Still the One

When I wake up the next morning, Harry’s usual side of the bed is empty. I started to wonder if Harry coming home last night was just some sick dream that I made up in my mind to cope with him not being here. Just then, Harry emerges from the bathroom wrapped up in a white, fluffy towel. He smiles at me from across the room causing my stomach to tighten with butterflies. ‘I couldn’t sleep. If I knew you would be up, I would’ve waited for you to take a shower.’ He extends his arms out to me and I practically jump up from the bed to fall into them. I didn’t care if I was getting wet in the process, all I cared about was being with him once again. ‘I missed you too.’ Harry teases leaving several kisses on my head.

‘What on Earth are you doing here? I thought for sure you’d be off filming somewhere.’ I pull back to look up into his eyes. I take a moment to smile at how he towered over me.

‘I’m finished with the scenes in LA and I don’t have to be in France for a couple of days so I thought I would stop off to see my favorite girl in the world. I told you that I would come as soon as I got the chance, I just didn’t know it would be this soon.’

‘Thank you.’ I grab a hold of his large hands, instantly feeling his warmth, ‘I can’t tell you how much you being here means to me, especially with what’s happened.’

‘You do not have to thank me.’ He furrows his dark eyebrows, shaking his head several times. ‘I would do anything and go absolutely anywhere for you, Lib. It’s a no brainer.’

I decide to get into the shower while Harry gets dressed so that we could get breakfast. It felt odd, not being in Literature right now. I wonder if Mr. Jacobs spent the morning shamelessly eyeing my chair? Does my absence make him feel proud? Did he get his kicks knowing that I can’t face him? ‘You look pretty.’ Harry compliments as he pulls me down the long staircase with him, ‘where does my girlfriend want to get something to eat?’

‘You can choose.’ I nestle against him as he fishes in the key bowl for his Range Rover keys.

‘Bandit, are you really not going to acknowledge my presence? I mean I have been gone for nearly two weeks.’ Harry scoffs as Bandit casually strolls to his dish to eat his breakfast, ‘I swear Libby, that cat hates me.’

‘I see him every day and he ignores me half the time.’ I joke leading the way out to the expansive driveway. ‘So where are we going to eat?’

‘Actually, can we just make a quick stop.’ Harry wonders as he opens my door for me like he always did. ‘I called the president of the school and we had a serious, long talk yesterday about the conduct of its employees. He wants to have a bit of a sit down with us this morning.’

‘What? What do you mean that you talked to the president? How could you do that Harry without talking to me? You cannot just spring this on me.’ I could already feel my hands getting sweaty and my stomach turning. ‘I just told you that I couldn’t face him and this is what you do? Then you tell me at the last minute?’

‘Libby, the last thing that I wanted to do was upset you. You’re right, I should’ve talked to you about it before I made any decision on your behalf. I’m sorry. I just don’t want this guy to get away with what he did to you or give him the opportunity to do it to someone else.’ Harry eyes me carefully, briefly taking his eyes off the road.

‘I just don’t think I can do it.’

‘The president assured me that he wouldn’t be a part of the meeting, just the three of us. He doesn’t want you to feel overwhelmed, he just wants to hear what happened. As for you not being able to do it, I have the upmost faith in you. You can do anything, Lib. I know you can.’ The more he talks, the more I start to feel at ease. ‘If you’re not up to it, then okay. I’ll just cancel the meeting until you feel like you want to tell someone. Until then, I’ll just sit here and listen.’ With that, he pulls over and puts the car into park. ‘Just tell me what to do and I’ll follow your lead.’

‘And he won’t be there?’

‘He won’t.’ Harry rests his chin on his large hand, waiting for my word.

‘Okay.’

‘And you’re one hundred percent sure that you want to do this? You don’t have to.’

‘I owe it to the other girls and to myself.’ I nod with conviction as Harry starts to drive down the road once again.

Before I could blink, we were in the university’s parking lot. As we walk through the halls Harry gets several double takes as expected. I grab a hold of his hand as the secretary lets us into the president’s office. ‘You got this.’ Harry whispers as we sit down in the two tall, probably really expensive leather chairs.

‘Hello, Miss. White. Mr. Styles here believes that there’s something that needs to be brought to my attention about one of the faculty members here. Could you please elaborate on what happened between you and Mr. Jacobs?’

I briefly glance over at Harry who gives me a supportive smile while giving my hand a firm squeeze. The president, Mr. Hughes leans back in his chair, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. ‘I went to Mr. Jacobs’ office, just like the other students. We had to set appointments to talk to him about where we stand in the course. He started talking about some internship that he could put in a good word for. That’s when he came over to give me the flyer, he put his hand on my upper thigh.’ I murmur lowly as Harry’s jaw tightens. ‘He started to run it up and down and I stood up to leave. Mr. Jacobs followed me to the door and put his hand on my shoulder, and…’

I open my mouth to continue when the back door to the office pushes open and Mr. Jacobs scrambles in. I’m guessing he’s just heard everything from the look on his face, ‘I’m sorry I could not sit back and let some mixed signals cost me my career. I’ve worked my way up the ranks to earn this job.’

