Love and All It Does

03

Anika's POV

Harry stands up abruptly just as I had slipped my phone back to my pocket. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, uhm, I—just—" I can't think straight. I don't know what to do, or how to grasp on what was happening. I feel like I'm about to cry.

He must have sensed that because then he asks "You okay?" and I can easily tell he's regretting the fact that he had kept me up a little longer and now he's gotten himself into an awkward situation.

The only thing on my mind right now was that I needed to get to that hospital. Finding a cab to get there will take me hours seeing as it's late at night. I'm left with an option that is in exchange of my dignity. Desperately I say, "I'm sorry, but do you happen to know where North Oscar Medical Center is?"

He nods. "Why?"

"Can you please drive me there? I'm really sorry for the trouble, but I just needed to get there. I can pay you or treat you out, I'm really just des—" My voice breaks and I sighed. Stupid. How could I ask him this? My head fell down and I find myself embarrassed that I can't even look at him.

I can feel him walk towards me, his feet rubbing against the pavement. When I glanced back up, his head was tilted to the side as if travestying my despair. I quickly looked down, my jaw tensing as had I rolled my eyes. He's wasting my time. "Or no. I mean—ugh—I'm sorry, I should have asked if you were just about to leave."

He smiles smugly.  "Stop being dramatic." He motions to the side and turns, bringing his keys out to unlock his car. I have to remind myself that I'm doing this for Grandaddy, hence I should stop trying to put malice on being with Harry in his car's undersized interior.

He's put the key in the ignition but doesn't turn on the engine. I'm having a hard time to breathe. I can't remember the last time I was this close to him. I start to feel uneasy. I wish he would just go.

When I reached back to attach the seatbelt, I see him nod lightly and only then did he turn on the engine. He could have just said that. We speed off the gloomy streets of my neighborhood and the closer we get to the hospital the tenser I become. My hands start to shake and I try to hold them together.

Harry glances down to my hands and I quickly unfold them, looking away through the window.

He lets out a burked laugh. "You need to take acting classes." I appreciate him trying to light up the mood, but he just doesn't know the right thing to say. I don't answer. "Don't be too anxious. Everything will turn out to be just fine."

We're by the entrance now. "How do you know that?" I don't expect to hear the answer I wanted, so I just looked down on my lap.

His window rolls down and he gets a stub from the guard. When it rolls back up and the car is in motion again, he says, "Because that's just how it is, Tarp Girl. It's just life trying to work you up."

I stare at him, opening my mouth to say something but nothing came out. He chuckles and I look away. "Anyway, thanks for the ride." I open the door and got out.

Just as I was about to walk towards the doors of the hospital, the passenger window rolls down and he leans in. "Will you have a hard time looking for a cab back home? I could wait for you."

My heartbeat doubles as I take in what he just said. "No, no. It's okay. And besides, I'll probably won't be going home until tomorrow." I smiled.

He nods and then just like that his Audi zooms off and he's gone like I only imagined him there. I wish, so badly, that things between us were like how they were before France. My heart ached at the thought of how distant he is now, so I just heaved out a heavy sigh to somehow ease it and turned to head in to the hospital.