Act Two // Book One

Chapter Twenty Three

Mia spent a good 30 minutes trying to decide whether or not to fix any breakfast for Harry.  She knew he'd stayed the night.  She also knew not to push or punish Samantha for it.  The walls of their flat were paper thin.  Mia had heard most of the conversation. 

She tried desperately to stay angry with him.  But hearing that kind of pain, that kind of gut wrenching crying and inability to take a breath, it was truly heartbreaking.  She knew Sam well enough to know she would never be able to walk away from someone in that kind of misery. 

So she pulled out two more eggs and fixed four more pieces of bacon.  She poured three glasses of orange juice and toasted two more pieces of bread.  She even fixed a little something for the dog.  Samantha always said Harry routinely forgot to feed him.

She was just putting Harry's eggs on his plate when she heard a pair of socked feet walking down the hallway.  God she hoped it was Samantha.  She couldn't imagine what on earth she'd have to say if it was Harry.

She silently breathed a sigh of relief when Samantha came into view.  She lifted a plate,

"Breakfast."

Samantha glanced back at her door,

"He's here.  Asleep still.  So is Rufus."

"I know."  Mia turned to put the frying pan into the sink, "I made him some.  And something for the dog."

Samantha kept her eyes down, somehow it felt wrong to meet Mia's eyes.  She couldn't help but be feel ashamed.  Mia turned back around,

"So what'd he say?  Is he alright?"
Samantha organized her thoughts before she opened her mouth to talk.  Mia had been patient through all of this and she desperately needed her best friend to understand why she'd allowed this broken boy into her room last night,

"He apologized."

"I should hope so."

"He could barely talk, he was so upset."

Mia finished cleaning, her hand gently tossing the sponge into the sink,

"I gathered that when I opened the door.  He was very...worried you wouldn't come out."

Samantha tried not to let that effect her but she failed miserably.  She reminded herself of his words last night,

"He said when he kissed me it felt like he cheated on her."

Mia's eyebrows raised as she contemplated that,

"Wow, that's...that's intense."  When Samantha picked up the tray of food she continued,  "I would have let him stay too."  She said,  "Just so we're clear."

Samantha's eyes finally met hers.  She blinked her eyes, lifted the corners of her mouth into a half-hearted smile and then grabbed the tray Mia had set out with all the food on it.

Harry was just sitting up, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed, when Mia walked in.  His beanie was off, proving that Samatha's earlier guess that his hair was a mess underneath it correct.  His hair was sticking up in every direction.

He looked up, seeming slightly startled when Samantha walked back into the room.  She set the tray down on her desk,

"Food.  I'm gonna take Rufus out."

Harry opened his mouth to say something and then closed it.  By the time he'd figured out what he wanted to say she was halfway down the hallway, Rufus trotting next to her. 

Harry felt worse now than he did last night, if that was possible.  Seeing her face now, in the daylight where what he'd done was written all over it, was hard to ignore.  He'd hurt her.  Since the day he'd met her all he'd done is push her away and upset her.  And now that he wanted her around, he'd of course chosen that moment to hurt her the worst.