to be so lonely • hs

five

The drive to Gemma's home after work seemed a lot longer than usual. Though, it was more than likely due to the fact that I was in such a hurry to get there. She'd called during my lunch and invited me, mentioning she had reason to believe we needed to chat. She was correct, there were many reasons.

I rang the doorbell once i'd finished up the steps in her growing garden. It was coming along really nicely.

"Hi! Come on in, it's cold." Gemma opened the door, stepping aside and offering me a hug as I passed her.

"It's not so bad." I laughed, it honestly felt fine. Though, it was getting kind of chilly.

As I walked in, the smell of brewing coffee and some sort of dessert welcomed me, a familiar scent whenever I visited. The desert was usually only a burning candle, but the coffee was more than likely real.

"How was work?" She asked, taking us into her kitchen. White cabinets, everything neatly organized, a vase full of fresh flowers. I absolutely adored her home.

"It was fine, I don't hear if any of my images made it into a gallery for a bit, but I'm hopeful." I smiled, remembering the positive feedback my images received as we went over them. "How about yourself?"

"Nothing too exciting, honestly." She shrugged, "But, you do have to invite me if you're featured. I'm bummed I missed the last one." She frowned, referring to about 3 months ago, the last time I submitted an image and had it selected. I didn't mention it because the museum was quite far, and I didn't want to be an inconvenience.

"I'll be sure to." I nodded, then thanked her for the cup of coffee she handed me. The mug was in the shape of a black and white cat, similar to her actual cat, Olivia.

We stood around her kitchen island for a bit, chatting about her recent anniversary with Michal and how absolutely perfect they paired together. We talked briefly about my date with Mason as well.

"How'd that go?" She asked, as I followed her to the living area, where we found Olivia lying on the sofa, clawing at a knitted throw blanket.

"Really well, I think. He's been really sweet and we get on quite nicely." I nodded, setting the coffee down on a coaster and onto the coffee table as we sat on either side of Olivia on the sofa.

"Does it feel weird, still?" She asked, referring to how I'd previously mentioned that going on a date with Mason felt unnatural at first. Being interested in someone new felt strange.

"Yeah, but I think I'll get over it soon enough." I nodded, ignoring the artwork i'd done on my canvas during our date, still unsure what had possessed me to paint those eyes.

"Harry was the same, if you're wondering." She spoke, staring down at Olivia as she pet right before her tail.

"He was?" I questioned, still finding it hard to believe considering how quickly he moved things along with Jamie.

"Sure. He wanted to stay only friends because he was afraid to love someone new. He had his reserves, but she's quite the outspoken gal. She convinced him somehow, I guess." She shrugged.

"Oh." Furrowing my eyebrows, I let the new information process. We hadn't discussed much about Harry and Jamies relationship in the past, considering how I still hadn't been over him at the time and it was quite uncomfortable, but it felt okay now.

"Speaking of Harry..." She trailed off, a smile forming on her face that she failed to hide. "I cannot believe I had to hear from him that you've been speaking!"

"Speaking? Is that how he worded it?" I laughed, knowing she was aware of our recent encounters from the moment she mentioned we needed to speak over the phone earlier.