Chapter 2 of my new Twiddler story.
Don't worry I am still writing all the other stories, I've just kinda got a little bit of a block on them, I'm working through it though I promise!
Edward checked the time again, it was 12:30, he had to stop worrying, he had plenty of time.
Hours and hours.
He sighed to himself, rounding the corner on the high-street, feeling his heart in his throat and butterflies in his stomach.
Keep calm.
He was meeting a friend for coffee. That was all.
Stop freaking out, it wasn't a date, he wasn't cheating.
He hadn't contacted Harvey saying 'Hey, wanna meet up and fuck?!'
He shouldn't feel bad about it.
He would never cheat on Jon.
He stopped at the Café jour, and peered in the window.
He briefly wondered if there was a 'Café nuit', but then he saw Harvey.
When he saw Harvey, everything seemed to stop, even his pulse itself.
He swallowed hard, and swung open the door. Hearing the bell jingle, Harvey lifted his head, and smiled.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't come…" the tall man said gently.
Edward nodded again, looking over Harvey's frame; the bi-coloured, half mussed hair, the half-burned face, the fantastically blue eyes, the tailored suit.
He must look like a tramp in comparison, he wasn't even wearing a jacket.
"I-I almost didn't…" Edward said quietly, suddenly unsure of how to act, how to stand, what to do with his hands.
"What do you mean?" Harvey asked, pushing his foot against the empty chair to push it out, and offer to Edward.
Edward took a tentative seat, and shrugged, "Jon was… he felt a bit sick, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go to work, and… I wouldn't have been able to leave him."
Harvey frowned, Jon was so controlling over Edward.
"No, No I mean…" Edward started, feeling Harvey's eyes on him, knowing what that look meant, "I meant, I would'a felt bad leaving him if he was ill."
Harvey huffed gently, "Of course…"
Edward smiled.
"Don't do that," Harvey said briskly.
"Do what?"
"Smile. When you have something you want to say, but you feel you shouldn't, you smile."
"It's just a smile," Edward said, somewhat disheartened.
Harvey shook his head, "You used to smile… differently."
Edward shook his head, smiling still, he sighed gently, knowing Harvey was right, "…Are you going to get me a drink or what?"
Harvey smirked, knowing he had made his point, "Of course. What would you like?"
Edward hummed gently, "Ribena? With ice?"
Harvey chuckled, lifting himself from his chair, he let his hand slide across Edward's shoulder as he passed, "You're such a child."
Edward pouted slightly, "I am not. I just… like Ribena."
Harvey laughed, and went to order Edward his drink.
Edward sat and watched Harvey, he kept looking back towards Edward, but not fully looking at him.
His touch had… sparked something in him, it had brought his heart into his throat, and made all physical feeling leave him.
A feeling he'd not felt in so long.
He felt his leg twitch involuntarily, watching still as Harvey took the drink and walked back to the table. "So um…" Edward picked at his nails through nervousness, "is there any particular reason you asked me here?"
Harvey shrugged, sliding the glass across the table, resting it in front of the ginger haired man. Edward outstretched his hand to take the drink, and their fingers touched. Edward glanced down that the joined fingers, and swallowed.
Harvey smiled, "I came here for the same reason you did."
Edward's eyes dropped, and his hand receded from the glass "I don't know why I came."
Harvey sat back in front of Edward, smiling, "I know. You came because you're unhappy…"
"No I'm not, I'm perfectly happy," Eddie said in a weak protest.
The tall man shook his head, "You don't know it yet. But tonight, after you've had… empty, loveless sex with your boyfriend, you'll rush straight to your phone to see if I've texted you."
Edward clenched his fist, holding his breath in him, Trying to seem offended, acting as if that wasn't true, as if that wasn't what he'd done for the past 5 nights in a row.
"We're a lot smarter than people think, Edward, we used to be the district attorney. I know how people think. I know when they're lying, when they're lying to themselves. And, Edward, I have never seen someone lie more than you."
"I…" Edward stuttered, his eyes darting everywhere but Harvey's face, "I… I'm not…"
"You're not happy…" Harvey finally took his hand from the glass, letting it rest naturally on the table, "I know I could make you happy."
Edward's eyes finally lifted to Harvey's, "You don't know that Harvey."
"I know I could make you happier than he does."
"You don't know that Harvey," Edward repeated with a growl.
Harvey slammed his fist on the table, "You have bruises on your neck Edward. I know he caused them"
Edward recoiled in his seat, suddenly stricken by terror.
"Edward…" Harvey said softly, re-taking his seat, putting a hand to his forehead, "I hate seeing you like this… Seeing someone I care for... I know he scares you, I know you're afraid of him. You shouldn't be afraid of someone you're supposed to love."
The dark haired man downed what little of his drink he had left, and got to his feet. He held his hand to Edward's arm, caressing it gently, "Just… I'm not going to make you leave him, I know what that'll do to you… but if you do leave him. There are still people who love you, who won't… do what he does. I'm here for you, I have a room for you. I'll even paint it how you like."
Edward smiled sadly, trying to avoid Harvey's eyes, "Thank you Harvey… I think I needed to hear that."
"I'll see you later Edward… let me know what you decide."
Hours later Jon fell onto the bed, quickly he fell asleep.
Edward walked into the bathroom, limping a little, and he checked his phone.
No texts from Harvey. He felt a lump in his throat.
He suddenly felt like crying.
He pulled up a new message, to Harvey, simply saying Ok.
