antidote | h.s.

35 - i'll be there for you

Ashton Mackenzie

"C'mon, pick up, pick up, pick up."

The tears falling from my eyes don't stop when the line clicks on, and it becomes even worse when I hear his amazing voice.

"Hi, Beautiful. You almost here?"

"Harry," I try hard to hide the worry in my voice, but it's useless.

"Oh, Baby, what's wrong? Where are you?" I can tell he's concerned now, and I feel bad, but I truly don't know what to do.

I take a deep breath, trying my hardest to calm down. "I'm at home. I just got here, and it's Nova."

"Fuck. Is she okay?" I hear rustling on the other end like he's moving around. "She's okay, right?"

His care sends another sob through my body. "I don't know. I got home from my parents, and she was here alone for a couple of hours, and now there's blood all over the apartment, and I don't know what to do."

"Blood?" I hear a car door shut through the phone.

"Yeah, I think her pee has blood in it." I know I sound whiney, but I can't help it right now. I don't have the will to act calm, cool, and collected at a time like this. "Harry, I'm really scared. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry for calling you. I just didn't know--"

"Hey," he stops me, his voice much calmer than mine, "it's perfectly okay. I'd be worried if you didn't call me. I'm on my way to your place now, and we'll take her to the vet. How is she now?"

"She's...... lethargic. But she's always like that, so I don't know." Looking back at Nova on my couch sends tears back to my waterline, and I try to hide it from the phone speaker, but I know he can tell.

"It's going to be okay, Beautiful. She will be fine. We'll get her checked out and all fixed up, I promise."

My breath is shaky as I let it out, muttering a thank you before hanging up.

Soon enough, Harry's key is turning in my lock, and he's bounding in, the worry on his face twisting worried knots inside of me.

"How is she?" He pants as if he ran up the stairs to get here. He immediately spots Nova on my lap, rushing down to us on the couch and taking her face in his hands. "Hi, Smiley Girl. We're gonna get you all better and smiley again."

When he looks up at me again, his face softens even more, and I know it's because of the tears that have refused to leave my eyes. That, on top of seeing him care so much for my reason for living, is sending my emotions out of wack.

He pouts out his bottom lip a bit, his hand falling to my knee. "She's going to be okay."

"You don't know that, Harry."

"Hey, have I ever lied to you?" He holds his hands out in question, and my eyebrows raise. Harry's lips tuck into his mouth, a smile threatening to break through. "Don't answer that, actually."

I manage a little giggle and remain amazed by how this man can make me feel better even in the most terrifying and upsetting situations.

Nova stands up from my lap, and Harry immediately wraps his arms around her body, lifting her into his arms.

"She needs to go outside again," I tell him, "she's been going potty a lot." Harry looks at me and nods, immediately making his way to the door and taking her out with him.

By the time I get all of her things, like her favorite blanket for the car ride and a leash to keep on her at the vet's, I walk out to the parking lot to find Harry bent down to Nova's level on the ground. He's talking to her, but he stops by the time I get close enough to hear anything. He looks up at me with a smile, and I know it's just to make me feel better.