Fade {Harry Styles}

chapter 19

Harry stood before his suitcase. Everything was packed. Everything was ready to go. Three weeks had flown by faster than he could blink; and now it was time for him to go home. He had already quit his job at Walmart, knowing that without a doubt he would not miss it a single bit. There wasn’t much in his apartment to begin with, but what he had was already boxed up, waiting patiently for management to pick it up later. 

He wasn’t even sure why, but he was still dressed as Marcel. His skin had adapted to the itchy wool sweaters that he had worn for months and he wasn’t to the clearing just quite yet. He still had some goodbyes to go through, and he wasn’t quite sure how Kelsey would react if Harry Styles appeared on her doorstep…but maybe if he was revealed instead…

He had told her that he was leaving. She didn’t cry; he didn’t expect her to. She didn’t question why; he didn’t quite expect that either. She had just nodded solemnly yet sad, and insisted on helping him pack all of his things.

They didn’t talk about it, which is probably what made it so bad for the both of them.

Marcel did his best to crack jokes while they packed and Kelsey did her best to laugh at them. It was a cycle.

Marcel shivered at the memory and zipped his suitcase shut without another thought. His fingers fumbled unsteadily with the zipper as he thought about how much he really wasn’t going to miss this place. It was torturous while it lasted, and that was that. But there are always some characteristics of a place that bring an ache to one’s heart. 

He glanced at his watch. His flight was leaving in 3 hours for Boston, and then from Boston he would sail across the sea to London. It was going to be a long day, but a greatly anticipated one. He grabbed the last few things he was taking with him and headed out to his car, technically management’s car, and placed them in the trunk.

He ran back inside and up the flights of steps to say a final goodbye but was met by Kelsey leaning the door frame of her doorway. 

"Leaving now?" She asked. Her usual tone had lost its giddiness. The corners of her mouth were tilted down as she slowly eyed the tall boy standing in the hallway.

"Yeah. Just ran back in to say goodbye." Marcel awkwardly shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans to hide the perspiration that was gathering within his palms. He swore that Kelsey was the only girl that could do that to him; make him nervous.

"You know, you never told me where you are going." Kelsey joined Marcel in the hallway. She tried to sound playful but fell short. Instead, her voice sounded strained as well as pained. It made it all seem real, like she wasn’t acting for his benefit. Yet, she wasn’t acting. Not even the slightest bit.

"California." He said. "With my older sister." It felt like the millionth lie he had told through his teeth to the only girl he could ever think about. 

Tell her! A little voice demanded into his ear. He stared at Kelsey without saying anything, without moving, just watching her. Maybe he would never see her again anyway. Perhaps that was a good thing considering she lived in Minnesota while he traveled the world as his job. He sighed.

She deserves to know.

Kelsey watched as Marcel’s eyes slid over her cheeks to meet her own. The cockiness that burned within his orbs had faded to such a dull glimmer she wouldn’t have known it was there if she didn’t know better. She crossed the carpeted hallway, her bare feet thudding against the flooring, to wrap her arms around his waist. 

Tell him. Before it’s too late.

Her skin sparked where he touched her. His arms wrapped around her much smaller torso. She could feel his heartbeat. She wished she could tell him to stop lying to her, that she had known who he was all along, that he didn’t have to lie about California or his older sister. But her throat was burning so much she couldn’t even separate her lips without choking on the words.

She ignored the faint prickle behind her eyes and swallowed hard.

Tell him! Her mind shouted at her.

Spit it out! His screamed.

But neither said anything.

Marcel let his lips linger above Kelsey’s forehead, but they never landed to define it as a kiss. Instead, he pulled away from her.

"See you around, Kels." He whispered, and turned his back to her. 

The few seconds it took him to reach the stairs and disappear down the flights felt like years to Kelsey’s mind. Each second was like a decade ticking by.

"Goodbye, Harry." Her voice echoed and seemed loud and for a moment, she thought it was just loud enough for him to hear. She imagined his face appearing around the corner as he came sprinting back up the stairs, demanding why she called him Harry instead of the only name she was supposed to know; Marcel. She would pour her heart out to him and he would kiss her. That’s how the movies ended, wasn’t it?

But it was only her imagination. 

Her voice didn’t carry down the stairs to his perked ears. Her legs didn’t carry her after him either. Instead, she turned slowly back to her apartment, and shut the door quietly behind her.

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Alright! Finally an update that doesn't take a month! I'm really sorry about that... But this isn't the end! There's more to come. But I'm curious, what do you think so far?