The Cure || Harry Styles

Chapter 20

Harry had left Gemma on her own, claiming that he had to discuss something with Alex, which was the truth. She said she was going to head to bed anyway. Satisfied, Harry left his apartment with nothing but Alex on his mind.

Even though he was not good at expressing his emotions, he knew he deeply cared for Alex. It wasn't just a friendly gesture. He was terrified of his own feelings for her. She is a married woman, for God's sake. He shook his head in disapproval, as if shaking these thoughts and feelings out of his head. He couldn't do that to Janelle, even when she was dead. He felt like he would betray her, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He silently walked to Alex's door with a frown on his face, determined to find out what had switched her mood. She was enjoying her time before they entered the restaurant? Was it something I did, he thought.

Three knocks on the door, only a few seconds before Alex opened the door for him. He pushed his hair away from his face, stepping inside without uttering a single word. Alex didn't say anything either as she followed him to the balcony. It had become their spot to just talk and sit down with each other. It was late outside, the moon beautifully hanging in the sky as stars scattered around the dark space. It was beautiful, and Harry found himself picturing one of the stars as Jane, beautiful and glowing in the middle of the sky. He snapped out of it, a small sigh escaping his lips as he turned to Alex, who was staring at the sky too.

He observed her, her tiny nose and short blonde hair. Her thin lips were pursed as her blue eyes fixed on the dark sky. He watched as she blew out a deep breathe, almost shuddering as she did so.

"I'm never going to be good enough for anyone," she confessed, her vision quickly clouded with tears she had been trying to ignore. She stopped Harry when he was about to protest. "It's true, don't even try to deny it."

Her eyes narrowed at the floor before meeting Harry's. His brows were pulled down as he frowned at her. "Where did this come from, Alex?" He demanded.

"It doesn't matter. It's been proven multiple times and I'm sick of it." Alex admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. Harry shook his head, his hands twitching by his sides but he kept them there. He couldn't touch her.

"That's not true." he shook his head again at her. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm serious, Harry!" she angrily stomped her foot. He turned to her, his glare burning through her. "This is a sick cycle that has been going on for too long. I'm tired of it." her voice lowered as she stared at the wooden floor. "It's the worst. I swear I'm on the verge of giving up on everything."

"Don't ever say that." Harry hissed at her, finally reaching and grabbing her shoulders. He shook her, as if trying to snap her out of this state she's in. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as her lips turned down in a frown. "Don't you dare say that!" she shook her head, escaping from his grip and standing in the corner. Her back faced him as her chest rose and fell in an irregular pace. She balled her fists, feeling angry with herself because she could not do a single thing about her state. She suddenly started to bang on the walls, angry sobs escaping her throat. She grunted, pushing her fists at the wall, ignoring the pain that accompanied every single hit. Harry's arms wrapped around her waist from behind as he tried to calm her down.

"Alex!" he groaned when she trashed in his arms, demanding to be put down. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she used her bloody hands to release his grip on her.

"Get off of me!" she demanded through her sobs. Harry shook his head even though she couldn't see him. It absolutely broke his heart to see her like that: helpless.

"Alex, Alex, calm down, please." he softly whispered in her ear, hoping it would make her stop. She didn't, though. His pleas fueled the anger inside of her, and she only wanted it out of her system.

"Put me down, Harry!"

"If I do, will you stay calm?"

"Just put me fucking down!"

"Promise me you'll stay calm." Harry didn't loosen his grip on her, not until she promised him.

"Yeah, okay. Just put me down," she begged.

Harry sighed and slowly released her, but kept his hands on her hips. He turned her around, a small gasp escaping his lips when he saw her face. Her hair stuck to her face due to her tears, her eyes rimmed with redness, making the blue in her eyes pop out. Unconsciously, his hands held her face, thumbs brushing away her tears. She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed at the contact.

His hands suddenly left her face and grabbed her own. He inspected them with a deep frown on his face. "Oh Alex," he whispered, gently running his thumb over her bloody knuckles. She flinched, the dull ache throbbing through her entire arm.

"Ow," she muttered, staring at her damaged hand.

"Let's get you cleaned up,"

Harry gently tugged Alex inside, her hand firmly in his. She seemed as if she were in a trance as she followed him like a lost puppy. Her heart was beating irregularly in her chest, her breaths deep and uneven. Before she knew it, she was sat on the toilet seat, her hand still in Harry's as he washed it under the cold water. It stung, but her face remained emotionless as her eyes fixed on the floor. She could hear him talk to her but it was like she was numb, unable to focus on anything but the floor. Harry's hand touched her face, tilting it upwards so that he could see her face. He tugged her short hair behind her ears, swiping her bangs to the side. His wet hand ran over her face multiple times, as if he was trying to wake her up with his touch.
 
He did.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she just resurfaced from the water. She blinked a few times before focusing on Harry's face, which was only centimeters away from hers. She felt breathless as she stared at his face, and couldn't help but think: he is so beautiful for his own good.

''Alex,'' He said in a hushed tone, his hands on her face, thumbs slightly drawing circles on her cheeks. Her gaze fell before she met his eyes again.

''It's okay.'' Was all Harry said before softly kissing her forehead. Her eyes fluttered close at the sensation, unable to describe the feeling she got whenever his soft lips kissed her skin. She gulped, and resisted the urge to press her lips against his considering his face was still so close to hers.

''Yeah.''

Author's note: i updated two days in a row yay! please remember to vote and comment as much as you caaan. x it means a lot to me to know you're enjoying this as much as I am. and please, if you want to make covers/edits i'd be thrilled!!

alex is played by alexis bledel and lee is played by lux atkin

Lots of love and a yara hug x

bye x