Half a heart

Chapter 12

_*End Flashback*_

It's been that way every time since then too. Whenever they go out, if Harry leaves them alone for some reason, Scarlet immediately drops her happy smile and acts completely different. Louis doesn't bring it up to Harry because he gets it - gets that she doesn't like him and this is going to take time.

But it wears on him. He tries not to get annoyed because she won't give an inch but he's only human and after a month of it being this way he stops trying to talk to her when Harry walks away from them. They sit in silence - awkward silence.

Occasionally Louis will speak to her, like when she goes to grab the packages of sugar that are in a small container on the table. Harry always swats her hand away from them and tells her not to mess with them.

"Please don't." Louis requested as Scarlet reached over to pluck some of the packages.

He doesn't touch her but he reaches over and covers the top of the container with his hand and looks at her. It earns him a glare but Scarlet obediently retracts her hand. Harry comes back a minute later and Scarlet turns to look at him.

"Daddy can we go home now? I'm bored..." Scarlet asked as soon as Harry is seated in the chair next to her.

"I thought you wanted to go see Miss. Megan?" Harry questioned turning to look down at her and it's immediate that Scarlet smiles

"Yes! Can we go now Daddy? Please?" Scarlet inquired giving him a pout that Louis thinks definitely rivals his own.

"We'll go once we've had lunch." Harry answered then turned to face Louis. "Did you decide what you're having?"

"Yeah, just gonna have the chicken salad sandwich. You?" Louis asked and Harry glanced down at the menu.

"Turkey and bacon club." He decided giving the sandwiches a once over.

"How about you love?" Louis questioned looking over at Scarlet.

"Ham and cheese." Scarlet responded then fell silent again as she reached for her glass of water.

"Okay, I'll go order." Louis said getting up and heading toward the counter to place their order.

He makes sure to ask them to cut the crusts off of Scarlet bread because he knows now that she only eats the crust on certain bread and the one the sandwich is made on is not one of those. Louis paid for the meal then wondered back to their table where Harry was listening to Scarlet go on about her and Uncle Niall playing footie in the park the other day.

"Uncle Niall said I have to go to therapy again on Monday." Scarlet stated looking up at her Daddy. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes sugar, you have to go." Harry replied picking up his glass of sweet tea.

"But why? My knee doesn't even hurt a little bit." Scarlet whined giving Harry a wide eyed look and Louis thought that was going to be the end of Harry.

"Because it's good for your knee. It helps make it stronger." Harry answered really not wanting to have this conversation again because they've already have it four times in the past two and a half weeks.

"But I don't want to go!" Scarlet stated crossing her arms defiantly.

"Scarlet. You have to go." Harry said pinching the bridge of his nose.

And Louis is really not expecting it when Scarlet turns her wide blue eyes to him and gives him the saddest look she possibly can.

"Do I have to go?" Scarlet questioned Louis, her tone pleading and sad.

Louis nearly chokes on his bite of food. He glances at Harry and he looks almost as surprised as Louis that Scarlet has willingly turned to him and spoken. Harry looked back at him and waits to see what he will say.