The italicized text in the beginning is the past.
Chapter 19
Harry ran down the stairs quickly with the keys in his hands, it feeling like a ritual. He pushed doors open and then when he reached the cage like room he unlocked it with the key he had found to it.
Sasha looked up at the sound of the door and smiled brightly. "Harry!" The accent in her voice was dimming, especially since she was constantly forced to fake an American tone around guests.
She jumped up into Harry's arms and Harry kissed her for the first time in months. When he pulled back he explained breathlessly, "He's gone, Sash. We finally have some more time alone together."
Sasha grinned up at him with tears springing in her eyes. She wiped under them. "H-Harry-"
"I know. I know. I'm so sorry, but I'm turning nineteen soon and I've been saving up. I might be able to pay him off and you and I can leave here; forever. Okay?" Harry spoke.
Sasha opened her mouth. "But-"
"No. I'm sick of this. I'm freeing you, even if it means running away," he insisted.
Her jaw dropped a bit and her eyes widened. She reached her hand up to touch his face. "Let's do it."
"What?" Harry answered blankly.
She smiled ecstatically. "Don't you see? Your father won't ever let me leave, Harry! But now." She held his hands and looked into his eyes. "We can run away together. We can finally be together."
Harry stared down at her. He was conflicted. He wanted to save Sasha from his father, but at the same time he was scared of whatever consequences came with defying his father if they were caught. Harry wasn't even supposed to be remote friends with Sasha unless they were around guests, let alone what they had really become: lovers.
He swallowed. "I-"
"He's gone for a whole weekend. We can leave now and never return," she tried reasoning. "We can use the money to build a home!" Sasha's grin was extraordinary. "I've... I've always wanted a family," she admitted quietly. She still mourned the day where her and her sisters were unjustly separated and sold by their father.
Harry stared down at the young girl before him and thought. This girl had been beaten and broken and treated as though she weren't a human.
Except when she's with me, he added. He was her hope. Her only hope. Her only happiness.
And he loved her.
"We'll leave tonight."
-
Harry had gotten out of the bed eventually, telling me that he would be right back and once he'd disappeared my mind slowly began to clear up.
I just made an irrational decision under the influence of my hormones. That was the first thing that came to mind. I was never a sexual person and that was... very sexual. It all just happened so fast, though, that I let it get to me and break me down...
The truly intelligent part of my brain argued back with the truth. What happened wasn't an accident or mistake caused by my biological desires. It came from me and what I wanted. Harry influenced my emotions and my emotions influenced me. Simple as that, right?
I brought my hands to my eyes and rubbed them, memories of the dirty thing that just happened flashing before my eyes. I hadn't ever been touched in a way that made me... react so pleased. I was given my first orgasm.
Harry was racking up a lot of firsts from me.
When Harry returned to the room he was holding a cup in his hands. I sat up, pulling the covers over my still bare lower half and I swallowed a lump in my throat. It was obvious now that we both liked each other. It also seemed that now we had a relationship beyond emotions, but I wouldn't say its official until that, maybe, happens again.
The thought of that repeating itself made me hold my legs together tightly. My body wouldn't mind at all.
Harry smirked and held the cup up. "I brought you a refreshment," he stated.
I raised my eyebrows at him, amused by how he brought me a "refreshment" after what just happened. Whatever "shock" I got from that waved off really quick, since Harry honestly doesn't seem too far from the kind of guy to do that. I mean, just the other day when we kissed he tried to eat brownies with me as though it never happened.
"Thank you," I thanked, taking it from him. Judging by the color of the liquid, it was quite clearly and much to my pleasure orange juice. I brought the cup to my lips and tilted my head back.
Harry jumped onto the bed, causing some of the juice to spill from the cup down my shirt and onto the sheets. I licked at my lips and wiped my chin, giving Harry a glare.
"Harry!" I whined in a pout, looking down at the trail of juice on the shirt and under me.
"What?" he said innocently. "Beds already a little wet."
His smile was dirty and teasing. I wanted to laugh with him, but I was trying not to. I got him in the shoulder, but he only burst into laughter. I wanted to swear at him, but I didn't want to get in trouble either.
