Ours [harry styles] ✓

Duty

"I said back off!" Harry bellowed again. I remained where I was, my hands still glued to the side of my head. I was too afraid to look, too worried that they'd engulf me with their persistent questions again. Harry's voice and footsteps grew louder and the people surrounding me gasped, presumeably due to being thrown aside. I felt a large hand grasp the top of my left arm and hoist me to my feet. It wasn't until I was standing that I realised I was trembling all over, so forcefully that I wasn't sure I could keep myself upright with Harry's support.

"I mean it," Harry's voice warned. "Just leave. She needs some space." As the paparazzi retreated the air gradually refilled my lungs. I wriggled free of Harry's grasp and stumbled away from him, the reminder of his betrayal scalding me like a hot poker.

"You!" I spat and I could almost taste the venom in my words. I pointed a shaky finger at him. "How could you?"

Harry took a step forward without warning, trying to grab hold of the hand that was still pointing at him in mid air. "Marnie, was that some sort of panic attack? Are you ok?" I shook my head, furious that he was ignoring me.

"Answer me!" I screamed at him. Hot tears pooled and spilled from my eyes, cascading down my cheeks furiously. "Why would you do that? How could you possibly do that to us? You've ruined everything!"

Harry's eyes widened and he looked around self-conciously, as if afraid we would attract unwanted attention from the paparazzi again. "Marnie, please calm down and come inside. I think you should see the medic." He reached for me again but I shoved him away. "Please, Marnie. You're scaring me."

His voice was small and sad, making him appear so vulnerable in comparison to the proud father that he'd been on stage. I wanted to scream at him, tell him to stop acting like he was the victim in all of this. He'd exposed Nola to the world now, confirming all the headlines that had fuelled the rumours. Everything we'd worked to prevent had come undone in a matter of minutes, seconds even.

"You could have at least warned me!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air dramatically. "Why would you go behind my back like this? Why, Harry?" He ran one of his hands through his hair before answering me.

"Because I knew I'd get this reaction." He eyed me warily, anticipating my reaction. My heart was thudding under my rib cage, so hard that it was almost painful. I thought I was going to come to pieces again so I grabbed fistfuls of my cardigan, willing the world to remain still until I'd at least finished talking. 

"But I thought we were in this together." I sobbed pathetically, my voice now just as small as Harry's had been. "How can we be if you keep secrets from me about Nola?" I saw the rage flash in Harry's eyes before I heard it. He took one step forward, his jaw set and tensed.

"Don't lecture me on secrets about our daughter!" He snapped at me. "You're the one who kept the biggest secret of them all - her existence!" I felt myself flinch at his words in surprise. 

"You're going to use that against me now, are you?" I yelled at him. "Is that going to be your game plan every time things get rough between us; throwing my biggest regret back in my face?" I shook my head furiously, swiping at the tears with the sleeve of my cardigan. "I want to go home. Now." 

Harry ignored me, continuing to project his true feelings in the carpark of the arena. "If Nola is going to be in my life then she needs to be in all of it, Marnie. I have a duty to my fans to be truthful to them. They were only angry because it was publicised as being some sort of dirty secret or lie. They just had to understand, surely you get that?" 

As the logic of his words sunk in, I broke down. 

My knees sagged to the floor, weak and useless. It was as though every emotion I'd bottled up for the past two years was pouring out of me, gushing onto the cold tarmac of the carpark. I wanted him to be wrong. I didn't want to share her with the fans, she was mine. She was his. She was ours. I didn't want them to think I was a heartless bitch. The girl who had prevented Harry from having a relationship with his daughter. I just didn't want the attention. I was a nobody for heaven's sake. I lived in a dingy flat with my bimbo of a best friend. I made pancakes from a bottle. I was basically estranged from my parents and I was living off benefits. I had no ambitions, no goals, no dreams. My life was all about Nola and I didn't want the spotlight on it. I didn't want her every milestone documented by an online source or magazine. I didn't want her stalked by cameras. I didn't want her precious moments with Harry posted all over the Internet. I just didn't want it.

"Why did you have to come into my life?" I sobbed. "I hate you, Harry."

"Oh really?" He retorted. "Because I like you. I like you, Marnie. A lot."