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R.HAMILTON
Harry gave River a look that seemed like he teased her but also mocked her when he got in the back of her Rolls Royce. Almost like he was proved right in that River couldn't drive, but she did, in fact, get her license. She was certain her parents would've disowned her if she hadn't passed the first time, for they believed it was a necessity to be able to legally drive.
At the sound of the door slammed shut, Tony started up the car, then once Harry told him which hospital he needed to go to, the chauffeur wasted no time to get there.
It felt right to follow Harry out of the car and into the hospital where their outfits made them stand out like a pair of sore thumbs. While Styles asked for information on his brother, called Christian, River couldn't help but feel out of place. This rarely, if ever, happened, and she wasn't certain if she felt this way because of how she dressed, or because she was where she was and the company she kept.
Before she had any time to dissect the matter, Harry took off towards the lifts and she had no other option but to follow. If Harry thought it was strange, he didn't show it, nor did he voice if he wished for privacy. River would've understood but her curiosity would've driven her mad and potentially to a different floor of this establishment.
"I didn't know you had a brother," she said to him out of nowhere. The walls of the lift pressed in and she started to feel suffocated. It was a new sensation, especially around Harry but River supposed it had something to do with what had happened after the last time she was around him.
To ease curious minds, it happened more than once but she didn't feel any way about it. Humans needed release and River certainly wasn't ashamed about it.
"Considering that three months ago you had no idea I existed, I'm the least bit surprised that you know nothing about me," the words were anything but kind. River didn't take it to heart because she realised he was in a difficult situation. His brother was admitted to the hospital and this couldn't have been easy on him.
This time, River kept her thoughts to herself and shadowed his steps across the hospital. Harry slowed down when they reached the ward's nurse's station, and he asked to see Christian. They fiddled with Harry as they asked for his relation, then told him to wait until they reached the doctor.
Unwillingly, they took a seat with one empty chair between them and the time to wait had begun. For one, River was glad to sit. Even though she only walked from the car to the main reception, then from the lift to this reception area, she felt like she could've fainted. It became a little more difficult to keep herself upright, and the cold feel of the wall behind her back brought her comfort.
"You look like you're going to faint," she heard Harry address her, or she hoped it was her because she groaned in agreement, eyes closed. She felt like she would faint, even though River never experienced it before.
River heard Harry move before she felt anything, the chair he sat on made a creaking noise as he lifted from it, then settled on the one next to her. Warmth radiated off of him as his thigh pressed to the side of hers, their knees bumped. The material of his trousers and her beige dress felt much too thin of a barrier between them.
"Hey," Harry called to her again, and she opened her eyes to find his facial expression in a frown. "Do you need anything?"
A bed. Something to drink. Some energy.
Instead, River shook her head. Inhaled through her nose, and pushed herself higher in the seat. "I'm okay."
The way Harry kept his eyes on her, sharp yet careful as though he didn't want to push beyond boundaries, River could tell that he didn't believe her for one second. The knowledge of this was strange, a thought that she could barely process.
Rather than engaging in what would've turned out to be an argument, Harry stood up from the chair and took his warmth with him. Until then, River didn't realise how nice it felt to be pressed against him like that, to share comfort with him in such a way. It confused her hazy mind because she didn't understand why it felt so good. In fact, guilt washed over her as she sat there, alone, and a little dizzy, because he obviously did not like her, he thought she was a stuck-up princess—he literally called her that—so she needed to rein her heart in.
Perhaps when she felt better, stronger, because the moment he appeared again in his trousers, and nice shirt, slightly tousled hair, River's heart took a leap in her chest. For a second, she thought she would choke on the organ as it levelled to her throat, soaring until she swallowed deeply.
Harry passed her the can of Diet Coke, wet from just how chilled the beverage was inside of it, and a granola bar. Slightly taken aback, River's eyes followed the way he sat down in the chair again, one empty between them.
As much as it surprised River to receive anything from Harry, much less exactly what she felt she needed, she didn't waste much more time to try and figure out why he'd done this kindness. She set the granola bar on her thigh and opened the can, took a couple of refreshing sips, and enjoyed the feel of the bubbles against her throat.
Slight shakiness accompanied her movements as she opened the granola bar, and the sweet smell of dried fruits and chocolate caused the saliva to gather beneath her tongue. Unexpectedly, her stomach growled like it knew it would be fed and taken care of, and that was when River realised how badly she treated herself.
Then again, she wasn't surprised. While it was stupid, she usually attended parties on an empty stomach to intensify the effects of whatever would mix into her bloodstream during the night. The following day, she rarely, if ever, found she had an appetite, so she completely forgot about the lack of nutrients her body needed.
As she munched away on the granola bar, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly could've happened to Harry's brother. Even though this had nothing to do with her, some form of worry pushed its way through her brain as her eyes settled on Harry. He seemed distressed whilst he sat against the concrete wall, his legs spread wide enough that one of them covered the space before the empty chair between them.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
The sound of his tone gave away the length of his irritation, how deeply rooted it truly happened to be. River raised her eyebrows ever so slightly, her skin barely moved. She'd spent enough time with her etiquette teacher to know how to hold her reactions in, even if they sometimes proved to be difficult around Harry.
