Crash

Crash: Chapter 8

Aubrey

It's been three weeks since I last spoke to Harry. Not that it mattered. I was just fine without him, back in the swing of my regular life. And that was okay with me. But something about Harry made me think about him, occasionally. I almost missed the spontanaeity, the lust that I had had for him--and that he seemingly had for me. But that wasn't healthy; I wasn't going back to something so unstable.

At least, I didn't think I was.

I was working my shift at the local records shop. We sold vintage vinyl records that were hard to find. Most of our customers were older adults who grew up in the time of the artists, or teens looking for a good listen and had excellent taste in music. There were actually a few high school looking kids that had made their way into the shop and were browsing the rock collections. 

"Is there anything I can help you guys with?" I asked. They asked me for some recommendations, so I helped them out. I rang up their purchase and then I had the shop to myself, for the most part. The owner, Jimmy, usually wasn't here, but today he was in his office, in the loft above the shop. Business was usually slow, so I had time to myself.

I ran over to the rock section. Those kids had put me in the mood for a record by the Doors. I filed through the records until I found what I wanted. I put it in the record player, placing the needle gently on the outside divots of the disc. The music played throughout the shop.

"Love me two times, baaaby, love me twice today," I sang, as I danced around the room. This usually got my mind off of things, like Harry, and the encounters I had had with him a few weeks ago. Music was one of the only things that made me really happy--old music, to be more specific. I wasn't always caught up on what was popular today, because I didn't prefer it. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Who would be calling me on a day like today? Willa was surely at class right now. Taking the phone in my hand, I looked at the caller ID. Harry?!  

He hadn't tried to call me since he wrote me that note. And quite frankly, I was glad that he'd tried to stay away. I didn't need him distracting me. But, for whatever reason, I found myself answering. "Hello?" I asked warily into the phone. 

"Thank goodness. Aubrey? Is that you?" I could hear desperation in Harry's voice. "Of course it's me. Who else would it be?" I snapped, without realizing. "Oh. Er-okay. I need to ask you a favor," he said nervously. What could he need from me?

"What do you want Harry?" I asked, my tone cold. I wasn't about to act forgiving. "Well..." he hesitated before continuing. "I'm in the hospital."

I felt a pang of pain in my heart. Was he okay? Was he hurt? What was going on? My mind was racing. "What?! What is going on?" Any rigidness that I had had with him had disappeared. I wanted to see him again after all, despite what I had tried to tell myself.

"It's not a normal hospital...it's a psychiatric facility," he responded. "I...I have a few things to get off of my chest. I don't have anyone else, Aubrey. You're the only person I can think of that wouldn't turn me down right now. Will you come to visit me? Please?" 

Harry practically begged me to come. No matter how hard I tried to resist him, I couldn't. And, I suppose that since he was in a medical facility of some kind, he would have no chance to get drunk or lay a finger on me. "Um, I don't see why not. But this doesn't mean I forgive you." 

"Thank you, so much. You don't know how much this means to me. I'll explain when you're here. It's the London Psychiatric Center, I'll text you directions. I'll see you soon, Rey." He hung up, obviously trying to eliminate any chance of me changing my mind. 

"Jimmy, I'm closing up shop a bit early, a friend of mine is in the hospital." I yelled up to the loft. I heard a faint response from my boss as I flipped the sign and locked the door behind me.