10 HOURS AWAY | Harry Styles AU

chapter 58 - my recovery

10 Hours Away | Harry Styles AU

chapter 58 - my recovery

I didn't have the chance to go back inside because Mia walked out of the building and spotted us on the stairs. Carter was still holding me in his arms when Mia took a seat next to us. The minute I looked at her, I knew my bloodshot eyes told her everything she needed to know – I wasn't fine.

"Did you see Harry?" she queried and I gave her a swift nod. Her question was unexpected. "I saw him and the girl as well." Mia shared and I instantly understood why she brought him up.

"When did you see him?" Carter asked.

"I spotted him after I saw Liz getting away from the bar." she said. "Thomas, her date, had found Logan and I very quickly so we returned to the bar where Liz was waiting."

"Did the guys see Harry, too?"

"They didn't." she vouched. "Thomas and Logan were too busy talking about an acquaintance of them. But when I saw you making your way to the bathroom stall, I knew something bad had happened."

I stared at Mia with watery eyes. "I'm s-sorry for hiding this from you t-tonight." I apologized with a stutter.

"You don't have to say sorry, Liz." she argued. "I get why you didn't mention it. Seeing him mustn't have made the last few hours very easy for you."

"No, it hasn't." I faintly made known.

"You're not over him, are you?" Mia then wondered, and I told her I wasn't. The fact that I once thought I was capable of getting over him, confounded me. I had been ignorant all this time. "Pathetic, right?" I asked and chortled.

"It's not pathetic, Liz. Getting over Rick and letting him go didn't happen without ups and downs either. It took me a long time to move on. You have seen me struggling many times. Both of you have." she mentioned earnestly. "I think you underestimated the repercussions after you called it quits." Mia implied.

"I did." I concluded.

I had seen friends go through break-ups which hadn't always been a pretty sight, but I had never realized how much suffering they had to endure. Being in this state, I discovered what it was like to have a broken heart, what it was like to lay awake at night while being afraid the pain never goes away, and what it was like to be haunted regularly by repentance.

"Have you talked to Harry yet?" Mia questioned me.

His name already brought more tears to my eyes. "Well.." I began. "We chatted very briefly when I left the ladies' room. I even talk to his date, Ruby. Other than that, we haven't texted yet. I don't think either of us is going to reach out after tonight." I noted.

"Maybe it's better if you put some space between the two of you." Carter proposed calmly. "It has been quite wearing for you to see him with someone else, Liz. I think, if you were to talk to Harry again, Ruby will most definitely become the topic of your conversation. Both of you can't act as if you didn't see him with another girl at the arcade."

"Carter is right about that, Liz." Mia chimed in, so my focus was on her. "I don't think you even want to listen to him talking about her."

"You'd only hurt yourself by doing so." Carter went on.

There was no need to argue against their words because both Mia and Carter were right. While I felt down in the dumps, I was unable to hear Harry talk about somebody else. For now, it was better to step away from the source of my pain and give myself time to heal. Even if I had no idea how to do that.