Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

E I G H T Y - S I X

It was as if the weight of the entire world had shifted in that one moment. All of a sudden the light that emanated from Harry dimmed, the atmospheric music sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and the hopeful flutter that was in Hailey's heart dropped to her stomach and turned into unsettling nausea.

"I'm sorry...what?" Hailey said almost in a whisper.

She kept trying to tell herself that this wasn't happening. That he was playing some kind of joke on her. That had to be it, after all, who would ever break up with someone like Hailey Stone?

Harry smiled a very forced and concerned smile, "But I still think we should be friends, you know? Even if we don't date? I mean, we weren't ever really going to be in a relationship after all."

"I-I"

"I know that we had an agreement, but god, Hails, aren't you just sick of all this?" He asked, playing with his fork and avoiding her stare, "Don't you just want to be able to be in charge of your own life for once?"

She had no idea what to say. Had it been anyone else she might have slapped him across the face, thrown her glass of water onto him, stormed out without a word. But she was frozen in her seat, and she was scared it was because her heart had just been broken.

Harry reached across the table and grabbed her hand, only for a split second though, he was quite aware of the fact that this was a supposed date and that paparazzi could be anywhere, "You're a good person, Hailey. I want to keep having you in my life. But, this isn't fair to either of us. We shouldn't have to keep doing this kind of shit to be able to be someone in this world. I just want to be me, you know? Without having to parade someone as my partner, who I really have no romantic feelings for. That isn't fair to the person I actually am with."

Hailey's head snapped up, "You're with someone?"

Harry nodded, clearly still believing that he and Hailey were going to be okay and that he should be one hundred percent honest with her, "Yeah. I mean, technically she's not with me, as in like we're not officially dating, but she's the one. I can tell you that." He smiled bashfully. "And I mean, we should all have this feeling. We should all get to fall in love and show the world how happy we are. We shouldn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." She said pathetically.

Harry sighed, "I know you're new in the business, and I know you think that this means your career is over. Well, it doesn't. Be the bigger person Hails, stand up for what you believe in from the beginning. Don't wait until later when you'll regret it."

There were so many emotions swirling in Hailey all at once, she didn't know how to react. All she wanted was out. She needed to go, she needed to leave right in that instant. But she couldn't, she was frozen in her seat. She had never been broken up with, never. She was the one who decided when the relationship was over. She was the one who decided everything, really. So to say she was floored was too simple of a description. She was however completely and totally dumbfounded, wanting to cry and scream and shout all at once. How could he do this? How could he not see that they were meant to be together? Was he really leaving her for that fat and simple girl who in no way, shape, or form could compare to her?

"I just-I don't think..."

Harry tried to reassure her, thinking that she was more worried about her career than anything else, "Lydia isn't going to stop working with you. You're talented, you have what it takes. You don't need me to make you famous, Hails, you can do that on your own." And with that he got up from his seat and gave her a gawky half-hearted salute, "I'm off before more press gathers outside, you alright with leaving after me? I'm in a bit of a rush. You know if we're seen together it just beats the point of us saying we're not dating." He shrugged.