SHE (bk 1)

FORTY-EIGHT

Clementine felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as he continued speaking. The dirt smudge just below his ear was evident and the brown spots all over his clothing proved he was up to no good.

"I got kicked out of a bunch of places and I dug through peoples disgusting trash for hours and this was all I got," the blonde couldn't hold in her gasp as she watched him pull out what he had found. The green letters were chipped and dirty but they were right in front of her. 'Mel's.'

It was a small portion of the sign but arguably the most important, her mother was the heart of the diner after all. "Harry I have to tell you something Clementine-,"

The curly headed man immediately cuts off his sister with a frustrated sigh, "I can't believe this is all I have...how am I supposed to bring this to her and act like I found anything substantial," he punches the pillow sitting immediately beside him and Clementine flinches.

Her right foot begins to place itself outside the door to comfort him, but his next sentence stops her.

"Maybe I was right when I called Camille last night...she might be right that I'm a fuck up who nobody can put up with," he places his head into his hands as Gemma reaches forward to grab a hold of his arm. "Maybe she is what I deserve...Clem has always been too good for me. She's sweet, charming, kind, intelligent, sarcastic and whip smart, and not to mention just unbelievably gorgeous. I just can't ever let myself have good things."

Clementine felt her heart clench and stomach swirl on in one quick moment, anger racing through her veins. He called Camille when he was unsure of their relationship during the first fight they had ever gotten into? How selfish of him.

Her feet move without thinking and her mouth shoots off before her mind can catch up, "Why would you call Camille instead of me?," the sudden intrusion caused both the Styles' siblings to jump in surprise.

Harry's eyes were saucers and she could tell he was nervous by the shake of his hand when he stood. "Clementine I thought you were at the diner...what-,"

"And I thought I could trust you, but here you go calling your ex who emotionally abused you at the first sign of trouble?," her throat was dry and eyes watery but fire was running through her veins like never before. She would never settle for less than what she deserved again.

Clementine often times shut her mouth to avoid conflict but with Harry admitting his wrong doing right in front of her she needed to talk it out. She had shut down every time Max had hit her instead of sticking up for herself, and she regretted it every day. Sure, she would have probably gotten abused even worse for talking back but she would at least had her dignity.

"Clementine, I didn't- I was drunk and I just made a stupid mistake," Harry stuttered out gently as he thought over the phone call that had clarified everything.
——
FLASHBACK

Harry's fingers hit the familiar numbers before the phone was lifted up to his ear, a small frown already forming as he thought of her voice. Her cold, emotionless voice.

"Harry?," surprise was laced in her tone but he could tell she was smiling. Almost mocking him. "Coming crawling back already? Little miss Clementine not work out?," Harry used the heel of his palm to rub his eye as her words stabbed at him.

He didn't want to talk to her but there was a comfort in knowing exactly what she was going to say. Even if it wasn't always nice.

"Camille I just-I just why didn't we work? Am I that terrible that I drove you to your breaking point?," his head tilted back as he took a couple more gulps of the alcohol.

Silence filled the line before she took a deep breath, "You drained me emotionally, I could do nothing to make you happy. The only time you smiled was when you were drunk and the only time you laughed was when you were faking on stage....I wanted someone who was stable enough to be in a relationship with," her words were digging the dagger into his heart even further. He knew he was depressed but she made it sound like he made her miserable.

"You could have been more understanding," he breathes out, for the first time sticking up for himself.

She laughed, "Oh Harry...it's not my job to coddle you and make you all better. Nobody can make you happy believe me I have tried-,"

"Clementine makes me happy," his words catch her by surprise and soon a frown takes over her lips. "She makes sure I feel comfortable in every situation, asks my opinion when it involves me, and the way she looks at me," Harry's lips immediately quirk up at the thought of her sunshiny smile. A smile she saved for him.

"So why are you calling me?"

The question was easier than ever to answer. "I guess I needed to call you to find some sort of closure...I know you leaving me was the best thing that has ever happened. Because I met Clem and she is just...she is my rainbow after a storm."

END FLASHBACK
———

"Clem, I love you," the words hung in the air for longer than they should have. Eyes devouring each other as they both looked extremely scared, but he knew those words weren't blurted. They were real and they were true.

Clementine's lips parted as she looked between Harry and Gemma, a red tint heating the bridge of her nose.

"I-I called her but it was you I was thinking about all night and it was you I searched every trash heap in Manhattan for. You are the only person I would do that for, there has not been a guy or girl that I have ever dated that made me go this crazy," he laughs while running a hand through his hair. "You drive me fucking insane, you're the only thing I think about and the only thing I dream about. It's like you have taken over me completely."

Clementine didn't know any sweeter feeling than having Harry's words drilled into her head. Each one only making her heart beat harder as they maintained eye contact. He was saying everything she had ever wanted to hear from Max, here was the perfect man standing right in front of her. It was almost too good to be true.

As Clem took in another deep breath she finally let her lungs fill with air, words leaving her lips with the ease she never imagined was possible.

"I-I love you too."