The Only Exception | W2S

THIRTY FOUR.

"You feel okay about this?" Harry asks, having not left my side the moment he'd told me he loved me. 

In all fairness, it was only the next day, but he'd stayed the night, and all of today he hadn't left my sight. 

"Not particularly, but I want to defend myself. There didn't seem to be much point - not until you -" I spoke, cutting myself off, because he knew what I meant. 

Now there was something to defend, something other than myself. 

Him. Us. I wasn't letting anyone, or anything put it in jeopardy, even if it meant airing all of my dirty laundry for the entire internet to see. 

"If it helps, I am quite the expert in drama online," Harry says lightly, as my friends are finishing setting up my room for my podcast. 

"Ah, yes. The diss track era. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm musically inclined enough to make an impact through a...rap song."

That makes him laugh, and for me, that's enough. "No, maybe not. You're just going to have to...what's the word - yap away, and explain your side. All of us will be behind the camera. And you know George, Jess and Arthur will come on if you need them to," he reminds me, and I know all of this already, but it sounds more reassuring coming from his mouth. 

"It's all done," George calls out, and I turn around and see the lights shining onto my bed, the microphone all ready, too. 

I press a quick kiss to Harry's cheek, before settling into the bed, seeing him mobilise behind the camera, giving me a thumbs up to let me know I could start whenever. 

I try to fall back into my usual persona for my podcast recordings, but there is a feeling of absolute fury at Matthew - and Evie, in turn, that pushes me towards determination to tell my side of the story. 

"Welcome back to another episode of Pretty Lonesome, with me, the one and only unstable and insecure Holly Peterson!" I introduce, already trying to make a joke out of it. "Sorry, sorry," I apologise, enjoying watching the shocked faces of everyone behind camera. 

"Well, I'm sure if you're watching this, you've most likely watched my ex's video which just rips me apart for an entire ten minutes. Maybe more, I can't remember, don't want to, to be honest. I mean - apart from how incorrect and just - mean it was, props to him. He's capitalised on something and it's got him views. I wonder, Matthew, how much money have you earned by bringing my name up? Even more - lying about me? Enough to buy you a new conscience, maybe?"

From behind the camera, George is getting ready to come and join me, because we'd privately agreed on something beforehand. Something that would pretty much dispel the rumours altogether. 

"You say that we'd already broken up before you kissed Evie. Or should I say - you got caught kissing Evie. That it was my fault, because I was paranoid, because I didn't trust you. That's a lie. I trusted you with my life. I loved you like you were the only person in the world. I put you first. That's the type of person I am, Matthew. Or at least, it was until you cheated on me, and left me to deal with the fallout alone. Do you know how that felt? Being ridiculed on the internet, being compared to your 'new girl'? No, you don't, because you never asked. You know who did ask, though? George Clarkey," I continue, and he walks up to my bed, climbing into it with me, his phone unlocked, and in his hand. 

"When you cheated on me, I needed a new start. I'd been talking to George, and also Arthur for a little while, and I was in the process of moving in with them. George was the first person I talked to about you - well, you cheating on me. And you know what I did? I sent him screenshots. Of our messages. Just before you blocked me, and I would be unable to retrieve those messages ever again. I'm sure you thought I had no access to them, right? That's why you made up this crazy story? George, would you like to read them out?" I ask, feeling slightly out of breath due to how quickly I'd been talking, or rather - venting.