Falling | h.s

twenty-four

JANIE'S POV

Rosie had spent the rest of the day trying to get my mind off of everything. After spending way too much money at Target, she insisted on helping me unpack my bags and make my apartment homier. I organized my groceries as Rosie danced around the room, fluffing pillows and singing loudly. After she felt her work was satisfactory, she hugged me tightly and told me to come over to her house at 7.

I hated the silence that fell over me once she left, but tried to ignore it and instead busy myself with getting ready for the night. She had told me to dress casually, so after showering, I rummaged through my laundry until I found my favorite pair of black jeans and an old tee shirt. I pick up Harry's Rolling Stones shirt, the one he let me wore the other night and my breath catches. "You look good in my shirt," I hear his voice ring out as my stomach knots. I try to shake the feeling and fold the shirt neatly before placing it on my dresser. As I continue getting ready, I try to forget about it sitting there, a tangible reminder of the tension between me and Harry. I try to push him out of my brain as he has seemingly done to me.

Rosie and Phoebe's house was only a few blocks away from me, a fact I was sure Rosie considered when choosing where to rent an apartment for me. They lived in a cute little yellow house with a yard full of flowers. Windchimes hung from the front porch and jingled in the wind and a handpainted birdhouse hung from a small tree next to the front door. The whole house seemed out of place in the Los Angeles suburbs but also completely like Rosie; bright and cheerful.

I barely even knocked once when the door swings open with a bright-eyed Rosie.

"Janie! You look so pretty! Come in come in!" She cheers. "Pheebs! Janie is here!" She led me inside and took my purse from me, laying it on a wooden table by the door.

"Hi, Janie," Phoebe calls from the kitchen with a smile, pulling my attention to her. She had her hair pulled back into a thick ponytail that swung every time she moved. Her sleeves were rolled up as she mixed something in a large bowl with her hands.

"It smells amazing," I compliment and she smiles again, her eyes crinkling.

"Thank you," she grins. "I was excited when Rosie told me you were coming over for dinner." I look to Rosie who is grinning ear to ear and I laugh.

"Well, thank you for having me. It's nice to get out of the apartment and eat a homecooked meal," I admit as Rosie moves towards the fridge and emerges with a bottle of wine.

"Shall we get started?" She asks and I laugh, nodding. "I figured you'd say yes." She reaches onto her tippy toes to grab three wine glasses from the cabinet before filling our glasses up nearly to the brim. When she sees me looking at the glasses in shock, she shrugs.

"Figured you could use it," she says before extending the glass to me. She was right; after the past few days, this was exactly what I needed.

"Dinner's ready whenever we're ready to eat," Phoebe says, washing her hands.

"I'm starving," Rosie practically moans before grabbing the giant bowl of pasta and moving it to their dining table. Phoebe and I grab the rest of the food and bring it to the dining table before sitting down and serving ourselves.

Dinner is filled with small-talk, but the best kind. Rosie tells me how she and Phoebe met as Phoebe rubs her hand adoringly. We talk about music, Phoebe's career in PR, and how they're hoping to get a dog soon. I tell them about Tennessee and funny stories from my college days. We sit at the table for hours, just enjoying the stories and each other's company as we share a bottle of wine.

The sun has fully set when Phoebe brings up the topic I had nearly forgotten about.

"So," Phoebe pipes up after a moment of silence. "How has working with Harry been? I know he was so excited that you decided to stay to finish out the album." Rosie's head whips towards her girlfriend as she lets out a "shhh!" Phoebe looks at her in confusion before Rosie gives me a guilty look.