Half a heart

Chapter 5

Harry drove over to Niall's still thinking about earlier and seeing Louis. He knocked on the door to the flat and a moment later Niall opened the door.

"Hey Haz." Niall greeted letting him inside. "She just fell asleep about thirty minutes ago."

"Thanks for watching her." Harry sighed sitting down on the sofa.

"What's up?" Niall questioned noticing Harry's somewhat stressed appearance.

"Mum had me working the front today after one of the others got sick." Harry replied leaning back against the cushions. "He came in Niall... after six years of owning that bakery and never seeing him... he came in."

"Did he say anything to you?" Niall asked with a frown and a coil of anger.

"Wanted to talk, over coffee or something. Actually had the audacity to look upset when I said no." Harry rolled his eyes and Niall snorted.

"He looked upset because you said no? Where the fuck does he get off with that!?" Niall fumed clenching his fist.

"Mum said I should consider talking to him, said maybe it would give me closure and then I could move on." Harry said fiddling with a string on his shirt. "The thing is, I don't think talking to him is going to help. He's always been it Niall, it's always been him and I don't think that's going to change."

"Yeah I know Haz, I can tell." Niall responded reaching over to squeeze Harry's shoulder. "I don't know what to tell you. On one hand your mum could be right but on the other..."

"It could make everything worse." Harry completed Niall's sentence. "Today has been... crazy. First I got the bill from the hospital and then this happened."

"You got the bill? How bad was it? I'll help pay it if you need help." Niall said settling into the corner of the sofa.

"It's been paid in full, I don't owe a dime. And before you ask, no I don't know who paid it and the billing company couldn't tell me." Harry explained.

"Wow... that's... wow." Niall chuckled. "That was nice of whoever it was."

"Yeah, an eleven thousand dollar bill paid in full. Crazy." Harry laughed weakly then heard a noise behind them.

Turning to look over his shoulder he saw Scarlet standing there with her crutches under her arms looking drowsy from sleep.

"Hey cupcake" Harry greeted standing up from where he sat.

Scarlet smiled and made her way over to the sofa. She handed the crutches off to Niall then hopped a couple times to position herself to sit down. She sat down right on Harry's lap and proceeded to press her face into his chest with her arms folded over her own. Harry curled his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Something wrong love?" He questioned brushing a curl from her face when she looked up at him.

"Tired." Scarlet mumbled sleepily.

"Alright, let's go home and get you to bed then, you've got school in the morning." Harry said hooking his arms underneath her so he could carry her.

Niall followed him out to the car, carrying the crutches. Harry set Scarlet in the backseat and she buckled up while he placed her crutches on the floor.

"I'll talk to you later Ni, thanks again for watching her." Harry said reaching out to hug Niall once he closed the car door.

"Anytime mate, you know I don't mind watching my favourite girl." Niall replied then stepped back so Harry could get into the car.

With a final wave Harry drove them home. Once they got home Scarlet used the crutches and hobbled into the flat and straight to the bathroom. Without any encouraging she brushed her teeth while Harry called Sophia to help Scarlet take a bath. It really wasn't appropriate for him to help her bathe now that she was 8. She could do it on her own and had been able to for about two or three years now but with her knee he just didn't want to risk her slipping in the shower so he insisted on baths and Sophia helping her.