Part 3
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"Claire?"
"Harry? Look, I'm really tired, I'll call you t−"
"Tell me it's not true." His voice was low and straight to the point. He needed to know.
"W-What?" She squeaked.
"Tell me it's not true!" He shouted this time.
Avery picked up the first aid and took it to the kitchen to try and give Harry some privacy, even though it didn't make much of a difference. She just tried to seem busy. They were still very close to each other and she couldn't help listening to what he was saying and feeling a little curious.
She listened to him speak calmly all of a sudden, "Claire... Claire, stop crying."
"Babe, please, just..." he waited a little longer.
"So it's true then, isn't it?"
His voice sounded so broken when he whispered, "why?" Avery wasn't sure but she thought he might be holding back tears. "Why Claire? Why the fuck−"
"How did− God, Claire what the fuck?! What the fuck were you thinking?!"
"What do you mean you thought he was me?"
"Oh, the room was dark, was it?"
"So that's your story? You fucked my best friend, while I was downstairs, because you thought he was me? Do you have any idea how fucked up that sounds?! You expect me to believe that shit?"
"What did I do wrong?" His volume fell again. "I never hurt you. I never lied. I never cheated... But you managed to do all of that to me... in just one night." His voice cracked.
Avery felt a pang of sympathy for this stranger standing in her apartment now.
"No, I should have known. You guys have always been close. I never thought much of it, because you were my fucking girlfriend and he was my best friend!"
"No, you know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ever trusting you. I'm sorry for wasting 4 years in this relationship. I'm sorry for treating you right and loving you!" He slammed the phone shut and let out an enraged shout. He raised his arms with clenched fists over his head, feeling the need to break something. "Fuck!" His hands pulled at his hair again.
Avery didn't know what to do or say. She felt terrible for him after what she just heard. Harry pulled out the little box from his pocket and stared at it with his back still to Avery. His chest tightened and he needed air. It pained him to look at the box. He noticed the fire escape window. He paced over and ducked out, standing on the tiny veranda that faced the street.
Avery instantly rushed out to follow him thinking he might jump or do something stupid. "What are you doing?" She panted, climbing out next to him.
He swung his arm back, ready to peg the little velvet box out as far as he possibly could, wanting nothing to do with it. "Woah!" Avery noticed and swiftly snatched it from his grasp before he swung an empty hand.
Harry's mind was a mess, his heart was racing and his brain felt overpowered by too many emotions. Right now he gripped the rail and just focused on his breathing, too angry to think straight.
Avery noticed what the velvet blue box was and opened it with a gasp. The most dazzling engagement ring sat in the cushioned split. He was going to propose to this Claire girl. Avery tried to close her mouth but it just hung open.
"You were going to throw this out there?! Are you out of your mind?" She exclaimed furiously.
"I don't need it anymore. I don't want it. I don't even want to look at it." His voice shook.
Avery's momentary aggression and shock died down when noticing how distraught this man was. She closed the jewellery box and placed it in his hands. She thought carefully about what words to say, "maybe you don't need it right now. But..."
"But nothing!" He cut her off, finally looking at her.
She noticed the tears that had slid down his gorgeous face. His green eyes were cornered with redness. She spoke over him, trying to help him out of the rage that was blinding him. "Well throwing it away isn't going to change anything. At least go get your money back, it would be such a waste."
He shook his head and looked away again, just shoving it roughly into his pocket. He wiped his face with the back of his hand facing away from the girl.
"I'm sorry." Avery spoke softly after some silence. You could hear her words were sombre and genuine. "Did she know? That you were going to prop−"
"No. I bought it yesterday."
Avery knew it wasn't her place to say but she went for it anyway, "it seemed like she was... remorseful."
She looked out and avoided his enticing eyes when he looked at her. But he shook his head, dismissing what she was saying.
"No, seriously. From what I heard you say she was crying and apologising. Isn't that at least a good sign?"
Harry turned and scowled at her. The fucking nerve, Harry thought once again. "Of course you'd be rooting for the cheater. Let me guess, I have to pay you another hundred to be on my side for this?"
Avery once again ignored his rude comment and wondered if he was genuinely an asshole, or if it was just because he was having a bad day. "I'm not taking sides. I'm giving you my opinion as an outsider, for free might I add."
"I don't want your opinion." He turned back.
"Well it's free, so shut up and take it." He glanced sideways at her. "So speaking as a completely objective third party observer with absolutely no personal interest in the matter-- I think you're angry and upset, which you have every right to be," she quickly added. "But I think you might've overreacted a little too soon."
Harry turned his body to hers and opened his mouth to start arguing but she spoke over him, "I think you're letting the anger cloud your thoughts. Hear me out. You love this girl, don't you? Well of course you do, you wanted to marry her for crying out loud. So if you love her, fight for her. That's what you do when you love someone. You fight for them. You were too quick to slam the phone on her. I mean, you were with this person for, what was it, four years? That's a long fucking time. Don't just throw it all away without even giving it another chance. She said she was sorry didn't she? She sounded like she felt terrible, right? Now I'm not saying run to her and forgive her just like that, but you can't just sit around brooding and feeling sorry for yourself."
Harry was silent as he stared down at her. His eyes were narrowed, still surprised with her daringness to butt in on such a sensitive matter she knew nothing about, but he was also taken aback with the reality of her words.
He scoffed. "So what do you think I should do then?" He asked heatedly, half of him was asking out of mockery but the other half secretly wanted to know what she was going to suggest, although he wouldn't admit that to her.
"You should really go to her and talk to her, with a cool head. Talk it out, work on it. Be rational. If she really was as sorry as she sounded, forgive her eventually. What if it really was just a mistake? I don't know, I can smell alcohol from you, I imagine she's been drinking too? And so has your best friend? Not that that's an excuse," Avery added, "I'm just saying... maybe there's more to it."
Harry stayed silent, taking in what this stranger was saying. Surprised that someone like her could have such genuine advice for his situation. "You should go see her right now. And I think you should show her that ring, so she knows how much you really care about her."
After another moment of silence, Harry breathed out, "you're right..."
"I know," she smiled goofily it made him chuckle in amusement as he shook his head at her.
His laugh was only small but Avery noticed how warm it sounded. She admired how his lips pulled up over his handsome features and his whole face lightened in that moment. Her attention was drawn to his dimples and she couldn't help but appreciate how good this man looked. If only men as good looking as him were the ones who paid her for sex, she wouldn't hate her life so much. In fact, it would turn into being the best job in the world.
"Now that's more like it," she encouraged his smile. "Come on, Dimples. Go get her."
He laughed again at her choice of nickname, but then his smile faded, as did his dimples. "How the hell am I going to do that with a broken down car? I don't even know where I am or how to get to hers from here." He looked back out, thinking hard.
Avery thought too. "Okay, I know a guy. His buddy sells stolen car pieces. Let's go."
"That easy?" He asked, following her back inside.
"Well, as easy as another hundred bucks. Car pieces not included." She smiled, flattening her palm out.
He groaned, "come on, can't I just get some free sympathy help?"
"What are you talking about I just gave you some of my best stuff out there − for free! Pay up, Dimples."
"Well how much is a new belt going to cost me?"
"I'll get you a good price."
He shook his head, locking his jaw, but pulled out his wallet nonetheless. "And it's Harry by the way."
"I prefer Dimples."
"And your name is?"
She lead the way back to the car, turning to him as she walked, "Whatever you want it to be, baby." She winked at him.
He repressed another amused smile from her. They made it back to the street where his car was and Harry cursed loudly upon seeing what had happened to his vehicle.
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