The Only Reason

two

*one week later*

I started walking towards the fiction section of the book store. I needed something else to read besides the trendy novels. I felt the presence of someone next to me, but I ignored it

“If you need a suggestion, try Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. One of my favorites.” A light voice said. I looked to my side to see a girl, about my age, 19, in leggings, combat boots, an oversized band t-shirt, and a lazy hat. Her hair was auburn and straight. She was very petite.

I looked to where she was now pointing, a black and white cover, and pulled it out. “Thanks… are you looking for a read?” I asked her.

“Nope. I’ve just gotta get a book for my son and I was seeing if they had any new novels in.”

“Oh! How old is your son?” I asked, just making small talk.

“Tyler is 6 months. But they said if I start reading to him now, it’ll help him later in life.”

“Yeah. My mom started that with my sister, and she was a genius.”

The girl smiled. “I’m Bex, by the way. Are you at University?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I live around the block from here. You?”

“No. I’m living with my ex actually and he’s going to school as I take care of the kid. I’ll go back once Tyler’s about 1.” She looked behind me, “Speak of the devil…”

I looked to see who she was looking at and there he was. Harry. He stood, holding a coffee from the café in one hand, and a book in the other. No child.

“Ch-Charlie?” He asked, a smile forming on his face. I froze. And turned back around to Bex, who I realized now was Becca.

“Hey I’ll see you around. I just remembered I need to be somewhere. Thanks for the suggestion though.” I put the book back on the shelf, with every intention of getting it later, and walked away. I heard Harry’s boots hit the floor behind me, he was trying to catch up to me.

“You know her?” I heard Bex ask as I rounded the corner.

“Um… yeah. That’s her.”

******************************************

“Chelsea! Something happened…” I yelled as I walked into the condo. I ran my hands over my face. Did I really just see Harry?“

What’d you do?” I heard. I put my hands down to see Jacob standing in the doorway from our living room to kitchen.

“Nothing…” I shrugged, taking a deep breath. “Where’s Chelsea?”

“She went out…”

I nodded. “Well… I’m going to go find her.”

“Em, wait!” Jacob yelled, and not a nice yell either. 

“Yes?” I responded, trying my best to be nice. I hadn’t talked to Jacob since I left his house last week. Bitch move, right? I knew what was coming, and I didn’t exactly want to stop it.

“So are we just over then?” He asked.

I sighed, a bit scared of what he would respond. “I think that’d be best for both of us, Jake.”

His eyes got big, and his hands were in fists at his side. “Did you fuck somebody else now?” He asked me.

I shook my head. “No Jake. I just realized how I should be treated.”

“You mean not like this?” He walked up and pinned me against the door, towering over me. He grabbed my arm in his hand and started to squeeze tightly. It hurt like hell.

“You’re a worthless piece of shit, Emily. And to think I even for a second cared about you…” He trailed his hand up to my neck, and started to squeeze me.

 “Jake…” I coughed. I could feel my throat closing up from his grip.

 “What the hell is wrong with you, Emily?” He asked. He then banged my head against the door, and the pain went throughout the back of my head. He kept a hold on my neck until I blacked out.

 “Em?” I heard Chelsea ask. I opened my eyes. I was lying on the couch in our living room. Chelsea was beside me, sitting on the table. And next to her was… Harry.

I sat up, but then had Harry pushing me back down. “Charlie, you need to lay down. What happened?”

 “Why are you here?” I asked him.

He looked at Chelsea. “She called me and said something happened to you and she didn’t know what to do.

I rolled my eyes.

 “Em, what happened?” Chelsea pestered I then began to recall it, and told them. I looked at my arm and saw the bruise left from Jake. He had grabbed me before like that, but never had I passed out.

“He’s such an ass!” Chelsea yelled, standing up and walking out of the room.

Harry sat there, just staring at me. “I know I shouldn’t bug you, but why’d you just leave today?”

I glared at him. “Why’d you leave 7 months ago? OH WAIT! To be with your lawfully wedded wife and child--  Ow.” I held my head, changing my tone caused it to hurt.

He chuckled a bit, pushing his brown curly hair out of his face. “Yeah… Bex is not my wife. And Tyler is most definitely not my child.” 

“What? But… then why did you leave?”

He looked around the room before looking back at me. “Tyler’s dad, Liam didn’t stick around after Bex found out she was pregnant. We never slept together. But she cheated on me with Zayn. And yeah I kind of hate the girl, but I couldn’t let her raise the kid on her own.”

I stared at this boy, the one who broke me, the one who hurt me so deeply and yet I still could say I loved him. I realized then that he only did what he did, not because he loved Rebecca, but because he loved everyone.

 “Harry?”

 “Yeah Char?”

“I miss you.” I whispered.

He reached for my hand, took it between his, and looked down at his feet. He paused a second and then looked back up at me. There were tears in his eyes, “God Charlie, I missed you too.”