Back For You (Harry Styles)

Part 10

Harry's POV:

"Lucy?" I say softly through the bathroom door. I should have warned the boys not to talk to her about her family. She freaks out and I can't say I blame her. I myself had to hold back tears when her family was mentioned. The fact that I've seen her cry more in the past twenty-four hours than I have in my entire life just pains me.

I hear sniffling and rustling from behind the closed door, then the click of the lock as it opens a crack. I slowly turn the handle and push the door open wider.

Lucy is standing with her arms folded across her chest, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her eyes are red and puffy, black trailing down her cheeks from the make-up that she doesn't even need. Her bottom lip is quivering with the effort it's surely taking her to not cry.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasps right when I walk in, surprising me. "I don't know why I freaked out like that, I could've just told them! They probably think I'm so stupid and fragile." She looks like she's about to continue but I stop her.

"Luce, calm down, they don't think that at all. They're confused, but they don't think any less of you. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen them be won over so quickly as by you," I say. It's true, the boys took an immediate liking to Lucy, for which I was grateful.

She sighs, taking her head in her hands and shaking it.

"I just wish I could be okay again," she mumbles so quietly that I'm not sure I was supposed to hear. Instead of responding I just close the space between us and envelope her in my arms. She hugs me back for a few seconds before we pull away.

"Thanks Haz. I'm gonna get cleaned up a bit and then I'll join you guys back there," she says and I nod, turning around. "Wait." Her voice stops me and I turn to face her again.

"Can you, uh, not tell them about my family just yet? I kinda want to be the one to tell them, on my own terms," she says somewhat shyly. I offer her a small smile, completely understanding. I was't planning on telling them anyway.

"Of course," I tell her. "I totally get it, babe." She grins and I take it as my cue to leave. I walk out of the bathroom, hearing the door close behind me as I take the stairs two at a time.

As soon as I reach the top I am bombarded with questions.

"Is she alright?" Louis asks, a worried look in his eyes.

"Sorry man, I didn't know that would upset her," Liam says.

"What just happened, seriously? I'm so confused," Niall blurts out, biting his lip

"Guys. Guys! She's alright, she's just a little sensitive around the subject of her family. I should've warned you, sorry," I say, ending their questions and apologies.

Before any of them can reply, Lucy reappears in the room.

"Hey guys..." she says shyly. "Umm I'm sorry about that. I think I owe you all an explanation."

"You don't have to tell us. You can wait until you're ready, we understand," Liam chimes in sweetly but she shakes her head.

"No, I want to."

She then tells the story of how her sister was killed, her mom took her own life, and her dad beat her. The boys' faces go from sadness, to shock, back to sadness, and then to anger.

I'm surprised when Lucy doesn't shed any tears while telling the story. I guess she's all cried out, but I'm not. Hearing it again brings fresh tears to my eyes as I think about all the fun times I had with that family. The guys give me looks of sympathy when I give up on trying to hold back the tears, and then go back to listening to Lucy's story.

When she's finished, all the boys hug her in turn and then they each hug me as well.

"I'm so sorry, babe," Zayn mutters as he hugs her. A small smile lights her face.

"Thank you. It helps to have people to talk to about it. People who know why I'm like this." She sighs and all the boys smile and nod sympathetically. 

Lucy then yawns and I twist my wrist so I can see the time on my watch. My eyes widen when I see that it's already 9:50. 

"Yeah, I'm gonna try to get some sleep," she says as she stifles another yawn. "It was really great getting to know you all better," she adds before climbing under the covers. The boys all bid her goodnight and jog down the stairs, leaving the two of us alone.