H A R R Y

THE ANTICIPATED RESPONSE to that text Ben had so generously sent took longer than normal. I was starting to think I care about first impressions after all. But it came, eventually, though not through text.

"There he is," Olivia had staged when we ran into each other the next morning on my way to work. "My new sexy neighbor."

I felt my ears flush deep red as I shook my head. "Erm, yeah. About that..."

"Don't fret," She chuckled, amusement painted on her features. "Your friend did that, didn't he?"

"Yep," I exhaled. "I don't know what to say. Sorry?"

Olivia laughed. Her amusement wasn't the reaction I was expecting at all. I expected her to think I was an arrogant, narcissistic disaster waiting to happen at her door. Apparently, Ben had previously explained his mischievous plan and that was part of the reason she hadn't responded; she knew it was a silly joke.

"He's pretty funny, that friend of yours." Olivia chuckled as we walked together to the elevator and I punched the button as we waited for its arrival.

"Ah, he's also taken," I laughed, picturing a jealous Kate. "By a very wild one, too. I wouldn't recommend him."

"I wasn't suggesting anything at all," she defended lightly. "I was just saying he's funny, Harry."

My hand raised to rub my neck in discomfort. "Yeah. I know."

"I take it you're not," She raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Taken, I mean."

I took a deep breath, contemplating different ways to murder Ben. "Listen, I know how it must look, but Ben is... You know, as you said, he's funny. He-"

"So what is it?" Olivia's bright curious eyes stare in my own and I can only frown in response. She laughs lightly and says, "Oh, come on. Don't give me that look!"

"I'm not sure I follow?"

"Hmm," She smiles discreetly like she's holding a secret behind her lips. I raise my eyebrows in confusion. "Wow," she says. "Must have been a pretty bad one."

"What was?" I asked, dumbfounded as the elevator dings its arrival and we both step into it, herself pressing the ground floor before she gives me that look again.

"Your breakup," she says and I feel my ears redden and perk up. "It was a breakup, wasn't it? Or a downfall, maybe?"

My mouth was slightly agape so I shut it and clenched my jaw, facing the closed elevator doors, not being able to think of a response to that. Am I that obvious, or is she that clever? Or does Ben's murder have to be with a rifle? I don't want to blame her for being nosey, because Ben might have opened the door for her to that one.

"Sorry," she sheepishly says after a second. I look back at her and she offers me a regretful smile. "I crossed the line, huh? I tend to that a lot. Forget I said anything, I'm just-"

"It was a breakup," I almost winced saying it, but almost is the keyword. Olivia, on the other hand, flinched visibly and said something incoherent in response. I shook my head. "But that's not... I'm sorry about Ben-the funny friend? I know he gave you the total wrong impression, but I'm really not...looking for...you know."

Olivia smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes as she nodded. "Oh, yeah. I know. Me neither."

I didn't know if she agreed just because I cut off any ropes leading to anything or she really wasn't. But trusting the look of calmness on her face, I pursed my lips and all I said was, "Good."

She cleared her throat as the elevator dinged its arrival. She was the first to walk out, myself following. A second or two passed before we reached the gate doors and she turned to me with her hand extended. "So, neighbors?"

I think back to my conversations with Ben. Conversations with myself. The things I promised myself. Repeatedly. Moving on, starting anew. I smiled and took her hand to shake, but I said, "How about friends?"

Olivia's crooked smile broadened, her cheekbones tinted as she nodded. "Friends."

L U E L L A

"Your dad stopped by the other day," I told Alex as I sipped on my coffee. "He was asking about you."

Alex's hand that was ruffling his hair dropped and he looked at me curiously. "That's odd. He showed up at the bar?"

"Yeah," I frowned as Alex groaned. "I thought it was odd, too."

"He's been wanting me to come in for a week," he complained.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't think so. I've been avoiding him lately," Alex rolled off the bed and sat next to me on the edge. I tilt my head at him in concern.

"Why's that?" I ask in curiosity. "He looked like he was there to specifically ask for you, Alex. It must be important if that was the reason he showed up. You know better than me how private he is."

Alex shakes his head in tiresome. "Probably just wants me for another business."

