SONG(s) FOR CHAPTER:

♬ A Little More Love by The Ready Set ♬

♬ How You Get The Girl by Taylor Swift ♬

CHAPTER 8

♕ HARRY STYLES ♕

        A STORM WAS brewing nearby, thunder shuttering in the distance yet headed our way. I took a sip from my coffee, scrunching my nose at the bitterness just as Jacob entered the hotel room's kitchen with his eyes still mostly closed. He sat across from me and I pushed the cup of coffee I made for him across the table.

        He opened his eyes just enough to see. "Aw, aren't you a doll."

        "Consider it an apology for being in the hospital," I told him, a knock on the door sounding.

        Tugging the door open hesitantly, I peered around the edge to see Josh standing there. I let him in, and he immediately began to ramble.

        "Since your incident and hospital admittance, I've pulled some strings. We've got the hotel for a few more days. Your next opponent agreed to meet us instead of the other way around. But I don't want you to push yourself." His eyes grew wary as he eyed me. "If you still want some more time off, so be it."

        Ruffing my hair, I went and sat back down at the small table in the small kitchen. Josh followed, waiting for an answer, so I finally sighed. "No, I'm fine. It's in two days, right? Plenty of time to get prepared." I shrugged. "No worries."

        "I hope that's not a code for your next attempt of starvation," muttered Jacob.

        Annoyed that I continuously told everyone I hadn't been starving myself, I didn't reply. I was too busy focusing on other things I scheduled for my Friday. Desperation still settling heavy on my shoulders, I had gotten Grace's apartment address from Jacob, who had to slyly ask Grace with the excuse that he was going to try to swing by before we left town again.

        Simple, sweet, and to the point.

        And most importantly, it worked.

        The rain began to fall outside, and if not for me cracking the balcony door earlier for some air, you wouldn't even have heard it in the sturdy hotel. But I liked listening to the rain, which was the other reason why the door was cracked.

        Jacob stood, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before turning to watch the downpour. "Jesus. It's like Niagara Falls got tired of it's old location and found one right above us."

        Josh gave him a look. "You say some of the weirdest things some times, you know that, boy?" There was a trace of a smile on his lips.

        Jacob nodded. "So I've been told many times by fellow acquaintances."

        I had blocked them out after that somehow, taking another sip of the strong coffee while running through what exactly I planned to say to her. I thought I had already said enough in the hospital, but she had hardly swayed. Her mind set that she didn't love me anymore.

        Abruptly, I'm angry, hand tightening around the handle of the mug. Is it because of that other intern? I don't remember his name, but it was more than obvious how he felt towards Grace. Had I done something so horrendously that she would choose him over me?

        Stop sounding so selfish, I thought. I shouldn't be talking of Grace like she's a possession more than a person. I should be trying to respect her decision of trying to move on, right? If that's what she's doing, anyways.

           But I couldn't accept that. I wouldn't. Not when I was still aching like it was only yesterday when she said goodbye. I hated myself even more when I was reminded by my subconscious that it was my fault to begin with. I regretted it, more than anything. And I wished I could remember more of what really happened that night.

        My head jerked up when Jacob's fingers were snapping in front of my eyes. He gave me a look, almost amused. "I thought Medusa discretely came in and turned you to stone." Then he motioned towards my head. "Give that thing a break before you black out again on me."

        "Sorry," I murmured, setting the cup down and fiddling with my fingers. I looked around to see Josh was gone. "Where'd Josh go?"

        Jacob sighed like he was annoyed, yet his hands were firmly on his hips like he were teasing. "If you were listening, you'd know, wouldn't you? He had to go call some people or something." His eyebrows furrowed then. "Actually, I should take my own advice because I wasn't really listening, either."

        I laughed a little, though the sound was quiet and smothered by the storm outside. He slid into the seat in front of me again, eyes more concerned though still trying to keep a light mood.

        "You still gonna go by to talk to her today?"

        I hesitated only a moment before nodding.

        "Really talk to her?"

        I nodded again.

        "Like, exposing dirty secrets and conflicted emotions talking?"

        I narrowed my eyes. "Are you done?"

        He smirked. "No, but for your sake I will be."

        "Thank you."

        I got dressed a few minuted later, hoping the storm would die down just the littlest bit so I could get out the lobby and into a cab mostly dry. I asked Jacob what he planned to do while I was gone, and he had shrugged and said, "More likely than none, I'll go lie face down on that comfortable ass bed and float on clouds."

        Frowning, I leaned against the wall by the balcony and watched the rain. It didn't appear to slow at all, or even plan on giving out soon. I noticed how accurate Jacob's comparison to Niagara Falls actually was, but I would never give him to satisfaction of me agreeing with him. Truthfully, he teased me too much. So I smiled a little to myself instead before closing the balcony door.

