The car drive was silent. I couldn’t help but think about the small secret he had revealed and the way I had obviously rubbed salt on a raw wound. I looked over at him, but his fist was clenched around the steering wheel. I sighed. When we parked in the parking lot he locked the doors before I could exit.

“About before... I want to explain. Because I know you are probably wondering. And you deserve to know the truth. It was the accident. I think you should know what happened” His sentence was disjointed, but I knew what he was getting at.

I looked at Harry and nodded in approval.

“I blame myself. I had just got my learners permit, so I could drive and I wanted to get experience so I asked if I could drive to my Aunt’s house for a family lunch we had on. Mum was nervous with my driving so she never supervised me but dad agreed so mum sat unwillingly in the back. We had just had a fight so there was a lot of tension. It was rainy and frosty so this didn’t help mum’s dissatisfaction. I had entered the highway, but I didn’t do the proper check with entering and there was another car in my blind spot. I tried to swerve after dad’s anxious shouting but it was too late. Everything went black. And then I woke up in the hospital days later with the beeping of the machines that were attached to me. The nurse tried to inform me that my parents were dead, but I wouldn’t let her speak, I couldn’t, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe what she was saying. Then everything went blank, the beeps were all I heard, not the voices of the nurses, and all I saw was a white blur, and nothing made sense anymore, I felt nothing, I just felt numb. I stayed that way for a long time, I don’t even know how long, but until the staff had to force me out of the hospital. And then I changed, I had to, because if I went back to the way I was before the accident, I would be a person susceptible to the pain, or worse I would feel nothing. I had to change so I could deal with it.” He paused. Tears welled in his eyes, revealing this wasn’t a story he often shared. “And I felt guilty because not only was I driving, but I survived and I wanted, more than anything, to give my life just so they could get there’s back but that kind of thing just doesn’t happen. It sucks, you know, of how unfair life is. Look, Lucy, I understand if you don’t want to hang out. People at my old school wanted nothing to do with me when they found out it was my fault. Everyone acted like I was a murderer. I guess they were right.” He looked at me with uncertainty, as though at any moment I would run and hide.

I was just hurt and angry. I mean, hurt that someone could be so heartless as to walk out of his life but angry that they could blame him for something that was just a horrific accident and leave when he just needed someone to be there for him.

“You couldn’t help it” I tried to speak through a crack in my voice. My voice was but a whisper, sound struggling to form and leave my lips.

I felt the tears roll down my cheeks. I laughed at myself for being this soppy girl that I had once hated on for being cheesy and predictable. But I suddenly understood and that girl that once never felt a thing, suddenly felt. As cheesy as it sounds, I was fixed by a boy that I was infatuated with. I hugged him before unlocking the door and getting out.

“I understand. I understand what you are trying to say. I won’t leave. I’m here for you Harry. Always.” I smiled at him.

“You don’t know how much that means to me. I don’t mind if you call me Haz. It’s kind of nice. It takes me back. You know?” He said, weakly smiling.

“I’ll see you at lunch, Haz” I said. He smiled.

I walked towards my first class before an object blocked me.

“What the hell was that?!” it was Tabby.

“Huh?” I said confused.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. The whole thing with the new boy. You were in his car! You hugged. What the hell is happening, and why haven’t I heard anything about this! You said like less than 24 hours ago that you didn’t know anything about him.” She spoke at a very quick pace.

“Let’s just say it has been the longest 24 hours of my life.” I laughed at my best friend’s bedazzled state. I then laughed at the memories of the last day. Yes, it was only 24 hours, but it had felt like so much longer, and I knew Harry felt that way too. I had fallen for a boy that 24 hours ago I had only first laid my eyes on.

“Spill Luce” she said sternly.

I laughed but linked my arm with hers and walked to first period English. I debriefed her on the last 12 hours or so that she had missed. She looked at me in shock after I finished telling her the story. Of course I skipped the details about our intimate moment in the car this morning and anything related to his past. I mainly focused on our movie date this morning, but I knew that would have been enough for her.

“Oh my god, he is totally gorgeous. How did you get so lucky Lucy Isabella George? I want your life.” She giggled and pretended to faint. “Save me Harry, save me!” she mimicked.

“Oh shut up, you tosser” I laughed as I pulled her into the classroom.

Notes

Let me know what you guys think! xo