Trace

Chapter 31

"Yeah, she's still out. She came here at 3:00 yesterday and basically just passed out on my couch. She's exhausted."

I sit up slowly from Harry's couch. I look around at the familiarities of his flat. Wait a second. . .

"Yeah, sure. I'll tell her to call you when she's awake. Right now, she's- oh!"

I wisp my head around to see standing by the large windows overlooking London on his cell.

"Afternoon, beautiful! It's about time you woke," Harry's dimples are revealed as he grins at me.

"What? What are you talking about? Why are we back here? What about your aunt's apartment in Liverpool?"

Harry gives me a strange look.

"Was that a dream?" I ask to no one but myself. "How could it have been...it all felt so real!"

Harry chuckles. "Well probably. You were asleep for almost a day, El."

I rub my tired eyes, still feeling a bit confused but somehow relieved by reality.

"Alright, yeah she's up. I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

Harry says a few more words before hanging up.

"I had the strangest dream ever."

"Oh yeah? Well let's get some food into you, and then you can tell me all about it."

****************

"And, since you suggested I take a gap year, you mentioned that your aunt has a flat in Liverpool that we could live in," I explain quickly, whilst taking a bite out of my ham and cheese sandwich Harry had made me.

"What? I don't have an aunt who lives there," Harry chuckles lightheartedly.

"So then we packed a truck and it was so weird because then my mind sort of played the role of you and before that you had taken my diary and then we got to Liverpool and the house...my gosh it was unbelievable! It was soo nice and furnished and everything was black and white. It was awesome," I blurt out my dream quickly, but consciously leave the part out about Niall and me.

"Okay, woah woah woah slow down!" Harry laughs as he puts a crisp into his mouth.

I roll my eyes. "It's not that important. I am definitely happy that it was all false, though."

"What? You don't want to live with me?" Harry pouts and gives me his puppy dog eyes.

I lightly punch his arm. "Oh, come on."

He chuckles. "I know what you mean."

"So what happened yesterday?"

"Well, you came here really upset and I told you to sit on the couch while I finished up the dishes. You fell into a deep sleep after that."

Upset? Upset about... oh. I feel a huge lump form in the back of my throat. That's why I must have slept so long. I was exhausted from the day's previous drama.

"Harry, Niall told me that-"

"I know, I know," he hushes me, "I talked to him last night, and I just got off the phone with him a little while ago."

I look down at the crust on my plate sadly. "Poor Niall."

"It sucks, I know. I'm going to have a talk with Toby later today," he grimaces.

"So...yesterday when I came here... if I'm not mistaken, you had been drinking. A lot."

Harry flutters his eyes downward. "It's nothing," he mumbles.