Distract and Sedate H.S

Chapter Forty Seven

"Harry, Hazel, it's so great that you're here."

I pulled out of Harry's neck to see Anna standing before us on the dancefloor with a long, ruffled silver number shaped around her body.

"Nice to see you, Anna," Harry stated, his arm curling around me. "Are you accompanied by anyone?"

"Todd, actually," she murmured, eyes falling away from us. "He's sitting outside with some buddies of his apparently."

Despite my utter dislike for her, I was vaguely upset that someone would be disregarded at a ball.

"Call him back inside," I told her.

"I can't. H-he's drinking," she blubbered. Oh. She was nearing tears too. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you this because obviously–"

"That's not okay, Anna. You know what he's like," Harry interrupted. "Why would you even let him bring you here?"

She chuckled dryly and caught a tear before it ruined her makeup. "You could say the town's population of young men is a short list." She sniffed and took in a deep breath. "Never mind, actually. I'm sorry I interrupted your dance."

She was about to walk off when Harry lurched forward and gripped her elbow. "Stay here with Hazel. I'm going to speak to him."

I knew that was coming. He couldn't resist sometimes. He left us and I uncomfortably stood beside her. My glass of wine was sitting full at my table, but I didn't feel like a drop of it right now.

"Rose told me about what happened at the bar," she muttered.

"Oh," I said uncertainly.

"It surprised me. I didn't think a girl would stick by him after that."

I didn't know what to reply with. "Yeah... I guess he's been through a lot."

"Don't I know..." she trailed off, nodding along her head.

"In England as well." I coughed slightly. "He's gone through a lot else."

"That's nothing to what happened with his brother. Nothing will compare to that." She hesitated her next sentence before she glanced over at me. "I didn't plan this one, barging in like this. I used to find Harry if Todd ever got too pushy — old habits, I guess."

"I thought Harry was isolated from people."

She shook her head. "Not always. There were some things he wouldn't allow. All I ever had to do was ask."

"Before or after his brother passed?"

"Before... When I met him again after all these years it was like it wasn't Harry at all. I'm still not quite sure it is." Her eyes drifted to the door he had exited from. He still wasn't back. "You remind me a lot of his brother."

I didn't know where all these revelations were coming from, but I was interested in Matthew to no end. "In what way?"

"Well..." She thought for a moment. "The way he looks at you, and listens to what you have to say, that sort of respect ain't something we used to get."

"I don't know if I would–"

"You know that too. No need to be modest with me," she mumbled. I choked back a chuckle. It probably wasn't intended so frank.

"Does this mean you're going to lay off of Harry?" I lifted my glass from the table and took a small sip of it while she considered.

"Probably not."

I rolled my eyes on the second swallow of wine. "It's never going to happen."

She smirked slightly. "Did once."