        I grabbed a jacket, pulling the hood over my head to protect myself from at least some rain, and took the elevator down to the lobby. I waved down a taxi fairly quickly, though realized how little beneficial the hood actually was.

        "Crazy to be out here in this storm," the driver said. He looked in the mirror at me as I pulled off my hood. He smiled some. "Well, what do you know. My son's a big fan of you. Harry Styles, is it?"

        I nodded, trying to smile back. Smiling in front of strangers was not a habit I mastered over the course of time, not even really with Grace. Sure, it had been easier, more comfortable, but what use was it now?

        "Where can I chauffeur you to this lovely day?"

        So I told him Grace's address after peeking at the small paper tucked in my jacket pocket. He rambled on the entire drive about his son and how they had watched my previous fight, which led him to ask me how I was feeling. It was such an odd thing, a stranger being so genuine.

        "Good," I told him. "Better, I guess."

        He smiled as he pulled in front of the apartment complexes. He turned around to face me, smile still wide. "Tell you what. You give me an autograph I can take home to my son, and you got this ride free. I'll even pick you up to take you back, if you'd like."

        I frowned at him for a moment, just taken aback with his politeness. "Oh, well thank you. Do you have something for me to write on?"

        I ended up signing a napkin he had in the glove box with a cheesy little note he requested I added. He gave me his card so I could call him for a ride back, and I thanked him again. Before I got out, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a fifty dollar bill, not really knowing what cabs costed but sliding it through the window to him anyways.

        He frowned this time. "I told you. You didn't have to pay. Seeing my son's smile will be enough."

        I felt awkward trying to smile back, but did anyways. "Just keep it. Especially since you're kind enough to drive me back."

        Before he could protest, I opened the door and hurried under the little cover of the apartment complexes. My luck, it was the only cover. Not even the apartment doors had covers over them, just a strip of concrete wide enough for them to walk on and get through their door.

        I huffed, goosebumps covering my arms from being so damp but headed up the three flights of stairs anyways. I blinked the rain out of my eyes, looked for her number, pushed my hair out of my eyes, looked for her number, and then finally spotted it close to the end.

        Admittedly, I stood there longer than I should have. I was already freezing from the rain. I raised my hand to knock and my arm had froze, and I realized I didn't think I could actually do this. Hadn't she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me anymore?

        I shook my head. I didn't spend an awkward ride with a taxi driver and stand in the rain for nothing. So without giving myself a chance to change my mind, I knocked twice.

        A muffled voice came from inside, but I couldn't make out words with the cement separating us and the rain still beating down furiously. I wrapped my arms around myself, teeth chattering but I waited. I was desperate for at least a little sun at four in the afternoon, though to no avail, and I still waited.

        The door swung open while she was talking, "I told you to just honk so you didn't have to--"

        But her eyes widened when she saw me, instead of whoever she thought it was. I pushed that thought aside before it could anger me and focused on those brown eyes, how bright they still were.

        "Jesus Christ," she said, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me inside. "Are you crazy?"

        But I didn't have time to answer her before Grace ran down a hallway, the sound of a door clicking open. I rubbed my hands together, standing awkwardly at the door and still trying to come up with what I planned to say. I had it all figured out before I left.

        Damn her for always rendering me speechless, but don't damn her because she didn't deserve that.

        Jesus, what a muddled mess my head's become.

        Grace returned with two towels and she draped one around my shoulders. She was still scolding me under her breath, but I caught sight of her outfit instead. She was wearing a tank top with some band name on it, fitted skinny jeans hugging her legs and Vans covering her feet. Her hair wasn't straight like it usually was, but wavy. Halfway, like I had interrupted her in the midst of loosely curling it.

        "What are you doing standing out in the rain?" she nearly yelled, eyes still gaping at me. Again, I had no time to answer before she took the other towel and ruffled my hair with it.

        "I can do that myself, you know," I said quietly, but would really rather her do it for me. Was that weird?

        She shook her head at me, sighing and pulled the towel off my head after she was satisfied that was as dry as she could get it. I was no longer dripping, so I supposed that was a good thing. But my feet were soaked and I was still freezing.

        "Take your shoes off," she told me. "I'll go put a blanket in the dryer and then you can explain your insanity to me."

        She said it jokingly, just like the old Grace would have. And yet, for some reason, it stung a little this time.

        I felt insane. Always wondering about her. Always needing her. Always scared of failure or being alone. These petty things that shouldn't matter and yet they do somehow, immensely so. I hated how easily I could get disgruntled, how easy it was to fall into that dark pit.

