Letting Go (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 21: The Diagnosis

Natalie Clemons

Another jolt of pain went through the side of my hip as Harry climbed next to me. I shut my eyes, berating myself about crying in front of him again. He had already seen too much and now I was in deeper than I had originally intended. A traitorous tear forced its way out, but I wiped it away quickly, teeth clenched as I fought down the agonizing moans that threatened to make themselves heard. All I wanted to do was curl back up into a ball and be left alone. But, I knew from the moment Harry stopped joking around that that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. For three weeks I had wondered what it would take to wipe the smirk from his arrogant lips. The answer was a little more than I had bargained for.

We fit awkwardly on the bunk bed. His left shoulder rubbed against my right, our hands fidgeting in our laps. His long legs nearly reached the end and I took on a new appreciation for why the boys' bunks were longer than the girls. As a kid I thought it was grossly unfair, but now I understood that it was more for the counselors like Harry than for the small campers.

Okay, now I'm stalling.

"Gahhh." I cringed, my right hand immediately moving to my right hip joint, uselessly rubbing it as if it would make a difference. It won't.

Harry frowned before his eyes lit in realization. Hopping off the bed, he reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the bottle of pills Donna had handed to him. "You need to take these." He insisted.

I chuckled once. "They don't really do anything to be honest."

His brows furrowed as he stared at the label. "Why don't you just try it?"

"Because I know they don't work."

"But Donna..."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Since when do you do what people tell you to?

He huffed, blowing a stray curl out of his eyes. "Since some girl decided to drive me insane." He muttered, opening the container and pouring out two pills. Grabbing my water bottle off the table, he held both out to me. "Now take it before I shove it down your throat."

I sighed heavily and snatched them from his grasp. "Fine." I murmured as I sipped on the water.

He jumped back onto the bed and watched carefully as I swallowed the pills, an amused smile on his lips. I turned my head towards him to make a snarky comment, but something about his eyes caught me off guard. The emerald irises had tiny flecks of gold towards the pupil. It was oddly entrancing; every time he blinked they were in different spots, almost dancing. Whoa. Even his eyes made no sense. Someone should take a look at his brain.

For science.  

He stared at me oddly for a moment before glancing down at my hip. "Now, what's going on with you?" He asked. I watched the gold flecks dissipate as his amused smile formed a straight line, his eyebrows curving in. His eyes went back to their usual deep green hue.

That's slightly creepy.

"Nattie." He sighed, nudging me slightly with his elbow. "You're not getting out of this. Not if you want me to keep quiet."

I nodded solemnly, scooting myself further back to rest against the wall. Shit. Ow, ow, ow.

Deep breath Nat.

I folded my hands in my lap, staring down at the green fuzzy blanket that covered my legs. I couldn't believe I was about to do this, but I needed him on my side if I was going to save Chickasaw. The memories spread across my mind like wildfire, one immediately bringing me to the next. I didn't know where to begin my tale, only that I wanted to keep it as minimal as possible. No extras, just the necessary crap so that he wouldn't tell Ben. That's all.