Abstract

Chapter 8

In the morning, I stare up at the ceiling, recalling all the memories from last night. Harry's lips against mine through the thin paper of the card, an intoxicated Harry seeing me half naked, his sudden depature, and the sound of him and Olivia upstairs.

I go to get my phone from the charger, but it's nowhere to be found. I'm supposed to text Louis about plans for today and I have no clues as to where my phone could be.

I know that I had it last night at Harry's, but I don't remember bringing it anywhere after that. When I was playing the game with Harry I had it, but I'm not sure if I brought it with me when I left.

It's on his couch.

I groan at the thought of having to go retrieve it from him and Olivia. It's the last thing I want to do right now, to have to hear his snide comments about seeing me partly naked.

Instead of getting ready to go see him, I put on a pair of ugly sweatpants and a tank top. It's lonley again in my apartment without the music that's usually playing in the background.

I knock on Harry's door, but it takes about a minute for it to open.

There's nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, and I have to refrain myself from looking anywhere but his eyes.

"I left my phone here." I say.

"Adella, what a lovely surpise." He says, showing the same dimples that were in my dreams last night.

"I just need my phone and I'll leave,"

His eyes are clouded with an emotion I can't decipher. "You should stay." He lets me inside, and I go to the couch and look through the cusions.

"Oh please, with you and Olivia? I'd rather not."

His aroggent smile falls. "You heard that?"

"The walls are thin." I mimic something he said to me.

"Oh,"

"It's nice to see how much you 'care' about me." I snap, finally pulling my phone out of the couch.

He shrugs. "She reminds me of you."

"You're discusting."

"I know."

I try to walk past him but he stops me.

"Hey, don't leave."

"You're supposed to be leaving me alone."

"I know but I don't want to. I want to spend time with you." 

"Oh please. Your intentions are terrible."

He walks out of the room, returning only a second later in a plain tee shirt and rolled jean shorts. With him, he's carrying a easel and a canvas. He sets it in front of him, grabbing his paints from the nearby table. 

I'm unsure if to leave or stay and watch. It's not the most exciting thing to do, but I stand next to him to watch anyways. 

"It's beautiful," I tell him. 

The canvas is covered with beautiful tiny black and white shapes, intermixing to form the Paris skyline.  I pick out all the different figures, circles, triangles, and squares, all used to create one single image. 

"Thank you," 

"What are you trying to say by it?" 

"Hmm?"

"When we first met you said that you had so much to say but not enough words to say it. What does this say?"

He puts the paint brushes down, stepping back to look at his own artwork. "There's alot of odd things into making something beautiful. The flaws are what makes the image what it is." 

His view of it is beyond beautiful, and I wish he was this way all the time. 

"I like you a lot better when you're painting." I tell him truthfully. 

He smiles. "Really?" 

I nod. "You're not such a pain."

"I'll take you to see them one day. The Mona Lisa, Picasso, Van Gogh all of them. Just say the word."

It's so tempting. It's all I've ever wanted to do with Harry. Hear him talk about art, culture, and food. 

"It wouldn't change anything." I whisper. "You will still have the same intentions." 

"Why is it so hard for you belive that that's not what I want?" 

"Because I know guys like you Harry. You pretend to be this amazing thoughtful person but deep down you're coldhearted and you don't know what you really want so you settle for less."

He's silent, not looking me in the eyes. 

"What if I've changed?" He pleads. 

"Harry I heard you upstairs with another woman, right after you nearly did the same thing to me. I know what you're trying to do but I'm not going to fall for it. Thanks for the offer, though." 

I walk away from him, and he doesn't stop me.