A sob captured Howie's attention as he was walking out of his hotel room. First confused by the sound, he tried to ignore it. But when he heard it again, he scanned the empty hall and saw a young woman crying. She was hiding behind a potted tree, on the floor, her knees up to her chest and her face in her hands. He thought about leaving her alone but couldn't quite bring himself to do so. His heart flinched each time he heard the desperate sound of her sobs. He couldn't leave her alone. Slowly, he made his way to her and squat down in front of her. Hesitantly he reached for her, put his hand on her knee.

" Are you okay?" He asked in a soft voice. Not bothering to look up, she shook her head and cried harder. Looking at the empty hall, Howie wondered what he could do. He had to help her. " Are you in pain?"

Calming her sobs for a few seconds, she looked up at him, allowing him to see her bloodshot eyes, the ocean of tears in them. " If having your heart ripped in two can be called pain then yes I am." Seeing the sweet concern in his eyes, she buried her head in her hands again.

" Is there anyone I can call for you? A friend?" She shook her head again and furiously wiped her tears, even if it was useless as new ones were falling immediately.

" They don't know. They can't know. It wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to love him. He wasn't supposed to break my heart." She rambled quickly, out of breath. The feeling of loneliness hitting her at full force at the realisation she had no one to turn to.

" Okay. Calm down. You're obviously in no condition to be alone. I'm gonna bring you in my room. Don't freak out I won't hurt you. I only want to help. Do you trust me?" He asked softly, rubbing her knee. Without hesitation she nodded and managed to stand up.

Feeling the soft touch of his hand on her back made her feel better. The knowledge that someone was there for her calmed the wave of emotions she was feeling inside. Once in the room he sat her down on the bed and disappeared in the bathroom. He walked back with a glass of water and handed it to her. She took it thankfully and managed to take a sip without choking. When she was done, Howie placed the glass on the table and sat beside her.

" You want to talk about him? Maybe it will help you." He said, stroking her back gently. She closed her eyes, allowing a single tear to fall on her cheek.
" He…he was my teacher. Nothing was supposed to happen. But…we've been seeing each other for the last 2 months. And today he told me it was over." She said as she started crying again.

Instinctively Howie put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She welcomed the embrace and leaned into it. The feeling of those strong arms around her was soothing, calming.

Soon her eyelids become heavier and she fell asleep in Howie's arms. Her body was still shaking but he could tell her heartbeat was back to normal. He slid on the bed, still holding her, until he found a comfortable position for both of them. He looked down at her and saw the trace of tears on her face. He brushed a stray of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead before drifting too, into sleep, his arms never loosing their grip on the fragile woman.

Many times, Howie woke up to make sure the heartbroken woman was all right and still sleeping. He could almost feel the pain emanating from her body. He could hear it in the desperate sighs she let out in her sleep. Each time he would hold her closer to let her know she wasn't alone.

In the morning, she woke up with the soft sound of Howie humming. Smiling weakly, she sat up and looked at him. He gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a hug.

" Are you feeling better?"

She nodded against his shoulder and sniffed quietly.

" If you want to take a shower, go ahead. You'll feel refreshed and think more clearly."

She nodded again and slowly walked to the bathroom. She closed the door quietly and two minutes later Howie heard the shower running. He sighed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He couldn't believe he had brought a nameless woman in his room. He knew he would have felt guilty if he had left her in the hall though.

Fifteen minutes later, the bathroom door opened and the woman walked out shyly. On the bed, Howie was leaning against the headboard, flipping lazily through different channels. He immediately sat up when he saw her. Her eyes weren't red anymore, her hair were still wet and her body obviously shaking.

" I'm sorry I wasted your time like that. You probably had something better to do last night." She said nervously, biting her bottom lip.
" You're feeling better now?" He asked. She nodded, taking a step forward. " Then it's all right. You needed a shoulder to cry on. I'm glad I helped."
" Thank you." She said, looking around the room uncomfortable and avoiding Howie's gaze. " You know." She said quietly. " What they say about you is true. You're really sweet and caring. I understand why everybody loves you."
" What?" Howie asked, taken aback.
" Thank you." She whispered and hugged him quickly before running out of the hotel room.

Howie stood there, clueless, trying to understand what she had meant. When it finally registered that she was gone, he run into the hall and called for her but she was already gone.

" I don't even know your name…" He whispered in the hall, any traces of her gone, as fast as they had appeared.

~*~ 3 months later ~*~

Howie was at the table, signing autographs, feeling useless in a way. He had been in this mood for quite a time now and didn't know how to shake it away. He had to force himself to look up. It wasn't the fans' fault if he was moody. He smiled but it was fake. Another paper was thrown in his face and he looked up quickly. He did a double take when he saw her face. He remembered her. The mysterious girl he had let in his room three months ago.

" Hi." She said shyly, a small smile on her lips. He returned the smile, a real one this time.
" Hey. How are you?" He asked, truly wanting to know.
" I'm fine." She said, still not sure if he remembered her.
" You left quickly this day. I was kinda worried for you." Her smile grew bigger and she quickly glanced behind her.
" I know. I wanted to say thank you again. You really helped me this day. You don't know how grateful I am." She said. He looked behind her and saw a man of her age waiting impatiently.
" Who's this?" He asked, pointing to the man.
" My boyfriend. We've been together for a month now. I had to drag him here. He didn't want to come." She said, laughing softly. In her eyes, he could see happiness.
" Well I'm happy for you." He said, still smiling. " Can I know your name now? You never told me." He asked. She giggled and blushed.
" It's Sandra."

He nodded and signed the paper she had given him. He give it back to her and she left, thanking him again. Howie smiled to himself, happy to see he had somehow helped this woman who was now shining with joy.

The end.

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