James Clover isn't only the owner of Wanderlust. That pub is only one of his many other investments. He's a mighty man, and with a ton of dark secrets, I assume. He had Alex's future planned for him, and as soon as Alex had graduated high school, he was working with his father on his investments. The pub kind of stuck with Alex, because it was easy for him, and fun. He took any chance to be a twenty-four-year-old with his friends every once in a while.

But that little bit of freedom Alex has usually doesn't last long when his father wants another favor. I didn't know much about the business and I don't know if I want to. Alex hates it, from what I've gathered, so it must be either really boring or really dangerous.

"I'm sure it's not that serious. If he wanted to find me, he would have by now." He took the cup of coffee from my hand and sipped a little before his face folded unto itself in disgust. "Christ, Faith, what are you drinking?"

"Black coffee," I laughed as I took the cup back from him. "You awake now?"

"By the cruelest way possible," He chuckled and leaned to peck my lips but I put my finger on his and shook my head.

"You stink of morning breath," I tell him as I kiss him on the cheek and stand off the bed.

"Uh... Ouch?" Alex laughed. "Baby, where are you going?"

"I have some errands to run," I said. "What about you? Planning on being lazy the whole day?"

"No... I don't know. Could hang with the guys later. I might check on my father, too. That's smart, right?"

"It's better if you do," I encourage. "Text me, okay? I'll see you later."

Mine and Alex's relationship was nothing extraordinary, I would say. The lack of excitement I've been feeling around him lately, though, makes me feel like we're an old married couple. Which is nothing bad, but definitely not what either of us expected it to turn out to be.

Me, I expected it to evolve. I wanted to trust him. I mean, I still do. But I wanted to let him have me, have all of me, and apparently that's not the case. Because Alex only knows Faith, and as much as I hate to admit it, Luella-no matter how big or small of me she takes-is still a part of me. And Alex knows nothing about it because of the way I am now.

Running errands was my original plan this morning, it was what I told Alex I'd be doing, but I figured I needed late breakfast and a chat, and who other than Cindy would be the perfect companion?

Possibly the whole of the globe.

"And she has the audacity to blame me. Me! For being immature. That's just a load of bullshit," She retells the story of her latest argument with her mum. Cindy huffs before she grabs five french fries covered in a bit too much salt and stuffs her mouth with them.

"She could be hormonal, because of the pregnancy?" I tried to help, but Cindy glared at me, shaking her head. Cindy wanted her to be wrong, so I sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Bullshit."

"Yes! Thank you!" Cindy scoffs. A moment passes before her eyes narrow on me. "What's up with you, then?"

"Nothing," I shook my head. When Cindy wouldn't drop her accusing stare, I sighed. "Just some stuff with Alex."

"Honestly, Faith, I don't understand how you two work."

I give her a look. "What do you mean?"

"You're both ridiculously hot, look fucking great together, and basically goals. I don't know what's stopping you."

"Stopping me from what, Cindy?" I laughed uneasily.

"Putting a name on it! You have to, like, claim him as yours. You're leaving the end of the string unattached, hun, and believe me, men get too greedy with unattached strings."

I watch her as she finishes off the plate of fries and orders another one, along with a soda refill. Pursing my lips in a line, I frown a little, hating the idea of being attached to someone. Not again.

"I like it that way," I confess to Cindy, who looks confused out of her mind. "Really, it's just less...stressful."

"What are you saying?" She leans on the table a little more, genuinely curious. "You guys do everything together, even more than a normal couple would. Do I really need to go through that again with you? Putting a name on it should make things less stressful, not the other way around!"

"I don't know," I brush it off. "I'm not really in the mood to talk about that, Cin. Again."

Instead of dropping it, like I so hopefully wished she would, she squinted her eyes at me accusingly and parted her lips in faint recognition. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

"What? No!" I defended, rolling my eyes ludicrously. "Don't be stupid. No."

"Oh, my God, Faith." Cindy practically gasped in an overly dramatic manner as she gripped my arm. "Who is he?"

"What are you talking about? Stop, you're being a damn fool and everyone is staring!" I hissed under my breath, shaking my head and covering my forehead in exasperation.

"I'm no fool," Cindy scoffed, as if it's the most absurd assumption there is. "It's obvious, Faith! You don't want to any labels, you keep no strings attached, you have mad trust issues, you don't want your cherry popped by the hot guy you live with, you like keeping matters simple and clear, without making any commitments... You're either a fuckgirl or you've got yourself hooked on somebody else. No third possibility."

