Part Of My World | H.S.

Loving you's the antidote

"Katie, I said turn right", I hissed, when she made a left turn. I had been giving her directions ever since we left the airfield, but she was slowly starting to get sick of my commands. There were barely any cars on the motorway at this time of hour and traffic didn't seem to increasing the closer we got to Central London, which was probably a good thing since Katie was driving like...well like she didn't even want to drive. I felt like I had no control over Harry's car. Neither did he, which made him squirm uncomfortably - and audibly thanks to the leather coating - in his seat. Katie didn't seem phased at all, "Seriously, where are you driving us?"

"I'm driving myself home. It's two am and I have to work tomorrow", she said sternly and I let out a sigh. I couldn't really force her to go along with my plan anymore. We had barely gotten any information from Harry. He had mostly been on his phone during the entire ride, Katie hadn't really asked more questions and I had accepted my fate. He didn't remember calling me and leaving a voicemail, so I was just gonna have to find a way to overcome my fears and tell him first. Unfortunately this also meant that I had to tell him my stupid plan, so now I had this new fear of him reconsidering his feelings for me. "I'm sure Harry's gonna be able to take over the rest of ride. He's slept for the entire flight, didn't you listen? I feel like some alone time is gonna do you two well."

"I mean, yeah I can", Harry chimed in. Hearing his name must have made him look up from his phone screen and direct his attention to us. I wondered if he had been working, texting or just playing games. I was very thankful that Katie, despite her annoyance, decided to stick to the story of me being too tired to drive. I mean that wasn't the case, but I was fine with Harry taking over if it meant not having to explain myself to him. "But we're alone every other day, I'm sure we'll be fine. Right, Jess?", he suddenly suggested and both Katie and my eyebrows shot up. I nodded quickly, in panic, which caused Katie to shake her head at me in disappointment. "You can stay in one of our guest rooms!"

"Seriously, you too?!", Katie groaned, slapping her hands on the steering wheel and rolling her eyes so heavily that even Harry could see it from the back. She was pissed, like actually pissed, but I couldn't really blame her. Harry was a taken aback by her sudden outburst, he had never seen Katie this angry before, especially not at him. If her eighteen year old self could see her right now, I'm sure she would do something related to shit. "You guys are unbelievable! Actually you know what? I'm gonna take the tube", she declared, slowing down abruptly to park on the side of the road. I could hear Harry wince when she didn't even use the indicator. "Perfect, there's an underground station right there!"

"Katie, there's no need for you to storm off now, we're almost at your flat!", I exclaimed, but she had already unbuckled her seatbelt. I caught Harry's glance, which silently said what have I done, but that was a question I needed to ask myself. My childish behaviour had sent her over the edge and I felt bad enough for that, I didn't need her to take the tube and get robbed or something, but she had already stepped out of the vehicle, so I followed. "Come on", I said, gesturing her to get back into the car. "It's the middle of the night, it's not safe!"

"I'm leaving! Goodnight, Jessica! Goodnight, Harold!", she told him, waving through the window of the open car door. It was sarcastic goodnight wish, so now I was the one rolling my eyes at her. Before actually stormed off, she paused for a second. "Oh, by the way, Harry, she l-", she began and I stopped breathing. She turned to me and I begged her with pleading eyes to not say anything. Yes, I had messed up. Yes I had already made this way more complicated than it should've been. Yes I had been childish, but she knew that this was very important to me. So she sighed, closed her eyes for another second and than finished her sentence with, "-watched Fleabag without you."

"What just happened?", Harry asked when she walked down the stairs to get to the tube. Finally, he got out of the car and joined me at the door to the driver's seat. This was my chance, but I didn't want to tell him on some random street a few blocks from Katie's apartment. In an instant, I decided I didn't what the night to end like this. God, I was in the city I grew up in with the man that I loved, that needed to be honored in some way. I didn't answer his question though, instead I jumped into the front seat of his car, much to his bewilderment. "Hey, what are you doing?", Harry asked again, this time with an even more concerned expression, "let me drive, I don't want you to fall asleep at the wheel."