Finer Things // h.s.

Whisky On The Rocks

The backdoor swings open gently, and I hear footsteps. The silhouette of the shadow of whoever is walking towards me has long hair and a coat.

Gemma.

I don't turn around to see her because I can't face her right now. Harry is her brother after all.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude, Gem..." I say, folding my arms against my chest. Closing my eyes shut, shivering with the cold. 

"Sorry to disappoint. It isn't Gemma." He says. I turn around to see him holding my coat and shoes. He's dressed warmly. I wish I could say the same for myself.

"Sorry, bit hard to decipher who it is from a shadow." I say taking the coat and shoes from.

"Thanks." I say feeling the awkwardness between the two of us. I try putting the docs on but I stumble around not being able to balance.

"Here, let me help." He says, motioning his arm out towards me.

"No, don't, really, it's fine." I say. I don't trust him. I truly never thought this day would come. I can't help but feel upset.

"What's wrong?" He asks with a half-smile.

I feel my cheeks burn red as I finish putting my shoes on and wrapping myself in my coat. His words play in my head.

What's wrong? Oh y'know... you left, you never called, I missed you, I grew up. The last time I saw you, you were filming a damn movie.

I reach into the right side pocket of my coat and pull out a deck of cigarettes and a silver flick back lighter. I feel his eyes burn into my as I place a cigarette to my lips and light in, inhaling the smoke and feeling it tingle inside my throat as I exhale.

"Kinda, sort of everything." I say chuckling to myself unable to lie. What's the point?

"I didn't know you smoked now..." He says with a slight smile.

"Things changed, it's been a few years." I mumble under my breath as I shuffle on my feet. My eyes fall to the ground and I accept defeat. The defeat of he and I. I turn around and lean on the railing and i catch sight of our shadows, his towers over mine and is a much bigger build.

Even our shadows are strangers.

"It's rude not to offer..." He says, offering his hand to me. I pull out a second cigarette and hand it to him along with the lighter.

"Ok... help me understand?" He says through lips pressed with a cigarette.

"I can't help you to understand when I don't understand myself, Harry." I say biting down on my lip.

He draws the cigarette back and exhales deeply.

"Harry, we were best friends and then all of a sudden you're a pop star and you forgot that you once weren't. I know it's hard, I can't even begin to imagine what you went through and how busy you must've been, but a text would've been nice. I never heard from you unless it was via Anne, Gemma or on the cover of a magazine. One night we're driving home from the X-Factor and the next we're saying goodbye... I just wish I'd have known it was a goodbye... not just a 'see you around'" I say with an exhale, allowing my emotions to sink in.

"Neither of us knew this would happen, Tilly." He says admittingly.

"I tried calling..." He trails off.

"Once!" I say turning to him, looking into his eyes for the first time in years. Those damn green eyes. My head spins and I'm not sure if its the wine or my emotions rushing back like the snow falling around us.