Graceful Departure// Harry Styles Fan Fiction

Chapter Four

“Second time lucky, eh?” I whispered as Jennifer strapped Grace into the baby car seat to make sure she was safe. This time round, any reporters or intruders were going to be prosecuted for invasion of privacy. Whenever I saw a photographer or reporter knowing that they had killed my best friend and taken the parents away from a beautiful baby girl. Jennifer looked up and took a deep breath. 

“We’ll be fine.” She said sounding unsure of her own words.

I took extra care on the icy roads. When we stopped at a set of traffic lights near the house I turned my head slightly to face Jennifer. She looked back at me and smiled weakly. "Do you love him?” I asked her quietly, not wanting to wake Grace. She looked back and me as tears began to prickle both our eyes. She shook her head and opened her mouth to talk, but the lights turned green so I looked away, feeling stupid for even bringing it up. It was hardly the time or place.

***

“She’s so small!” Liam whispered as everyone crowded around the cot in Samantha’s and Louis’ old house. 

“How did she manage to survive?” Zayn asked me, turning away from the cot to join me on the bed where Louis and Samantha slept. “They said that the ice was a major player in the.. in their death.”  

Grace began to cry gently in her cot as everyone streamed out of the room to go downstairs. I got up as fast as I could but Jennifer already had Grace in her arms and had began soothing her. Niall was playing with Grace's tiny hands pulling little faces making both of them giggle. I turned out of the room and walked down the stairs to the little make shift gym Louis had created for Samantha because Samantha was worried about how her body was going to be after the baby. I grab some boxing gloves and began to pound the punch bag in the middle of the room.

“You want a sparring partner?” Liam asked, standing in the door way after a few minutes of attacking the bag over and over again. I shook my head and began hitting the bag again. “You won’t get anything out of hitting a dead weight bag. All of that anger is still going around your head. You need to think about what you’re doing, think about the moves, the blocks, the attacks. You need to spar.” Liam grabbed a couple of gloves and began walking over to me. “Not the face, OK?” He said, smiling gently at me.

“Liam…” I began but Liam had already swung for my arm. “Wooahh! What are you doing?” I shouted at him but Liam was once again lunging for my stomach. 

“I’m sparring with you, I don’t know what you’re doing though.” He laughed. “Think about each defence, each dodge, each attack!” 

He was right, the more I thought about the moves I was making the less angry I felt about Niall and Jennifer and the reporters who’d killed my best friend. By the time I’d finished I was in need of a long hot shower and a good nights sleep.

“Come on. Let’s get a quick drink and you can tell me how you’re feeling about it all.” Liam said quietly as we passed Zayn who had passed out on the sofa. “Is it OK if I take your room for tonight? I don't really fancy driving back into London at this time of the night." I nodded at him and took a glass out of the cupboard. “How are you feeling man?” Liam asked me. I took a long gulp of water and shook my head.

“Like shit.” I said simply, finishing off my water. “I have no idea what I’m doing. Jennifer is a natural with Grace and Niall," I sighed "he makes her laugh and happy. I just feel so sidelined here.” I said quietly.

“Niall makes who happy? Grace or Jennifer?” Liam asked, raising his eyebrows. I shook my head and turned to walk out of the door. “Harry, as much as you don’t want to hear it, you need to forget any feelings you have for Jennifer. It seems like she has. It’s no longer about Niall taking your girlfriend away from you. It’s about protecting and loving your best friend's beautiful baby girl.” 

Liam was right. He usually was, but it didn’t stop me from loving Jennifer.