oh, anna [-hs]

helplessly hoping

a/n OH MY GOSH 1K!? WHAT!?

Sorry it took so long for me to update! I moved this weekend so things have been a little chaotic haha. I'll be posting another chapter tomorrow!

18.

I wasn't lying. I do have a meeting with Louis today. But it's not for an hour or two. Before then, I want to explore a little of the city alone.

First thing I do is go to a juice bar. Something we have in New York, but not the way they have it here. Not going to one would be like going to New York and not trying a bagel. It's...mediocre. I've never really been a juice person beyond the occasional smoothie and bottled drink. Much more of a kombucha fan.

I browse a used bookstore I marked on my list before flying out, and I find a gorgeous copy of Pride and Prejudice. The cover is made of pink and yellow cloth and decorated in embroidered flowers. Emma will love this, she's the avid reader. I buy the set, and then head to a bead and craft store she wanted me to check out. As I step inside, I pull my phone out to facetime her. She answers after a few seconds, her sleepy face appearing on the screen.

"What do you want? It's so freaking early," she yawns into my earbuds.

"I'm here, did you want to look around?"

She perks up immediately, and sits up in bed, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. I laugh at her sudden change in tune.

"Where to?"

"Take me to the silvers and grays."

I wander the store with her, occasionally flipping my camera to show her a bin, and sifting through beads and trinkets. She gets up out of bed, doing her hair and makeup as she watches the screen, slowly getting ready for work.

"So how was your first day in the city of angels? How was your meeting?"

"Actually," I bite my lip. "Last night wasn't super great."

"Oh?"

"I went out with Harry and some of his friends, who were really nice."

"Nice!"

"One of them bought a pair of your earrings."

"Double nice!"

"But then a Nilsson song started playing in the restaurant," I sift through a bin of blue figurines.

"Oh no."

"Yeah."

"You don't like Nilsson."

"I don't."

"Were you okay?"

"Yeah, eventually we got home, but then Harry started talking to me about it and somehow he convinced me to let him pay for me to go to therapy."

"Wait wait wait slow down? 'We' went 'home'? Harry? What?"

Her voice is excited and giddy. I roll my eyes. "Yes, I'm staying at his place while I'm here instead of a hotel."

"What's it look like? How is he? I miss him."

"He's good," I chuckle. But then I think back to how I left him this morning and my heart starts to race. Is he? Should I have left him alone? I should have probably said something. Maybe asked what was wrong.

"What's it look like though? The house?" She repeats eagerly. I shake myself out of my thoughts.

"Really nice. There's a pool in the backyard. Lots of balconies. Lots of fancy cars. I drove one here actually."