All The Love, H (H.S.)

twelve

Olivia,

Following our fateful encounter on the plane, we both decided to be less of strangers in each other's lives. We texted back and forth near daily and spent hours on the phone.

Even Niall, not the most observant of fellows, noticed a change in my demeanor. I think it's because I finally felt like something was going right in my life again. I couldn't say anything though. It wasn't like we were together again. We were friends perhaps, enjoying having someone to talk to, but I knew that it wasn't going to go anywhere.

It wasn't that I didn't want it to. There is nothing I wanted more than to get a second chance at our relationship. But you were always so strong and you knew what you wanted. I knew better than to get my hopes up that you might change your mind.

It took me by surprise when you asked me to come over one Friday night. I wasn't expecting much, perhaps just a friendly gathering between friends. I wasn't expecting you to add that we needed to discuss some things.

The last time that we had a discussion, you left my life. I would be lying if I didn't admit that this repeated phrase didn't provoke bad memories and dread. So I tried to prepare myself the best that I could.

I figured you had likely discovered that this whole being friends thing wasn't going to work out, that there was no way for us to remain acquaintances without getting our complicated past involved. I figured that the fog lingering from our miraculous run in had drifted away, and once again revealing my many faults. I prepared myself to leave your apartment that night without you as a part of my life once again.

I knocked on your apartment door that evening, my palms covered in sweat. You opened up the door just as you had a million times before, but this time it didn't feel quite as familiar. So much time had passed since I'd last stepped foot in this place, it almost seemed like a different era.

As we took a seat on the couch, I decided that I needed to say something. I didn't want to sit and have a nice conversation only to be blindsided by the likely conversation about how this couldn't go on any longer. If that's what you had brought me here for, I wanted to know right away.

"Listen, Olivia," I began, And you looked at me with surprise. There may have even been a hint of nervousness behind your eyes, probably because I had never been one to begin the tough conversations in the past.

"The truth is, I've never really gotten over you. I've tried, I've tried so hard to move on and start again, but the fact of it is I can't. A part of me has never stopped loving you, and I don't think it ever will," I readjusted myself on the couch, trying to conceal the fact that my heart racing.

"Liv, since I saw you again on that plane, I feel like I've been in a good place again, life feels right. And these past few weeks, talking to you again- well it's quite honestly been like a dream," I paused taking in a deep breath.

"I know that in the past, we didn't work out. And I don't know if that's changed and so if you brought me hear tonight to tell me that we should cut ties again, that's fine, but just please tell me? I can't get my hopes up to have you in my life again." I glanced over at you. You were smiling.

A smile? That was certainly not the response I was expecting. It was almost a smile of amusement, perhaps because after all this time I had been willing to put it out on the line for you.

"Oh, Harry" you shook your head as you gave a little laugh. You reached over and brought your hand to mine, grasping it with your warm touch.

"Over the past year or so, I've been able to reflect, and well obviously you have to," you smiled and I felt my cheeks growing red. "I have always preached that life isn't something you can plan for, or control. I've always believed in fate, and that I should just trust that what's happening to me is what's meant to happen."

I nodded. All this was true, it was one of the many things that had brought us together, opposites attracting and all. But it had also been a point of frustration for me numerous times throughout our relationship, as I, a planner could never fully understand your free-spirited ways.

You continued. "Somewhere along the line, I let go of that belief. I started to dwell on the way that I thought my life should end up, based on the direction the lives of those surrounding me were going. I stopped trusting in fate, and I lost you."

You glanced down at your hand in mine, rubbing your thumb against the back of my hand. "Over the past year and a half, I did find love again. But what I learned was that love comes in many forms. I loved Liam, I did. But that love was nothing compared to the love that we had Harry, the chemistry, the understanding, the challenges. Our love was a once in a lifetime love, and I realized that Liam, as great as he was, just wasn't the person I was meant to be with."

You sighed, looking up into my eyes. For the first time that night, I wasn't nervous anymore. I felt at peace, like maybe some of your "fate" had brushed onto me.

"It's no accident that your flight got delayed so that you would end up on the plane next to me. Life brought us back together for a reason Harry, and I think that maybe we should act on it. You don't get too many second chances after all."

"You aren't worried it will end the same way? We are still the same people after all," I questioned. I think the question was more a fear of my own than yours. A year without you had changed me, sure. But I wasn't convinced that we could suddenly make our lives work together when that was the reason we broke apart in the first place.

"Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't. But I've decided that I'm not going to not try. We would be foolish not to give this love a second chance."

With that I leaned in and placed my hand behind your neck, pulling your lips to my own as we joined in a familiar but passionate kiss.

You'd always held a strong belief that what is meant to happen will always find a way. Like the sun will rise again each morning, or a calm will come after a storm, you and I would eventually find our way back to each other. And we finally had.

All the love,

H