‘Will, get out of here!’ Mr. Hughes exclaims as he forces his way out of his chair, ‘I told you that you couldn’t be a part of this!’

‘I have a right to face my accuser. I just find it interesting Miss. White didn’t object throughout this term to previous advances. Mac, I understand this is highly inappropriate but I didn’t force myself on anyone. I believed that we were just two consenting adults. I’m not sure if Miss. White is scared of what Mr. Styles would think but we had several friendly occasions outside of the classroom. I went out of my way that she didn’t feel uncomfortable and I’m horrified that it’s come to this. I assure you that if Miss. White ever discussed her discomfort with me I would’ve corrected it immediately.’

My nervous eyes find Harry as he angrily stares down Mr. Jacobs. I knew that he was about to implode the more that Mr. Jacobs tried to justify what happened in his office. Suddenly, his hand isn’t wrapped around mine anymore. He silently stands to his feet, with his hands formed into tight fists. ‘Harry.’ I call out grabbing a hold of his shirt, giving it a tug. ‘C’mon.’

‘Yeah go on, Harry. Libby, I hope that you have your first draft on my desk during next class. We missed you today.’ Mr. Jacobs speaks with the cockiest smirk on his face, feeling accomplished.

Before I could process it, Harry turned on the heel of his shoe and connected his fist to Mr. Jacobs face. I watch silently as Mr. Jacobs falls back into Mr. Hughes, cautiously rubbing his jaw. Harry doesn’t say anything as he gently grabs a hold of my wrist to pull me out to the car. ‘I had to wipe that stupid look of his face some way.’ He run his free hand across his knuckles after starting the car up.

Breakfast was, different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but there was something off. I knew that he wanted to ask me something but he doesn’t. He just eyes me carefully from his seat of the booth while forcing himself to eat something. The woman in the booth beside us not so coyly took about a dozen pictures before finally putting her phone down. I exhale, lowering myself into the booth waiting for the waitress to come back with the check just so he could go ahead and ask. I knew that he wouldn’t as long as people were around.

Harry’s Point of View

‘So, should we talk about it?’ I wonder, pressing myself against the front door once we get into the house. ‘About what he said back there?’ I couldn’t help it. The moment the words left his smug face, it’s all that I could think about. It consumed me in the worst way. All I could think about was him somewhere with Libby. When the hell did they have encounters outside of class? She never told me anything like that.

Libby sits down on the bottom staircase, running an anxious hand up and down her arm. ‘It didn’t happen like he made it seem.’ She replies, folding her arms across her chest. ‘They were all coincidentally or knowing him, maybe they weren’t.’

‘But it did happen? Why didn’t you tell me before this? Maybe I could’ve done something, anything before it got to this point. I hate that you keep this all to yourself, we’re supposed to deal with these things together.’ Shut up. I couldn’t stop myself. The last thing I wanted to do right now was fight with Libby. None of this was her fault.

‘You have so much on your plate constantly. It never feels like it’s the right time to tell you something like that. I thought that I had it all handled.’ Libby speaks exasperatedly, I could tell that she was getting annoyed.

‘I’ve told you countless times, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’m here. I don’t care if I’m filming somewhere in LA or holed up in a studio for ten hours, I’m here. For you.’ From where I stood, I could see her eyes becoming clouded with salty tears. ‘I don’t give a damn about a movie, album, whatever – not when it comes to you. You are the most important thing to me, you know that.’

‘I’m sorry but that’s a little bit easier said than done. I can’t be your distraction, Harry. I always feel like I have to have it together constantly, standing there happily supporting you, rooting for you.’

‘How long?’ I push myself from the door to walk over near the staircase, ‘when did this all happen? When was the very first time that he even looked at you for too long?’ She doesn’t respond and I knew that I should’ve done a lot worse to him back there in that office, ‘That long, huh?’

‘Why are you doing this? Why are you picking and prodding at me? First, you ambush me with that meeting with the president without giving me the slightest warning and now I’m the one that supposed to feel bad for what he did? You didn’t give me time to tell you anything else!’ She yells at me, standing to her feet. Her voice shakes but she doesn’t back down. ‘It’s not fair.’

This is definitely not how I wanted to spend my mere 48 hours with her. I can’t think of anything to say as she rushes up the stairs to slam the door behind her. I try to run up behind her but my feet are glued to the floor. There’s nothing I can say to take back what I just did. Stubbornly, I go out the front door, slamming it as I take my pride along with me to the car. With one last look at the house, I back out the driveway, not really knowing exactly where I was headed.