Redemption

32 - Collide

Chapter 32 - Collide

For a split second, the shortest glimpse in time, I thought Harry was going lean in and press his mouth to mine. His eyes stared down at my lips, the color of green growing a shade darker, his chest still like mine, like he was forgetting how to breathe. If he hadn't had offered to fill up my drink for a second one, I would have asked him to kiss me, the temptation too sweet, too hard to resist.

When he brought back a full glass, he asked me what type of movies I liked, changing the direction of the conversation, a redirect. I told him I didn't mind what we watched today, as long as it wasn't a romcom. We sat in silence as he scrolled through various streaming apps, reading the description details, occasionally asking me for my opinion.

We finally settled on an action movie, I can't recall the name, it wasn't anything special, especially since halfway through we entered a conversation that would tear my attention off the plot.

"I'm sorry to bring this up again," he started off, his voice not much louder than the ones playing on the screen. He had turned off the lamps, the only light in the apartment coming from the television. "But what has Caleb told you about Heather?"

The answer didn't upset me, not like it should have anyways, he's only curious, trying to figure out the situation, put whatever investigation skills he has to use. My head had been resting on the armchair of the leather sofa, my body curled up in the corner, the leather cool against my cheek. "Um, not really anything, actually."

The movie drew him back in, an intense fighting scene catching his attention. I thought he might have forgotten, but the minute the scene switched, he picked up right where he left off, like he never even missed a beat. "I'm assuming Jo has told you stuff, though, right?"

I nodded, but then remembered he probably wasn't looking at me. "Yeah, a little bit."

"Isn't that weird to you? That he hasn't said anything?" He asked it nonchalantly, like he doesn't really care. But now I know he does.

"We haven't been together for long." It took me a second to get the words out, an important conversation taking place on the TV that harbors most of my attention. "I guess, I want him to tell me in his own time."

He didn't reply to me for a few moments, the movie too intense once again, my focus was not at all on it, just patiently waiting for Harry's next words, chewing on my own, thinking about how I could have worded it differently.

"Did you know they met in kindergarten?" he continued, his fingers tapping against his glass.

I didn't. "No, I didn't."

He didn't take a long time to reply. "Really?"

I didn't want to reveal that I knew more about Maddie than Heather, the truth even too much for me to bear. It's humiliating, admitting that, even in my own head. I wish I was as interested in Heather as I am about Maddie, but I don't have the same hunger, the same drive to discover more. From the beginning, I knew about Heather, about her influence on Caleb, how big of a part she was in his life, but it didn't bother me, not like it did when I learned about Maddie.

"It never came up," I said, hoping he'd just let go, let it get lost with the wind, forgotten.

But he didn't leave it behind. "I'm pretty sure they started dating in fourth grade. No, wait, maybe it was the fifth. I always get the American school system messed up."

I took another sip of my drink to calm my nerves, my temper. It was starting to become easier to set me off, my patience thinning, wanning. I couldn't help but wonder if that was his intention, to get me more worked up over how little information I have about my own boyfriend.