One Plus One

Chapter Sixty-Six

HARRY'S POV

I hoped I'd sat in Carly's room long enough for Laura to have disappeared into the party somewhere. I rose from the bed and reached for the door handle when it twisted without me touching it.

The door swung open revealing Laura on the other side. I couldn't deny she was stunning, but I couldn't look at her the same way that I used to. Not since I had Marlie. 

"Hey, Laura, nice to see you. Now if you don't mind, I'll be getting back." I said, awkwardly trying to push past her.

"Calm down, Harry. Can't we have a chat? We were close once. And you did come and see me not too long ago."

"Yeah, only because I had to clear my head. We can have a chat anywhere but here."

"Why? What's wrong with right here?"

I recognised the look in her eye. I was familiar to it with her. She pressed her hands flat to my chest and began pushing me back into the room. My heart sped up at her touch. No. No, I couldn't let her back in.

"Laura, Laura, stop." I pleaded, pushing my hands to her shoulders.

"Come on, Harry. Your feelings for me never died."

"No, they changed."

"Well then there's nothing saying I can't change them back."

MARLIES POV

I had lost sight of Harry. I was too busy dancing to notice at first. But I began to miss his arm lingering around my waist, letting everyone in the room know that I was his, and me letting every girl who laid eyes on him know that he was mine. Something that gave me great joy every time I did.

I found Brody in the crowd and asked if he'd seen Harry take off anywhere.

"Well, he said he was going the bathroom, he's been gone a while, he might have passed out in there, maybe you should check on him."

I nodded, a sudden pang of worry flowing through me. I shoved my way through people obstructing my path and out into the empty hallway. I ran straight to the bathroom and flung the door open but no one was inside. Maybe Brody was right and he had passed out somewhere.

I carried on down the hall, knocking on doors and then opening them to see of he was inside. I was on the verge of giving up before I heard a pair of voices coming from what I remembered as Carly's room.

"I've waited so long for this." a girls voice whispered.

"Laura you have to stop this, my girlfriend will be looking for me."

The second voice I knew all too well. I twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. The tears flooded my eyes instantly. Harry was flat on his back on the bed, curls sprawled out on the pillow. His shirt was open and a girl, who I recognised from a photo I had seen had a leg either side of his waist, lips hungrily locked on his. More to the point, Harry was making no attempt to push her off. 

"H-Harry?" I questioned, even though I was 110% certain it was him.

The sound of their lips pulling away from each other struck another dagger through my heart. This was actually real. I wasn't seeing things.

"Is that your girlfriend?"

She acted surprised, but I saw right through it.

"Care to explain?" I demanded through my tears.

Harry could do nothing but look at me. No words would leave his open mouth. The girl climbed off him, pulling her skirt back down and then he tried to dart for me. But I ran.

I almost fell down the stairs I was running so fast. I could hear Harry's voice behind me, shouting my name, begging me to stop. My legs wouldn't allow it. Neither would my heart. It felt like it had been ripped out and smashed into a million pieces. I had been so naïve, so stupid. He proved himself to be exactly how everyone said. I wish I had just listened.

I should have known he would catch up with me, his long legs giving him the advantage. He caught me by my upper arm, pulling me back to him. I swung my left arm around and slapped him across the face. Hard. His hand instantly fell away from the arm he had hold of.

"Don't touch me." I spat.

"Marlie, let me explain."

"I don't need an explanation. I heard and saw enough."

I tried to push open the door to allow me to escape but he pressed his hand flat against it, keeping it closed.

"Let me go, Harry."

"No, not until you hear what happened."

"I don't want to hear it! I'm glad you got what you wanted from me and I'm sorry that it took so long. I hope you and her are very happy together. Goodbye, Harry."

"No, Marlie, that's not how it is."

"Yes it is! I wish I would have listened to what everyone was telling me. They were right. I thought you were different. I trusted you."

"Nothing happened! Nothing!"

"Yeah, it looked like nothing too."

At this point I was almost choking on my own tears. Harry tried to wipe them away but I brushed him off. I didn't want to hear his voice, I didn't want him to touch me, I didn't want to be anywhere near him. 

"You told me last week meant something to you, you told me you loved me."

"There's no past tense about it, I do love you."

"Then why? Why do this?"

"You don't understand."

"No, you're right, Harry. I don't."

Harry stared at me defeated. His hand dropped away from the door and he stood back. Before I left, I reached up around my neck and began to unclasp the chain from around it. When he registered what I was doing, I heard him began to sniffle.

"Marlie, please don't take it off. I love you."

"And I love you, Harry. But this, this hurts too much. I'm sorry."

I dropped the chain into his hand and then turned, making my exit into the night air. I gave up trying to control my tears and just let them roll as I thought of where to go. The hotel. Harry couldn't get in without a key. I'd be able to stay away from him there.

HARRY'S POV

I stared at the gold chain she left in my hands. It was barely visible through my clouded eyes. My world had just crashed down right in front of me. My head was telling me to run after her, tell her what really happened, but in the heat of the moment, I knew she wouldn't listen. So I took a deep breath, and turned to face the staircase, finding Laura standing behind me.

"Everything ok?"

"Fuck off, Laura." I bit.

"Harry?"

"Why are you even here?!"

"Brody invited me. You seem to forget we were all friends. You and I were so close."

"Exactly. Were. We all grew up and moved on. I can't believe you did that to me up there. You knew full well I had a girlfriend but you just couldn't stop could you?!"

I was yelling, loudly, and I could see she was scared, but I just watched at the best thing that had ever happened to me walk away.

"You know what? I didn't even want to be here. Brody asked me to come to help him with some plan of his."

"Plan? What plan?"

"Ask him. But just know that it wasn't my fault. If you're looking for someone to blame. Blame him."

Laura stormed past and out of the door. I knew my next target. I could hear him, he was coming down the stairs.

"Haz?" he slurred.

"You little fucker." I growled.