Red String [h.s] (Completed)

Chapter 35

A/N: No song at the beginning because there is a song later in the chapter :)

Amy didn't hear the knock at the door that day. She had been painting and Harry had been on the couch playing his guitar, so naturally he got up to answer the door. It was a courier and they had a large envelope for Amy. Harry signed for it and took it inside.

He thought it was an unusual piece of mail for Amy to receive. For her to get mail from a courier that needed a signature meant that this mail was both important and time sensitive. This is how all his contracts and important work documents had always been delivered so he was very familiar with the process. He wondered what was in the envelope.

Harry peaked at the return address and it was listed as a publishing house in New York, one he was very familiar with. This only confused Harry more. He went back to the couch to try and distract himself with his guitar but couldn't push the wayward thoughts out of his mind.

Amy emerged from a few hours of painting and came into the kitchen.

"Tea?" she asked Harry and he nodded at her.

He stood up from the couch and made his way to her, watching her turn on the kettle and get two mugs from the cupboard.

"A courier dropped off a package for you," Harry said casually, watching for her reaction.

"Oh," was all she said as she busied herself getting two tea bags for the mugs. He could tell she was avoiding looking at him. He wanted to know why she was being so evasive.

"Are you going to open it? Seems important if they didn't just mail it," Harry pushes.

Amy pours the boiling water into each mug and hands Harry his. She turns to look for the envelope, already formulating a lie in her head about what's inside. She had been emailing with Dana and she had insisted that she send Amy a package with the contract in it and some other details about the job. She wanted her to decide by Monday before she offered it to someone else.

Amy hadn't told Harry anything about the job offer because just yesterday she decided she wasn't going to take it. Everything here had been going so well with Harry that she didn't want to leave. She didn't know if she would have Harry forever so she wanted to enjoy every minute she did have with him. She had fallen so hard for him in the past month. She wasn't ready to give him up so soon.

Amy opens the envelope and pulls out the papers only partway, glances at them quickly and shoves them back inside.

"What is it?" Harry asks, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Oh, this publisher wants to do a book with my photographs. They are just sending over the contract and details."

"What?! That's amazing, Amy! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he says wrapping her up in a hug.

"I don't know if I'm going to do it," Amy responds, finally looking Harry in the eye.

"Why wouldn't you? This sounds like a great opportunity to get your work out there. Let more people see it!" Harry says excitedly.

Amy just shrugs and looks down. Harry places his hand on her chin and lifts it up, forcing her to look at him.

"Don't be scared Amy. I know it's hard putting yourself out there but think of the reward."

"Okay. I'll think about it," and she leans into his chest, trying to avoid his gaze so he doesn't see that she isn't telling him the whole truth.

The whole truth would be that Harry isn't being honest with her either. He was the one who contacted the publisher and convinced them to come to Amy's show. He has some connections in the New York art scene and asked around after Amy showed him his work on that video call. Dana was already in Vancouver for something different and came by the show and loved what she saw. Harry has completely forgot about it. So much has happened since then.