burn and I felt the shame and fear from Halloween start to consume me all over again.

I blinked as I tried not to let my nerves get the best of me, I hoped he didn't want to do it here and I mean I was sure Harry wouldn't, he hated being around people at the best of times.

"Can we go somewhere?" Harry asked rubbing his jaw again and I nodded slowly, "Um what about your bakery?"

"Primrose?" I asked, just to be sure and Harry nodded. "Sure."

I frowned slightly as Harry made no attempt to move even though he was the one who suggested it and instead he just stood there looking at the ground with a frown on his face.

"Flower listen," Harry started again suddenly looking up at me, his eyes burning into me and I felt like he was looking right into my soul.

Harry had never looked at me like this before.

I licked my lips as movement caught my eye and I blinked as I realised a class must have just finished as people started appearing from one of the buildings and walking past us, we must have still looked weird.

The hair on my neck suddenly stood up and I swallowed as I glanced around before looking back at Harry who looked like he was either about to cry or punch something, was he okay?

I looked around once more, my heart dropping as I caught sight of the bald man I'd seen on the tube, heading straight for us.

"Uh, Harry-"

"No Flower, I need you tell you something and I know m'bad with words so this is so fuckin' weird but I have to say it, I'm uh,-"

Harry cut me off and then I watched as if everything happened in slow motion as his words were cut off as the sound rang out and my mouth opened to scream as I watched Harry hit the ground almost instantly.

The scream being forced back into my mouth as I was grabbed and my mouth was covered and I panicked, thrashing around the hold of whoever had me.

Water lined my eyes as my arms were pressed behind my back roughly, the awkward angle making my skin sting as I was pulled backwards.

The bald headed man was all I could see in front of me as I thrown and I panicked, thinking that I was about to die only to land inside what looked like a van and I screamed out as a fist met the side of my head and I went down.

Tears leaked as pain swept through my body and I struggled to keep my eyes open, the image of Harry laying crumpled on the wet stone burned into my memory as my eyes finally dropped.

And then there was nothing but black.