Kiwi // H.S. // A.U.

Chapter Forty-Three

HARRY

After only a few hours of sleep, I decided to pack everything up. My phone had died last night as I laid down on my bed listening to Emma's soft breathes as she slept.

The pain I felt listening to her breakdown when I couldn't do anything about it was the worst I've ever known. I would happily take ten panic attacks over ever hearing her sound that broken. It reminded me of that night I showed up at her apartment, the sound of her sobs ripping my heart apart. I needed to get back to her as soon as possible. She would probably be leaving her mom's in an hour or so, and it would only take her less than two hours. I had a four hour drive ahead of me, so I should be leaving soon.

It took me a while to pack everything, my head not quite all there. It was swimming with possibilities to what had happened to make her break. I went downstairs to get some coffee, needing to wake my senses up. My mom and dad were up, talking in the dining room. The kids stayed at their houses tonight so it was just us and Lu. I just gave them a head nod, and they knew to give me some space.

I didn't even drink the coffee downstairs, instead opting to take it back up to my childhood room, and try packing again. I was so frazzled that I had to take everything out and organize it better, because there was no way it was fitting the way I had thrown stuff back in.

At eight I went to Lu's room and knocked loudly. I knew she was probably still sleeping, a chronic late riser just like Emma. I had to knock a few times, getting increasingly more anxious as I waited for the door to open.

Finally, she swings the door open, eyes barely open themselves, and glares at me. "Why aren't you letting me sleep in?"

"Because we need to leave soon." I tell her.

Her face scrunches up in confusion, "What? We aren't leaving until the afternoon. We're supposed to have lunch with everyone and Kazo's."

"Lu, I need to get home now." I say as steadily as I can.

"We can't just ditch our fam-"

"Luanne, I'm leaving in an hour with or without."

She looked taken aback by my outburst, starting to finally wake up, "Harry, what's going on?"

"I just- I need to get back home." I say weakly, pleading with her to just get going.

"Harry-"

"It's Emma. Something happened, and I need to be with her." I admit, not caring that I just outed us.

She looks at me, eyes widened, but nods her head, and says, "Alright, I'll start packing. Give me thirty minutes. Explain everything to mom and dad, please?"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, Lu." I tell her before heading back to my room, and getting my bags. I set them downstairs by the door, heading back into the kitchen where my parents were, "Hey, guys, Lu and I are going to head out soon."

"What about lunch, bud?" My dad asks.

I lean against the counter, "Uh, I'm sorry but I need to go home. I have someone who needs me-"

"Is Emma okay?" My mom asks quickly worry in her tone.

My heart warms at the care my mom already shows for her, "I don't know. Something's going on, but she couldn't tell me over the phone, and last night-" I exhale a long breath, "I don't even know."

"Oh, honey," my mom comes over to rub my back, "why don't you bring her some of the leftover cake from Jackson's birthday last night. Eating always makes me fell better, and lord knows that kid doesn't need to ingest any more sugar."