Falling | h.s

twenty-one

HARRY'S POV

When you get broken up with, you expect to feel certain things. You expect to feel lonely and heartbroken. You expect to feel jealous and angry and overall a bit overly dramatic. But something you don't expect to feel is bored.

Since Camille has moved out I find myself feeling restless and unfulfilled. We used to stay up late talking or binge-watching a tv show or even just sitting outside on the back deck, listening to the ocean. I'm not used to being alone. Since I was 16, I've rarely had a moment to myself, much less living by myself. I went from being on the road constantly for years to living with Mitch to living with Camille. It was weird, being alone. I hated not having someone to talk to, to listen to music to, to share a bed with.

Since she moved out, I've found myself going to bed earlier. The silence was unsettling and uncomfortable. I hated going to bed to an empty, cold bed, but it was better than sitting on my couch in the dark.

Tonight was no different. It was raining, so instead of reading on my back deck, I had tried to decided to watch a movie. I hoped it would distract me from the quietness of my house, but instead, it made me all the more aware that Camille wasn't there with me. She always resting her feet on my lap and shushed me when I would talk over the movie. More than once I opened my mouth to comment on the acting, but then closed my mouth, loneliness hitting me all over again.

Janie and I had agreed to start working again tomorrow morning, so I decided to go to bed early so I could be on my A-game. She was only here for two months so I needed to utilize my time with her the best I could. I know that once August rolls around, she's gone, whether or not the album is complete.

As I go upstairs to bed, I glance out my window to see a black car parked in front of my house. I didn't recognize the car and immediately assumed the worst; paparazzi. I reach up to grab the blinds, slowly lowering them until I see one of the car doors open.

A woman stumbled out, gripping onto the car door to stabilize herself. I watch in confusion, frozen in place, trying to assess the situation. Was it a fan? No, whoever it is has to have a code to my gate. I feel my stomach flip, unsure of what was about to happen. I debated closing the blind anyway and just going upstairs, but I felt frozen in place

As the woman walked up the sidewalk and stepped into the light, I recognized her immediately.

Janie.

She stumbled up the sidewalk, rain pouring down on her. She was wearing her pajamas and was holding her shoes in her right hand, her left hand trying to wipe some of the rain from her face.

I swing the door open quickly and my breath catches when I see her there. She was completely soaked, wet clothes sticking to her body. Mascara ran down her face as tears gushed from her eyes. Her lips were red and swollen as she shivered.

"I didn't know where else to go," she chokes out before crashing into my arms. I wrap my arms around her protectively, holding her as she bursts into tears. I walk us back a step or two before kicking the door closed. I could hear drops of water fall from her clothing onto my floor.

"What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I ask, trying to pull back to look at her face but she just holds onto me more tightly. I can hear her try to respond but she is bawling too hard to form words.

"He-he-he, he was so mean," she chokes out, burying herself further into my chest.

"Who was?"