Strict | H.S.

Chapter 33.

[Ava]

"I'm going to go," Harry said, standing up from the couch. I grabbed his arm, making him lose his balance and plopping back down. He gave me a disgruntled look.

"No! Please, Harry," I begged, suddenly feeling really scared because I didn't want him to leave without me.

His dark brow cocked up, his face growing in curiosity this time. "What?" He asked.

Tears bubbled up in my brown eyes, still clinging to his arm. "Harryy, I-I want to go back home with you. I-I want you.... to take care of me."

Harry sighed, placing his warm hand on top of mine. "Angel, I'll always be here for you. But you belong to your Mum." His last sentence was spoken very gently. "You need to stay."

"Why don't you want to take care of me?!" I cried, clinging tighter to him. "I-I can make you breakfast every morning! And you don't have to watch me closely!"

"Shhhh, Ava," Harry replied, tenderly giving my hand a comforting squeeze. "It's just not feasible." His thumb rubs my hand. "I don't have two bedrooms and when I get babysitter gigs, I can be gone for days at a time."

I frowned, knowing that I was losing the battle. Harry was leaving me and I couldn't convince him otherwise. It felt like my whole world was crashing around me.

"I don't ever want to see you again!" I shouted, running upstairs to my bedroom. I slammed the door shut and fell onto my bed. I cried into the pillows and I cried hard. I thought my outburst would make him come check on me, but I heard the engine of his Rover start up. Scooting off the bed, I looked out the window. Harry was in the Rover and driving away.

I clutched my chest in utter sorrow, falling to the floor and sobbing. That showed he didn't care about me. He could've came up here and talked to me. But he vanished. Just like how I thought he would.

"Honey, are you okay?" Mom stood in the door.

"Go away, Mom!" I cried, flopping down on my bed again. I wanted to drown in my pain and sorrow alone.

She entered my room instead and sat on the side of my bed. "Ava, Harry has a life too. You can't expect him to babysit you forever."

"H-he never babysat me!" I shouted, through the tears. "Harry was my f-friend!"

"You need friends your own age. Preferably girls. Don't you talk to Jane?" Mom replied.

"N-no! S-she is the worst." I sat up on the bed, my face no longer sandwiched between my pillows. "She t-took me to a party and kept pressuring me to kiss boys."

"When was this?" Mom's voice flattened.

Oh no. I never told her about this. It was the night Harry rescued me.

"Recently..."

"Did Harry know about it?"

"I-I sneaked out of the house," I admitted, not wanting to get Harry in trouble since he had protected me.

"Ava Marie?!" Mom yelled, "Thats how young girls get killed!"

"I understand that now, Mom. It was a huge mistake and I don't trust Jane anymore."

Mom exhaled a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad you learned your lesson. Doing stupid things will get you hurt." She stood up. "What do you want for dinner?"

I shrugged and she left my bedroom. That conversation went well. Maybe it'll be okay I have to stay here, but I still miss Harry. I wondered if he was mad at me for yelling at him? What I had said was hurtful, but it wasn't true. I just wanted to make him feel like he made the wrong decision. Now I'm worried he might hate me for being mean.

I picked up my phone, wanting to call him and apologize; however I was afraid he wouldn't answer. I doubted Harry wanted to hear from me after how I treated him. Fresh tears dotted my eyes, my finger hovering over the CALL button under Harry's number.

Before I could think more about whether or not I should call him, my finger accidentally grazed the sensitive button. It read: CALLING Harry. I freaked out, but I didn't hang up. I needed to tell him how I felt, or I would be miserable the rest of the day. The call went to voicemail and a painful drop fell in the pit of my stomach. He wasn't going to answer me.

I slammed my phone face down on my bed and started sobbing into my hands. This wave of heartbreak felt much worse than when I saw Harry driving away. Pain rippled threw my veins as sadness consumed me.

My cries were so loud that I almost didn't hear my phone ringing. I hiccuped profusely trying to stop crying as I gazed at the cracked screen. When I saw Harry's name, butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I grabbed the phone fast.

"Harry!!" I cried into the phone.

"Yes, Ava?" His calm, smooth voice said.

"I-I-I..... Harry! I-I'm sorry!" I sobbed.

"I can hardly understand you," Harry replied, slow and serenely. "Calm down."

"I-I'm trying!" I hiccuped, very scared that he would get upset and hang up. "Harry!!!"

"Ava, tell me what's the matter."

"I-I'm s-sorry, Harry!" I replied, hysterical. I struggled to control my emotions, unable to form sentences. "Please, d-don't hate me!"

"What are you talking about?" he rasped, "I don't hate you."

"C-can you please come back?! I-I need to talk to you," I pleaded through the phone.

"Ava, I just got home. I'm tired and I want to take a shower," Harry said, his voice a tad bit snappy. "I'll call you back later tonight. In the meantime, you should take a hot bath or something and relax."

"I-I'm sorry, Harry." My voice cracked in hurt and sadness.

"You're fine, angel," Harry replied, turning on the shower. "We'll talk soon."

"P-promise?" I was so scared I wasn't going to hear from him again.

"Yes," Harry rasped. "Bye, Ava."

"Bye," My voice squeaked.

I waited up all night for his call. I brought my phone to the dinner table and waited. I took my phone into the bathroom during my hot bath and waited. I laid it next to me in bed when I turned the lights out and waited. But there was no call back and I felt crushed.

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to be continued....
awe this was a sad chappie
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love, lily xx