Chapter Six: A Surprise Visitor

I swear I just stood staring at her flabbergasted for several minutes before she chuckled uncomfortably and said, “Uh, can I come in?”

I took a step back and she walked in, wringing her hands together. Shaking my head and blinking rapidly to bring myself back to earth, I gently closed the door. As I turned around to head back into the main part of my suite, I texted Paul saying, “Never mind”. Shuffling, I made my way over to where she was standing but kept my distance and kept quiet. I didn’t know what to say to her. I had expected a text or maybe even a phone call but not an unexpected visit to my hotel room. How did she even know where I was staying and which room it was? “How…” I began.

“How did I figure out where you were staying?” She interrupted. I nodded stupidly, still in shock that she was even here. “Come on, Harry! As if the thousands of girls outside isn’t an obvious sign and to be honest all I had to do was ask an update account on Twitter. They gave it to me immediately,” she said sounding a bit amused with herself.

“Oh,” I replied. I furrowed my brow and went to sit in one of the single cushion chairs so she wouldn’t be able to sit close to me. I ran a hand through my hair and then fixed it afterwards.

She sat down in the chair next to me and asked, “Are you alright? You only ever run your hand through your hair and then fix it when you’re upset about something.” I gazed at her in bewilderment. How could she possibly still remember? We hadn’t seen each other in over three years. She averted her eyes and I watched as her cheeks flushed. She cleared her throat and said quietly, “Just because I haven’t seen you in quite some time, Harry doesn’t mean I don’t remember you and your quirks.” Once again, I couldn’t find anything to say back. I was never at a loss for words… Okay I take that back, sometimes I am. We sat quietly and finally, she groaned and stood up quickly. She stood over me with her hands on her hips and glared down at me. “Will you please say something?! I am dying over here!”

I felt anger swell in my chest but I held it at bay and stood up so I towered over her. I was a good fifteen and a half centimeters taller than her. She craned her neck back slightly to keep our gaze locked. “What do you want me to say, Dani? You show up here unexpected and expect me to act as if no time has passed as if there isn’t any residual hurt left behind. I can’t do that, I still am trying to wrap my mind around the idea that you’re even here. So yeah, I am finding it difficult to find words to say something.”

She took a step back, shocked. Her eyes began to shine as tears built up in her tear ducts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would still even care.”

“Of course I care, Dani. You know me!” I said, trying to keep my voice from rising in volume. 

She shook her head and looked back up at me, a glint in her eye. “How was I supposed to know you still cared, Harry? For over a year, I emailed you almost every month and not once did you ever reply! What was I supposed to think?”

I sighed, “I know. I don’t blame you. I was a complete git.”

“You’re right you were but I also understand that you were hurt because I was as well,” she replied quietly as she shuffled her feet and stared at the ground.

I started to reach out for her but thought better of it and retracted my hand, “I know before you got here, I had just finished reading through all of the emails I ignored of yours over the years.”

She jumped and stared at a look of slight horror on her face. “You did?!” I nodded and she continued, “I didn’t think you kept them…”

“I did. I think we need to talk, Dani,” I said.

She was shaking her head determinedly now and backing up to the door. “I can’t… I can’t do this right now.” Once the words left her mouth, she turned and ran out of the room. Without a moment of hesitation, I was chasing after her.

There were a few security guys outside in the hallway and when Dani ran passed them obviously upset and then I came quickly after, they tried to stop me. I believe I shoved several of them away and said, “Dani! Wait!” She didn’t take the elevator, she threw the stair door open and began her descent with me on her heels. We got to the first floor and she burst through the door before me and as I went out, someone grabbed me. I turned on him to see Paul. “Paul, let me go! I have to go after her!” I said in hysterics. I couldn’t let her get away again! I wouldn’t allow it!

“Harry, there is paparazzi out there. You can’t be seen chasing after a girl they haven’t ever seen before,” he reasoned.

I squirmed in his grip. “But I have to, Paul. It was Dani.”

“I know it was. I gave her permission to go up. You have her email and I have her cell number. You can reach her that way, Harry,” he reasoned once again.

I calmed down a plan formulating in my mind. “Okay, will you let me go now?” Paul nodded and as soon as he let me go, I raced outside. I looked from left to right trying to find Dani, but she was long gone. “No, this can’t be happening,” I groaned. I placed both of my hands on top of my head and looked around with a distraught expression on my face. People were flashing their cameras and I groaned. I turned back around and went back into the hotel. I could hear fans screaming at me but I just looked in their direction, smiled, and waved as I continued on my way. I got to the elevators and pressed the up button. I stood their feeling completely distraught. The doors opened to an elevator on my right and I entered. Once in, I groaned once again and said, “I can’t believe I lost her again! Ugh! Why?!” I pounded my fist on the wall next to me and then just took a deep calming breath.

My mind was running a million miles and minute. I was trying to figure out what to do and then it finally hit me: I found her once, I’d find her again! There was no way I was going to let her get away! I loved her too much! The elevator doors opened on my floor and I strutted to my suite with a new found conviction. I was going to find her and I was going to fix this. I didn’t care how long it took me; I loved her too much to just let her get away again!