Euphonious Memories {H.S}

36.

Flashback(2016)

It had been four months without Harry. Gemma was still living with me and I was still working at The Limestone.

It was my second year in college and I was enjoying it.

But it felt like something was missing.

It was like my life was perfect. I had a job, a fun roommate(who was also my boss), good grades, clear skin.

Everything was going good, but even though I had all of these things I still found myself reading more and more books to drown myself into the characters lives just to get away from mine.

Sometimes I would just sit, staring off into space, and cry.

I rarely saw Harry around. He called me maybe two times a week, but I couldn't bring myself to answer his calls.

I think he eventually gave up because after about two months, the calls stopped.

Gemma, of course saw him all the time. He was her brother after all.

She would sometimes try to talk about him with me but I would always kind of dodge the subject.

She always went out to eat with him if she wanted to talk to him because she knew I didn't want him in my apartment.

Even though Harry cheated on me with Roxy, I still wandered how the baby was sometimes, so I would ask Gemma.

She would answer me with small details because she knew that if she gave me a lot of details it would end with me in tears.

I was laying on the couch escaping my world and entering the world of my book, when Gemma came back from coffee with Harry.

"Hey babe." She said. I closed my book and sat up.

"Hey."

"Okay I know you probably don't want to hear about him, but I just found out the gender of the baby." She said and my heart dropped.

"Oh." I said a bit too sadly. "Um what is it?" I asked genuinely curious.

"It's going to be a boy!" She said excitedly.

"Oh? I bet everyone is excited about that." I said in an accidental sarcastic tone.

"Look, Sky I know that you're still mad at him, but can't you be happy for me? I mean I'm going to be an aunt!"

"You're right." I said. "I'm sorry, I really am happy for you."

After Harry told me that Roxy was pregnant and I kicked him out of my apartment, and life forever, Gemma told me that Roxy didn't want Harry to have anything to do with the baby.

So why was he so involved was my only question.

"Gem?"

"Hm?"

"Don't I remember you telling me that Roxy said the baby was none of Harry's business?"

"Yeah, but Harry didn't want a fatherless kid out there knowing that it was his." She said sitting down beside me. "So he just did the only thing he knew Roxy would break at.

"What did he do?"I asked not sure if I really wanted to know.

"Money."

"Wait. So you are telling me that Harry had to bribe Roxy with money for his own kid to know him?"

"Yep."She said.

"Well I'm not going to feel bad for him. It is his fault." I said "If it were me, I would never have to be bribed because I wouldn't have banned him from seeing our child."

"I can't tell you how many times I have told him that." Gemma laughed.

"Well as long as he knows that I'm satisfied." I said.

"He really misses you." She said in a softer voice than before.

"Well I hope he's miserable. Because I sure as hell am." I said feeling the tears well up in my eyes for probably the third time that day.

"Don't worry Townes, he definitely is." She said and looked worried for some reason. "He isn't himself anymore. He doesn't even try to style his hair. It's just a big bush on top of his head."

"Harry, not styling his hair? That's tragic."

"Tell me about it." She said and stared off in space for a moment."Okay, well it's time for work, come on."

I followed her out of the apartment door all the way to The Limestone cafe.

Gemma was off on Mondays, but every other day she was at work with me. Working with her as my boss was a God send. I mean it's not like she was going to fire me, she lived with me.

If I ever needed some time off, she would give it to me. Like when Harry and I broke up, she gave me time to recover.

I went behind the counter and grabbed my apron off the hook and put it on.

We were there earlier than Ethan for a change. He was that one person that was always there before everybody.

Ethan and I became really close friends during the months after the breakup. He would walk me home after work a lot and we would watch Netflix afterward.

Although he still wanted to be more than friends, I still couldn't bring myself to date yet.

"It's time to open. Where the hell is Ethan?!" Gemma started to panic.

I looked out the window of the coffee shop and saw Ethan running hurriedly to the door.

"Don't worry he's here." I said.

"Oh my Goodness! I am so sorry I did not intend to be late Gemma I swear!" He said panicked as he scuffled behind the counter and put his apron on. "I was up late last night writing a paper and fell asleep and I forgot to set my alarm clock so I overslept and..." He was cut off by Gemma talking.

"Woah Ethan, calm down it's fine. We don't have any customers yet."

At that time the bell on the door rang meaning that someone was walking in.

I turned around to flip the switch on the coffee pot, knowing that the customer was probably in here for coffee.

"Can I get a cappuccino with a slice of lemon meringue pie?" The customer said.

But it wasn't just any normal customer. This one had a deep raspy British voice.