I peeled the soaking wet clothes off my body and slid on the t-shirt and shorts Harry had given me. They were amazingly comfortable, and the best part was that they smelled like him. I looked in the mirror and found that I looked like one of those girls that wears their boyfriends clothes, and honestly didn't mind a bit. I picked up my wet clothes and walked back down the hall to find Harry. When I walked into the living room, he was sitting on the couch. When he saw me walk in, he looked up smiling at my appearance. I blushed and my lips curled into a grin.
"Here, I'll grab a bag for your wet clothes." He said, standing up and walking over to the kitchen.
"Thanks." I said, slowly following him. He held a plastic bag out to me and I took it gratefully. I placed the clothes in the bag and set it down on the floor by the door, then walked over to the couch and plopped down. A moment later Harry walked back into the living room and joined me on the opposite side of the couch. I reached forward to set my phone on the coffee table in front of us, and set it there.
"Jane." Harry said seriously. I could hear the concern in his voice. I turned and looked at him, confused.
"What?" I asked, looking at him. His face showed shock, confusion, and worry.
"Let me see your arm." He said, his voice level and serious. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I suddenly felt nauseous. He was referring to my self-harm scars.
"Why?" I said, as I could feel the blood drain from my face.
"Let me see your arm." He said again, his voice even more serious. I shook my head, the rest of my body frozen.
"Jane." He said, I could hear the fear and desperation in his voice. I sat there silently and frozen, my eyes open wide as I looked at him. He stared back, and in a moment when he realized I wasn't going to give in, he reached forward and gently pulled my left arm out from behind me. He inspected it, and I sat there still frozen in place. He looked up at me, his eyes glassy.
"Jane." He whispered quietly.
"Harry." My voice cracked as I said his name quietly.
"Please. Never do this again." He whispered, tears in his eyes. Tears were forming in mine too. I sat there, frozen. That was a promise I couldn't make.
"Jane. I need to know you won't hurt yourself again." He whispered, and he looked down as a tear fell from his eye onto my wrist. He wiped it away gently, barely touching the surface of my skin. I shook my head slowly and slightly.
"You don't deserve this, Jane. You deserve so much more. You don't deserve this pain. You don't deserve any pain." He whispered, his eyes meeting mine again. I sat there frozen, staring into his eyes as tears continuously rolled down my cheeks. He reached forward, his thumb brushing away the tears from my face as gently as he wiped away his tear from my wrist.
"This sounds crazy. But I'll say it anyway, because maybe it'll help you. And I'd say anything if it made you stop doing that to yourself. At first, I came into that shop every day just because I loved music and I loved looking at albums. But honestly, I wouldn't have came there for months to look at the same albums over and over just because I love music. I started to come there every day because I wanted to see you. Your presence is so calming, Jane. It's so pleasant and so soothing. I'd only heard you say a few words but I already knew I wanted to be friends with you. No matter what was going on in my life at the time, I'd come into the shop every day and be filled with peace. You have no idea how helpful it was to know I'd be able to go somewhere to relax. You helped me Jane, and now it's my turn to help you. I know that probably sounded so creepy, but I just needed to say it. If there's even a 1% chance I could help you, I'd take it. And now I just sound cheesy but-" His voice cracked, and wiped a tear away from his cheek, "but I mean every word of it." He looked into my eyes firmly. I didn't have the strength to say a word, so I leaned forward and crumpled into his arms, hugging him because that was the nicest and most genuine thing anyone had said to me in my life. Once I got the strength to say something, I leaned back, looked into his eyes, and spoke.
"You're the nicest person I've met in my life." I could've done so much better, but at the time, I was so overwhelmed I just had to say something that I really meant. And that I definitely meant.
"And you're one of the coolest people I've met in my life." He said, his face breaking out into a smile. Seeing him smile made me smile too, and even though there were streaks from tears on both of our cheeks, we were smiling. I leaned back into him, this time hugging him tight, instead of just kind of falling into his arms and letting him do the work. After a minute or two of hugging each other firmly, he leaned back slowly.
"After this experience, Jane, I'd say we're pretty good friends. And a good friend doesn't let their friend do that. Please, if you ever need anything, call me. I don't care when it is or where you are or if you think it's not important enough, it is. Just call me, text me, find me, do whatever it takes but don't give in; because when you do find me I'll be waiting for you with open arms. Okay?" He asked, and gave a gentle smile at the end.
"Okay." I whispered. Then I grinned, realizing something. "Uh, Harry?" I said.
"Yes, Jane?" He questioned, smiling too.
"I can't exactly call you if I don't have your number." He sat there for a short moment, as if he was thinking, then burst out laughing.
"Right!" He said, chuckling to himself. "Here, give me your phone for a moment." I handed him my phone, and he tapped his number into my contacts.
"Thanks." I said, smiling. "Now give me your phone for a moment." He handed me his phone and I put my number into his contacts, too. I put the emoji next to it that's smiling with its tongue sticking out. I giggled, then handed him back his phone.
"Just call me or text me whenever, okay?" He said, confirming it again. Instead of saying anything, I smiled and opened up my messages, sending him a text that said, 'Okay'. I giggled a bit as I waited a moment for it to send. His phone buzzed and he looked down, opening the text. Once he read it, he laughed, and I noticed he had put the same emoji next to his name in my contacts. It was like we were on the same brainwave. I smiled and leaned back into the couch, a bit exhausted.
"Oh, by the way." I said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "I found your CD collection."
