A Moment in the Crowd

Chapter 41: Disappearing act

The sound of my bedroom door slowly opening causes me to jolt back to my senses.

"Hey sleepy head." Paola is leaning against the entrance and I rub my eyes to clear my line of vision.

"How long have you been up?" I ask through my groggy, half-asleep voice.

"Less than an hour. Just long to enough to check out of the hotel." 

I force myself out of bed and pull a lazy sweatshirt over my head, not even thinking to look what's written on it.

"That's right, are you going back already?" I ask her, allowing the disappointment to clearly seep into my tone.

"Don't worry, I'll see you again. But next time, make sure you come visit me in Miami. I am not coming back here in fucking January or something, I don't even want to know how cold it gets." She giggles and I wrap my arms around her to pull her into a hug.

"I want to come with you to the airport, when's the flight?" I ask and she sighs heavily.

"Soon, a couple of hours. I was actually just going to wake you up so I could say goodbye, but since you're offering to come, let's go." 

I offer to help her with her baggage, and we catch a bus to the airport. The ride ends up being just over an hour long with traffic, and by the time we get there, Paola and I are rushing to get her past security. Before she gets in to the line, I give her a tight hug and wave goodbye.

"Tell Harry I say thank you for bringing me here!" She yells from the line-up as she waves me goodbye.

"I'll be sure to tell him." I laugh and then take one last glance at her before turning to catch a bus back to the apartment.

I decide to text Harry so that I can see what he's up to, and hopefully apologize for leaving him last night. I hope he's not the jealous type to be honest, because I've had my fair share of jealous boyfriends. I've also been the jealous girlfriend, and I definitely can't be that with Harry.

Are Harry and I actually dating though?

I replay the moments we've spent together in my mind, and realize that we've still only been on one date. That having not ended so well. 

The end to that night replays on a loop in my head, and I wonder what Harry would think of Miles being back at the university. 

I expect to hear a text from Harry by the time I get back to the apartment, which luckily only takes thirty minutes without the pile-up on the way home. I don't receive a text from him though, and I decide that maybe he's still sleeping. It's only ten, and it's perfectly plausible that he still be asleep. I decide to get some of my homework done for classes, and once I walk into the apartment I hear the chatter coming from my new roommates' rooms. I quickly walk into my own room, avoiding any form of socializing I would have had to do with them.

I throw my shoes onto the bed and sit myself comfortably at the desk before I begin typing furiously at the computer to work on a mixture of my History and English homework. I definitely need to stay on top of things.

I feel myself working away the hours, and by the time I check my phone for the time, I not only notice that I've been working for three hours straight, but I also see that I don't have any response from Harry. Maybe I should go and see if he's in his hotel room? Or maybe that's too pushy, and he might be freaked out if I just show up at his door.

He's done the showing up at my door act several times in our short time of getting to know each other, so I decide that I can afford one surprise visit. 

I make my way to the bathroom that the three other girls in the apartment and I share, and wash my face, making sure to apply a light consealor under my eyes before heading out again. I put on an extra layer, knowing that the cold is only going to increase from this point on.

I take my time walking accross campus to Harry's hotel, and when I reach the familiar lobby I make my way up the elevator to the third floor, where I can clearly remember rushing to accuse Harry of the magazine cover with him and Kendall. The thought causes me to shiver, and I step out of the elevator when I hear the familiar ding signalling the third floor.

It's empty, and quiet, but I make my way to Harry's room confidently. I knock lightly, making sure not to pound too hard and scare him, but not too light that he wouldn't hear it. I bury my hands in my sweater's front pocket and wait patiently for him to answer. When I don't hear any movement from the other side of the door, I tap at the wooden frame a second time.

I wait a little longer before tapping a third time, and even longer before attempting to call Harry's name through the door. No answer.

I'm feeling slightly worried, and confused, because I didn't have any indication that Harry would be leaving any time soon. Maybe I got the signals he was giving me mixed up? Except, the last time we saw each other, we spent an amazing afternoon lying in bed and laughing. How does someone get that mixed up?

I settle on sending him another text, but I know that I won't be getting a response any time soon. Maybe I should call him?

The familiar sound of the elevator catches me off guard, and I stand awkwardly in the middle of the hallway as I watch who steps out.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Delcourt."

Miles steps into the empty corridor and my heartbeat picks up immediately. My hands begin to sweat and I clutch at my phone. I can call 911 any second now if he tries something.

"Before you start having a tantrum, I'm not going to hurt you." He says slowly, as he approaches me even slower.

"Stay the fuck away from me." I tell him quietly, but hold his gaze as he stares back at me.

"Tough one, you are." He stops his approach and leans against a wall.

"What the hell do you want from me, Miles? I didn't do anything to you. Why are you here again?" I ask him, and allow the weakness to seep its way into my unctrollable vocal chords.

"I'm staying here." He states casually.

Miles is staying here? In this hotel? In Harry's hotel?

"Oh... Well I was just leaving." I attempt to move forward, but I have to get closer to Miles in order to make my way towards the elevator. As soon as I move, he moves closer to me.

It's like a sick game to him, I can tell. Every time I move, he moves. The goal is to get to the elevators, and I win. He touches me, he wins. I don't like games. I never have.

"Stop toying with me, Miles. For God's sake, I don't know what I did to deserve this sick game you've been playing but I'm done. You shouldn't even be near campus." I spit at him and he lifts his hands in mock defense.

"Woah there, fiesty today are we? Look I'm just trying to get to my room." He points towards Harry's room and I'm confused by this whole situation.

"Wait, this is your room?" I ask him hesitantly, and he nods.

"And if you don't mind, I'd really like to get into it." He manoeuvers himself around me, and I move completely out of his way.

I don't wait for him to say anything to me, and I definitely do not say any form of goodbye as I hastily make my way accross the hallway and into the elevator. Before the metallic doors automatically close around me, I can hear Miles call from the end of the corridor.

"Have a great day Miss Delcourt!"

I can't help the shivers that make their way up my spine from the sound of his sickly voice that rings in my ears.