Keep You Close - HO

•5•

I walk into my office, setting my bag down on my desk and letting my body slump into the rolling chair. I didn't sleep great last night, my head was racing for obvious reasons.
"Hey, can I book you at two?" My coworker, Jenelle asks as she peeks her head into my office.
"Yeah that's fine." I nod.
"Everything alright?" She asks with concern, stepping into the room.
"Just tired is all." I shrug. "Had an eventful weekend."
There's another knock on the door, and Jenelle opens it. My eyes widen when I see a man holding the biggest bouquet of sunflowers I've ever seen in my life.
"Is this Kylie Waters office?" He asks.
"Uhh.. yes." I say, absolutely confused.
"These are for you." He says, setting the vase down on my desk.
"For me? That can't be right.." I shake my head.
"They are. Could you just sign here for me?" He asks.
I sign the tablet, and the man makes his way out.
"Oh my god.. who is sending you flowers?" Jenelle asks.
I think I already know who...
I grab the little note card off of the bouquet, and open it up.
Angel,
I know you said we're not in that place anymore, but I think we are. Or at least we could be again.. I'm not giving up on you. I'll always love you.
-Harrison
I let out a breath, setting the note card back down, my palm pressing over it.
"Just a guy." I say to Jenelle.
"Just a guy? He sent you flowers! At work! Expensive ones!" She says excitedly.
"Really.. it's nothing." I shake my head. "Go ahead and put me down for the two pm meeting and I'll take care of it."
"Alright, but I expect details." She says.
"We're not that close, Jenelle." I mutter to myself as she shuts my door.
I sit down once more, looking at the gorgeous sunflowers, but not being able to appreciate them. He can't just send me flowers and say he's not going to give up on me. That's not how this works.
I go on with my day, and have my meetings with new writers. Luckily reading new people's work is my happy place.
__
Days pass, and every single day Haz has had something extravagant sent to me. Whether it be flowers, edible arrangements, or whatever. It's getting out of hand. He can't keep this up forever. He can't just buy me things and think I'll instantly come running back to him.
There's a knock at my office door, and I already know it's going to be something from Haz.
"Come in." I say less than enthusiastically.
"Package for Ms. Waters?" The man asks.
"Yeah that's me." I say.
He sets the small box down on my desk, and I thank him before he leaves. Weird.. it's a package today. I reach into my drawer, pulling out the scissors to cut the tape on the top, and then I open up the box. Inside sits a book, and an envelope on top. I pull the book out, it's one I haven't read yet. I haven't even really heard of this author much before. My fingers rip open the envelope, pulling out the note card inside.
Kylie,
This book gives me hope that you will see we are meant to be together. Please read it. I love you.
-Haz
Haz doesn't read, the only times he's ever read was for business plans, or for my drafts of my book. This is kind of a big deal. I'm intrigued..
My eyes glance to the clock, seeing I have a spare hour or so until my next meeting. I should be revising my chapters but.. one peek at the book won't hurt.
I open up to the first page, seeing the title has one line drawn through it, and small writing at the bottom.
This is our story.
Our story? I really don't think a book could completely relate to our story, but here we go..
And so I read the book, for every last minute I had until my meeting, and then the second I got home. It's weird how closely this relates to our relationship.. there's details in this book that are way too relatable to our situation.. how did he even find this? The attention to detail he had to have to find this book is.. well. It just shows he cares.
The doorbell rings, and I put my bookmark into the page, realizing I'm almost halfway through it already.
I walk up to the door, and open it to see someone I was not expecting at all.
"Tom? What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Okay first of all? These pantsuits rock." He says, referring to my outfit. "Second of all, Haz is driving me insane."
"So badly that you came all the way here?" I ask.
"He's whining Kylie. Moaning and groaning about how lonely he is and shit. I can't take it anymore!" He exclaims.
"So get him a girlfriend." I suggest and he gives me a 'you can't be serious' look.
"You really want him to date someone else?" He asks.
"Why wouldn't I? We haven't been together for what feels like over a year.. literally." I sigh.
"Was it really that bad in the end?" He frowns.
"Bad enough to make me think I wouldn't care when we broke up.. but that was the hardest thing I've ever done."

Flashback
Haz walks into the house, yelling into his phone. Someone must have fucked up at work again..
"Don't let it happen again." He says angrily, and ends the call.
"Is everything okay?" I ask from my spot on the sofa.
"Fine." He responds plainly.
He continues to type into his phone, and I wait to see if he's even going to talk to me tonight. Sometimes I get a 'how's your day' or 'missed you' but normally he just goes straight to his home office.
"God damnit." He mutters to his phone, and starts walking back to his office. Yep. Sounds right.
Honestly? Haz doesn't even feel like my boyfriend anymore, he feels more so like a roommate that I barely talk to. We haven't had sex in at least a week, and when we do it's quick and bland. There's no spark between us anymore, no passion, he's all about his work.
I deserve more than this..
Haz is gorgeous, successful, has a wonderful personality most of the time, and can be the sweetest person you've ever met. I always felt like I was lucky to have him, and I let that make me ignore how shitty he's made me feel lately.
I stand up, and make my way back to his office, my fingers wrap around the cracked door, opening it up.
"Do you even realize I'm here?" I ask him.
"What?" He asks, still typing away on his laptop.
"Can you stop typing for just a second so we can talk?" I ask.
"I'm working." He states.
"Yeah." I scoff. "You're always fucking working Haz."
The tone in my voice seems to catch his attention, his head lifting to look at me, fingers stopping their typing.
"What is that suppose to mean?" He asks.
"It means you work nine to five and then work five to ten every fucking day." I raise my voice.
"Why are you getting angry with me?" He says in a hurt voice.
"Because you don't even see me anymore Haz! I'm right here and you walk past me like I'm a ghost! We haven't gone on a date in months! You don't talk to me, you don't touch me-" I feel a lump in my throat form, making my head fall back to look up at the ceiling to regain my composure. "You don't love me anymore Haz.."
I can tell my words hurt him, but that doesn't compare to how his lack of words hurt me.
"That's ridiculous.. of course I love you." He shakes his head.
"Really?.. when was the last time you told me you love me?" I prompt.
He thinks for a moment, before his hands fly up as he shrugs.
"I don't know, who remembers that?" He says.
"It was three weeks ago, before you left for your business trip, and I said it first. You haven't said it since." I state simply.
"You kept track of that?" He asks.
"Yeah.. it was special to me because that was the first time in a while where you had dinner with me instead of in your office."
Now his face falls, coming to the realization of just how out of touch he's been with me. He's engrossed in his work, and I'm forgotten.
"I can't do this anymore." I say, feeling the tears starting to well in my eyes.
"What do you mean? Of course you can-"
"Haz. Will you listen to me just once?" I say, silencing him. "I can not do this anymore. I am not going to sit here and wait for you to become your old self again."
Haz stands from his seat, walking around his desk and over to me. His hand grasps mine tightly, but it doesn't feel the way it use to. I don't feel comforted by his touch anymore.
"I think I need to be on my own, learn to not be reliant on you.." I start.
"Angel stop.. you don't want this." He tries.
"Yes I do." I nod. "Haz I'm so unhappy- I need to make a change."
"I'll change- I'll stop doing work at home. Please Ky, please don't do this." He pleads.
"It's too late for us. I'm sorry.."
end of flashback
"I wish everything had worked out.." Tom sighs.
"Yeah. I do too."

A/N: we love sad chapters 😭😭