the brave ones // h.s.

forgiveness

Amenkha returns home that afternoon; as soon as she's through the door, Eden is in the foyer and tackling her in a bear hug.

"Hello to you too," Amenkha huffs, awkwardly trying to wriggle out of Eden's grip. "What's going on?"

Eden pulls back, her cheeks surely flushed. Amenkha studies her face for a split second before she catches on. "You read them, didn't you?"

"I did," Eden answers breathlessly.

Amenkha's face rises expectantly. "So?" she presses impatiently. "What do you think?"

A small sigh escapes Eden's lips. "I don't know, honestly. You were right, there was a lot that I didn't know. And as hard as it was to read the truth, I'm glad that I did."

Amenkha squeals in excitement and grabs Eden's shoulders. "That's great! I'm so proud of you!"

"And," Eden says sternly, narrowing her eyes at her roommate, "I can't believe you know where he is and you weren't going to tell me."

Amenkha grimaces apologetically. "I really wanted to, trust me. But he wanted to give you a chance to read the emails first. Are you mad?"

"I should be," Eden laughs. "I should be so mad but I don't have it in me. At this point . . . I think I need to see him; I'm done being angry, I just want answers. Clearly he and I have some things to talk about in person."

"You sure?" Amenkha asks, her gaze raking over Eden's face. "If there's any part of you that's still upset, I won't hesitate to kick his ass. Hand to God."

A small giggle bubbles over her lips. "I'll let you know," Eden grins. "But seriously, how do you know where he is? Did he reach out to you or something?"

Amenkha nods, still looking a bit guilty. "It was a couple days after you got back. You were still having a hard time dealing with what happened, understandably, and I got a random Facebook message from some guy named Harry. Part of me knew who it was as soon as I saw the name but I let him explain his side of the situation before he asked if I'd help him apologize to you."

She frowns slightly. "At first I gave him a lovely arrangement of curse words and told him where to stick his apology. But he was persistent and I even started to kind of believe that he felt bad, so I helped him get a motel room nearby and gave him your email. I wasn't about to give out our address or anything."

"That's why you've been acting weird," Eden muses, and Amenkha nods in confirmation. Eden's eyebrows knit together in concentration; the pieces are beginning to fall together, sort of. "So why were you snooping on my computer?"

Amenkha sighs heavily. "That was a big no-no on my part. But after he and I got in contact, I wanted to make sure that whatever he was going to send you was actually a real apology, and not just some bullshit excuses. He sent me the emails first, and after I read them I knew you had to, too. I went on your computer that day just to make sure you'd actually gotten them and to see if you'd read them yet. You weren't supposed to walk in on me."

"Obviously," Eden simpers with a roll of her eyes. "But I guess I can appreciate you trying to look out for me."

"Always," Amenkha says decidedly. "You're my girl and I'm not going to let some punk ass boy ruin your life."

Eden laughs breathily. "I guess the only question left to ask now is where he is," she grins.

"You're absolutely sure?" Amenkha asks, raising an eyebrow. A mischievous smile is beginning to slide onto her lips, and Eden knows that she can't turn back now.

She nods, a bright smile appearing on her own face. "I'm ready."

***

Amenkha gives Eden the address to a small, local motel on the outskirts of Moore Haven, near where the interstate begins to form. Clouds gather as she gathers her nerves, preparing to see Harry in person after days of avoiding him; the rain begins to swell and pour as she drives, clouding the roads with mist and causing her to travel at an agonizingly slow pace.

When she reaches the motel, she can barely make out the numbers on the doors from her car. Harry is apparently in room 304, on the top floor of the building. She has to squint for several minutes but eventually spots his door number, blurred by the rivulets of water on her windshield.

"Okay," she says aloud, bracing herself for the worst. "It's now or never."

She opens the driver's door and steps out into the downpour, her hair and clothes immediately soaked like she's standing in a shower. Heart pounding and pulse racing, she runs to the stairs and stomps up to the third floor, sighing in relief as she slips under the cover of the roof and traipses to room 304. Her wet shoes squeak on the floor as she pauses in front of the room, taking a second to catch her breath.

The red paint on the door is cracked and curling in places as she shakily knocks on the door. The window next to the door is shrouded by curtains, but her heart nearly stops as she sees a light flick on behind the curtains and a shadowy figure approach the door.

Suddenly the door opens and her vision is flooded with soft light. She blinks rapidly, her eyes taking a long moment to adjust before her gaze falls on the face standing before her. Eden can't help the gentle smile that tugs at her lips as emerald eyes look down at her in surprise.

"Hi, Harry."

~~

hi friends! i'm sorry i left y'all hanging for like two weeks, that was not my intent. i am the worst, im sorry :c

anyhow, i hope by now that you've seen the trailer and that you love it as much as i do :) also i've made a twitter for all things TBO/Harry, so be sure to follow it! my user is ocean_styles

how have you been since we last talked?? i hope you're all happy and healthy and doing well, and good luck to you if you're starting school soon! my sister is now a senior in high school and honestly i'm a mess of tears, i'm not ready for her to grow up.

love you to bits xx