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Clara.

"Do they follow you everywhere?" I ask Harry, girls surrounding him as soon as we had walked into one of his favorite restaurants.

"It's like this all the time. Are you okay, though? I don't want them to bother you," he tells me, my hand taken in his.

"No I'm fine," I say, his eyes on me. My response leads him to smile and he asks the server for a private room, the two of us being led back. Harry sits across from me and I set my napkin on my lap, my heart racing. I can tell Harry's watching me and I worry it's from my newly identified self-harm. He shouldn't act like I'm a disease.

"Clara, what's wrong?" he asks as I keep my eyes on my fingers. I glance up and he watches me with eyebrows crunched together.

"Nothing, just...hungry," I say, his eyes so intense as he watches me.

"Is it the girls? I can call one of my bodyguards and see if they-" I shake my head and cut him off.

"You keep staring at me," I blurt out. He processes my words.

"What?" he just says, and I bravely keep going.

"You keep looking at me. It feels like your observing me...like you think I'm weird. I don't want pity and that's what it feels like," I say, his lips parted. I can tell I've shocked him.

"Clara, I-I no," he says, my eyes looking at him.

"Then why? I can't have you stare at me like this because I-I already hate myself," I say and look away, realizing I just blurted that. I feel horrible as always, but I just unleashed on him. Harry probably didn't think I could even retaliate.

"I don't know Clara. I just...it's refreshing to be around someone who doesn't really care about my career. Plus, I'd be an idiot to ignore the fact that you're a very attractive person," he says, and my eyes widen. My jaw drops and the straw falls onto my lips, my hands setting down the glass.

I don't know how to react and he just runs his hands through his hair.

"Don't go...running off, please. I can tell I just scared you and that's the last thing I wanted to do. But know what I say is completely true," he says, and I push my seat out. I don't know how else to react. He just called me attractive and I feel...like I'm going crazy.

I rush out of the room, but he grabs my hand. Harry tugs me back into the room and I'm leaned against the wall, his hands holding mine.

"You're okay, Clara. It's okay," he says, freaking me out.

"Stop," I pant out, my heart beating erratically.

He steps back and I slide down the wall, burying my head in my knees. I take deep breaths, overwhelmed that he actually enjoys my presence and finds me attractive.

I look up but I'm shocked when I see Harry seated in front of me, his legs sprawled so I sit between them.

"Are you okay?" he asks softly, my lips releasing a deep breath. I nod and he takes my hands, moving to stand and pulling me up.

He guides me back to my seat and there is a knock on the door, Harry allowing it to be open. The waiter comes in and Harry orders for me, my eyes looking down at my plate.

"Clara," Harry says, my eyes looking up into his.

"Do you have a phone?" he asks, my head shaking. I used to...but it got lost in the fire.

"Then I'm going to get you one, my treat," he says, my heart stopping.

"Why?" I ask, his lips in a beautiful smile.

"So I can talk to you when I'm away on business. I leave for England at the end of next week. I'd think we'd be rather close by then don't you think?" he asks, my shoulders only shrugging. It's a crazy thought but he managed to get me out of the house.

"I can move into the guest room," I say, now realizing how I must have intruded. I've been living in his room for a while; he deserves to have it back.

"No, no, Clara. You can stay in my room. No worries."

I stay silent, not knowing how to respond. And I don't need to when the waiter comes in. He sets a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo in front of me and Harry has the same, my fingers grabbing my fork. Harry's phone starts to ring and he excuses himself.

He's gone for a while and all I've done is wrap noodles around the fork, but I can't eat. I've lost all appetite.

"Okay, sorry. I just - why haven't you eaten?" he asks, standing beside me.

"Not hungry," I say, his hand moving and grabbing my shoulder. He crouches beside me and I look down at him.

"Is something bothering you?" he asks, his green eyes so beautiful. He's so attractive and I can't stand how he's making me feel right now.

I just close my eyes and take a deep breath, his other hand moving to grab my cheek. "Clara," he rushes, my body slumping onto his. I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Harry lifts me up and rests me against the wall, rushing and getting a glass of water. He helps me and I rest my head on his shoulder, his arm wrapping around me.

"I got you, Clara," he says, my lips surrounding the straw again. The water cools me down and I wait a few minutes before I move again. Harry allows me to take his hand and I sit back up, setting the water down. He stands up and grabs my other hand, lifting me up. My head tilts and I look up at him, his hand cupping my cheek.

"Let's get home. I'm sorry I freaked you out," he says, letting me go before I have a chance to say anything. He just takes the bill and walks with me up front to pay it, but he grabs my hand. Harry looks at me and we go out to his car, but cameras start to follow us. Harry tugs me into his side and opens the door, helping me in. Harry says something I can't hear to the cameras and then gets into the driver's seat, speeding off.

I can tell he's mad and I start to freak out at the speed he's driving. "Harry slow down," I rush, reaching over and grabbing his arm. And he does. As Harry slows down, he moves his arm over and grabs my hand, tightening his fingers with mine.

"Those stupid cameras. They're going to assume shit," he yells, my hands tight over his.

"It's okay. I-I don't care about that," I say, his hand steering the car into the neighborhood.

"No. I can't subject you to that, Clara. You've been through too much already. They can write stories for years just based off of one stupid picture," he grits and I look at him. His jaw is clenched and his lips are pursed, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"You'll make it better," I say, his head glancing to me. His face seems to conform into a much more gentle expression, his hand tightening on mine.

"I'll do what I can," he says, my head nodding. He pulls into the driveway and we get out of the car, his body walking to mine.

"Are you feeling better?" Harry asks, surely wanting the last few minutes to ask before we're bombarded with questions from Anne.

"Yes, thank you," I say, his head nodding. I take his extended hand, but I'm shocked when he tugs me into him. I look up at him and his eyes meet mine, my heart stopping.

"Then you'll be okay if we go out again tomorrow," he says, my stomach filling with butterflies. I shyly smile and he grins, wide enough for me to see his dimples.

He walks back and we walk into the house, my body rushing to go upstairs. I make it into the room before I freak out, my heart racing and smile wide.

Harry thinks I'm attractive. And he wants to hang out again tomorrow. I can't be happier and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel myself moving on.

.....
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