Before She Falls

Chapter 52

Harry and I step back into the hotel suite and Zayn, Niall, and Vanessa are all sharing the couch and watching a movie together.

"Don't worry, we're just finishing" Niall assures Harry and I, since Vanessa and I are supposed to be leaving to head back home in ten minutes.

"It's fine, take your time" I reply as I make my way into Harry's hotel room.

Harry's been acting a little off every since we went out to dinner with Gemma and his mom. I'm still not sure exactly what it is that set him off. He was so content when the two of us left to go out to the restaurant. Harry was holding my hand the whole car ride there, he even let me play my music in his car's speakers, and he couldn't stop cracking jokes on the way. But as soon as we sat down with his family and started chatting, his whole demeanor changed, and even on the way home he seemed different. He sped home, with both of his hands on the steering wheel, and he didn't even touch the radio.

I have a hunch that it might be because he's not quite happy that I'm leaving tonight. And the fact that I'll be in Massachusetts by tomorrow, when he'll still be in New York City, and then out to Pennsylvannia the following day is probably ticking him off too. But I don't want to think about that right now, and I don't want him to be thinking about it either. I have ten minutes until I have to be down at my car with Vanessa and I want all ten of those minutes to be full of Harry's smiles and kisses; not this distant Harry that won't even crack an open-mouth grin for me.

I hear Harry following me as I pass the doorway into his room. I grab my duffel bag from the floor and bring it to the edge of the bed and sit down next to it as Harry enters the room, and closes the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" I finally just ask.

His face looks puzzled at first like he has no idea why I'd be asking him such a question, but then his eyebrows furrow together into the middle of his face and his eyelids flutter. He bring his face up to look at me and his jaw clenches.

"I just don't want you to go" he mumbles and I bite down on the inside of my cheek.

"I don't want to go either" I put my hands in my lap as he continues to lean against the back of the door with his hands behind his back.

"Eight weeks is a long time" his mouth closes at the end of his sentence and his bottom lip pokes out an insignificant amount, but I notice it all the same.

"So is two years" I crack a smile. "And you waited that long to give me one kiss."

He lets out a weak chuckle, but it's better than nothing.

"You know this is different" his smile fades and Harry's serious face is back.

"We'll be fine, Harry" I state with my eyes concentrated on his. "Think about it. You know we'll be okay."

Harry swallows hard and then looks down at his feet that are still covered in his brown boots.

"I'll only be a phone call or text away, where ever you are" I tell him and reach out my hands, bending my fingers at the knuckles repeatedly to motion him over to me.

He pushes his weight off the door with his hands and moves toward me on the bed slowly, still a small pout on his lips. He stretches his hands out to meet mine and intertwines them together.

"I just don't like the idea" Harry mutters quietly over my head. "I don't like being so far away."

"I don't either, but it's not like I'm going anywhere" I giggle a little. "I'll be in Boston counting down those eight weeks."

Harry finally breaks a genuine smile and my heart leaps into my throat. The sides of his mouth stretch towards his ears and his pearly white teeth appear between his lips.