Los Angeles
Townes' POV
The last few days of New York went by quickly. Saying bye to Tasha was tough, but I knew I would be back with her soon. Harry and I had spent the last few days of New York alone, turning down invitations to go out every time.
We spent a lot of time having deep conversations we hadn't had before. Really taking time to talk out our inner demons.
Harry and I sat in the bathtub, I was straddling him, my forehead resting against his, "What's your biggest regret in life?" I asked softly, my hands tracing the features of his face.
"Honestly, the time I missed with my stepdad. Can't get it back, no matter how I try to maneuver it." He whispered softly and I nodded.
"I'm sorry, that's tough. You know, sometimes I wonder if I'll feel that way about my parents. I don't want to, I just, don't know how to talk to them." I bit my lip softly and he leaned up kissing my nose.
"If I tell you something, you won't get defensive, or mad?" He asked and I shook my head, "I think both sides are just on the attack. I do not, at all, condone what they have done to you, and how they talk to you. I just think, if you ever want to talk to them, you have to not be ready to pounce. Just breath, and say, 'I respectfully disagree, but I want to respectfully find a common ground for both of us.' You know what I mean?"
I searched his eyes as he searched mine and I sighed, nodding, "I know. I just hate that I'm automatically the bad guy. Then I start acting like the bad guy. It's hard to be the bigger person."
"I mean, I heard both of them, I wouldn't be able to be the bigger person either. And you don't have to baby. I'm just saying, if you want to make it work, then that would be the key." He smiled small and I nodded.
"Can I ask you something that might upset you?" I whispered and he nodded, "The women before me, that you were, you know, dominant with. Did you care for any or...like us you know?"
He bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows, "No, but, I did lead a couple on, and then just left. Didn't respond. Acted like they meant nothing. And I know it sounds bad Townes, but they didn't. There was just some that were more willing to be around, that I kept them there."
I nodded slowly, looking down at his lips and he reached up lifting my gaze to his, "Not you, okay? I love you, Townes. I've never felt about any of those women the way I feel about you. That's why Valentine's Day freaked me out so badly. It....it hasn't happened recently, but before, I used to see Camille's eyes whenever I thought about moving on. It would haunt me so badly. Since that night in Dublin, they haven't come back. They haven't haunted my mind since. And I think it's because since then, I just knew, I couldn't lose you. I can't lose you."
I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. I felt his smile against the kiss and I couldn't help but smile too, "I love you." I whispered against his lips and he kissed me again.
—
We pulled up to my grandparents house and I felt so overwhelmed with emotion. I didn't even bother waiting for him to fully park the car, I was out that door and running up to the house in no time. As I reached the door it swung open and there stood my grandpa, I flung into his arms and he held me tight.
"Missed you too, you skinny nut." He chuckled and I did too.
"Where's grams?" I said looking over his shoulder.
"She went to the store for those rolls you like with your food. Brat." He poked my stomach and I shrugged.
"You're just jealous I'm her favorite." I giggled as Harry walked up the steps. I loved how he looked against the background that was my life. His faded jeans, loose white band shirt, a small mustache he was growing out, his hair tied back.
"Hello sir, I'm Harry Styles." He said holding out his hand to my grandfather, who took it and pretended to shake it only to pull him in for a hug which caused Harry to laugh.
"Do I look liked a formal man? I mean look at my shoes." He said as they pulled away from the hug and my grandpa wiggled his toes in his sandals causing Harry and I to laugh.
"I guess not, but I want to make the right impression sir." Harry smiled and my grandpa rolled his eyes.
"Look kid, I'm Jeff my wife is Aileen and that's how you'll refer to us unless we tell you otherwise. Got it." He said raising a white eyebrow at him and Harry laughed.
"Got it, Jeff."
"Perfect, now I hope you're a beer drinker, I got a whole arrangement from the brewery down the way that I need help drinking." He said, patting Harry's arm.
