Corruption™ (Punk Harry Styles)

Chapter Eighty-one

“In the end, Harry won and was given the job of being your protector. I, on the other hand, was instructed to withdraw myself from every aspect of your life.”

Confused, I interrupted him despite his request not to.

“Why did he make you do that?”

“Because I let it get personal, and he didn’t like that.”

“How did you let it get ‘personal’?”

He sighed softly, “I fell in love with you…”

My eyes went wide in shock, “What?”

“I fell in love with you…”

“I-I heard you…but…”

“I know you’re with him now and I can’t change that. Just know that I’ll always love you…even if you don’t remember what we had back then.”

I nodded slowly; still trying to process everything he’d just told me.

What we had back then. How am I supposed to understand that even the slightest bit?

“Why did he leave? Where did he have to go?” I asked, hoping he’d give me an honest answer.

“He went back to his hometown to do a funeral for Melissa…”

“And I couldn’t come?”

“Well, he also has to meet with your father. I don’t know why, just that he does.”

“That shouldn’t take him three weeks, though. There must be something else you’re not telling me.”

“I’ve told you all that I do know. What he does is none of my business. I am simply doing him a favour by staying here with you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter. Why can’t he understand that?”

“If I were him, I would’ve done the same thing to be completely honest with you. It’s just not safe for you to be left alone when we don’t know if anyone’s still out to get you or him.”

“I wish I knew what they wanted. I’d give it to them just so they’d stop bothering us and let us be happy.”

“It’s revenge that they want; revenge on your father.”

Not thinking about what he told me earlier about having feelings for me, I rested my head on his shoulder, needing some way to relax my mind and body.

He pulled me close to him and rubbed my back – he probably could see how worried I was about all of this.

“Everything will be fine; he’ll be fine,” he reassured me quietly.

“How can you even say that? From what you told me, he pretty much took me away from you; yet you still help him out.”

He sighed, “It’s because I care about you and I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’ve fallen in love with him and I’m not going to purposely interfere with that. All I want is for you to be safe and happy, no matter who you’re with.”

My eyes filled with tears and I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to hold them back. However, I was not very successful and one slipped down my cheek.

I felt his thumb come in contact with my cheek, gently wiping away the tear.

I looked up at him, “I’m sorry for how things turned out…I know what that pain of losing someone you love is like and it’s terrible. You feel like-”

“You’re dying,” we both said at the same time and our eyes locked on each other.

“I really am sorry,” I apologised again in a whisper.

“It’s okay,” he said, smiling slightly as he placed my hair behind my ear gently.

My lips parted slightly, oblivious to me, as I kept my eyes focused on his.

“I just…I…”

Letting out a quiet sigh, I leaned in and kissed him softly, feeling bad for what had happened.

It took a second for him to kiss back very gently, and I then pulled away slowly.

“I’m sorry…” I whispered again, my eyes still closed and face still near his.

I felt his hands cup my cheeks and he pressed his lips to mine again.

It was incomprehensible to me as to why I was doing it, but I kissed him back. Maybe it’s just that I feel terrible or maybe I’m missing Harry so much already that I needed something to distract me.

This is wrong. It shouldn’t be happening. Why can’t I stop myself?

He gently laid me down on my back, not breaking the kiss, but didn’t get on top of me – thank God.

Somehow tongues got involved and in my mind I was trying my hardest to make myself pull away, but it seemed as if my mind and body were separated and could no longer communicate correctly.

There was a slightly loud thud that startled the both of us enough to look for the cause of it.

My lips parted again in shock, eyes widening.

“I…I-I thought you left?” I questioned, not realising how bad it made me sound.

“Plans changed. But now I’m leaving again. Don’t look for me either,” Harry ordered angrily.

“Don’t talk to her like that, this is my fault,” Zayn jumped in, defending me.

“It didn’t look she was trying to stop you.”

“Harry, I…” I tried to explain.

“I don’t want to hear it, Gabby. You weren’t pushing him off. It’s obvious now that you don’t even care about me anymore; I should’ve known.”

He walked out of the room and downstairs. I got up quickly and ran after him, following him outside and grabbing his hand, desperately hoping he’d stop walking away from me.

When he turned to look at me, his eyes were glassy and a tear slipped down his cheek. My eyes studied his face worriedly.

What have I done?