stand here with me || h.s

13.

Thirteen : Hallie

Harry: Come over.

Hallie: no.

Harry: why not?

Hallie: because, I'm super busy...lots to do.

Harry: Do you need any help?

Hallie: your annoying.

Harry: *you're

Harry: and why am I annoying?

Hallie: you're just stressing me out! haha. I literally have so much to do.

Harry: Do you want to come over later?

Hallie: I can't, dinner with Marianne.

Harry: After?

Hallie: we'll see, just stop bugging me xo.

Harry: Let me know soon, baby xo.

"Hallie!" I looked up frantically while shoving my phone in my back pocket.
"Niall, hey." I hadn't seen Harry's band mate in a long time, but it was always good seeing him. I loved Niall. He hugged me tightly before stepping back and crossing his arms.
"You doin' alright?"
"I'm really great, yeah! Planning a wedding, so it's consuming me."
"Hopefully not your wedding..." I laughed and shook my head.
"Absolutely not, no. God no."
"Good, good, I'd be a bit terrified if it was your's."
"That makes two of us, Niall."
"So whose wedding is it then?"
"My best friend, Marianne's. She has a court ceremony tomorrow but I'm putting a reception together for Saturday."
"That's nice of you!"
"Yeah. It's crazy, but certainly fun. I'm excited."
"Weddings are a blast, yeah!" My phone buzzed again in my pocket and I knew it was Harry. I could fake my annoyance all I wanted, but he still put a smile on my face. It was a constant smile too, not just fleeting. "So, um, have spoken to him?"
"Harry?" He nodded. "Yeah, he's bugging me right now actually."
"You two are on good terms?"
"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm being careful, but things are good." The look on his face was something I couldn't necessarily read and I began questioning it immediately. "Why do you ask?"
"I just...be careful, yeah? You're such a good girl, Hallie. I would just hate to see you get hurt."
"He's your best friend, Niall. I'd half expect you to force me to talk to him."
"I think you should just...don't rush into anything. Think things through..."
"Are you saying you think he'll do something again?"
"No, I really don't. It's just what he's done in the past. He was a right bloody idiot and I'm saying that as his best friend and brother."
"What did he do exactly?"
"Just...you know what he did. All those girls...and I'm not tryin' to throw him under the bus because he loves you, I know how much he loves you. I just want you to be sure you're aware of the extent to which he went."
"There were a lot."
"Yeah, there were. I've told him-we've all told him-you're a great girl and we really like you, we just want you to end up with the best."
"Is he not the best?"
"He's one of the best, I'd say. But just remember what happened. Take it all into consideration. You won't meet three lads who want you two to be happy as much as us, all I'm sayin' is to just...just think about everything."
"I will-yeah, of course I will. Thanks Niall, really, thank you." I hugged him tightly and he reciprocated the action.
"Anytime, love. We're all here for you."
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."

***

I pushed the pasta on my plate around and around with my fork, not remotely hungry enough to even take a bite. "Oi. What's gotten into you?" I looked up to see Marianne eyeing me suspiciously.
"Do you think i'm rushing into this with Harry?" Before even allowing her to answer, I continued on, more than halfway lost in my own head. "Like, should I be focusing more on the mistakes he made? Should I be dwelling on all of that or should I just move forward and forgive him?"
"What happened?"
"I ran into Niall."
"Niall as in his best friend Niall?"
"That Niall, yes."
"What did he say?"
"He was just telling me to be careful, go into this slowly and take it all into consideration, blah, blah, blah. I just-I don't know how to feel because now I'm thinking about it and I'm scared and he's being so perfect and so understanding and I can't-I can't deal with all of this, you know? I don't know how to let him back in because I'm not even the same girl anymore, I'm Hallie, I'm still Hallie but I'm not Hallie before Harry. I'm not the girl I was with him and he made sure of that and-"
"Hallie, shut up." I stopped talking as soon as I saw the look on her face. "First of all, Niall has a point. You shouldn't just jump back in with him. You have a lot to think about, like, a ton. Second, don't freak out about it. Take it slow, breathe, think really long and really hard about what you're going to do and then do it, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah...you're right. Okay."