"What happened to your brother?"
For she thought the best way forward was through the mud, River went for the question that hit the jugular. If Harry was taken aback by it, he didn't let it show, and she found that curious. He handled himself incredibly well in situations where River expected him to spiral.
"It's not something I want to talk about," he responded and rejected River. It was his right to do it but it didn't take away from how it made her feel like she'd been knocked down—which made absolutely no sense.
"That's understandable," she said, and nodded gently. It still didn't feel good to make any sudden movements, and it appeared nodding could be classed as an aggressive form of action after a night of fun. "Have you alerted your family?"
Harry inhaled through his nose, then said, "No need," as he exhaled. Whilst River assumed this meant they were on their way already, Harry surprised her. "They don't particularly care."
"I'm sure that's not the case," she tried to argue but if she had to be honest, she didn't have much leg to stand on with the wishy-washy relationship she had with her parents.
"My mother left when I was five, and my father remarried when I was eighteen," he shared the random yet extremely personal information with River like he read it from a chapter of a book. The ease with which he spoke showed how much he'd managed to come to terms with his reality, and something about it amazed River. "I haven't heard from her since then, and my father and I never had the best relationship. He certainly wasn't there to raise Christian so I highly doubt he cares for me or either of my brothers."
"I assumed you were an only child," River admitted for the lack of response she could've given for what she learned about Harry.
"No," he sighed. "Middle child, actually."
The smile that crept onto her face was uncontrollable. "You and me are a lot more similar than I thought."
Harry scoffed but didn't look at her. It seemed he never looked at her. Why didn't he look at her?
"Why would you make such an accusation?" he asked, and the playfulness in his voice was clear. A surprise, at last. To turn from a conversation as dark as his relationship with his parents to a moment of lightness like this felt like a breath of fresh air.
This time, when River didn't respond, Harry turned to face her. If she was speechless before, she didn't know what she became when their eyes met. Frustration bubbled in her chest at the sight of his green eyes, the intensity of them and the way they seemed to look right into her soul. Harry had this thing about him that put River on edge, and she didn't know what it was.
Ever since that goddamn day on the golf course, she couldn't get him out of her head.
"Wait, if you're the middle child—where is your other brother?" River wondered. "Is he coming?"
"No."
River scrunched up her nose. "Another absentee family member?"
"Not exactly," he denied. River noted the slight indifference in his voice. He almost sounded like he was confused about his feelings for his brother. "Nick is... he is five years older than me—six years older than Chris. I guess that gap makes a huge difference."
"I suppose it would."
"Anyway, the point is, I am here, and my parents are not coming. Nick is likely otherwise occupied with his own family, and I can't fault him for that."
The statement was something River didn't agree with. It didn't make sense to her if she had to be honest. If she were in this situation, Dorian would've done everything to be present and be with his siblings. Granted, the relationship the Hamilton siblings had was unique for she knew no one who prioritised family like her own.
"Thank you for getting me this," River spoke again when the silence started to feel heavy, and nodded towards the can of beverage in her hands. To sit without conversation was strange, terrifying when Harry was involved. "You didn't have to."
"Would you rather me watch you lose consciousness and get admitted?" he asked back, monotone where he sounded entertained before. "I'm already dealing with my brother, I don't need you to become my responsibility, too."
To keep a discussion going for longer than two minutes proved to be difficult. Especially when River's company consisted of Harry Styles alone. While she kept their situation in mind, she would've imagined he appreciated the distraction from the reality.
When the nurse called for Harry, and took him away from the waiting area, River was finally able to take a deep breath.
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It felt only like ten minutes that River spent without Harry. A sudden urge to meet him halfway had her on her feet, fingers pinched the material of her dress to tug it down on her legs slightly.
"Is he alright?" she asked, brows knitted in concern. There was no indication on Harry's face nor in the way he moved that anything life threatening had happened to his brother but River didn't let that knowledge take root in her brain.
"He will be," he confirmed, the words like a key to the locked away breath in the back of River's throat. "Thanks for dropping me off, and for waiting."
"Of course," she nodded with a soft smile on her lips. Then, she asked, "Is there anything I can... do?" and surprised both herself and Harry with the offer.
"No," he shook his head. River nodded. "Are you feeling better?"
"Hm? Of course," she chuckled, and remembered to straighten her posture, to lift her chin, to keep within her personal limits and never tarnish her image. "I will get going as I am sure your brother has need of you."
Harry dipped his chin in response before the faint, "Sure," echoed around them. "I, erm..." he lifted his left arm and scratched at the back of his neck. Harry's gaze averted as he chuckled uncomfortably, and River watched him with a softly tilted head. "I didn't get the chance to tell Juliette what was happening. If you see her, would you mind—?"
"Would I mind—what?" she pretended to be oblivious as she asked for confirmation.
"Look, if you see her, and she asks, just tell her I had a family emergency, alright?"
