Unexpected

49. Helen

"I have to explain things to you, Helen, okay?" Harry tells me, before dropping me under the condo of me and Jade's apartment.

I take his hand and bring it to my lips. "Okay, tomorrow, though. Now I have to take care of J."

He nods. He knows I have to, but he wishes he had never slept with her to avoid this. "Go, text me later, please."

"Mh-hm, don't worry," I tell him, and kiss him.

He wraps a hand around my neck, holding me still, and sticks his tongue in my mouth.

We kiss for a few more seconds, but then I break away. "I have to go, Harry," I say reluctantly.

He looks down on me. "I'd fuck you here, now, in the back seat," he says, staring at my body.

"Harry..." This is not the time.

"Go before it's too late," he warns me.

He jumped out of the car. "Okay, later!" and I run away, giggling.

I go into the elevator, and wait patiently for it to get to my floor. The doors open and I go out. As I walk to the apartment door I take a deep breath and slowly exhale.

I need to do this.

I insert the key into the lock and turn it slowly. I'm starting to get a little anxious; I've been away for two days — because we slept there on Saturday night — and I'm just coming back.

The door opens, but I didn't open it. Jade.

"Helen, you're fine thankfully," she says, her tone immediately relieved when he sees me, and starts to hug me, but she doesn't go on.

I stand still at the entrance, I look into her brown eyes. I miss my best friend.

I dive towards her and hug her tightly. She remains motionless in my arms for a moment, but then she wraps me in a familiar hug.

"I miss you, J, so much," I tell her with all sincerity. But before she says anything, I tell her, "I have to tell you something though."

She sniffles. I can't believe she is crying. "Come in."

I put down my stuff and go to the kitchen to fill myself a glass of water.

Jade joins me and sits on one of the stools. She slowly inhales and exhales once, then starts talking. "Helen, before you can say anything, I want to let you know I'm sorry."

I listen without interrupting her.

"When you told me about Harry I was mad as hell, not because I cared about him, but I didn't think you'd go with someone like him." She pauses to catch her breath. "Evan made me think these days that you were gone — I know you were with Harry — and I knew I was wrong. Sometimes life is unpredictable and unexpected, isn't it?" she says, waiting for my answer.

A half smile appears on my lips. "Definitely."

"You have to be free to be with whoever you want without feeling guilty, as long as you are happy."

"I'm happy, Jade." I put the glass on the counter. "I love him."

She smiles. "You do? Does he love you?"

I nod. "Yes."

She gets up, and she comes to hug me. "I hope you managed to get that asshole right," she says laughing, and I burst out laughing too.

"I want everything to go back to the way it was before, okay?" I tell you.

"Do not worry. I love you, Helen. "

"Love you too."

• • •

The next day, after class, Harry is with me, because he wants to talk to me about a few things before taking me to rehearsal for the song.

"Come here," she tells me, gesturing me to go beside him. "But stay seated, I want you to look me in the face."

I'm starting to worry.

But then a big smile appears on his face, and I feel immediately relieved. "I'm out of my father's mess," he tells me.

I look at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't call or show up all that time because my father was out of prison," he explains.

"Oh." Now everything makes more sense.

"My mother was in constant danger with him in the house, I couldn't leave her alone for a moment."

"I'm sorry, Harry." And I thought he had left me like that.

"We took that long trip on Saturday because my sister managed to send him away, again, and forever this time."

I startle. Does that mean that... they gave him something like life imprisonment? "What did he do?"

"My grandfather died shortly before he was sent to jail for my mother's story; he had been poisoned, but we never found out who killed him."

Oh God.

"Maddie was at our grandparents' house recently and she found a hidden bottle of poison. She took it to forensics and they found my father's footprints on it."

"Wow." I don't know what to say, really.

"And now he's accused of murder, forever behind bars, Helen."

I make a disgusted expression, and Harry looks at me confused. "I don't like that you put my name in that same sentence."

He chuckles. "I'm free, baby. This means that my mother will be able to rebuild a life and that we..." he takes my hand and kisses my palm, "we can build our own, away from here. "

I smile, almost moved. "California?" I tell him. Once while I was with him I said, "I would like to live like in California, and go to the beach every day."

"Wherever you like," and he kisses me, drawing me to him. "I want all of this, baby, and I want you to know it. I want it with you. "

"I love you, Harry Davis," I whisper.

"You're mine, Helen Scott," and he pushes me back on the bed, driving me crazy.