"I love a good beer."
"Perfect, let's start drinking." He smiled at Harry then winked at me.
"I told grams I'd make the salad when I got here, so you be nice to Harry, gramps." I teased and my grandpa shrugged.
"Maybe." He said and I laughed shaking my head. I had every instinct to give Harry a kiss, but instead I bit my lip and gave him a small wink.
"Just holler if you need me." I said before turning and heading into the kitchen.
Harry's POV
I watched Townes' walk off to make the salad in the kitchen, and I couldn't help but remember our conversation before leaving New York.
I watched as she moved around the kitchen, everything smelled delicious. She had found a meatloaf recipe with impossible meat and was so excited to make it for me. She had made mashed potatoes, green beans, and baby carrots. I watched as she bit her tongue, concentrating on her plating, running over to the stove in between to stir the gravy.
"You know what's so ironic to me?" I asked, reaching for a carrot when she wasn't looking, which earned me a glare when she finally noticed.
"What, carrot stealer?" She giggled.
"Your mum would be thriving to see you in the kitchen like this." I teased and she rolled her eyes.
"I know." She laughed a bit shaking her head, "Thing is, I love this stuff so much, and learned to do it, because I wanted to be exactly like my mom wasn't. She never cooked for us, or baked. Well, expect when I was little little. Before my dad came into the big money. I want my kids to crave my cooking always, and want to watch the process of making sourdough bread and see if the starter is going to take."
She smiled up at me, and I couldn't help but smile like an idiot for a second at her, "You'll be a great mom one day, Townes. I know it."
She blushed and bit her lip, shrugging, "I hope so."
—
"You're in for a treat, she makes the best salad, with all the berries, strawberries, blueberries, lots of spinach. It's the best." Her grandfather said, as he lead me to their back patio, a cooler next to a four chair set up. He bent down and grabbed two random beers handing me one. He opened the beer on the table and I chuckled a bit, copying him and doing the same.
He was very relaxed and I could already see so much of him in Townes. Her free spirit, this is where it was nurtured.
"So, are you and Townes, an item?" He said, sipping on the beer and looking over at me.
"Uh, not officially, but I would very much agree with the statement that we are seeing each other exclusively. Though I do believe she wanted to tell you herself." I said, fumbling my words and quickly taking a sip of my beer.
"I know that girl better than the back of my hand, she couldn't hide it the moment you walked up the front porch steps." He chuckled and I couldn't help but join in, "And then you with your 'sir', dead giveaway son."
I laughed and took a longer sip, "Given all Townes has told me about you, I can see that. I just also imagined my mum hitting my head if I didn't introduce myself properly in her eyes."
"Ahh, well that's fair, and I like that. Means you respect your mom, that usually means you respect women too. So I heard you had a run in with my unfortunate offspring. Sorry about that. He forgets he grew up on a small farm sometimes. He married big money when he was little money and it all went straight to his pea sized brain." He shook his head sipping his beer and I ran my fingers through my hair.
"He was a pleasure, up until he insulted Townes....I couldn't stay quite after that." I bit my lip and he nodded.
"Aileen told me, earned you points before I even met ya." He smiled and I did too.
"Well thank goodness for your son's check that led him there that night." I laughed.
"See, this is what I mean. You have money, yet you seem so humble. And that's what it's about, nothing wrong with enjoying the good life, but not being a prick about it." He said as we heard a voice from the house.
"I'm back, I saw a car! Where's my baby?" I heard a woman called out followed my Townes voice.
"In here grandma!"
Her grandpa peeked over at the door, then back at me, "Come on, let's go meet the missus."
He pushed up off the chair slowly and I followed him into the house.
When we turned into the kitchen, Townes and her grandma were embracing, both with tears in their eyes. They broke apart and her grandma held her at arms length looking over her face.