River almost told him that was not her job but the way he sounded, lost and pleading, she felt herself want to make his life easier.
"Sure," she nodded, reluctant at the way he sighed in relief. He chose to keep this incident private, which was fair, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder why. To River, it seemed like Harry and Juliette were getting along more than fine.
Perhaps there was nothing between the two, and River only saw what she wished to see.
She didn't realise she zoned out and stared at him with widened eyes until she heard him clear his throat. Embarrassment crawled over her, burning.
"There's something else," Harry added. If River zoned out, Harry must've done the same because he sounded thoughtful like he took his time to consider what he would say.
River's interest peaked immediately.
"Actually, it's a strange request, and you probably don't—"
Unable to let this go unsaid, River was barely able to hold her smile back as she said, "Don't assume things. They're rarely ever true," I would know, she thought. After all, she did presume Harry was an only child when it turned out, he had two brothers.
"Are you free on Friday?"
River's heart stopped, her stomach dropped. Immediately, she averted her gaze and she suddenly became interested in the tattoos on his arm. He surely wasn't going to ask her out on a date, right? Also, why did that happen to be her first thought? Harry didn't like her, in fact, he thought she was annoying—something she needed to remind herself of because she forgot a lot more often than she should've done.
"I have some free time," she responded with some reluctance. "I'd have to check my calendar."
Harry nodded as his hand cupped his chin, his forefinger ran along the line of his jaw in thought. "I see."
"Do you need me to do that?" she asked when he didn't say anything more, her throat suddenly dry.
"My brother and his family are coming to spend the weekend, and they are booked in for a session at the golf course. I thought you could be there, and do their session?"
Surprise sat on River's features.
"You don't have to do it, of course," Harry backtracked a second later, River's speechlessness obviously the reason behind it.
"That's not a problem," she said eventually. At the same time, she pulled her phone out of her bag, unlocked the device then clicked on her calendar. The pastel colours welcomed her and made her heart happy.
"It would be from one 'til three if you are available," came the response from Harry as she scrolled over to Friday. She noted she had three board meetings in the morning from 09:00 until 13:00, absolutely no time for her to breathe. Between 13:30 and 17:00 she had a private fitting with Hermes for an event, an afternoon tea booked with Aaliyah, then a gallery opening from 17:30 until 18:30.
"Yeah, that should be fine," she nodded and smiled at him as she locked her phone. The only thing she needed to figure out was how she'd get from central London to the Clubhouse in an instant. Hermes would understand her request to reschedule, and Aaliyah would take her mother to the afternoon tea date instead.
At least she hoped.
Because for whatever reason, River felt inclined to be there for Harry and go through with this. Perhaps she felt bad for him for whatever had happened with his brother, Christian. Perhaps River just felt insane, and wanted to mess with her own head if it chose to mess with her from time to time.
Harry didn't smile at first but as his voice broke out into a, "Yeah?" River couldn't have missed the grin that sounded through the word.
"Yeah," she echoed, stuck in what to say that would confirm her decision.
The grin broke out on his face. "Awesome."
"Text me their schedule, and what they are looking to get out of the session if you get a moment, please," she spoke, automatically turned onto business-brain mode. "I also will need the left mini golf course booked if they have little ones? The ones on the right have it out for me."
Harry chuckled but nodded and promised he would move things around. It was curious, River noted, how he did this without trouble yet when he had to rearrange the day for the clients her father had spent the afternoon with, he practically went blue in the face.
"Oh," River rolled her eyes as she remembered the most important fuel for her for the big day she was going to have. While she slotted the new appointment into her diary on her phone, she said, "If I could have two iced vanilla lattes, and an iced green tea scheduled—first coffee at 13:00, second at 14:00, and the green tea at 15:00, would be great."
"I... am sure that can be arranged," he nodded continuously and River caught it from the corner of her eye.
Once it was confirmed and accurately saved in River's calendar, she sent a quick message to Tony to inform him she would be outside soon.
"All the best wishes to your brother. I do hope he gets better soon," she said sincerely, and couldn't hold her hand back—she let it run down Harry's arm in a comforting gesture.
"Thanks," he replied with a tight smile on his lips, eyes troubled as he held his true emotions back. River wasn't an expert on feelings but it was clear how Harry felt. She almost didn't want to leave him alone.
But then her phone rang, and her mother's name flashed on the screen. If anything was going to make River move, it was the dread that filled her from head to toe until it pooled in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't even sure she properly said goodbye to Harry before she shot through the hospital, and took her familiar seat in the back of her Rolls Royce.
She would have to send a get-well-soon basket to Christian Styles at some point.
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Happy Friday!
I hope everyone had a good week, and even if you didn't, at least we're at the end of it and we get to make the best of the weekend :)
This was one of my favourite chapters, and I hope it brought you some joy, too. There's so much in this that will come into play in the future, which makes it even more exciting. It all links !!! Always.
Thank you for all your lovely comments and votes, it's always so very much appreciated. <3
Until next week #TeamRiverry!
Love, B. xx