It's Just A Photo

Chapter 23

Cassie and Harry quickly snapped their heads back towards each other. For the first time in nearly two hours, they saw each other like really saw each other. The fear, the regret, the pain, and every emotion in between was easily etched into every crease of their tired faces.

They kept their eyes locked on each other's while they kept their mouths shut. Cassie now shifted her body backwards to lean back on the wall uncomfortably just as Harry was sitting. She removed her eyes from Harry's and let them linger to the wall across from her.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Cassie tried her best not to let the tears slip out from her eyes as she spoke softly. Her lips were quivering and she dropped her head down on top of her bent knees to hide her face from Harry.

"I-I didn't think there was anything to tell."

It was now Harry's turn as he felt the steaming burn of a single tear roll down his cheek as he spoke. Once the silence had hung the air long enough Harry turned slightly to get a better look at Cassie.

"Cas."

"Will you please look at me?"

It was a desperate plea, Harry was exhausted and he felt as if his heart was being ripped right out of his chest. He knew that Cassie must have only felt worse which is why he was being so patient with her.

Slowly Cassie turned her head over so she could now see Harry. When she saw the dark tear stain on his cheek she knew she was in for a tough conversation. Cassie knew that Harry was hurting because she knew with all her heart that the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt anyone.

Knowing she wouldn't be alone she let a tear of her own fall down her freshly washed face. She couldn't handle it anymore even as much as she hated Harry at the moment, she needed him. Cassie collapsed onto Harry's broad shoulder and let her tears fall like raindrops down her freckled cheeks.

Harry dropped his jacket in his lap and moved his far hand across his body pulling Cassie closer to him. Harry didn't say anything to her, he just let her cry. As he felt Cassie's uneven breaths he couldn't help but think back to when Louis was the one in his arms crying. It's kinda funny really, how the whole reason Harry and Cassie ended up here crying on each other shoulders was because of the one person that also cried on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Cas, I didn't mean to keep this from you."

Harry's voice was breaking with every word. His mop of curls fell heavily on top of Cassies' wavy locks. Cassie sunk deeper into the crook of Harry's shoulder.

"How did Niall know? Did you tell him?"

"N-no I didn't tell him. I mean I told him I was gay when we where at Louis's house dancing but I never told him I liked him."

"Then how does he know?"

Even as hurt, as she was Cassie, was happy to know that Harry felt comfortable enough with Niall that he came out to him as early as he did.

"Well remember after the dance when you came over and I was finishing editing the photos I took of people?"

"Of course it's a tradition for me to be there and I still made it somehow."

"Yeah, you did."

Both Harry and Cassie let out a small bit of laughter as they remembered the four-year-old tradition. Quickly after the silence came creeping back in between the two. Cassie began to try and recall all of the events of that night trying to figure things out.

"Do you remember how I didn't want to go through them once you and Niall came over?"

"Yeah..."

"I didn't want to go through them because of who was in them."