Merry Happy

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Yup."

"Holy fuck."

Quinn pressed her lips together and nodded as Eleanor's wide eyes stared back at her from across the table. The waitress had just dropped off their cups of tea, and Quinn reached for her Earl Grey and rubbed her thumb along the china as Eleanor sat back in disbelief.

"I can't believe that." Her friend said, regaining her composure. They were sat at the back of the restaurant in a booth on a rainy afternoon. After Eleanor had called Quinn the night before, they had made plans for lunch.

Still looking at her cup of tea, Quinn smiled. "It was unexpected." She had just retold the story of a few nights ago and  Eleanor had reacted just as Quinn had expected her to, the surprise evident on the tiny brunettes face.

With Harry's confession, and the air that had been cleared that other night, everything seemed to feel lighter.

Quinn felt lighter.

Like a weight hadn't only been lifted from her shoulders, but her heart, as cliche and overstated as it was.

A few days had gone by since her revelation with Harry, and she'd simply sent him a few texts here and there, in which he'd respond politely and articulately. Other than that, she hadn't seen him since.

She knew this was the space she needed. She didn't feel a strain of timing, but a freedom that came with her decision to figure out things without him first.

After such a long time, being in a relationship with burdened love, it was now more like a breath of fresh air, knowing that that burden didn't sit so heavily on their shoulders. On either of their shoulders.

She was content.

"I mean, I should have known–" Eleanor hissed, leaning forward into the table. "He loved you to bits, Q. I always felt like there was something fishy about the breakup. I totally knew it."

Taking a sip of her tea, Quinn contained her own smile.

"So what are you going to do then?"

She shrugged, "Do what I told him I'd do. I still have things to work out. I mean, it's nice being my own person. I love him, I do. But–"

"But what?"

"What if I can't handle it?" She asked quietly. "What if it becomes too much for me again?"

Eleanor's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she watched her friend. "I mean, the paparazzi, the press, the rumours, the fame. I wish–" She began tearing at her napkin, searching for her own words. "I just–I wish that I could have Harry without all that, you know?"

When Quinn looked up, Eleanor had a small but sad smile on her face.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, lovely."

A slight flush came to Quinn's cheeks. She knew that. She wasn't stupid. She knew Harry came with baggage, but that was the step she needed to accept in order to move forward with him.

"Well, I told him we'd hangout sometime after tomorrow night. When all the craziness dies down." Quinn said.

Tomorrow night was the Brits and half of London was already ready and rowdy for the night. She had already promised herself that she'd stay in the flat all day, and stay as far away from the craziness of it all.

The two girls finished their tea and finally said their goodbyes under the awning of the restaurant as the cabs drove down the rain-slicked roads.

Quinn shoes soaked through as she watched Eleanor dash for her cab while Quinn waited for Dex, who had told her he could come and pick her up.