Two Truths & A Lie

Chapter 26

"It was hilarious," Harry was telling me.  Today, his driving was scaring me more than ever since he wanted to look at me much more than he cared to look at the road.   He continued with his "hilarious" story.  "Charles never once told us that he was afraid of heights, but as soon as we got to the top of that roller coaster, he lost his mind and started sobbing like a little baby." 

Not that I didn't think his story was funny, but my growing headache was making it hard for me to enjoy anything at the moment.  Harry had been non-stop talking for the last twenty minutes that we had been in the car since we left the hospital.  He seemed to think that my allowing him to drive me home was my way of forgiving him.  Either that, or he was trying to pretend that everything was back to normal by talking as much as he could to distract me from the Brynn situation that still seemed to be hovering in the back of my mind.  We really hadn't had any kind of closure.  Harry explained all that he could to me - I mean, I think he did - but I still felt like the issue was unresolved.  

"Em?" He asked, interrupting my thoughts. 

"Harry, look out!" I shouted at him, pointing to the car that was stopped only a few yards in front of us at a stoplight.  Harry snapped his head forward and slammed on the breaks, sending both of us jolting forward in our seats.  My head slapped against the head-rest of the seat and I groaned loudly and angrily as the car came skidding to a halt in the nick of time. "Son of a..." 

Harry heaved a sigh and slapped his hand onto his forehead under his black beanie, clearly frustrated with himself.  He pushed his hair back behind his ear on one side and put his hand gently on my shoulder.  "Em, I'm so sorry..." 

"What did you want?" I asked, leaning my throbbing head against the cold window and slipping away from his touch.  It seemed like in the time I was trapped in the hospital, the temperature outside finally began to feel like winter.  It had been a surprisingly long and warm autumn, and I was happy to feel the cold sting of winter wind in my lungs upon leaving the hospital.  However, the temperature of my body seemed to rise with the sudden rush of adrenaline, and the fact that Harry had the heat blasting out of the car's air vents wasn't making me feel any better either. 

"I just asked you if you were afraid of heights, but you- just, nevermind," he answered, leaning closer to me still.  He started to reach for the strand of hair that was dangling in my face. "Are you okay?  I'm so sorr-"

"I'm alright, Harry," I groaned, swatting his hand away.  Cars behind us were honking at Harry since the light had turned green.  "Just get me home, please.  In one piece, preferably." 

"Right," Harry said shortly.  "One piece..." 

For the remainder of the ride, he stayed silent, glancing over to me again and again as if he thought I was just going to push open my door and bail out of the car.  Upon arriving at my house, I noticed the house looked dark.  No lights were on inside or on the porch.  "I don't think my mom is home," I stated as Harry helped me out of the passenger side of the car. "I don't have my keys or purse or anything."  

Harry glanced at the house as well, frowning when he noticed how still everything looked through the windows.  He left my side and ran up to the front door, first giving the handle a turn and then knocking his fist loudly against the door.  As he waited for an answer, his eyes scanned the street, moving from me to the house across from us and back.  I glanced down the road to see if maybe my mother had perfect timing and was coming home right behind us.  After a few moments, Harry walked back down the porch steps and toward the car, shoving his cold hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.  "So what do you want to do?" 

I shivered with the sudden rush of frigid air.  I was only wearing jeans and Harry's blue hoodie since that's what my mother brought me at the hospital for my "going home" outfit.  She swore she didn't know the hoodie was Harry's before she brought it to me.  "I probably should have texted my mom when I got out of the hospital but I just assumed she would be home," I said.  "I don't have my phone though.  It broke when I fell."