Separately Together

Chapter Six: 2/2

I only ended up being five minutes late for work and no one noticed. It was an uneventful day and soon enough I was returning to my empty apartment, with plenty of time to spare, so I called the places I needed to and made reservations.

The winery wasn't expensive, the trolly either, but the bar and the escape room were what made the price add up quickly.

Going through my recent calls, Harley's number was the last one on the screen seeing as no one had called today. I saved his number with his name. I would probably need to get in touch with him again about the wedding. Regardless it was good to have.

Me: I made all of the payments. When do you want to get your card back?

I glance at it and find it to be too direct.

Me: Thank you again.

That was better.

Harley doesn't reply right away, instead, I'm stuck in this silent house staring at all the new decoration that replaces the old ones. It wasn't nature-themed like I liked it anymore. It was music themed which wasn't the worst thing but not to my taste. He always ruins anything good in my life and it's like I can't move forward, I'm stuck being pestered by the memory of him.

I want to be rid of him for good but there is no way to do that, even in prison he has people pestering me and it just opens the wound wider. God forbid when he gets out how much worse it's going to get.

This apartment didn't feel safe anymore, I needed to move soon, so I could have a little piece of mind back. Maybe then that suffocating feeling of him looming over my back watching everything I do will go away.

~.~.~.~.~

I'm woken up by the ringing of my phone, before I pick it up, I glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand and see that it is already one in the morning. Who would be calling me this late? Was something wrong?

I pick it up not glancing at the id on the call too worried about something being wrong. The only people that ever called me were Finnic, Liz, Ms. Debra, and my mother. See how two of those people were completely irrational It had to be my brother or my best friend.

"H-Hello?" I know whoever is on the other end of the line can hear the depth in my sleep-deprived voice. They couldn't blame me and it being this late at night.

"It's Harley. Come open the door." Following his voice, I heard a tap on the door. I hung up the phone and jumped out of bed forgetting all about my oversized t-shirt barely hiding my behind.

My first thought was going to something had happened to Finnic. Why else would Harley Walker be outside my door at this hour? I peek through the peephole and see him still dressed in his tuxedo. I unlock all the locks that were recently replaced. "Is everything already? Are you hurt? Is Finnic hurt?" The questions fly out of my mouth before he even has time to step through the threshold.

"I'm fine. Finnic's fine. You're bleeding." Harley points to my hand and I notice for the first time the blood dripping from my fingertips. He grabs my hand up so he can look at it, and he flips it so that he can see my palm. Little crescent-shaped marks line the center, the cuts deep into my flesh. I must have had a nightmare, it happened before but it's been so long I had forgotten that I do this in my sleep.

Harley doesn't need me to explain, he just guides me into my kitchen. "Sit down." He points to one of my tall bar stools while he starts rummaging through my cabinets.

"The first aid kits are in the top cabinet to the left," I explain when he started going in the complete opposite way. He follows my directions and pulls out my small first aid kit, all it had in it was band-aids and disinfectant in it. Good thing that's all I need this time. I'd look into getting one a little more equipped soon.

"Hold out your palms." I should have thought about letting him in so quickly though, I was still in a big, oversized t-shirt and panties. Luckily, it was long enough to cover everything, it is one of Finnic's old ones.

I do as he says, and he pushes my fingertips down flat so that he can see the wounds better. They weren't too bad, but Harley was treating it like it was an actual cut. He was fussing over me, and I haven't had this kind of attention in a while. It felt nice, to be taken care of, I didn't have anyone in my life that did that for me anymore. Mother was off limits right now, Finnic was busy with wedding planning, which left me to take care of myself and it got exhausting sometimes. So I decided I would enjoy the brief moment of being fussed over.

"You going to tell me what you're doing here at one in the morning?" He hadn't explained himself even after he had covered the small wounds with a bandaid.

"My meeting lasted a little longer than I thought it would. Finnic's out of town, and no hotel check-ins are open. Small town problems." He picks up my arm by the elbow and starts to wipe off the blood that was smeared across my pale skin. His scent invaded my nostrils and my brain, throwing out anything I was thinking about and changing it to how good he smelled. Our eyes locked, "Or maybe I just wanted to see you."

My lips parted and my heart raced quickly, I knew he was joking. He had to be, but I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, that he missed me just as much as I missed him. Or rather the feelings that he invoked inside of my body, it felt like he was waking my dormant body up, making me feel again when I thought that was impossible.

"You're lucky I don't have work in the morning." I joke and hop down from the chair and start walking away toward the bedroom. I glance at my bed but see blood all over the sheets. Great.

I walk out and go to the hall closet pulling out two covers. Looks like I'm sleeping in the living room.

While I was grabbing covers, he had changed into a white t-shirt and gym shorts. He didn't look right in them either. Harley looked like he should only ever be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. In anything else, he seemed like a different person. The once quiet apartment is now filled with tv speakers and the breathing of another human being.

"Here." I throw him the biggest cover figuring he needed it more than I did with his massive stature. He caught it with ease and started to spread the cover out over him pulling a couch pillow under his head.

He eyes me cautiously when I lay down on the other side of the sectional. "You're not going to sleep?"

"My bed had blood on it. Am I bothering you?" Was he one of those people that couldn't sleep in front of people? Maybe not because I didn't feel like changing the sheets out tonight. His eyes never leave me as I spread the cover out over myself and pull a throw pillow under my head. This couch was comfortable.

"No. Am I You?" He asks as I nuzzle my head causing my hair to spread out everywhere in frizzy curls.

"No. I don't like being alone." Harley knew this, he should know his presence would always be welcome.

"Why?" He says lazily, sleeps nearly having its hold on his.

"I don't want to say." I stare at his face with his eyes closed. Taking the opportunity to notice all the trivial details that I can't spot with him looking at me because his eyes are so captivating. He had a small scar on his eyebrow from fighting when he was younger. Another reminder that this was Harley, the same Harley that I grew up beside for the most part. The feelings I felt were wrong.

"I don't like being alone either."

I smile knowing he's not going to answer but I still have to ask.

"Why?"

"I don't want to say." A little after this, his breath grew deeper and even letting me know he finally had gone to sleep. He slept like he hadn't slept in weeks as did I, finding comfort in each other's presence.

-.-.-.-.-
Don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you❤️