I shook my head at him, drinking from the cup again. "You're a mess," I muttered.
"Maybe a little," he agreed. "But-" He was cut off by the sound of his phone going off. He frowned in his pause, sighing deeply. "Hold on: I believe I need to take this."
Harry stood up off the bed and walked to his phone. I began to fret over the spilled juice and while his back was turned I retrieved my panties.
"Hello... I'm fine, thanks, I guess... Can we skip the small talk? Quite frankly I have better things to do than listen to you act friendly."
I was hopping unsteadily into my panties and when Harry glanced back I paused in a bit of embarrassment. He shook his head and cracked a smile. It fell right then, his head snapping back to where it was before.
"Only on one side, thank god..."
I was finally back into a more appropriate dressing so I got back in bed, the part that wasn't wet by orange juice. I squinted my eyes at Harry and could tell whoever was on the other line was making him mad by his body language. Harry's knuckles whitened on his hands as one balled in a fist while the other held the phone unnecessarily tight. His jaw visibly clenched and I could see his muscles tense. I got up off the bed, worried about what was going on in the call.
I placed my hands on his hard shoulder, making him flinch. I myself jumped a little when he looked at me with dark, angry eyes.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, softly.
He huffed and nodded, "Yeah I'm fine." He pressed a finger to his lip, telling me to be quiet, so I obeyed. Instead I rubbed circles into his back and held his hand.
"Whatever," he responded briskly. "Get on to why you called me. We're still working on our current assignment."
I could hear more of the conversation now that I was closer.
"But from what I've heard you actually haven't done shit, my young employee. Why aren't you also in Novosibirsk with your crew?"
Harry once again looked at me; I was why he wasn't in Novosibirsk.
"I'm just taking a break. They can handle this one mission without me," Harry excused. I pressed my face to Harry's arm, still waiting for them to finish talking.
"Maybe that's so. But maybe it's an even blonder reason."
The hand that I'd been holding tightened on mine. It didn't hurt me, thankfully, but I could tell the stranger's words put him on edge. Hell, even I felt hair in my neck raising.
"What would Niall have to do with this?" Harry chuckled, lowly. I could tell he was trying to play dumb.
"Don't act stupid, Harry." The tone of the voice got deeper and more threatening. Now I was a bit more alarmed. "I was told about the girl and the recent...events she's been through."
I felt a chill to the bone.
"Lanaura Jane Etherea," the voice continued.
My eyes widened. How did he know my full name? Harry's hand let go of mine and he snarled into the phone, "If you're ready to threaten her then you can just tell me goodbye because I will not be bullied by you any longer. Mum and I have been pushed around by people who sound just like you so you remember that."
I was once again beside Harry. "Calm down," I said to him, so quietly I hoped I wasn't heard.
He glanced at me and just barely relaxed. After a pause I could hear the other person on the other side of the phone laugh.
"Woah, there, tiger. I wasn't trying to threaten your little deflowered flower. Oops, did I say that last part out loud?"
My own skin tightened at the cruel teasing; I felt my hairs stand up when brief recollections returned to my mind. I decided I disliked the stranger, quickly based off how he could so casually pick at such a sensitive topic.
I looked away and swallowed down a string of swear words I had the mind to feed him. This wasn't my fight; I was just being used as an offense.
"What do you want, Tris?" Harry spat, angrily.
"I'm just bringing in a rain check. This is supposed to be your job. As much as you dislike me, I happen to like and trust you. Can't say the same for some of your employees. They only follow your orders, but they otherwise just diddly daddle to their own whims," Tris explained.
Harry was less on edge now that Tris wasn't being as much of an ass hole. "Well, I trust them, because they are my friends, something I'm sure you're unfamiliar with."
Ouch.
I cocked an eyebrow, becoming curiouser and curiouser.
There was a booming cackle from the phone. "Very funny, Hazza, but I do have a few loyal, trustworthy, entertaining comrades I'll have you know."
"Great. Well in that case I'm going to assume you need to make time for them. Here's a way to grab some: I think I'll just hang up."
"Harry-"
The phone call ended and Harry sighed heavily. He placed his fingertips over his eyes and released a long gust of air from his mouth. When he turned around I immediately stepped forward, embracing him.
