Winter break passed much faster than expected, and while Harvey and Donna had spent most of their nights making out and chatting under the pretext that the future lawyer had to take a shower in his bedroom, each returned to their respective universities to resume classes as soon as school started again. If Harvey thought that things would not change between them, he was surprised to see that he had less and less news from the redhead who, very rarely, answered his messages, but even if it worried him, he was happy to see Donna again for Spring Break. If Marcus could not make the round trip from California for a short week, Harvey was still surprised when he saw the redhead's response when he asked her if she was already back in town.
I'm only going back to Hartford on Thursday. I'm only staying for three days
Alright, that was weird. Anyway, Harvey then took advantage of being alone to spend some time with his father and visit his friends before impatiently waiting for Thursday evening to go ring at Donna's new apartment. If he expected to be greeted with a big smile as usual, he was surprised to see the redhead quickly get dressed with a big sweater before looking at him with big eyes.
«Harv»
«Hey»
«What are you doing here?»
«Didn't you see my message?»
«No»
«Ah, I'm sorry. Anyway, how are you?»
As he slid his arm around her waist to bring her closer to him, he was surprised to feel her put her hand on his chest to push him away slightly with an apologetic smile.
«Are you alright?»
«I'm seeing someone, Harv»
Faced with Donna's words, the future lawyer froze, as he was clearly not ready to hear these words, and if his first thought would have been to laugh nervously before doing everything to persuade her to let go of this asshole no matter who it could be, not wanting to show anything, he simply smiled falsely and whispered.
«No way»
«Yeah»
«Well, congratulations, Paulsen. Tell me more about him»
Reluctantly, he settled down on the couch, waiting for her to talk about her new boyfriend when he just wanted to run far — far far away.
«Well, his name is Stephen. He's an English law student, we met at a party one night... Hum, he's twenty-two and he's very charming and charismatic»
«Well, he's an English version of me»chuckled Harvey.
«Who said you were charismatic and charming?»snorted Donna.
«Ouch»
«What about you? How's your master's degree?»
Maybe it was because she wasn't comfortable talking about her new guy with the boy she'd spent so many evenings and nights sharing the back of a car or bed with, but as she quickly changed the subject, Harvey couldn't help but notice the change in the redhead's behavior too. As the future lawyer spoke to her, he could see her looking at her phone all the time, which kept ringing.
«Who is it?»
«Stephen»
«He seems insistent»
«Well, we had a little fight before I came here, so he wants to talk about it»
«About what?»
«He thought I was going to spend my spring break with him, and he got pissed when I told him I was going back to Hartford instead»
«That's normal, that's where your family is»
«I know»
«How long have you two been together?»
«Barely a month and a half»
«Is it because of him that you're only here three days?»
«Yeah»
«Come on, he can go fuck himself, Donna. Let's enjoy those few days together, alright?»
«Harvey»
«What?»
«You know everything is different now»
«I know, I understand you have someone now, although I regret it»
«Harv»giggled the redhead.
«Hey, we can talk too, I mean, we can do other things than just kiss. We're not animals»
«You're right — how is life in Harvard?»
For almost an hour, they talked together with the strange sensation of sitting on either side of the couch, unable to touch or kiss each other, until Laurel and Jim came in and greeted the young man who left the apartment immediately after. If they spent some time together during those three days, Harvey had to admit it to himself, even if he missed their make-out session, it was her who he missed the most. Sure, they saw each other from time to time, but the times they were together, she was always somewhere else, her boyfriend pestering her with messages. Saturday night, while she was packing her bag, she heard someone knocking at the door from afar as Laurel hurried to open it.
«Oh, Harvey»
«Good evening, Mrs. Paulsen, How are you?»
«I'm good, what about you?»
«Perfect. Hum, I'm going back to Harvard. I wanted to know if Donna wanted me to drop her off at the train station, it's on my way. But she doesn't answer my messages»
«Oh, she's packing her bag in our room, you can go ask her»
«Alright, thank you, Mrs. Specter»
«Please call me Laurel, Harvey»
«Thank you, Laurel»
With a final nod, he walked into the apartment to the back room, where he gently pushed the door open while Donna didn't seem to have seen him. Not wanting to scare her, he whispered in a soft voice.
«Hey»
As she turned around, he gasped at seeing her bare arm for the first time since she had returned to Hartford and quickly closed the door behind him.
