In This World (Harry Styles)

Missing Chapter 4 (Jamaica)

(DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. It's important to remember this is all totally fabricated, embellished, and exaggerated for entertainment purposes.)

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"Oh God...you're still here?" I moaned, rubbing my eye as I stumbled into the kitchen for a bottle of water.

"Yeah, still here," he sighed, having slept on the couch overnight. He was shirtless and his hair was sticking straight up.

"Why are you still here, by the way? Didn't you book a room?"

"I did, but I wanted to talk to youh before youh dipped again. I know how youh like vanishin' whenever I come around."

"Ever thought about coming around less?"

"Very funny."

I chugged half the bottle of S.Pellegrino before looking for something to eat. There was nothing. I moved over to the door and slipped on a pair of shoes.

"C'mon. I need breakfast."

"Well, it's noon, actually. And, uh...youh might wanna do something about that before youh head out. Might scare the locals."

I followed his eyes down to my crotch and saw that I had a bit of a boner.

"Fuck's sake."

"Yeah...about that..."

"Alright, I'll be back," I muttered, kicking my shoes off and pulling at my shorts.

"Hey, uh...want me to come with? I could help out with that y'know? Just like old times?"

"In your dreams." I shut the bedroom door.

When I exited again, I felt like a million bucks. He was dressed now and we headed out to the common area, which boasted an outdoor restaurant and full bar. There was also a terrace with a pool table and an infinity pool that overlooked the ocean.

We sat at the furthest table under the large cabana, thankful for the shade it provided from the high sun, as my face couldn't take another beating. I was already beginning to peel and it was not pretty. We ordered breakfast even though it was well after noon, because I was craving eggs.

"Aren't youh like a vegan or somethin'?"

"Pipe down," I said, sprinkling salt and pepper onto them. For the most part we ate in silence and people-watched. Laughing at an older couple who got up to dance after a few too many cocktails. Then he broke the silence.

"Innit mad how the first time we ever found ourselves in Jamaica together, it's after we've broken up and you're fuckin' engaged? To someone else?"

I glanced over and really looked at him for the first time since he'd arrived. Despite seeing him in Iwakuni a month ago, it still felt like I hadn't really seen him in ages. His skin looked amazing, comparative to mine, and his eyes were aglow with intrinsic mischief, as usual. He was really just the same old guy. Not much had changed, except, well...everything. Mostly the way I perceived him now.

"And under the worst circumstances imaginable," I added.

"Right, right. Yeah, it's crazy how it always seemed like our place, but, we could never get on the same page long enough to book it here."

"Wasn't meant to be..." I shrugged, lifting a potato on the end of my fork and examining its discolorations.

"I think a lot of the shit we got up to wasn't meant to be, honestly."