Broken

Chapter 37

By the time the taxi arrived and we had packed all my boxes into the boot, I was exhausted and covered in dust. The taxi driver looked me up and down with a perverted look on his face, making my stomach churn. He helped me up with my things, dropping them at the door and leaving... thank god.

The busy book shelf looked cluttered and messy against the wall. My first task. I dusted and polished the wooden surfaces, placing the random books about rock bands and Shakespeare into alphabetical order. A large bundle of sheets fell from an ancient Classic Rock hardback, fluttering around my toes. I picked them up curiously, sifting through the mound of complicated looking text. The name of a well-known university stood out in the top left hand corner, catching my attention. I read through the very formal words, most of them not making any sense to me. The letter told me that Harry had passed an exam a few months ago, meaning he had been accepted into uni. My stomach knotted inside me, the feeling of being alone coming my way again.

Right on queue, Harry came strutting in with a big sexy grin on his face.

"What the fuck is this?!" I cried, slapping the documents onto the coffee table.

His eyes widened when he saw what they were, his mouth opening and closing with no words coming out, "your leaving?"

"Kristen I-"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I was going to its just-"

"You just waited until I had feelings for you before you left me, for what...a few years while I stay here and look after your house?" I couldn't get the words out quick enough. I felt so hurt and betrayed, I hated it.

Harry and I had never fought before, but there's a first time for everything.

"Would you just listen? I've always wanted to go to uni, I want to make a life for myself. I'm not living off a shitty wage at a tattoo parlour for the rest of my life," he babbled.

My hands were in tight fists, my skin turning pink. I could understand why he wanted to go, why he wanted to make a good life for himself. But would I still be I it?

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me your real age?"

My mouth fell open, it felt like he had just slapped me across the face emotionally. I walked towards the door, grabbing my coat en route, "wait, Kristen-"

"No!" I snapped, brushing him off as he reached his hand out to me, "I need to be alone."

He looked disappointed but didn't argue as I slipped out of the house, irritated.

I walked along to the park again, the bright orange trees arching over me as I strolled down the path. Selfish tears streamed across my cheeks, I knew how immature I was being. But I wasn't ready to part with Harry. I was used to having him around all the time, he was the only stable thing I had in my life right now. I sat on a swing and let the wind blow me gently, my feet barely touching the ground as I went higher into the air.

Picturing my life without Harry seemed almost alien after these past few months with him. I heard the leaves crunching behind me, my curly-haired boy sitting on the swing next to me. I didn't look him in the eye, just stared at the colourful orchard ahead of me. The wind blew my hair around my shoulders, I could sense Harry's continence telling him not to touch me.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you. I just thought...if I could go away, do something useful with my life, I could...make a better life for us here?" he explained.

I breathed a sad sigh into the air, a thick cloud forming from the sudden burst of heat.

"I'll miss you," I whispered, my watery eyes finally meeting his.

"I'll miss you too," he said, smiling sympathetically.

He pulled my swing closer to him, so close his breath was warming up my cold lips. His mouth tasted of guilt, my curls blowing around behind me.

"How long do we have left?" I asked, wanting to make the most of the time we had.

"I don't leave until after new year," he said reassuringly.

That wasn't long enough.

I felt relieved that I would have the chance to spend Christmas and new year with him, but it felt like I would be celebrating the empty feeling inside me.