«What's that, Donna?»
«Nothing»
«Hey, don't lie to me. What's that?»
«I fell and hurt myself»
«You don't hurt yourself like that when you fall, not like that, not that way»
«I hit myself»
Seeing the bruise on the top of her forearm near the hollow of her elbow, he came a little closer and lifted her top suddenly without warning her, observing her skin as he gasped once again when he saw the purple color on her back.
«Fuck Donna, what happened?»
«I told you, I fell»
«Don't lie to me»groaned Harvey.
As their faces were inches apart, seeing her eyes avoid him, Harvey understood instantly and was overcome by a wave of intense anger, ready to trash the whole room.
«It's him, right?»
«It was my fault»
«Fuck, Donna»
«Listen to me, it's— »
«I'm going to fucking kill him»
«Harvey! Listen to me»
As he fell silent, breathing deeply to try to calm himself, Donna whispered.
«It was all my fault. We were in his dorm room, we were arguing about me leaving him to come back to Hartford, and things got heated. I wanted to leave, and he wanted to keep talking. When I wanted to leave, he grabbed me by the arm, and as I turned around, I hit the edge of the kitchen counter in my back, and that's what gave me a bruise»
«You have a bruise on your arm where he grabbed you, that's his fucking fault, Donna»
« Look, we were both upset, and it was an accident. Stephen's not violent, and he never hit me, okay? We had a fight, I wanted to leave, he grabbed me, and in the process, I hurt myself, that's all. Alright? »
Seeing the future lawyer remain silent in front of her, his eyes filled with hatred and his breath still short, she grabbed Harvey's jaw to force him to look, their faces inches apart, whispering once again.
«Alright?»
«Donna, if he touches you again, you tell me, and I swear I'll break all his bones, understand?»
«It won't happen»
«But you tell me»
«I will»
«Alright»
«Let's go?»
«Yeah»
After putting on a sweater to hide the bruises despite the good weather, she followed Harvey down the hallway, greeting her parents before getting into the car. Again, Harvey didn't stop at the station and continued on his way while Donna smiled softly, remembering when he went with her for the tour. After ten minutes, she whispered as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
«Harv?»
«Hum?»
«Can you talk to me? I hate when you're acting like that»
«I'm pissed, Donna»
«At me?»
«No, I can never be pissed at you. I'm pissed about the situation. I just need a moment to calm down»
«I know, but we can take advantage of the road to chat, we haven't really had the chance during those three days»
«Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry»
The rest of the way, they chatted about everything and nothing, regaining a semblance of normality while he explained his latest football exploits and how he beat the opposing team. As he approached her residence, he saw her answering a few messages before locking her phone, playing with her fingers, as Harvey parked. Seeing him unbuckle his seatbelt, she quickly put her hand on his before whispering.
«Hey, it's fine, you don't have to come with me»
«I'll just help you carry your bag to your room»
«I barely took anything, don't worry, it's already very kind of you to have come with me all the way here»
«Are you sure? Donna, I swear I don't mind. —»
«Harv, it's fine»
«Alright»
«See you at summer break?»
«See you, Donna»
«Bye Harv»
With one last smile, she retrieved her bag from the trunk before giving him one last wave and disappearing into the building. For a few minutes, he thought about the situation. Alright, it had been weird for him to know that Donna was now in a relationship, and aside from the lack of physical proximity, he had the feeling that they had drifted apart, and he never would have thought it would be this difficult. For a few seconds, he thought, waiting for a sign from the universe on what to do, and seeing that she had forgotten her phone charger in the car door, he hurried out and headed towards the residence. As soon as he was inside, he headed towards the dean's office, where he found a student.
«Hello, I'm looking for Donna Paulsen's room. She forgot her charger in the car, and I absolutely have to go»
«You can drop it off, we'll give it back to her»
«Please, so I can say goodbye to her one last time too»
«Alright. It's on the second floor, room 206»
«Thank you»
Quickly, he followed the instructions to Donna's room, but as he was simply expecting a knock and her to open the door, he stopped dead in his tracks when he recognized her voice and that of a man yelling at each other.
«This is bullshit, Donna»
«What are you talking about? I went home to spend time with my parents»
«To the point of not answering any of my messages?»
