Through the Lens

Of Course

Hailey's POV

Three weeks. Three weeks I'd been drafting text messages and deleting them, hovering my thumb over his contact in my phone, rehearsing what I would say when I spoke to him. I missed him with every inch of my soul, feeling it down to my bones every time I thought of him. There I was, sitting on my bed, trying to get the courage to talk to him for the millionth time.

I was leaving in a week, and I knew I couldn't just leave for months without talking to him first. I couldn't leave it all weighing on me the whole time. If I wanted to do some soul searching I had to do it with a clear head, without the heaviness of the awkward situation Harry and I had found ourselves in. Aside from all of that, I just missed my best friend. Something exciting and scary was happening in my life and I wanted to share it with him. I wanted to know what he'd been up to and how he was, I just wanted to hear his voice.

I didn't want to launch into a big long thing, thinking I should just feel him out first and see just how upset he was with me before I tried to call him. I told myself that if he didn't want to talk to me I'd have to accept that, that I'd done that to myself and I couldn't be upset about it. I took one final deep breath as I hit send on the text message I'd drafted an hour ago, closing my eyes tightly as I waited anxiously for a response.

Hails: I know it's a little late, but thanks for getting and hanging those pictures for Niall. I know you didn't have to, but I appreciated it.

I took deep breaths, trying to keep the courage I'd somehow mustered, as the seconds passed. I told myself he could be busy, he might not have his phone, he could be recording. I told myself it could be hours before he responded, if at all, and I would have to wait patiently either way. I didn't have to wait too long, because about three minutes later my phone buzzed with a response.

Harry: I promised you I would. He loved them, he was buzzing.

Even the sight of his name on my phone gave me butterflies, so thankful he'd responded. He wasn't upset with me enough that he didn't want to talk to me, so that had to be a good sign? I began to analyze the text, noticing he hadn't asked me anything or really given me an opening to carry on the conversation, which left me thinking maybe he was just being polite. But he kept his promise to me, and he wouldn't have done that if he hated me, right?

Shut up, Hails. Just tell him you wanna talk, quit being such a baby.

I took another deep breath and sent the text message I really needed to, the one that would give me an answer as to how willing he was to talk to me.

Hails: Are you busy? Can I call you?

I waited anxiously for an answer, knowing he could very well be in the middle of something and not able to talk, but the minutes went by and I didn't get a response. I worried that I'd pushed it too far, that maybe he wasn't ready to talk to me, but before I knew it I'd hit the button and was calling him. I figured if he was busy I could leave a voicemail, but I prayed he wasn't and I'd at least get to hear his voice, even if he was yelling at me.

"Hello?" He answered, sending shockwaves through my body at the sound of his voice.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at the sound of that one simple word, giving me that comfort that came along any time I was around him.

"Hi, Stranger." I smiled, grinning like an idiot to myself alone in my bedroom.

"Hey, Bear." He sighed, relief clear in his voice as his nickname for me sent butterflies right to my stomach, the familiarity of it washing away any of my fears that he was still angry with me.