"I swear you got more beautiful!" She turned over to us and smiled big, "Oh how rude of me! You must be Harry, come here, come here I'm Aileen." She said starting to walk over and I met her halfway, taking in her full embrace. It was so loving, warmth radiated off of her.
She pulled away and took me in before turning to Townes, "He's handsome. Please tell me you've let him take you out on a date." She chuckled and Townes turn bright red.
"Multiple, now actually." I smiled and Townes eyes widened a bit.
"Secrets don't make good granddaughters, Carolina." Her grandma raised an eyebrow at her and I chuckled.
"It was really important to her to tell you in person, I'm just too overly excited to wait for her to do it. Sorry baby, I told your grandpa too." I shrugged, sipping on my beer and Townes rolled her eyes.
"Harry Styles, we've been here less than thirty minutes." She chuckled and I shrugged.
She finished mixing the salad, and walked over to me, hugging me from the side, "Well, I guess now everyone knows." She giggled.
"But we have to clarify, they aren't official, just exclusively dating." Jeff teased and I couldn't help but laugh loudly.
"I know, Harry's waiting for pigs to fly." Townes scrunched her nose at them and I rolled my eyes.
"Someone is just impatient."
"Agreed." Her grandparents said together causing Townes jaw to drop, making us all laugh.
"It's okay sweetie, maybe after lunch he'll want to be a part of this family so badly, he'll ask you on the spot." Aileen winked at her before turning to me, "Now Harry I made you bbq pull pork out of jackfruit. I'd never done that before but it tasted like a dream so I hope you like it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Townes. You really didn't have to, but it's appreciated!" I smiled and she shook her head.
"Aileen please. She's smiling, you don't got to suck up, as long as she's happy you win in my book." She chuckled and I nodded.
Townes' POV
We sat outside and ate the food my grandma made, Harry poking fun at the fact the Hawaiian rolls took up most of my plate, they were my absolute favorite.
"Aileen, please send Townes this recipe so she can make it for me? This is delicious." Harry smiles at my grandma and I quickly shook my head.
"Uh-uh, while we are here, I'm coming to eat here everyday! You deprived me of my BBQ, and steak, and all those delicious things long enough." I said dramatically and he laughed shaking his.
"No one told you that you had to eat like me. You made that choice which I appreciate, cause I know you did it for me, but it was a choice." He smiled at me, reaching over and poking my nose.
"Well either way, grams please, feed me!" I pleaded like a child and my grandma laughing.
"I created a spoiled brat." My grandma laughed laughed and Harry looked at me, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow.
"Shut it, Styles." I glared at him and he chuckled.
My grandparents spent a good amount of the time telling him embarrassing stories of myself, the time I ditched school to get toffee in Carolina, the time I pushed a girl off a swing cause she was being mean to my best friend, the list went on. This was payback for everything Anne told me about him.
My grandma brought out the apple pie she baked and I excitedly told her about the sourdough bread I made, promising we would make one together before I left. We talked about Benny and how he would finally be released this week, making my heart feel so much relief. When we finished eating everything, Harry surprised me by standing up and beginning to pick up the plates.
"Oh Harry, don't be silly, you're our guest." My grandma said, swatting at him and Harry shook his head.
"You cooked and prepped everything, Townes and I will pick up and wash dishes." He smiled proudly and my grandma looked at me shaking her head.
"I see he knows the household rules," she raised an eyebrow at me.
I chuckled and sipped my tea, "It took a while, but he got it." I winked over at Harry and stood up, starting to help him. We picked everything up before beginning to wash the dishes. I scraped the plates and he washed, while I put everything else in containers and away in the fridge.
I walked up behind and hugged him, kissing his back and resting my cheek on it, "I love you. Thank you for coming today."
"I love you too, and I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Harry?"
"Yes, Townes."
"I think my manners need to be fixed a bit more, no?" I said and I felt his stomach harden as he inhaled sharply.
"I can think of a lesson or two," he chuckled and I kissed his back again.
"Good, I can't wait."