Red String [h.s] (Completed)

Chapter 67

"Tell me you want it
A thousand miles away from the day that we started
But I'm standing here just tryna to be honest
If honesty means telling you the truth
Well, I'm still in love with you"

Early November 2019
(A month after Sarah tells Amy)

Harry is at home in London and Jeff is there with him. They're in his office going over his schedule for the next few weeks. It's busy. Really busy. He's already released his first single, Lights Up, last month from the new album, with a music video to go with it. He's been working non-stop since he last saw Amy in June. He has done some work with campaign work with Gucci and shot a fragrance ad with them too. He's filmed a few music videos for songs off his new album. There's been countless photo shoots and interviews for magazine profiles. He even prerecorded a performance in October for a London talk show that won't air until later this month. Anything to keep his mind off of her. It's not working but damn if he's not trying.

He is about to head to New York to both perform musically and host Saturday Night Live. It's a substantial gig and he's feeling incredibly nervous. All eyes will be on him and on whether he actually has any acting chops after his Dunkirk debut two years ago. He'll also be performing a new song and it will be the first time everyone hears it. He can already feel his nerves getting to him.

He thinks about how quickly she would have been able to calm him down. One touch, a few perfect words of encouragement and he would be feeling confident and able. But, that's not possible anymore and that makes him even more nervous. He's been trying to distract himself by mediating lately. It's something he has taken up since this summer, whenever he is feeling overwhelmed. It's helped to re-center himself and focus on what matters. Even if she's not with him.

"Did you see this?" Jeff asks, gesturing to the envelope in his hand.

"See what?" Harry asks.

"Have you looked at your mail?"

"Not recently."

"I think you should look."

Harry walks towards his desk in his office where Jeff is sitting and Jeff hands him a shiny golden envelope with his name on it. He looks for a return address and there isn't one.

"What is it?"

"Just open it."

"How do you know what it is?"

"Because I got the same one."

Harry looks at him quizzically, trying to decipher what it could be. He opens it and quickly scans through the words.

"She's having an art show?"

"Yeah, in New York. It's a big deal. I actually feel lucky to get an invitation. I hear it's a pretty exclusive guest list."

"What do you mean?"

"She blew up after she left Paris. Galleries have been chomping at the bit to be her first big show. Her PR team did a great job too because they coordinated with her book being released last week. I hear it's selling well."

"Wow," Harry says, but it's more in shock than enthusiasm. They haven't had any contact in months. Not since he bailed on her birthday. A month later he had sent her his finished album. It won't be released until December but he felt she deserved to hear it first. He had it couriered to her place in Paris and he knows she signed for it. He expected some sort of reaction from her but got nothing. Even anger would have been better than nothing. Now he's left wondering if she even listened to it.