Songs:
Fix You - Coldplay 

UNI - Ed Sheeran 

Skinny Love - Bon Iver

| fifty-eight |

Harry’s body was frozen. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every single fiber of his being had seemingly stopped functioning all at once. All because of one simple word: kiss. 

His thoughts began to grow wild. The demons that had been at bay over the past little while awoke. They too began to grow into a deep frenzy over this new revelation. A panic started to bubble inside of Harry. She didn’t cheat. She couldn’t have. No- she wouldn’t have. He had to be right. Ava didn’t seem to be the type of person to go and cheat. Especially knowing Harry’s past and his relationship with his birth mother. Her character seemed to have some type of decency to not succumb to this type of behaviour and action. 

At least - that’s what he kept telling himself. 

Harry’s love, the love that he had fallen head first into, began to come up with possible scenarios that would explain Ava and Mack kissing. 

The first scenario was that it wasn’t actually a kiss, but mouth to mouth resuscitation. Ava went to the pool one day and Mack being the dumb twit that he was, fell into the deep end and began to drown. Unfortunately Ava, having the kind hearted soul that she has, decided to be a saving angel and rescue him. He was unconscious and she could’t find it in herself to leave him to rot (as much as Harry would enjoy to see), and gave him the breath of life. 

But knowing how much Ava hates the water and how she was like a fish out of water, well, in the water, that scenario did not quite make sense. 

The second scenario was that Ava and Jax decided to join an improv group. Mack is actually gay (according to Harry), and is in love with Jax. Ava decided to set them up. During the improv class Mack was assigned a kissing scene. But when Ava went to volunteer Jax to go up, the bastard went to the washroom leaving Ava the only possible option. Hence the kiss. 

Except, Harry knew how much Ava hated talking in front of people. An improv class was a recipe for disaster, and possible dramatic fainting (minus the scene), and something that Ava would never do willingly. 

That left Harry with the only possible scenario. Mack is a complete jackass and kissed Ava when she was in a dark alleyway alone and vulnerable. Now he was just being an even bigger prick and bugging her about it. 

Yeah, Harry thought to himself, That was it. And when I see him, I’m going to murder the bastard.

But as much as Harry had hoped that this was actually Mack’s sick doing, a part of him was yelling that Ava had more to play than he hoped. That she had lied to Harry and was going behind his back. 

“Damn it Ava.” Harry growled under his breath. 

-

Ava opened the door of the bathroom. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest. She was beyond thrilled that Harry was here. 

She missed him. She missed him so much that everything that she had done behind his back was the least of her concern. All that she wanted to do right was savor her time with him. 

After freshening up, Ava went back into her bedroom. 

Harry was sat up. He was now dressed back into his tight black jeans and loose fitted plaid shirt. Ava’s brows scrunched up. She was absolutely confused. “Why are you dressed?” She carefully walked up to where Harry sat. His hands were in his lap holding on to something tightly. His eyes were dark and locked in on whatever it was that he was holding. 

As Ava grew closer her heart began to speed up. He was holding onto her phone. It was opened up to her text messages and Mack’s name was written clearly on top. 

“Why is Mack texting you?” Harry’s voice was low and deep. Not once did he look up to make eye contact. 

“Harry,” Ava spoke quietly. “Let me-”

“No, Ava. Answer the damn question.” He asked, his voice eerily calm. “Why is Mack texting you and talking about a fucking kiss?” 

Ava’s breath hitched in her throat. No, no, no, no, no! Her heart beat had now become even more erratic than before. She was certain that she was about to pass out. This cannot be happening.

“What are you talking about?” She carefully made her way closer to Harry. But not once did he look up to her. His knuckles were slowly turning white due to his firm grasp on her phone. She wanted to break down just at the sight. 

“Don’t act fucking stupid, Ava.” Harry growled. His eyes made contact with hers. The once calm, vibrant, green eyes were now pitch black and blazing with anger. 

“I-”

“Are you two friends again?” 

“We-I just-”

“Yes or no, Ava. A fucking simple answer.” He was standing now. The phone thrown somewhere across the room. Ava jumped back slightly completely startled. 

“No. Not any more.” She managed to keep her voice calm and leveled, when inside, everything was a chaotic mess. 

“Did you two hang out when I was gone?”

“Yes.” 

“Why?” He yelled this time. 

“He asked to see me, to explain.”

“When?” Harry’s voice calming down slightly, but the anger still screaming with each heavy breath he took. 

“When you left?”

“Fucking hell. What? The moment I leave you run to him?” Harry was livid. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as an attempt to calm his rigid breathing. 

“Sort of. He saw me in your car and asked to talk.” 

Harry stayed quiet. His eyes remaining focused on the wall beside Ava’s head. He couldn’t look at her. His whole body disgusted by it all. 

“Then what.”

“He asked to go to dinner. Just as friends.”

“You went?” 

“Yes.” 

“Fuck.” He said just under his breath. 

“We were friends before you and I got back together. Just friends.”

“Yeah until he tried to stick his tongue down your mouth!” He yelled. “Oh wait, I guess he already did that. Didn’t he.” He sneered. 

“Please just listen to me. Let me explain.” Ava pleaded, her hands reaching out for his. Harry took a step back not wanting to make any physical contact with Ava. 

“You have two fucking minutes to explain why you lied to me and why you kissed that fucking bastard. Why you cheated on me.” 

