One Life

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two~

Stella's POV:

Harry's fingers absentmindedly stroked my bare bruised head that laid on his chest as we watched the TV.

I wasn't really paying attention to the screen, in fact, I couldn't even tell you what exactly appeared on the screen even when I was staring directly at it.

This was the last time I was gonna be in this apartment, and mind is debating whether or not it's a great thing.

I didn't flinch, or remove my eyes from the TV when Harry readjusted my head to look at him. His fingers pulled my eyelids down momentarily, and when they shot back open, he had pulled me from my trance.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything." He states.

Oh.

Then he continued before I could feel guilty or embarrassed.

"What's the matter?" His fingers traveled to wipe under my eyes.

I closed my eyes momentarily, moving my face further into his palm, savoring the feel of his fingers. I wasn't crying, but maybe I had bags?

How exactly do you answer a question when you're not quite sure of it yourself? Do you avoid it?

"I'm hungry." I fibbed, but it wasn't bought... Especially not by Harry who is much too observant.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He ignored my comment.

"No, we should be leaving soon anyways for the dinner." I said, tugging at Harry's chain on his neck by accident as I observed the pendant.

Today was our Thanksgiving, though it wasn't the proper day, being a day or two, early.

"You're wrecking me."

What? I looked up at Harry perplexed as to what the hell that was meant to mean.

"What're you talking about?"

Not in a million years did I think he was going to explain, it surprised me when Harry answered. Because usually when you say these type of things that you didn't mean to, you try to recover and redeem yourself with a "Nothing."

"You tell me that nothing's wrong, when we both know that's not the case. And it's really hard to lie to me. I know you didn't just 'Fall on your stomach and hit your head against the wall,' otherwise you'd have knee scrapes."

As much as I tried, I couldn't pull my gaze away from his green eyes that bore into mine. They were filled with anger as what it seems, but I couldn't take him serious with a beautiful face. I was caught in my lie, and there was nothing I could do.

This was coming from the boy who I didn't feel self conscious around or insecure sometimes as I did 99.9% of the time around other people.

I ignored him, sitting up relentlessly.

"We should really be going, now."

Harry didn't protest, as if he couldn't agree more.

Once we got to Aunt Lucy's, everyone was just taking their seats.

"How nice of you to join us... Timely." Lucy says, meant for Harry and I's ears, but the whole room hears, making me feel embarrassed at the multiple laughs that we earn.

Do we really seem like hormonal teens? Or what?

Harry laughs and greets everyone, and I shyly take my seat, expecting Harry to sit next to me, but he sits next to Louis who is at the end if the table.

The table was a 10 seater, and and tonight we had a fully table plus 1.

Did I mention Ed was here? He had to pull up an extra chair from the hallway closet, making it 5 people on one long side of the table, 4 on the other, and 1 at each end.

11 people.

On my side of 4, it was Harry, Liam, Samantha, then I.

Across from me, was one of their bodyguards/tour manager that I didn't really know. I sensed his uncomfortableness, only indicating that Lucy had insist that he sit down and eat, though those were not his intentions.

Even Paul was here.

We all prayed over the food, whether someone was a different religion, or non religious.

It was basically a typical Thanksgiving dinner.

Ham, Turkey, fruit, cake, yams, squash, bread, rice, macaroni, greens, and some things that I'd never even seen before.

As I poured a small Portion of rice onto my plate, and asked Samantha to pass me gravy, it occurred to me that Lucy had prepared this whole big meal by herself.

My guilt was quickly washed away when Paul nudges her with a mouth full of food. "We did a good job. Didn't we?"

"Sure did, big guy!" Lucy chimes, nudging back.

What'd I miss?

Isn't he married or something? With kids?

Samantha instant assumes the same as me, because she stubs my toe with the heel of her boot. But I didn't appreciate it since we currently weren't exactly on speaking terms.

"Keep it PG." I coughed to them, and Harry laughs at me, but quickly turns it into a cough as well. No one got the joke but us 3. Lucy, Harry, and I.

It's quiet and awkward, all you hear is cutleries clinking against Lucy's ancient glass plates.

"Awkward." Someone whispers, and I quaff down my drink.

Then suddenly everyone goes into separate side conversations, making the table seem like mutual family dinners.

Everyone's talking to someone and then there's me, looking down at my plate, pushing my greens around with my fork.

It saddened me how I could see Liam's hand holding Samantha's under the table, and I couldn't have that with anyone...

Before I knew what I was doing, I was getting up from the table to leave.

The scraping of chair against the linoleum tiles, got everyone's attention, pulling them all from their conversations.

Where was I going?

Maybe they'll think that I had to throw up.

But wouldn't I have ran?

Perhaps they'll think I had to pee.

But then I should have excused myself.

Stupid, I thought, as I rush out the front door, and emerge into the coldness of the evening not forgetting my tank, just incase.

The sun had literally just gone down, leaving pink specks in the sky behind, likely to disappear in seconds.

"Please," I begged the air. "Don't let anyone come after me. I want to be alone."

I walk to the next block, and sat on the curb in front of the big house with the huge fountain in the front. Where rich people possibly lived.