How to Say Goodbye

Chapter 19

"We need to talk," Harry said to me as I dropped my suitcase on the ground.

I nodded and started making my way over to a bench, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Maybe a little more private?" He glanced around, and I saw the few reporters around.

Geez. Couldn't even walk down the street without the media showing up.

He took my suitcase and started to walk the opposite direction. I looked up at the building and saw Niall staring back at me. With a small smile and wave, he turned and went back inside. I sighed and followed Harry into a car down the street.

The ride to his apartment was silent.

"Where’s Kensington?" I finally asked him as he let me inside his home.

He shrugged. "She broke it off with me after we left."

He set my suitcase next to the door and took a seat on the couch, gesturing to me to sit next to him.

"Harry, I don't know what I'm doing here." I didn't sit next to him, but instead, I leaned against the wall by the door.

"Do you like me, Sage?"

I nodded and closed my eyes.

"Do you want to be with me?"

I sighed and shrugged. "Harry, I literally just went through a break-up less than twenty minutes ago. I don't think I'm ready for another one right now."

He stood up, but didn't make advances toward me. "That's not what I asked. Do you want to be with me?"

I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. "I don't want to be apart from you."

“Yes or no. Do you want to be with me?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

His face mirrored mine, but he didn’t press me any further. “You can stay here for a while. At least until I have to leave.”

I stared at him for a while, taking in his expressions shown blatantly on his face. He really liked me. And I really liked him.

After taking a deep breath, I slowly walked over to him and put my arms on his chest. He smiled down at me and placed his hands on the small of my back. I gently reached up and kissed him without fearing anything. No fear of Niall finding out. No fear of anyone seeing us. No fear.

And it felt amazing, being free with Harry. We were free to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. Together.

We spent two weeks living in our fantasy world in Harry’s apartment. We watched countless movies together, we spent many late nights just kissing, we immersed ourselves in conversation with each other, getting to know each other more and more.

Even through all the laughter and tears we shared, we still hadn’t discussed the next step between us. I wanted to be with Harry, but I still felt a hollow aching in my heart, a hole that not even many late nights with Harry could fix.

We had just finished another movie when the wave of sadness hit me.

I stood up from the couch and excused myself to the kitchen.

I didn’t realize Harry had followed me until he said, “Do you want to talk about it?”

I smiled sheepishly and decided to avoid bringing Niall into the conversation. “I like you, Harry.”

He walked toward me with his arms outreached. He gathered me up in his arms and waited until I looked him in the eyes. "Then Sage, why don't we give us a shot?"