«Any of your messages? Are you kidding me? I answered all of them, I was just busy sometimes»
«You should have answered me faster»
«Are you insane?»
If Harvey was about to knock to end the argument, he never would have thought he would hear the sound of a slap followed by silence, only the voice of the man echoing into the room.
«Don't you ever dare tell me I'm insane again»
Harvey was not stupid, he knew very well what had just happened, and as he was about to break down the door because he was so angry, the moment it opened and he saw a young man his age looking at him strangely and Donna right behind him, her hand on her cheek, a shocked look on her face, Harvey's blood boiled, and he punched the guy in the face. As Stephen flinched from the impact, Harvey quickly grabbed him by the collar, dragging him into the hall to punch him again and again, facing less and less resistance from the other man as the seconds went. As Stephen groaned on the ground, Harvey, who was straddling him, grabbed him to bring his face closer to his and growled.
«Come on, you're not hitting me? No? But you seemed to like it, right? Come on? Reacts»
While Stephen could barely open his eyes because of his swollen face, Harvey headbutted him as he moaned again.
«We don't hit women, fucking asshole. Didn't your mother teach you that?»
«What—»whispered the young man as he moaned because of his split lip.
«Don't come near Donna ever again, don't even dare look at her. If I find out that you dared to talk to her or come near her, I'll come back here and finish you off»
Without waiting for a response, he straightened up and took Stephen's collar to pull him until the young British man found himself on his feet in front of him, and when they were face to face, Harvey whispered.
«I see you once around her, I'll break all your bones one by one. Understood?»
«Yes»whispered the guy.
«I didn't hear. Understood?»
«Understood»
«Now get out of here»
As Stephen walked away, Harvey hurried back into the room, closing the door behind him as he approached the redhead who hadn't moved.
«Hey, you're okay?»
«He slapped me»
«I know, but don't worry, I beat the shit out of him»
«I never thought he would dare. I'm such an idiot»
«Hey, no, you're not»
«I am. That asshole had been giving me fucking jealous fits for a week, and I let it go when I should have left him as soon as he started acting like that. It's my fault»
«Hey, stop that»
As he grabbed Donna's face in his big hands with such delicacy — unlike Stephen, who had used them violently — she couldn't help but melt as he looked at her tenderly. After she sighed, he gently slid his thumbs over her cheekbones, whispering while still looking at her.
«It's not your fault, and I never want to hear you say that, you understand? That guy is a complete asshole who doesn't deserve you, and please, just because that guy was a fucking jerk doesn't mean we're all the same, okay? Don't let him destroy you because you're so much better than him»
As their faces were inches apart, their bodies brushing against each other, their hot breaths against each other's mouths, they could feel like they were going to end up kissing, but that was before the door burst open and they had to separate.
«Oh, sorry»
«Rachel, hey»
«Donna»
«Um, this is Harvey, my friend. And Harv, it's Rachel, my roommate»
«Nice to meet you»
After Harvey kissed Rachel on her cheek, the redhead and the future lawyer exchanged one last look before the lawyer smiled at her.
«See you this summer?»
«See you, Harv. And thank you»
«I always told you, I am at your complete disposal, you just have to ask»smirked Harvey.
«Alright»chuckled Donna.
After a last nod, the young man left the room, leaving the two roommates alone. If for a few seconds neither of them said anything, it was the brunette who whispered first.
«So that's Harvey»
«Yup»
«He's hot»
«He is»
«What was he doing there?»
«He just destroyed Stephen's face»
«What?»yelled Rachel with wide eyes.
«Stephen got mad again about me not staying with him this spring break, and I yelled at him, except he got mad and slapped me»
«Excuse me?»
«I know»
«But Donna —»
«He won't come near me again, Harvey made sure of that»
«I can't believe he dared to hit you»
«Can we stop talking about him? Please»
«Yeah, sure.. sorry»
«It's fine»
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. Donna sat down on her bed, Rachel settling next to her as they sighed together, the brunette murmuring.
«About Harvey»
«What about him?»
«Did I interrupt a kiss?»
«Maybe»
«Isn't he your best friend's brother?»
