Strip - Harry Styles [A.U]

Chapter 77.

ISABELLE 

My college course was coming to an end. It had been a couple of months since I told Louis about quitting my job and how I was now back in college, taking evening classes. I was excited and sad all at once. Sad because it was fun to finally be doing something with my life and college and the people I've met here have been great and I'm sad its finally coming to an end. I was excited to finally show Harry what I've done, for him, for us. I was excited to see how he would react because all I ever wanted was for him to be happy. 

As much as I want to say that Harry and I have been good, I would be lying. We haven't been good for a while now. He still works late and I've noticed how he doesn't stay up for me anymore. He's always fast asleep when I come home late, we don't even cuddle anymore. We lay next to each other in the same bed, inches apart but I feel like we're miles away. I make dinner for us every night like normal, I eat mine but Harry's goes cold in front of me as he doesn't come home to see me before I leave. I don't know what's going on but he doesn't seem to care as much about our marriage as I do right now and I don't know what to do myself. 

"What's up?" Peter asked I called him. 

"Can you come round, hang out?" 

"It's Friday night." 

"Yea?" 

"Don't you have evening classes?" 

"Nope, I don't feel like going tonight. Missing one wont be bad." 

"If you're sure." 

"I am, please come keep me company." 

Nothing else was said as we hung up and he made his way round. 

**********

We both sat on my bed, watching Netflix and talking. 

"I didn't interrupt anything with Michael did I?" 

"No, you didn't. Don't worry about it. You know I would drop everything for you anyway." 

"I know but I don't want you to ruin your relationship." I sighed. 

"Nothing is ruined. Michael knows and understands when it comes to you." Peter assured me but I still felt guilty. 

"Why did you call me round anyway? Its Friday night, did you not have anything planned?" 

"Nope, I didn't fancy going to classes tonight and Harry texted saying he would be working late at the office." 

Peter looked at me with wary eyes. "I'm fine, you know." 

"Aren't you always." Peter muttered making me look at him. 

"I am." He nodded but I knew he still didn't believe me. 

PETER

I would love to believe Isabelle but I know she's just putting on a front like he always has when she was little. She does the same thing now. She does it when she doesn't want to upset someone she cares about deeply, someone like Harry. 

"You don't have to put a front up for me, you know." 

"I'm not." She grunted, laying down as I continued to sit and watch her carefully. 

"I know you are. You always do this, even since you were little." 

"Peter, I'm fine." Her voice cracked and I knew she wasn't. 

"Talk to me, Izzy. Please." I sighed as we sat in silence for a while. 

She looked up at the ceiling and I could see it was in effort to stop the tears from streaming down her face. "I...." A quivering sigh escaped her throat. "As much as I want it to be over, I'm terrified it actually is. I don't- he's been such a big part of my life and as much as he's hurt me he's still able to make me smile no matter what." She went silence for a moment. "I don't know what to do or how to feel....all I know is that at the of the day I need to focus on me and me being alright in the long run." She sat up and looked straight ahead as the tears finally fell, shaking her head slowly. Her voice cracked, "...but I really don't want to lose him." 

That's all she had to say and I knew she wasn't going to say anything else. She wanted to focus on herself, she even said that. She wants this to end, she wants to be how she use to be but she doesn't want to hurt him, even though he's hurting her. She doesn't want him to be unhappy and that's what's hurting her the most. Loving someone so much, even though they don't seem to love her the same back. She doesn't want to lose him but I think that's what would be the best for the both of them. 

I moved from where I was sitting and pulled her into a hug. 

"Shhh, I know you don't want to hear this but maybe losing each other is what you two need right now." 

She wiped her tears and opened her mouth but no words came out as we both heard the front door slam shut. She pulled away from me, getting up and going to the mirror they had in the corner of their room. She looked at her puffy eyes and wiped all the tears away. 

"Hey Peter. I didn't know you were coming round." Harry's voice rung through the room as I stopped looking at Izzy and looked at him, standing in the doorway. 

"Yea, thought I would come round and keep Iz company." I spat but he didn't seem to notice as he looked at Isabelle who stood with her back to us and her head down. "I better go now, Michaels waiting up for me." I spoke, getting up from their bed. 

I walked over to Izzy, grabbed her and turned her round. She had tears in her eyes but no emotion on her blank face. I hugged her tight, whispering, "Call me if you need me." She nodded before croaking out a goodbye. 

I walked passed Harry and out the door, hoping that they both could end both of their miseries. 

ISABELLE

"You ok?" Harry asked as he walked up to me. 

His hands cupped my face and I felt butterflies in my stomach, the same way I always do. That's when I started to wonder if he felt them too. This was the first time he's touch me in months, he's hardly been around I started to think I repulsed him. 

"Yea, we just watched a sad film that's all." I croaked out, making Harry give me a small smile. 

"You always hated sad films." He chuckled, making me wonder what he thinking. "Remember when we watched the notebook for the first time." 

I chuckled with him. "You were shocked I'd never seen it." 

"Yea, I still don't understand how you went through twenty years of you life without watching it." 

"I cant believe you went through twenty two years of your life watching it without crying." 

"I still don't." 

"Oh, I know." 

We both laughed, his hands dropped from my face and grabbed my hands instead. They were only small touches but it showed me how much I had missed him. Yes he was here but he always felt distant and right now with him, laughing, smiling, it reminded me of why I love him, why I'm with him. It felt like everything was going to be ok. 

Oh how wrong that feeling was... 

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THIS STORY IS COMING TO AN END I BELIEVE. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND I WILL TRY AND UPDATE AGAIN TONIGHT OR MAYBE TOMORROW. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK 

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