I exhale a heavy breath and try to play the matter off without frowning too hard and creating a permanent crease between my eyebrows. Although, every hair on my body has risen in attention and my ears are flushing red-as is my neck and cheeks are on fire. I'm mad, angry and frustrated at myself that Cindy could have linked my behavior to something that has to do with my old life...or rather, someone.

But there's nothing true in that. I know what's up with my relationship with Alex and it's my trust issues. It's what Harry did to me, not Harry himself. It's the actions, not the person. Harry has no power over me or my heart anymore, I'm done with that time of my life.

"So?" Cindy said enthusiastically. "Who is it?"

"Nobody, Cin," I deadpanned. "There's nobody, alright? Can we drop this already?"

"No, we cannot." She presses and I huff in annoyance. As much as she can be somewhat of good company, Cindy can be quite a pain in the arse to deal with. "Look, we've been friends for almost a year. You never talk about yourself and what's going on with your life. I'm always the one blabbering on and on and whining about insignificant shit, right? Just talk it out with me."

I stare at her for a long moment, before I blink and finally reply. "There's nobody. It's nothing. Okay?"

Cindy's hopeful gaze drops and flattens out as she shakes her head in-hurt, it looks like. I sigh as the waiter puts down the new plate of fries and the refilled glass of soda on our table.

"I just-," She takes a french fry and plays with it as she says, "I want you to know that you're not alone. It may feel like it-I would know-but you're really not. And I want you to know that you can talk to me, and I'll never judge you-," Cindy stops herself and corrects, "Well, I'll probably judge you, so, no promises. You don't get to have everything in life, now do you?"

Her unexpected sensible moment, quickly taken over by a usual sarcastic Cindy moment, shock me into the inability to do nothing but laugh along with her. Truly laugh. Something I hadn't done in a while. And I tear up about it, but I convince myself-and Cindy-that I'm just cry-laughing.

Although, deep down, I wish I were.

H A R R Y

Olivia:
I'd have to disagree with you on that one.

A smile made its way to my lips as I read the text on my phone. Olivia and I have been casually texting throughout the day, discussing dangerously controversial topics, just to kill boredom in the office.

My phone dinged instantly after with another text.

Olivia:
I happen to like sushi a lot more than Indian food.

Harry:
I've never actually had sushi, so I wouldn't know.

Olivia:
WHAT?
You've NEVER had sushi?!
That's just a disgrace. I'm very disappointed in you.

Harry:
I'm hurt.

Olivia:
Wipe your tears, we'll fix this.
When are you free this week?
I know a place.

My thumbs hovered over the keyboard on my phone, too perplexed to think of a reply. I feel so rusty that I'm not entirely sure she'd just asked me out. I see her typing, so I don't send anything and wait for another text to come through.

Olivia:
Just a frate, Harry. Don't sweat it.

Harry:
Frate?

Olivia:
A friends date.
Plus, it's educational.

Harry:
Educational, is it?

Olivia:
Yes. Sushi is culture. Culture is education. Educational!

Harry:
Ohhhh.
You're right. Of course it is.

I bit back a laugh as I sent my response. For the past couple of hours, I have somewhat forgotten about my broken heart and miserable attitude. I had been genuinely enjoying texting back and forth with my newfound London friend. Now that I think of going out with her-on a frate, I'm panicking.

Because she is back in my head, twisting her way around and laying there. But then I think about how she's been out of there while I talked to Olivia and I get it. That's it.

Harry:
How about tonight? You free?

Olivia:
It's Monday. You're wild.

Harry:
We'll go early and be done early.
I'll do the honor of picking you up.

Olivia:
Right. Because 2 steps from your flat to mine is a hard trip.
So we meet 6?

Harry:
I happen to own a car.
And sure, six is fine.

Olivia:
I happen to own legs! The place isn't far from the compound.

Harry:
Then no car is needed.

Olivia:
Sushi night it is then!
You'll thank me later for making your life better.

Her last words hit somewhere near my heart, but I smile at that. I'd like my life to become better. And I'm done sulking, and on to making better life choices. And if sushi is the place to start, then so be it.

Harry:
I sure do hope so.

note:
yiiiikes.
i feel like this chapter was a bit messy, but at least it's not late a month!
also, new drama coming up soon!
vote if you want huella to meet again.
love, ness. xx