Breaking Slowly // h.s. au

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Nine

*Harry*

Songs-

Love Your Sin- I The Mighty

The Dreamer- I The Mighty

Dancing On A Tightrope- I The Mighty

My eyes peel open to the light streaming through my bedroom window and the absence of warmth from the space next to me.

Instead of waking up to Elsie curled up next to me I see nothing but an empty spot where she should be. My heart beat accelerates as I look around the room hurriedly.

Was it all a dream? I swing my legs over the side of the bed and hang my head in my hands.

Was her tiny broken body curled up next to me a dream? I look around me hopelessly trying to get the picture of her sleeping, damaged body out of my brain. She looked so beautiful, despite the bruises on her ivory skin, despite the imperfections that have dragged her down to the depths and back. She was beautiful- is beautiful- always will be beautiful.

Why is life so cruel? I stand from the bed and shake my head as I walk to the door.

How the fuck could it have been a- My breathing stops as I see Elsie curled in a ball with her head on her knees and fresh streams of tears falling down her cheeks. My heart stops when the streams of tears increase and a whimper escapes her pretty pink lips. Oh how I wish I could kiss those lips and make all over her problems vanish.

"Elsie..." When her name leaves my lips it's a broken whisper but she manages to hear it.

She looks up at me and her blue eyes are bloodshot and glassy. She clears her throat and stifles a sob as she frantically wipes at her eyes.

"Else what's wrong? Why are you out here?" I hesitantly step towards the couch where she's sat.

"I could smell her." She said barely above a whisper into the dark void that has found its way between us over the last three months.

"What?" My brow furrows in confusion. Who? Oh no...

"Jane." She shakes her head and looks at the ground, "I woke up last night... And I smelled something that wasn't your cologne and it was familiar, and then I remembered smelling it only yesterday when she was close enough to punch me in the nose." Her voice wavers and her lip is quivering at the memory.

"Baby."

"Do not." She looks at me and all of the misery has done is bring its friend- anger.

"Else." I sit closer to her and try to reach out and touch her but she just flinches away, "Elsie I'm sorry." I try once again to touch her but all she does is turn away from me.

"I don't even know what I was smelling her perfume off of." She shakes her head and holds her knees tighter, "At first I thought it was the sheets, but then I thought- Harry would have the decency to change them before having me sleep there. I couldn't stand the feeling of sleeping the same place she had. So please- please tell me that wasn't it."

My eyes widen as I realize the shirt she is wearing is the one I leant Jane the other morning... I am such an idiot. I don't even deserve Elsie. Why am I trying to have her?

"No it's not the sheets." I croak out placing my hand on her lower back and slowly turning her to face me.

"I need to get out of here, this is a mistake." She whimpers hiding her face from me, "You have Jane and I can't do this again."