Forever (h.s.)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17: Finally Forever Again

"Fiona!" I called, putting my hand over the mouthpiece. "Your mum's on the phone for you. She says she has something really important to tell you."

"Coming!" she replied, doing her trademark thunder down the stairs and taking the phone from me. I made myself busy in the kitchen, boiling water for our macaroni that was dinner around here. Fiona was just getting really excited about something and I was about to ask what when my own phone buzzed. Checking the caller ID, it was my mum. Coincidental, I thought.

Hey sweetie, it read. Wont be home tonight, meeting in Doncaster. Luv u.

I set my phone down just as Fiona hung up with her mum. "What's up?" I asked.

"My mom flew down to see me for a week," she said happily. "She's on her way like, right now. I'll stay with her for the night."

"Aww, that's sweet," I answered with a smile. "It has been like two months since she's seen you." Fiona nodded in agreement, running upstairs to pack for the night. No sooner than she'd left, a certain green Prius pulled into the driveway. "She's here!" I called. Fiona came down the stairs right as I let her mum inside.

"Hi!" everyone squealed, and after I'd given her a hug, I left the two of them to reunite in privacy. Instead, I

went upstairs and texted my mum about the plan, just in case there was a scenario when Fiona should have been home and wasn't, because I would most likely be the one blamed.

When I went back downstairs, the two of them were getting ready to leave.

"I'll see you later," Fiona said. "You gonna be okay here all by yourself?" I knew what she meant, though the

words were hidden. I nodded, gave her a hug, and held the door open. Right before they closed it behind them, Fiona turned to me like she had a thought and said, "Oh, will you tell Liam where I am if he asks?" I nodded, then giggled out loud when her mum's eyes widened and she asked,

​ "Oh, who's Liam?" It was the last thing I heard, because Fiona then rolled her eyes at me and shut the door.

I laughed one last time and shook my head. Then I looked around at an empty house for something to do. Then I remembered the water on the stove, boiling over by now.

"Whoops!" I said out loud, running across the kitchen to save myself from a mess. Once I'd settled that, I cuddled deep into the couch with a bowl of macaroni and cheese and several episodes of The Office. I was only an hour into my routine when there was a knock on the door.

I went through all the people I knew in my head, wondering who it could be. Straightening my tank top and

trying to ignore the messy bun on the top of my head, I got up to answer the door. Never in a million years would I guess who I saw.

It was Harry, his curls messy and eyes red. It was obvious he'd been crying for a while. As I looked at him, another tear spilled over his cheek. It was too much to speak, so we stood there in silence until he finally broke it. His voice uneven, quiet, he said,

"Echo Records. They went another way. Cut us off." There was a pause."I didn't know where else to go." As the last few words tumbled out of his lips he started to cry for real, desperately stepping into me and wrapping his arms around me so tight I could feel the pain coursing through him. He buried his face in my neck, his whole body shaking.

An instant, exhilarating, rush of relief burst through me at Harry against me again and all of a sudden, everything was forgiven. The past was the past, the future was now. All I knew was that Harry needed me so bad right then that it would be cruel to deny him. And it felt so good to have him in my arms again that I couldn't stand it.