hariana drabbles

038

- Her [part 1/?]

Author: Me (2017)
Summary: Harry and Ariana remain friends after their breakup. Harry's been in relationships after Ariana while she hasn't, or so he thought.

It's the one where Harry is a little shocked to hear that Ariana's been in a secret relationship for a while now and is eager to know who the new guy is.

-:-:-:-

Her hair sways behind her like rolling waves over a low tide. Harry faces the faceless woman as a red line scrawls over her name in his mind, the fictitious pen only lifting off the worn page when the door closes behind her.

Harry sighs as he leans back into his sofa, reaching up to his neck to relieve himself of the chain that had a hold of him. Careful not to hit himself in the eye with the ends of his tie, he pulls it off his neck and folds it before placing it next to him. He pops off the rest of the buttons she didn't get to on his dress shirt and lays limp again.

The silence is overwhelming. It hasn't been this quiet since dinner. Harry had been on his best behavior when meeting her parents. He didn't tease her slobbish ways in their shared apartment, or play with her under the table like he wished he could when they'd go to a friend's dinner. Harry played nice, perhaps too nice for his own liking. She wouldn't have him any other way, and the tie was a must for her because it made him seem more gentlemanly and proper.

Harry admits that it's probably his fault that she left. No, it's definitely his fault that she left. She's not like her, and that's his fault too, trying to be the same man he was to her, and trying to recreate those fond memories with a new girl. It's stupid, but it's all he knows.

She was his first love, truer than some in the past, the one who showed him how good it can feel to be in love and how it can fūcking hurt too.

The ghost of their love often haunts Harry, especially when they talk on the phone until four in the morning. Because that's who they are now, it's all they ever do; talk. But he's thankful that she's still in his life. Even though he was the one who walked out, she stayed.

Her name appears in Harry's head so often that he fears he might call a date her  by accident. It happened again, and Harry wants to melt into the sofa from shame and self-hatred; a calling-card for loss.

He selects her number in his phone and waits. When she answers, her voice soothes Harry into a calmer state of mind as he tells her that he screwed up again and that he's single... again.

"You fool," She whispers, "if you really care about her you should go after her."

"I would Ariana, but I'm exhausted." Harry tells her as he looks at her contact photo in feeble awe. "I don't think she wants me back anyhow."

"What the hell did you do?" Ariana asks as Harry clears his throat.

"I was a complete dickhead at dinner." Harry murmurs as Ariana sighs.

"Did you insult her parents out loud this time?" Ariana asks after a while, "Honestly Harry, I know you don't like their sort, but you really–"

"No, I didn't insult them out loud. Actually, I didn't really talk during dinner. Between listening to her parents go on about their estate and her plans for our future, I didn't think I had a voice in the matter. I just kept to myself like a good boy."

"Sounds boring." Ariana says as Harry lets out a soft chuckle.

"It really was. If it was you and I, we would have found a reason to leave and have our own fun." Harry says, soon realizing the inappropriateness of his words as he clears his throat afterwards. "You know." He says, though it doesn't make him less embarrassed. Harry dreads hearing her voice next, or worse, the dial tone.