The Maiden in Winter // Harry Styles Series #4

FIFTY ONE

"What?" I couldn't have heard that correctly.

"You have to leave. Now. I'm going to call Fred and he'll take you to the airport."

"What are you talking about? It's almost midnight. You're kicking me out?"

"You have to go. I can't do this," he swept his arm wide, indicating the Moroccan scene, "right now. I have to be somewhere tomorrow morning."

"Where? Why? This is crazy." My voice was rising, shaking, but he didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care.

"You need to go pack your things. You need to leave." He was pointing down the hall to the bedroom. "Now!"

I thought for a moment he might physically push me in that direction, but instead he focused on his phone, dialing quickly before making a shooing motion, urging me out of the room. It was obvious that the evening, the entire trip, was at an end, no matter how much I might protest, so I gave up asking questions.

I could hear him talking to Fred as I collected my things in the bedroom.

"You need to get her on the jet and back to the Cape, now. -- I told Olivia I'd be there tomorrow morning by ten o'clock. -- Just get Alex home and we'll leave as soon as the jet's back here and ready. -- Not while she's still here. I'll explain everything on the flight. -- See you in ten."

He appeared in the open doorway, staring distractedly around the room at everything except me. I broke the awkward and tense silence.

"Harry, please tell me what's going on. Why are you sending me away? What did Olivia want?"

His eyes snapped to mine as I said her name, flaring an angry green.

"It's none of your business."

That did it. I managed to close my bag and push past him down the hall before the tears that had been threatening finally spilled over and my breathing became gasping sobs.

He didn't follow me.

I was sitting, alone, on a stool in the kitchen when Fred came though the service door a few minutes later.

There was compassion for me in the man's eyes as he asked, "Where is he?"

"In the bedroom."

He left me there, but was back in moments, picking up my bag.

"Let's go. The jet will be ready by the time we get to the airport, and there'll be a driver waiting in Janesboro to take you home. You'll be in your own bed in a few hours."

I turned toward the hallway, meaning to go say goodbye, hoping for some sort of explanation. Fred stopped me, his large hand laid gently on my shoulder.

"No. He doesn't want to see you right now. I'm sorry, Alex. I really am."

I was too overwhelmed to argue.

***

The trip home was a blur of city lights, the dim glow of the quietly humming cabin, and the deserted road from Janesboro to Janesport. I have no idea what the pilots or driver made of my silent tears that seemed to have no end. It didn't matter.

I texted Andy from the jet.

'H sending me home. Wouldn't tell me why. Wouldn't talk to me at all. Home in an hour.'

A Janesboro municipal ambulance was idling in front of the house as my Uber rounded the corner off Main Street. Reassuring the driver that everything was fine, I tipped her generously before climbing out of the backseat and into Andy's arms.

"You didn't have to come. What's your partner going to think?"

"Of course I did, and he won't care. He's already asleep on the stretcher in the back. We were covering this end of the county anyway. I'm yours until we get a call. Let's go inside."

Once we were cozy on the sofa, I told him about it all. The paparazzi-proof apartment building, the Moroccan paradise, the floor of flowers, the call from Anne, and the muffled exchange followed by my eviction.

"Whatever happened on that phone call to make him so upset didn't have anything to do with me, I know that, but it still feels like I'm the one who screwed things up. Why else wouldn't he have talked to me, at least said goodbye. I really thought we were somewhere serious, trusting. I was about to agree to move in with him. Was it all a lie? How could he send me off like that if he loves me? I-"

He put his finger on my lips, shushing me.

"I've seen how he looks at you, Alex, and how he behaves toward you and Bean. I don't doubt that he loves you." He squeezed me tight, one hand moving soothingly across my back. "It must have been something really serious. I'm sure of it. Give him a little time. You're sure it was her?"

"I heard him say her name, clear as day. Olivia."

"Look, when you called and told me about your dad and Suzi I was asleep in bed with Thomas. I got up, got dressed, and left without telling him what had happened. He was totally freaked out, and angry, but the next day I explained, and it was ok.

"Give Harry the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure he'll call you tomorrow. Mom and Dad will keep Bean as long as you need them to, so you can sleep in. Call me once you've heard from him, ok?"

I walked him to the door, where he kissed my forehead before whispering, "Get some rest. It'll all be fine tomorrow."

***

It wasn't fine at all.

There were no messages waiting when I woke around ten o'clock.

There were no messages through the day, which I spent deep cleaning the house.

There were no messages as I picked Bean up from the Lowells' and made a half-hearted attempt to watch The Jungle Book with him over a half-hearted dinner of re-heated leftovers.

There were no messages at ten o'clock when, unable to settle down and think about sleep, I called Andy.

"Well, what did he say?"

"Nothing. I haven't heard from him."

"Damn. It must be something really serious."

"What if it's one of her kids? He was really close to them. That would be awful, if something had happened to one of them. Do you think I should call him? Or text? I could text Fred. But what if that just annoys them? I don't want to come off as needy, but it's weird that neither of them has reached out, right?"

"Take a breath, Alex. Look, he said he had to be somewhere this morning, right?"

"Yeah."

"And it's been what, twenty four hours?"

"Yeah."

"So maybe he still dealing with whatever it is, or maybe he's traveling back."

"Yeah, I guess." I knew I sounded pathetic, and I didn't care. I felt pathetic.

"I'll come by the store tomorrow and check in on you, ok? Try to get some sleep, and remember – he loves you, and I'm pretty sure he's a good guy."

I managed a laugh. "Thanks for that vote of near confidence. I'm going to take a Benadryl and hope I get up in time to get Bean to the bus stop and open the store on time. I love you, Andy."

"I love you, too. Sleep well."