The Stunt [h.s]

Chapter Twenty One

Elsie's POV

March 6th, 2021

***

"Hals let's get inside, it's starting to rain!" I call out to her as the rain begins to fall down harder around us letting me know that our lunch date outside is officially over.

"But Momma, I don't want to go. Pleaseee can we stay outside." She looks at me, placing her hands together, moving back and forth waiting for me to give in. I bite down on my lip trying to hide the fact that I'm going to say yes but she sees right through me. "Yes! Momma, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"But you have to go grab your jacket. I don't need you getting sick on me!" I'm now laughing as she runs into the house to go grab one of her jackets that we have for moments like this. I pull up the hood to my sweatshirt as the rain starts to come down harder and I patiently wait for her to come storming back out. As if on cue, the door slides open and she bursts out with her pink raincoat with giraffes that Harry got her for her birthday.

Granted she doesn't know that Harry got it for her but it's still one of her favorite gifts.

It's been a week since the party.

A week since I've talked to Harry.

A week since I've talked to Connor.

I've tried to call Harry but it's radio silence on his end besides one text saying that he will talk to me soon but that doesn't stop my need to try and call him every night. I have this feeling that he's mad at me and just the thought of it makes me want to vomit. Because I work in an industry that's prone to distance and dislikes, I can deal with a lot of people not liking me, but when it comes to Harry, I just can't seem to do it.

That night before we left New York when we said we were going to stay the same as it was, I didn't counter into my factors that Halle would hate him. I thought she would have forgotten him but I should know that things don't work out the way that I plan most times.

As with Connor, he's been calling me almost every minute of the damn day but each time I send him straight to voicemail. I'm just not ready for that conversation yet.

What he said hurt me beyond understanding and even though eventually I will end up forgiving him, it won't happen right now. At the moment, I don't think he acknowledged the words he was using. He was angry and needed to blow off some steam but he placed that anger that he had for Harry and placed it on me.

Connor's words are nothing I haven't thought about myself before, but hearing them out loud from someone, especially your best friend? It's like a stab to the heart that no one ever wants to feel.

When I went back outside to the party Daisy immediately came over to me and gave me the tightest hug. Apparently, Connor told her in hopes of her helping his case with me but she was pissed beyond belief and stood by my side.

I tried to act like it didn't bother me for the remainder of the party and that lasted me all the way through to putting Halle to bed but the minute I walked back into the room with Daisy and Michael, I let the day catch up to me and let myself fall into Daisy's arms.

While I've been hurting this week, I would never show that to Halle. Throughout the last four years of her life, she has seen me be weak and not strong and I can't let her see that anymore. She deserves so much more than I have been giving her.

What breaks me out of my thought is Halle grabbing onto my hand and pulling me so we are closer to the speaker. Per Halle's request, we have had 1989 playing since we got outside, and now the New Romantics starts playing which causes Halle to start dancing around causing me to join her.