(It's been SO LONG since I've updated this story! I'm so sorry! I started it like a month ago and it's kinda just been collecting dust ever since... I'm so sorry! I know I'm horrible, please forgive me D:)

3

"Heather, is that you?" Her warm, dimpled smile is so familiar.

Too familiar.

It makes me sick to my stomach with longing for the curly haired boy with the exact same smile.

I gasp, suddenly short of air. I suck in breath after breath but I can't slow my heart beat that is echoing off the walls. The usually comforting scent of coffee beans turns into a thick mist, making it even harder to gather oxygen into my panicking lungs. My legs give out from under me and I grab the counter to hold myself up as I look into her familiar irises.

Is this real?

The world is darkening around me.

What is air?

I feel sick. I'm sure I look it, too.

She looks at me with concern, caring as always. A million memories are flashing through my mind at the speed of light, giving me whiplash.

"Are you alright, love?" The only mother figure I have ever really had asks. I'm very lightheaded, but I manage a nod. I can feel another worried pair of eyes on me, and I know instantly just by the feeling of it that it's Liam, looking cautiously between the busty woman and I after noticing my flustered appearance.

I steal a quick look at him, shooting a reassuring smile letting him know that I'm fine. When I turn back to Anne, her eyes are locked on him. "Who is that?" She asks curiously, but there's a hint of bitterness in her sweet tone.

"Liam." I can't go into any more detail; my voice is shaky and raspy due to my overly dry mouth and throat. I swallow, trying to get it to go back to normal. She offers a tight smile, looking back at me before giving me a bear hug out of nowhere. I quickly recover and hug her back. We pull away and smile. It's so nice having her here, I'm already starting to feel better. "It's been so long!" She exclaims. "I thought you were in America?" I open my mouth to answer, but am interrupted.

"Heather!" I turn my head in the direction that my name was called from. Liam looks apprehensive from behind the second counter. "Get back to work."

I nod before I turn back to Anne, smiling apologetically. "I can wait for your shift to be over?"

"Are you sure? It doesn't end for another 30 minutes." I say. She pulls out the new iPhone5.

"That's what this baby is for." I laugh and nod.

The rest of the shift passes agonizingly slow, and I mess up a lot of orders due to my lack of focus. I fill up the coffee maker and think back to the little pointless memories that made my life worth living. I miss Harry so much that I can feel a literal ache in my chest, I want him back. My stomach churns and I feel physically sick with longing.

At the end of my shift, I take my apron off and begging to walk towards the table at which Anne is sat, but I'm stopped by a hand in my shoulder.

"You ready to go?" Liam asks with a smile. His brown eyes sparkle and again I can't help but notice how much he resembles an innocent little puppy.

"Actually, I'm going to stay for a little bit longer. I say, looking at Anne without thinking. She gives a small smile, but there's something off about her now.

When I look back at Liam, he shares her expression. I feel like I'm missing something.

"Who is that woman?" He asks.

For some reason, I don't want to share her relation to Harry with him. "A family friend." I'm not exactly lying.

He seems to know there is more to her than that. "Okay.." I'm glad he decides to drop it. "How are you going to get home?"

"I can just take the bus, it's no big deal."

"Heather." He gives me a look.

"Liam." I mock playfully. He fights a smile.

"I am not letting you take the bus," he says. "You can text me when you're ready to go home and I'll pick you up."

"No, no. I don't want you driving all over town for me."

"It's no trouble. Really." He insists. I am so lucky to have someone like him in my life. I've never needed it more than I do now. When everything around me is going crazy, I can always count on him to be there to steady me. He is my rock. Just as Harry used to be...

"Quit being difficult." He nudges me.

"But-"

"See you in a bit!" He calls behind him, a little loud for the silent for the silence of the café. I laugh awkwardly and turn back to Anne, who has an unhappy look on her face. I raise an eyebrow and she quickly covers it with a smile. What the heck is going on?

Despite my confusion, I make my way over to her and sit down across from her at the table. Out of nowhere, she hugs me even harder than before. I feel the wind get knocked out of me before she loosens up. "Sorry!" She apologizes. I laugh. "It's fine."

"I've missed you so much why haven't you called!" She scolds playfully. I smile apologetically even before pulling away. "I'm sorry, I..." I look down, suddenly becoming fascinated by the black plastic table. "I didn't think you'd want me to."

She gasps. "What?! Of course I did, everyone did!... Especially Harry." Her voice becomes smaller on the last two words. I feel my chest tighten at the mention at his name.

"Well that's not how I saw it. I lost his number after going to America and once I came back to England I ran into Will Sweeney and he gave me his number. I called and left a couple of voicemails, but he seemed pretty adamant on not calling back."

"What number did Will give you?"

I pull out my phone and relay the number back to her.

"I've been trying to reach him by that number for months, you're not the only one... I think he changed it." She frowns. That's strange...

Flashbacks of the past invade my thoughts and I'm so confused. Why has Harry changed his phone number? That's what you do if you don't want to be contacted by certain people, and if he wanted to keep in touch he would've gave them his new number. Why wouldn't he want his family in his life? Harry's family means everything to him!

There's a long silence and we both stare thoughtfully down at the tabletop.

"He was so torn after you left, it was so frightening." She says after a while. "You know how Harry was, always cheeky and the day you left, I think something snapped inside of him."

"He started getting really aggressive and violent, so I signed him up for boxing in hopes that he could let out some of the anger. How stupid was that idea, he just used it to his advantage in school! God, I can't believe I did that. Then he let his grades slip, and it was all downhill. I still don't really know what happened with him... But I do know that he left home a few months after you did. He left a note, that's all."

My head is spinning by the time she's done talking.

"What did it say?" I'm clutching the table now in anticipation.

She suddenly bursts into sobs and I gasp before going to her side of the table. I sling an arm around her shoulder and waist, comforting her small frame. She cries quietly in my arms in the now empty coffee shop and I honestly couldn't feel worse for her. After a while, she calms down a little and looks up with glossy eyes. I can almost feel the hurt behind them personally. In a way, I do. We've both felt the pain of losing Harry, who was a huge part of both of our worlds. Except, she's lost her son, and I've lost my best friend.

She takes her purse and searches through it before pulling out a folded piece of paper. She sniffled before handing it to me. I stare at it in awe. "You still have it?"

She nods sadly, her head down. She looks like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I can practically see the rainy cloud above her head that she carries with her everywhere she goes. "I carry it at all times... It's the last thing I have left of my baby." Her tears start running again and I hug her instantly.

"Read it," She chokes through her sobs. "There's something in there for you... Actually, it's mostly for you." I blink in surprise.

I'm at a loss for words. I quickly unfold the paper, desperate to know what' words are written on it. She places her hands over mine, stopping me.

"No, don't read it here." I frown my eyebrows.

"Why not?"

"Just trust me on this one."