Aquarelle [h.s]

forty-seven

"So we have this new collection coming next month, and both Louis and I are so excited" I told Harry as we were walking next to each other in a park in London.

It'd been a few days since we'd come back, and things had been going really well. For once, it really felt like my life was getting back on track, I had a boyfriend that I loved and my parents adored. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

I let out a sigh. "I wish I worked more closely with the paintings sometimes, it'd be better than being locked in my office the majority of the time."

"That's understandable" Harry replied, "do you have anything important to do next month?" He asked unexpectedly. "I mean, work-related."

I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking about it for some seconds before replying. "Uh, I don't think so, why?" I moved closer to him, intertwining my fingers with him and resting my head on his shoulder for a second, my sunglasses slipping on my nose. I chuckled, taking them off and putting them on top of my head again, to pull back my auburn hair, that looked way redder than I'd anticipated under the bright sun of June.

"I told you I have a house in Manchester, haven't I?" He asked, and I gave him a little nod. "I was thinking of selling it, but" he said with a sigh, "it's full of things. I never went through my parents' things, so I have to do that."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"If you'd be interested, of course. I can go on my own if you don't want to" he was quick to add.

"Of course I want to! Why wouldn't I?" I replied honestly, looking ahead in front of me and smiling when I saw an ice-cream parlour, some plastic tables outside. "How about we get an ice-cream?"

"Sure" he said as we neared it, and we stopped almost in front of it when Harry's phone suddenly rang. "it's Zayn" he said after checking the screen, and I nodded.

"You can answer" I replied, "just tell me what flavour you want so I'll go get it."

"Uh, mint is fine" he told me, picking up the call and stepping to the side of the building, that was more secluded.

I went inside, discovering that many other people had had our same idea, and queued, quickly sending a text to Louis to update him on how my day was going as I waited for my turn.

When I found myself in front of the counter I ordered Harry's mint cone and a chocolate one and paid for them, taking them once they were handed to me and stepping to the side, resorting to licking my ice-cream as I waited for Harry to finish his call and come around.

I sent a suspicious look to Harry's ice-cream, hoping that it wouldn't have melted and dirtied my yellow summer dress as it waited for Harry to come eat it.

"Sierra?" A voice suddenly said from behind me and I turned around quickly, immediately recognising it.

"Nicholas" I said, a bit surprised. I definitely hadn't expected to see him there, out of all places.

He gave me a quick once over, raising his eyebrows. "You look amazing" he commented and I looked down, feeling slightly awkward under his scrutinising glance.

"Uh, thank you?"

"Yeah" he murmured, "I'm so glad we just ran into each other, because I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Oh really? What about?" I asked him, feeling a bit curious. I licked my ice-cream again when I noticed it'd started melting, and he smiled slightly at the action.

"I just wanted to say sorry for the way things ended between us" he replied, seeming to be sincere. "I know I was a bit... unreasonable in the last period, and I'm sorry about that. I could feel you slip away and I freaked out."