Dealing With Absence » h. styles au

14ᵀᴴ CHAPTER

                                                   14ᵀᴴ CHAPTER               

                              “The best way out is always through” 

PJ must be back with their improvised lunch anytime soon, considering he’d left after it ages ago, and since then both Elisha and Harry are sitting on the same bench, scanning through the latest of the pictures. The colours on the screen are bright and alive, perfect close-ups Harry hadn’t remembered he could even master.

She’s got her hands clasped over his right shoulder and her chin upon it, squeezing as much as possible so she can see the full photography. Harry barely feels the touch of her silky hands where they meet his skin exposed due his folded sleeves, worried only with holding the camera properly and checking it for what feels the thousandth time.

Leesha points a few details here and there, each time sounding highly impressed, though Harry doesn’t believe it’s as a huge of a deal as she makes it look.

“You smell of rain,” Harry states suddenly, once Leesh pops right in front of him to make a comment about a picture, losing her balance and nearly falling face first onto the ground, managing to unfold her legs and plant them on the floor before doing so (also shoving her still damp hair right into his face).

When she settles back against the bench, she has an amused grin tugging at her lips, an eyebrow quirked up in a challenging manner.

“Might have something to do with the rain that caught us off-guard, dunno,” she hums quietly, wiggles on her seat until she’s comfortable again. “I still blame you, though. I’d be fully dry if you hadn’t just run away with the car and left me and PJ behind.”

Harry shrugs despite himself, not one bit guilty. “The equipment was out of the tent. You guys could handle some water, my cameras couldn’t.” As to prove himself, he shakes the camera slightly in front of her face, grinning proudly. “See? Perfect pictures.”

Elisha rolls her eyes whilst muttering a ‘show off’ under her breath, but doesn’t argue any further. Harry suspects she liked the little run under the rain, after all, considering how both she and Patrick arrived panting but giggly, shoving at each other and mumbling something about ‘having won that one’. Weird, those two.

Harry only feels slightly nosy when he asks, “What’s the thing between you and PJ, really?”

Leesh frowns at the sudden subject change, glances from the screen to Harry’s face to analyse his expression, but doesn’t seem to get exactly what he’s talking about. “What d’you mean?”

He shrugs again, sets the camera over his lap to tighten the knot on the bandana holding back his hair. “He told me you two dated already, though it looks like you still do? Don’t know, I’m confused there. Should I feel like the third wheel here?”

She smiles easily at him and shakes her head, replies with a soft voice normally. “Nope,” she assures, shrugs. “We’ve dated, yeah, and it was quite good while it lasted, but. Dunno. I know he’s fit as hell and all, but guess I just got bored after a while. The breakup was mutual.”

Harry hums something that should sound comprehensive, but there’s something bugging him behind it. “Just like that?” he questions and decides to put the camera aside, fixing himself on his seat until he can properly look at Elisha without risking breaking his neck. “No hard feelings at all?”

He’s startled by the way Leesha shakes her head instantly, decisively. She seems quite relaxed about the subject, careless. Harry has to stand up and clap for her (metaphorically); if he still lived around his ex he would probably have murdered her already. Or her partner. Maybe both.