The Stunt [h.s]

Chapter Fourteen

Harry's POV

January 28th, 2021

***

"I'm so sorry for everything"

My words come out quietly as I try to piece together everything that has happened since I made it to the roof. Elsie just told me the most vulnerable part of her life and now she's standing on my feet as I spin us around letting both of us calm down from the heavy conversation we just had. I don't know how long we stayed like this but it felt nice. 

What pulls us out of our trance is a singular raindrop landing on our hands that are connected. She pulls her head off of my chest and looks up to the sky as more raindrops fall soon to leave us getting drenched in a downpour. Although neither of us makes a move to leave the roof I do happen to spin Elsie out from my chest before we end up skipping around the roof letting out loud laughs as we dance to whatever song is ringing from my phone. We both act like the conversation we just had didn't happen.

"I shouldn't feel this way." Elsie's voice pulls me to look down at her face as she's already looking at me.

"How are you feeling?"

"Relieved. I mean I just told things that only a handful of people know and instead of freaking out I'm dancing in the damn rain." She looks away from my face and up to the sky letting a smile polish her lips.

"It helps to tell people El. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulder." I watch as she pulls herself away from me and starts spinning away from me while looking up at the sky.

"Halle would love this if she was here right now."

Halle. She's talking to me about Halle.

"She loves the rain and I'm always the bad guy when I tell her she'll get sick if she stays outside too long." I watch the smile on her face just about grow bigger as she speaks of her daughter with pride.

"I hope you know that you're gonna get sick if we stay out here for much longer." I decide to throw her own words in her face as I make my way and start to walk over to her where she stopped picking up both her hands and just holding them.

"Don't be a downer, Harry. Live in the moment for gosh sake!" I shake my head looking down toward our feet and I catch myself smiling.

"You've got no shoes on El. You're going to wake up tomorrow and feel like death." She goes to pull away from my grip but I don't let her budge. "We should go inside." I drop her hands by her sides and bring my own up to move the hair that has fallen in front of her face.

But when our eyes meet it feels like it always should have felt.

At this moment we're just Elsie and Harry.

Not two people who just said part of our deep past.

Not two people who hate each other.

Not two broken people.

Just El and H.

Breaking the moment I place my right arm behind her back as my left goes to pick up both of her legs running us toward the door. I hold Elsie close to my body as I can only assume she's freezing considering we are both drenched.

Once inside the building, I walk us in silence down the stairs as our floor is not far from the roof. Even though the time is short I again try to figure out what just happened. It seems out of character for both of us to just open up like that.

Before I know it I'm standing in front of her door and realize I need to leave her. Placing her downward making sure that she was steady on her feet before pulling away. I watch as she turns to face me and she even smiles at me.