Harry Styles
"Are you ready?" Cleo said from the bathroom and I had to stop myself from laughing before I could even see her.
I was already on the bed after we showered together, but she pushed me out of the ensuite bathroom as soon as she dried herself, saying she had to do something and that I had to wait in the room.
Trust me, a lot of things came to mind but I was going to wait and see.
Cleo was in a great mood today and I knew she liked the attention and all the gifts, she was just adorable. Making today important for her was my goal, I knew how birthdays could be a hard topic and things hadn't been easy for any of us.
I never liked my birthdays, especially after I thought Anne had died.
Desmond never really cared and it would usually be just me and Zayn, or me getting high and drunk in some random club and fucking someone random to feel some kind of euphoria.
This year wasn't going to be any different if Cleo hadn't given me that incredible lap dance before she tried to kill me.
It was the perfect alternative, to be honest. That night changed everything and I couldn't have dreamed where it would lead me to.
And now here we were... after a whole afternoon of eating Halloween themed cupcakes and just hanging out, which was awfully rare for us. We laughed and talked, Zayn left a couple of hours ago because he had to call Amber to see his daughter, and then Cleo and I watched The Notebook.
Yes, again. I had a feeling she picked that movie because she knew it made me feel happy and comfortable, it was indeed my favorite. I bet she already knew all the lines by now, I for sure did. These little things she did for me meant the world to me because it made me feel wanted and loved, and that was exactly what I needed.
But I also wanted to make her feel the same... I wanted to show her how much I loved her and words could never be enough.
I wasn't going to lie, today was an escape for me. I planned on facing everything without being afraid, but I also needed a little break. My brain felt like someone had stepped on it and then ground it to pieces, miserably trying to glue it back together after the damage was done.
My head hurt a little bit even though I felt much stronger than the day before. I finally rested and ate enough, spending time with the people I loved also made me feel a bit more stable. I reminded myself that I was safe now and I had people who wouldn't leave me.
But I really wanted to find my sister, too. I didn't even need to talk to her, I just wanted to see her and make sure she was alright.
No one deserved to go through the things we did, and saying goodbye to Anne was probably the best choice I made. And the most difficult because I didn't plan on seeing her again.
It hurt because a part of me would always think of her as a mother and someone who cared for me when no one else did. I was thankful and I owed a lot to her, but I didn't need any more pain or drama in my life.
I felt much stronger now and I knew I had grown a lot, I only realized after I stopped to replay the last few days inside my head. Having Cleo with me was probably the only thing that kept me sane enough to keep myself centered.
"Okay... on the count of five," Cleo spoke up again, peeking through the doorway to catch my attention.
"Shouldn't it be four?" I couldn't miss the opportunity, she made it too easy for me to make jokes about her finger.
"Shove those four fingers up your ass, Harry." She snapped, glaring at me and still keeping the rest of her body hidden behind the wall so I could just see her face.