«Yeah, but it's... complicated»
«You never really told me about him or about you two»
«That's because I wouldn't really know what to say. I grew up with him because I was always hanging out with Marcus, his brother, and I don't know, he was just my first crush. I always thought he was cute and so cool, but that was it, he was still my best friend's brother. Then we had a party at their place, and there was a guy I liked except I didn't dare make the first move, so Harvey offered to kiss me to show me because I didn't know how to do that, and since then... well, we just can't stop»
«You're dating or something?»
«No. I mean, Harvey caught his mother cheating on his father, and since then, he doesn't believe in love and refuses to commit. So he goes from one casual relationship to another, kisses and sleeps without getting attached, and even if I think he's perfect, I know it'll never go any further»
«But are you in love with him?»
«I don't know, maybe?»
«But what do you do when you're together?»
«Well, he always finds a way to join me, and we spend hours chatting, making out in the back of his car, in each other's bed, as soon as his father or brother's back is turned or when I'm alone at home. I mean, we kiss when we see each other, to say goodnight, or just when we're alone. He told me we're like sex friends, but for kissing»
«Isn't that weird?»
«No, is it even... natural?»
«And you continued when one of you is in a relationship?»
«No, I mean, we hadn't seen each other since Christmas, he didn't know about Stephen, so when he showed up at my place on Thursday and tried to kiss me again, as usual, I pushed him away, and we stopped there»
«Alright»sighed Rachel.
«Yeah, alright»
For a few minutes, they talked about everything and nothing while Harvey had just arrived at Harvard. As he noticed Mike sitting in the common space, he approached him before dropping down next to him on the couch, his bag at his feet, as the blonde young man turned to look at his best friend.
«Hey, bro. You're back»
«Yeah»
«You're alright?»
«I don't know»
«What happened to your hand?»
Seeing the bruises starting to form on his knuckles and still a little blood from his opponent on his skin, he sighed. As he was about to answer, he felt two arms wrap around his neck from behind, followed by a suave voice whispering in his ear.
«Hey handsome»
«I'm not in the mood, Scottie»
«What's happening to you?»
«I told you, I'm not in the mood»
«Well, it must be ages since you've been in the mood. When was the last time we slept together sober and you didn't run away from my bed the next day?»
«You're done?»
Without waiting, he got out of the brunette's arms and picked up his bag on the floor before leaving the common areas to go up to his room. Mike, who hadn't heard what Scottie had whispered in his ear, looked at her with a sorry look before running after Harvey and following him into the room. Seeing him lying on his bed, scrolling on his phone, Mike approached, muttering.
«Hey brother, Do you have a moment to talk?»
«It depends on what»
«Well, I don't know where to start. Your reaction with Scottie, for example, I mean, I can see that it's not going wellbetween the two of you »
«Well, I just don't want to anymore»
«But it shouldn't put you in this state. I mean, there will be plenty of girls, if it's not her, it will be someone else. You're twenty-two, and even though I know you're against serious relationships and all that, you'll find the one one day»
Seeing his best friend staring at the ground, Mike understood.
«You found her, right? We're talking about Donna?»
«I can't get her out of my head»
«Harvey, what's going on with her?»
«I don't know. She's my brother's best friend, and sure, I always thought she was beautiful, but I never expected what we're currently living now. I mean, at a party, she had a crush, and she didn't dare approach him because she was afraid of embarrassing herself, you know, she had never kissed anyone. So I offered, and in the end, she accepted; we kissed, and god, I had never felt that. Quickly, things accelerated, and since then, I just can't control myself, every time I see her, I have to kiss her and touch her. I can spend hours just being with her, laughing, talking, and kissing her, I'm obsessed with her.
«And what's the problem? Your brother?»
«Well, I think if Marcus knew what was going on with Donna, he would kill me, but no, the problem is me»
«Harvey»
«She's perfect, Mike. I can't break her because I'm fucked up in my head, she doesn't deserve that»
«But if she's so different and that you know you're good with her, it could be different»
«I can't take the risk»
«So what? You're going to keep making out with her until she gets a boyfriend, and then you're going to let her go?»
«That's exactly what I'm going to do»
«Harvey»
«Anyway, I need to go for a run»
Without waiting for a response, Harvey went to the bathroom to change into a sweatsuit, put his headphones in, and started running around the neighborhood, tears pricking his eyes as he picked up the pace while his heart raced until his whole body hurt. God, it hurt. It hurt so much, but it'll never hurt as much as breaking Donna, so he accepted and decided to do nothing, even if it hurt like hell.