The Artist [h.s.]

seven

Harry switched hotel rooms the night after and wouldn't answer any of her calls or texts. Carter was miserable. A few days after Harry had moved rooms and started avoiding her like she was the plaque, there was a knock on her door.

With hopes that it would be him, Carter moved as fast as she could, safely with her healing still ongoing, to get to the door only to find it the hall empty and a small black box on the floor.

She knew what it was and who it was from without even having to open it. It was the box for the engagement ring that Harry had gotten for her two years ago.

Peeking around the hall, it was clear that no one was there and her heart sank even further.

When she picked up the box, there was a folded note underneath that she knew was him solidifying that he wasn't going to try to be with her anymore. Carter felt like a semi had just driven at 100 miles an hour straight at her chest.

Carter slammed the door and took both the folded up note and the box to the bed with her. Her hands shook even as she took deep breaths to calm herself. She didn't want him to go. She wanted his forever and had been about to tell him that the night that he decided enough was enough.

He was enough for her, even if she hurt someone else and she realized that the day that she called Jacob from the hospital.

And now Harry was gone.

Before she could force herself to read the note, Carter pulled her phone from the nightstand and decided to try calling him.

The line rang twice before it disconnected. He was still ignoring her and it fucking hurt.

Carter left a voicemail anyway, even though she knew that he wasn't going to listen to it and that it would probably be deleted before he could be tempted to.

"I hate that you're avoiding me. I don't even feel like a person anymore, you know. What you didn't give me the chance to tell you a few nights ago, is that I choose you, Harry. I choose you. That call in the hospital made up my mind, you just didn't give me the chance to tell you. If you listen to this at all, please come back. I don't want to live without you anymore. I-"

The machine cut her off, but that was okay because she'd said all that she needed to say, even if there was a high chance that he would never hear it.

Hands trembling, she unfolded the note, Harry's familiar cursive writing already bringing sharp tears to her eyes.

Harry's script was always sloppy, but it was much worse here, like he'd rushed the words out before he had time to change his mind, and there were dried spots on the paper that she knew were from him crying as he wrote whatever it was that the note said.

Carter had thought that she hated herself when she left him two years before, but now that she had purposely pushed him away and broke his heart over and over again, the feeling was so much worse.

Carter,

       It's always been you. From the moment I first saw you and until the moment everything dies, it is you. I want to apologize for the things I said to you a few nights ago, but I can't take back words that I meant. I'm sorry I was so harsh about it though. I still don't understand how you say that you love me and that it's me for you too, but then you choose to stay with another man that doesn't make you happy and that you love more like a brother or a friend. Don't deny it either, we both know that it's true. I can't keep up this affair if you're just going to continue to break my heart for the rest of our lives and this is the last time I will contact you in any way. I hate that is has to be this way, but you chose this, Carter. You chose this. The ring is yours, I bought it for you and it's meant for you, even if you don't want it or me anymore. I won't ever forget you and I will always love you, Carter Alexandra Holloway. Always.