FINE LINE | HARRY STYLES

TWENTY-FOUR.

MARCH, 2019.

When River came home, he let me cry into him for a while. He just held me for as long as I can remember. Not saying a word, just letting all my emotions pour out onto his Gucci sweater.

I know it seems dumb to treat this like I lost a real person. But it felt like I did. A person I really loved gave me her and I would have done anything to keep her safe.

When I felt most alone, I had Blue. Blue had me. We had each other.

"Your parents said we should be at their place by 8." River says as he sits on the edge of our bed.

I look at him from the mirror, my brows scrunching together. I lower the hand holding my eyeliner as I stare at him.

"They told you that?"

"Yeah, texted me." He waves his phone around.

"Since when was that a thing?" I try to laugh but it comes out as more of a bitter scoff.

"Since Christmas. We exchanged numbers. Why, is that a problem?"

I shake my head, "Nope. No. Not at all."

My parents were never on a texting basis with any of my boyfriends other than Harry. For some reason it just felt weird knowing they were texting River.

Especially when I know damn well they still talk to Harry.

"Okay, well I'm gonna shower." He announces before passing me to enter the bathroom.

As soon as I hear the water turn on, I dive to his phone. I quickly type in his password and scroll through his messages.

This is wrong.

But he gave me his password so clearly he doesn't mind if I look.

He has a whole group chat with them.

I browse through, reading the simple text messages about random daily things and sometimes me. But I stop short when I notice Harry's name.

River had been the first one to bring his name up. He had asked if Harry was someone to worry about.

From what my mom and dad told him, they made it clear Harry and I are just friends. Which clearly settled River's nerves.

I'm surprised he never brought the topic of Harry up to me being as he had to ask my parents about him. I didn't even know he knew I was talking to him. But then again, the internet went insane when someone noticed we followed each other on social media again.

To them, that meant we were alive and thriving. But, they also knew River was in the picture and they hated that.

Anyone who isn't Harry is apparently the worst for me.

They didn't know about Grace. I read somewhere that there were suspicions that he had someone in his life, but no one knew who. As long as it wasn't me, they could care less.

I think Harry knows that. Because from what I saw through social media, Grace wants to be noticed. She wants people to see her as Harry Styles' new and improved girlfriend.

But Harry knew they would just compare her to me. And he knew they wouldn't rest until she knew that she was nothing like me and they didn't like her for him.

No one deserves that. I'm kind of glad he hasn't gone public with it. It's a sick world we live in.

He mentioned Grace would be at the Met Gala. And she would be at the same table, but his date would be Alessandro Michele. I also know she hates that and made it clear to Harry she wanted to be his date.