"What's his problem?" I mumbled against his shoulder.
"He's a dick."
I snickered, holding him tightly. That was an intense phone call.
"He shouldn't have said those things," Harry told me.
I pushed back a little to look up at him earnestly. I continued to caress his bicep, hoping it would relax him a bit more. "He shouldn't have said a lot to begin with," I agreed. "Plus, like you said, he's a dick." I gave him a cheeky grin and he shook his head in response.
"I'll let you off on that one."
I laughed with him and he laid on the bed. "You know what I just thought of?" he questioned.
I raised my eyebrows and jumped in beside him. I huffed, staring at the ceiling like he was doing. "Actually, since you asked, I think I do," I answered.
I glanced at him just as he did. "Really?"
I scoffed. "Of course not, dumbass, I was being sarcastic," I stated.
"Hey. Language," he warned.
"Right, all right." I rolled my eyes at him and shut my mouth afterwards. I was relatively quiet in the past, especially in general public, but my brother and his friends had been well aware of my dirty mouth.
"Anyways," he dismissed, looking pointedly at me. I only pursed my lips in silence. "I was just thinking of how close Christmas is." His eyes narrowed at the ceiling and he chuckled. "I completely forgot, honestly." He tilted his head and I moved onto my side, deciding I liked watching him. "I've actually purchased a few of my Christmas gifts already, I just need something for a few others..." he trailed off.
I found myself no longer listening. At the discussion of the holiday, I remembered my family. God, I missed my family. Even my mom as tiring as she could be.
"Angel?"
I blinked. Harry's voice snatched me out of my sad reminiscing. I scratched my neck and said, "Uh, yeah?"
His eyebrows creased and his lips parted, an expression of concern crossing his face. "What are you thinking of . . .?" he inquired.
I bit my lip, restraining tears. "My family," I admitted. His expression straightened out and he returned to staring at the ceiling.
"Oh." I pushed my bangs behind my ear and he said, "Tell me about them."
I was shocked by the question and my mouth opened, words paralyzed in my mouth. I couldn't think where to begin at first and I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about them. I wasn't sure I was ready to think about them long enough to really get into how much I missed them. I closed my eyes in fear of them betraying the sad emotion I felt. "Well," I began. "Christmas was our favorite holiday. It was also probably the only time of the year I could stand my mom," I laughed. "My birthday was only a few days afterwards, too, so that was a plus." I nodded to myself. "She would always bake a cake and then get me ice cream, a family thing of ours. It was actually my brother's eighteenth birthday the day you . . ." I exhaled. "The day we met."
I wiped my eyes. This is so hard. "So every Christmas we got to open presents and on our birthdays we got to eat ice cream, one of our favorite things ever and-and we were just so happy-"
"Lanaura," Harry interrupted, grabbing onto me. I began to realize that I was quaking and crying. I shook my head, because I couldn't make it stop. I couldn't stop the crying or the pain that came with missing my family. Our happy holiday was probably hell for them now after I went missing-unless of course that is, they didn't care. And me? I was falling in love with my captor.
I was falling in love and it was with the person who had taken away my life.
The revelation seized a surge of anger within me. Harry tried to hold me and comfort me, but I could only resist him, thrashing around like a wild animal.
"I'm sorry, Laney, I'm sorry!" he swore, but I wasn't mad at him for kidnapping me. I was mad at him because I loved him.
"I hate you," I whispered, not realizing what I was saying. He stopped fighting me and I shut my eyes. "I fucking hateyou, Harry."
There was a silence besides the sound of my sobs and he was still. I didn't even glance at him as I got out of the bed and left the room, still shaking. The house spoke no sound at all, but I could hear my heart and what it was saying was clear.
I don't hate you, Harry. I don't hate you at all.
I love you.
-
ORIGINALLY THIS CHAPTER WAS SHORTER AND I WAS LIKE IMMA MAKE IT LONGER AND THEN IDK THIS HAPPENED AND IDK.
I don't even know what to say anymore I
Just like...ya know...comment...vote....fan....and.....ya know.
LOVE Y'ALL.
- Angie Bear