        I must have thought too much, because Grace was already back, pulling the blanket around me and it was burning hot. But it felt good, so I closed my eyes a brief moment and tugged it further around me.

        "Any other time," she said, "I'd say we should sit on the couch. But I don't want my couch wet, so..." And then she sat down, right there on the floor and nodding her head to the spot in front of her.

        I almost smiled. It felt so plain, so simple, and yet just proved how Grace was still Grace. She wasn't my Grace anymore, at least not now, but she was still Grace.

        I sat, and the adrenaline must have fled her because she was fumbling with her hands. She still hadn't rid of that nervous habit. I tried to will myself to say something, but I was still unsure of what I should say, or how I should even start the conversation.

        "Okay," Grace practically whispered, her eyes meeting mine. "At least tell me hypothermia wasn't your next move to go to a hospital."

        I gave her a look, and she smiled just the slightest but broke our gaze. I sucked in a breath, looked to the floor. "We left off on a bad foot," I said quietly, picking at the fray on my jeans. "Guess I wanted to fix that."

        She was quiet a long moment. Almost too quiet and yet I could feel her stare on me. She tried to lighten to mood with, "In the middle of a hurricane warning?" but got no reaction from me. So her voice fell a little softer and she asked, "Was there anything in particular you wanted to say?"

        I had stopped shivering by now, the warm blanket still pulled around me. I brushed my hair from my eyes and forced myself to look up at her. But the question I asked wasn't the one I meant to. "Do you hate me now?"

        I guess I sounded pitiful or pathetic or both because her lips parted and her eyes held a look I couldn't decipher. But her answer was quick, which was relieving.

        "I don't hate you, Harry." She took in a breath, looked away. "I just hate how you ended it."

        "Grace..." I was shaking my head, frustrated with myself. "Please, just tell me what I did. What I said wrong or whatever it was. I honestly have no idea and it's been eating me alive."

        She looked up at me, and I was surprised to see her eyes glossed over, yet she forced a smile. Hadn't I seen her pull that move before? When she fell into her own little dark pit and wouldn't let me in. She had given me that look many of times, and each time, it still managed to break me piece by piece.

        "It doesn't matter," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm over it, I promise."

        She was lying to me. I could tell by how she twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her sign that she was lying, but I ignored that right now.

        "I'm not over it," I told her. "I'm not over it because I don't even know what happened, and I still regret it."

        Grace opened her mouth to speak, but there was a car honk outside. She sniffed, wiped her eyes though no tears had fell, and stood. "I'm sorry, Harry. I really need to go finish getting ready."

        I stood, too, staring at her. "Where are you going?" I followed her to the bathroom, where she was scrambling to finish her hair.

        "A friend managed to get some tickets to a concert," she said. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, but her lips were taut.

        I frowned. "A concert?"

        She hissed when she burned her finger, but continued anyways. "Mhmm. We're gonna get some dinner beforehand."

        Another honk outside, and a few minutes later, her phone buzzed on the counter. She peeked at it, and I couldn't help but peek at it.

        I wished I hadn't.

        "Who's Evan?" I inquired, trying not to sound nosy, though the name sounded familiar.

        She gave me a look in the mirror. "The other intern at the hospital. I introduced you guys, remember?"

        I pursed my lips.

        "I'm sure he won't mind giving you a ride back to your hotel or wherever you're staying. He's actually a big fan."

        "Grace--"

        She finished her hair, turning to look at me with her eyes hinting no emotion. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Maybe we can finish that talk some other time?"

        So I took that as notion that she hadn't moved on, and though I felt a little better, I still really didn't want her going with this Evan person. I think she knew he liked her, but she led no hint to prove it. But how could you not know with how obvious he was?

        I ran a hand through my hair, licking my lips. "Yeah, I guess."

        She looked like she wanted to say more, but her phone buzzed again and she picked it up to answer. I swallowed, backing out of the bathroom a bit and shoving my hands in my still damp pockets. The sound of her clicking her phone off brought my attention back.

        "He's excited to meet you. Like, really meet you." There was that forced smile again, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from calling her out on it.

        She had two umbrellas, informing me that one was hers and the other her roommate, who was at school. I followed her down to this Evan person, and I kept myself from declining a car ride and walking. I knew Grace wouldn't let me do that anyways, whether she were mad at me or not.               

        This Evan person immediately began rambling when I slid into the backseat of his small car, but I couldn't hear him. I couldn't hear the rain anymore or the sound of cars speeding by.

        All I heard was the sound of Grace's silence back in her apartment when she had started to tear up, and that was the sound that spoke the loudest.

(early update for being gone so long. pardon any mistakes, I have family coming over x)