serendipity | wroetoshaw

The Patio

A few hours had passed, more shots had been passed around, and I found myself outside on the patio. I sat down on the garden sofa, overlooking London. London always looked so beautiful at night. Although it was November, the sky was clear and there was a crispness to the air. At that moment, I smiled. I really appreciated where I was right now... or maybe the drink was hitting me?

I heard the sliding doors opened, I turned and saw Harry standing there. 'Oh shit sorry, I didn't think anybody was out here.'

'Oh don't worry Harry, it's fine. You can sit down if you want,' I replied. I tapped the empty seat next to me, signalling him to sit down.

'I- uh yeah, I will actually, thanks.' I noticed that Harry started scratching his chest.

'Do you only do that when you're nervous or-?' I asked.

'What? Oh shit, yeah I guess, I don't really know I do it half of the time,' Harry let out a small laugh. He sat down beside me, keeping a big gap between us.

'Drink?' I help up my water bottle, tilting it towards Harry.

'Fuck it, go on then,' Harry said before taking a massive gulp of sambuca. 'Fuck me, urgh.' Harry screwed his face up in disgust.

'I thought you said you liked it?' I laughed, taking the bottle out of his hands.

'I mean, I don't hate it, but I don't love it.' He shrugs.

'What a shame, I thought we were going to get on really well then, Bog.' I laughed while slapping Harry's arm. Harry didn't reply, instead, he kept his eye contact with the ground. We sat in silence for a few seconds, until it became excruciatingly, silent. 'Harry? Are you okay?'

Harry shot up, catching my gaze. 'What? Oh yeah sorry, I'm fine, it's just-' he stammered while letting out a deep sigh. He looked back down towards the ground and buried his head into his hands.

'Just what?' I questioned. I knew Harry and his ex-girlfriend Katie had broken up a few weeks ago, but I didn't want to pressure him into telling me anything unless he wanted to. I scooched closer towards him, tilting my head, peering to see if he was crying.

'Nah, it's nothing, I'm fine, I'm just a bit drunk I think.' Harry slowly lifts his head, shooting me a small smile.

'Harry, I know we aren't really friends, but you can tell me anything. I'm sort of sick at giving advice, ask Cal! It's the only reason we're friends really.' I laughed.

'We aren't friends?' Harry asked. He tilted his head in confusion as if I'd said something wrong.

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Backtrack to the beginning of the chapter, in Harry's POV. I just thought it was nice to see both of their thought processes throughout the conversation. Feel free to skim read.
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*Harry's Pov*

The drink was starting to hit me now, but not enough. I'd had a few shots earlier with Freezy and Lux before the party started and a few when everybody arrived, so, I grabbed my bottle from upstairs, had 3 shots then went back downstairs to join everybody. In the 5 minutes, I was gone, JJ had thrown up, Talia and Simon were engulfing each other's faces on the sofa, everybody else was obviously fucked and Lillia was nowhere to be seen.

'Had she left already?' I thought to myself, 'fuck, she must have.'

I knew she wasn't upstairs, so I checked in the bathroom; to my surprise, she wasn't there. I looked over to the patio doors and saw a small silhouette sitting alone. I decided to go outside to check if it was Lil and as I opened the door, it was Lillia.

'Oh shit sorry, I didn't think anybody was out here,' I said. I lied, this was the last place, I'd checked for Lil. 'She looked so beautiful in that blue dress', I thought to myself.

'Oh don't worry Harry, it's fine. You can sit down if you want,' she replied, tapping the empty seat next to her. I hesitated for a second, but replied, 'I- uh yeah, I will actually, thanks.'

'Do you do that when you're nervous or-?' Lillia said, pointing to my hand, scratching my chest.

'What? Oh shit, yeah I guess, I don't really know I do it half of the time,' I let out a small laugh. It was true, I didn't realise I was doing it, but I didn't want her thinking I was nervous. I sat down beside her, keeping a big gap as I didn't want to basically throw myself onto her.

'Drink?' Lillia said, holding up a small water bottle.

'Fuck it,' I took a big gulp. I was going to need another drink soon anyways. 'Fuck me, urgh,' I said while screwing up my face. I wasn't the biggest fan of liquorice anyways, but sambuca was bearable.

'I thought you said you liked it?' Lillia laughed, taking the bottle out of my hands.

'I mean, I don't hate it, but I don't love it,' I shrug.

'What a shame, I thought we were going to get on really well then, Bog,' Lillia replied, slapping my arm. 'Shit, I've fucked it up already haven't I? Nah it's fine, she was joking... Right...?' I thought to myself, turning to look at the ground.

I shot up, catching Lillia's gaze. 'What? Oh yeah sorry, I'm fine, it's just-' I stammered, letting out a sign. I looked back down, placing my head in my hands.

'Just what?' She asked.

'Nah it's nothing, I'm fine, I'm just a bit drunk I think.' I turned towards Lillia as a small smile formed on my face. It was true, the drink was defiantly hitting me now, but so many thoughts were racing through my head. 'Do I like Lillia? No, I can't do, I've only just broken up with Katie... But she does look so go- oh shut up Harry, oh nelly,' I thought to myself.

'Harry, I know we aren't really friends, but you can tell me anything. I'm sort of sick at giving advice, ask Cal! It's the only reason we're friends really.' When Lillia said that, my heart sank.

'We aren't friends?' was the only thing I managed to get out. Why was I so bothered about Lil? 'It must be the drink,' I tell myself.

'I mean, are we? I just assumed we weren't...' Lillia mumbled.

'Well, I think we are.' I rested my arm behind her.

'Good, well I happy to announce, you're my second official friend in London then!' Lillia said while clapping her hands together, smiling.

'Oh shut up Lil, you have loads of friends like Talia, Gee-' I rambled.

'I never really classed them as friends, I just assumed they didn't class me as one.' Lillia shrugged.

'Nah they defo do trust.' I said.

'So, considering we're friends, can I give you some advice? I can tell what's going on in your head right now and I know for a fact the drink doesn't help.' Lillia turned her body to face me and as her knee brushed against mine, I realised she'd scooched closer towards me.

'Sure, go on.' I laughed. She had no idea what I was really thinking about.

'Look, I know you and Katie broke up and I know it's really surreal being single now, especially after being in a relationship for a long time, but take it as a blessing. Meet new people. Go out and have fun with your friends. Although being with her never necessarily held you back from anything, now you can do whatever you want without worrying about her or other people. Just experience things you haven't before, you get me? Just have fun and better yourself from it. Look at me for example! I'm just vibing right now. No relationships, no commitments, everything is just new and fresh. I'm not going to get into another relationship until I know they're the one I'll marry. No point wasting time on things that will end in a few weeks or months.' She blurted.

'Oh... Never getting into a relationship until they're the one? Well, it makes sense I guess,'  I thought to myself. I took a few seconds to take it all in. 'Thanks, Lil, I really appreciate it, yeah you know what, fuck it! I just need to chill and have fun from now on.' I placed my hand on her back and shot her a massive smile.

'See!! I told you,' Lillia squealed.

'Do you- uh, wanna go inside? It's actually freezing out here?' I asked.

'Oh shit yeah, I've been out here for ages,' Lillia replied.