Delude | h.s.

twenty four

Drivin' through the city with me
Just watching you glow
I'm in the passenger seat, you're in control
It's all you now
Even better everyday I swear
Maybe it's a little unfair
Baby I'm starstruck by you
Didn't know we'd get so far
And it's only the start
Scary Love - The Neighbourhood

♤

Layne

I feel like I am recovering from whiplash.

Last weekend was a whirlwind of situations I never saw coming and conversations I never wanted to have.

Sunday morning, Iris woke me up by jumping on the pullout couch and scaring the shit out of me in the process. She was laying where Harry was, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't look for him around the room. She didn't seem to notice – or she didn't make a big deal out of it if she did – and she asked me if I wanted to go to brunch with her, Luke, Jenny, and Matt. I said yes, and when we were walking through the house, I was trying to find any trace that Harry had been there the night before. I came up empty handed.

At brunch, no one asked about him and no one addressed what happened the night before.

It bothers me that no one ever worries about him. They're his friends, shouldn't they call or text him to make sure he's okay? They might do it on their own, but wouldn't everyone else want to know? I tried to push the thoughts aside and enjoy my time with the people I now call my friends.

I replay the events of the weekend in my mind over and over as I pour a drink for a regular at the bar. It's Monday and it's so incredibly slow. I covered an open shift because the last thing I wanted to do today was lay in my bed and dwell more on Harry's warning signs.

I place the drink in front of the man, and he gives me a grateful smile. I tell him that if he needs anything else, he can just let me know. He nods in understanding and takes a sip from his draft beer. My legs carry me around the bar to a high-top table where a couple just came in and sat down. I give them a couple menus and take their drink order. I don't typically waitress, but since it's slow, I told Nicole that I wouldn't mind doing it. After I get their drinks, I take their order and head back to the kitchen to give the receipt to the chef.

I pull my phone out of my back pocket as I leave. I haven't heard from Harry since Saturday night. He disappeared before I woke up. I thought we were past that – him leaving without a trace – but I guess I was wrong. My phone is drier than the Sahara Desert and disappointment fills my chest. Where does he go when he vanishes for days at a time?

I open my phone and check our messages anyway, just in case a notification from him never came through. I'm even more disappointed when the message I sent him a week ago remains delivered. As I lock my phone and put it back in my pocket, I look up just in time to avoid running head-on into Nicole.

I jump back in surprise and laugh, "Woah, I'm sorry!"

She didn't even seem to notice our almost-collision and looks at me in confusion. "You're good, girl. I was actually just looking for you."

I furrow my brows and my anxiety heightens. Did I do something wrong? "What's up?"

A smirk pulls onto her lips and she leans in to whisper, "Loverboy is over at the bar."

All emotion falls from my face and my heartrate accelerates. "Really?" I ask while looking around the wall that separates us from the rest of the bar.

Sure enough, Harry is sitting there, in his usual spot. His back turned to me and his eyes scanning the wall of liquor. I'm positive he's stared at those bottles hundreds of times before, but he still looks at them like they're the most interesting thing in here.