Ava’s heart broke even more. He looked absolutely defeated as he stood in front of her. He couldn’t believe this. All this time he had believed that they were okay. That their relationship was lie free. That they had an open communication full of love and trust. Clearly that was only one sided. And that thought alone broke Harry’s heart. 

“I never kissed him.” 

“Oh really?” Harry bitterly laughed. “That’s not what your shitty phone said.”

“He kissed me. I didn’t kiss him back.” 

“I’m sure you wanted to.”

“No, Harry!” She cried out, unable to hold her tears in. “When I realized what he was doing I pulled back. I love you so much. I would never kiss another guy.”

“Then why the fuck did you lie to me Ava? You hid this behind my back. And if you ask me, all your sneaking around shit is a lot worse than a fucked up kiss.” 

“I wanted to tell you,” Her voice growing louder. “I wanted to tell you that we were hanging out.” 

“Then why didn’t you? You knew how much I don’t trust that asshole and how much I dislike him.” 

“I know. I know! But - we were friends! I felt bad for dropping him like that when we first got back together. I felt like I owed it to him.”

“You owed him shit, Ava. You know that. That’s a fucking excuse.” 

“It’s not! I promise you.” She reached out and grabbed Harry’s hands into her own shaking hands. She held on to it with all of her might, not wanting to let him go. 

She was not going to let him go. Not again. 

“I was scared to tell you because I knew you were going to say no. I’m sorry for not telling you. I am so so sorry.” She cried. 

Harry could feel his resolve begin to clear away. But he held himself back. He wouldn’t let her cry on him. He wouldn’t let her win him back that easily. His heart was hurting. And it was hurting so fucking bad. 

“Why, Ava? Why?”

“Why what?” 

“Why would you even put yourself in a situation where he would kiss you? Are you that naive?” He spoke harshly not even bothering to control his voice. He had every right to feel this way. 

“I know. I know that it was naive of me to think that he wanted to just be my friend. And if it makes you feel any better, he used me.”

“What?” 

“He used me to get to back at you.”

Harry quickly let go of her trembling hands and took a step back towards the door. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He spoke relatively calm.

“Libby.” Ava whispered. 

-

Harry’s eyes grew livid at the mere mention of Libby. He didn’t want to think about that wretched girl anymore. The mere thought about that whore made bile rise to his lips. He regretted touching her, kissing her, or thinking that she could replace Ava. 

“What does that fucking bitch have to do with this?” 

“Her boyfriend is Mack’s cousin.” Ava’s voice grew louder. 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You did know that she had a boyfriend right?” Ava’s accusing voice growing even louder -  now sitting just below a full yell. “So when Mack saw you he was pissed off! He tried to kiss me, make me cheat, so that you would know what Libby’s boyfriend went through. So really, Harry, this is all your fucking fault!” She yelled. “It’s your fault that Mack kissed me. It’s your fault that I lost a good friend. It’s all your fault because you wouldn’t keep it in your pants!” She screamed.

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Harry yelled back. “Mack is a fucking asshole to think that she was all my fault. She was begging on her knees for me. I was innocent in all of that.” 

“You are an idiot, you know that? You should have stopped it once you found out she had a boyfriend. But you didn’t! You fucking didn’t! So the reason that we are now fighting over this is because of you!” She yelled, shifting the blame away from her. She knew that it wasn’t fair to blame this on Harry. It wasn’t really his fault. But the guilt that she was still harboring was now taking control. 

“Fucking hell, Ava. We both messed up! Don’t you go putting all the blame on me over something we both did.” Harry took a few deep breaths, calming his anger down completely. He didn’t want to yell about this. He didn’t want Mack to win.” I messed up when I didn’t stop it with Libby. But you fucking messed up too when you deliberately hid this from me and started to hang out with a guy you know I fucking despise.” 

 “So what now?” Ava’s anger now shifting down to tears. She didn’t know how this escalated so quickly. She hated that they were fighting over this, shifting blame on one another. Harry had a point. They both made mistakes. But when it came down to it, she didn’t want to lose Harry over something she did. She knew that she forgave him for everything that he did. She only hoped that he would forgive her for her own mistakes. 

“I think that we need a break.” He answered quietly. 

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. That was not what she thought he was going to suggest. 

“You want to break up?” She squeaked. 

“No. I just - I think we need some space from one another. I need to process all of this without wanting to punch a wall. Figure it all out. How I feel and shit.” Harry ran a frustrated hand through his curls. He didn’t want to break this off with Ava. But right now, he needed space from her. He needed to sort through his thoughts and having her this close made it difficult to think clearly.

“Please don’t leave me.” She begged quietly. 

“I just need some space.” Harry let go of Ava’s trembling hands, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, and walked towards her door. He didn’t look back. Her muffled cries ringing loud throughout the quiet apartment. 

“Don’t -” She whispered through the tears. 

“Goodbye Ava.” Harry walked out of the door shutting it behind him. He could hear her cries from the other side of the door. His own tears beginning to fall out onto his cheeks. 

How the hell did this happen? He thought to himself. One moment they were making love in her bed, to screaming and creating space between them. 

This was not how he expected his night to go. Not at all. 

- 

A/N: I realize this is shorter than usual. Sorry about that! But please Vote + Comment! Let me know your thoughts. :) 

J xx