Previously in Deception:
HARRY'S POV
I hold my mom in my arms, as she weeps into my chest, careful not to rest her head on my left shoulder.
"It's okay Mom. I understand." I whisper after minutes of talking and I do. I am angry and I always will be angry at her for the things she has done but somehow I understand.
"She's waiting for you." She finally whispers and I was waiting to hear that. But I knew it was important to talk to my mom.
"She's okay right?" I whisper, my eyes wide. My mom smiles and wipes her tears.
"I'll go get her." My mom stands but I grab her hand.
"I want to see her first. I think you can wheel me over there. They just don't want me walking yet." I say and my mom nods, helping me into the wheelchair by the bed.
I think of Charlie's lips and the feel of her skin. I think of smashing my lips against hers. The officers told me that Gary was killed. Charlie did it.
She actually did it.
My mom rolls me carefully down the hallways and just thought of Charlie makes the pain in my shoulder go away. I shouldn't even be awake right now but I can't help it. I have to see her. I don't care about how many drugs I am on. I have to see Charlie.
CHARLIES POV
"Niall, please, you don't understand.
"You never gave me a chance Charlie." He says and I look up to meet his eyes.
"What do you mean?" I whisper but I regret asking. Without hesitating he presses his lips to mine. I immediately squirm away but it wasn't quick enough.
"You fucking bastard." Harry breathes at the door as his mom tries to hold him back, but he pushes back the wheelchair with anger as he stands up and strides toward us.
Chapter 39
"No Harry stop!" I scream. He doesn't bother listening as he slams his fist in Niall's right eye. Anne lets out a horrific scream from behind as I cover my eyes.
I know there is no stopping these boys...because they aren't just fighting over me.
They're fighting over Julia.
Anne steps forward as Niall strikes Harry in the chin but I shake my head at her.
"They won't stop." I say and she scurries out the door to get a doctor.
"Please." I whimper, sitting up from my bed but I am literally watching a whole wrestling match now.
Harry grabs a lock of Niall's neck and pulls him upward. "What is it with me Niall? You hate me so much that you have to take away my damn happiness? You're a pathetic excuse of a man." Harry grunts, slamming Niall's face down. Niall recovers by pushing himself up and kicking harry in the side. He moans and falls over, giving Niall the chance to stand.
"No, Harry." Niall shakes his head looking down at the curly headed boy laying on the cold tiles.
"Im the hero here, youre the villain. You don't love her, just like you didn't love Julia. You arent supposed to hurt the ones you love." Niall breathes. Harry 's eye light with fire as he throws himself upward and slams Niall against the wall. When I hear a the echo of a crack, I stand up.
"Harry!" I shout but he wont listen. He wont meet my eyes.
"She doesn't know what a monster you are; what you have done to girls." Niall chokes out and I watch Harry squeeze harder.
He's going to kill him. He's going to kill Niall.
Where the hell are the doctors?
"Harry!" I say once more, this time more panicked as Niall's face turns to a specific tint of purple.
There's only one thing I think to say to make him calm down.
"Harry, I forgive you. Whatever you have done, I forgive you." I whisper at an audible tone. I watch in awe as his body freezes and Niall slides to the ground. He turns around to meet my eyes and tears are visible.
I don't care what kind of monster he is.
He is my monster.
He is not just darkness. He is consumed of light and pureness, only a side that he shows around me. I know him.
I know I am in love with him.
"Charlotte..." he exhales, his nostrils still flaring.
He stares at me with an intense gaze as if he doesn't believe the words have come out of my very mouth.
The door is then practically run down as two security guards enter along with a surgeon.
"Take him back to the room, he isn't supposed to be walking around." The doctor barks and narrows his eyes at me. His eyes then fall upon Niall who is slowly rubbing his neck on the floor.
"Clean up your mess Ms. Parker." He sighs exiting the room.
I quickly kneel down to Niall and tilt his head upward. "You alright?" I whisper. He rolls his eyes and stands up like nothing has happened.
He heads towards the door, not looking at me until his hand is on the knob.
"You know Charlie..." he whispers with his back facing me.
I gulp down any fear that I have. Turning around, Niall shakes his head at me. "Just remember when he hurts you, that I was right. You know where to find me."
"He wont hurt me." I blurt out and Niall laughs.
"You cant fix everyone Charlie. Some people are too infected with posion. You can suck it out. Trust me."
"Have you ever thought that you put some of that poison in there? Have you?" I glare. Niall's face hardens.
"The world has got have it heroes and it's got to have its villains, Charlotte."
Don't call me that.
"Goodbye Niall." I huff. He looks at me for a long moment and nods.
"Good luck Charlotte." He whispers and then like the wind, he is gone.
~
Harry slept for two days due to the anesthesia kindly provided, or I should say forced into his veins after his attack on Niall. Not only did the hospital think he was a deranged threat, they also treated him like he was not in his right mind.
I visited him when he slept, holding his hand. I wanted his warmth surrounding me. I wanted him to wake up so I could stare into the forest greenness of great lakes.
I just wanted him.
I'm currently signing my release papers, forwarding the credit to my Dad's back home.
I wonder how he and Dylan are. I wonder if they know about mom. I know that the next step in my story is going back... just as I know that there is a strong possibility I will be going back to Portland alone.
The thought sends a pain through my heart so I shake it away immediately.
Once I finish the papers, I make my way down the hallway to Harry's room. I want to be there when he wakes up so he doesn't go absolutely ballistic.
When I arrive, my eyes immediately lower at the sight of an empty bed.
No...
I rush out of the room quickly in panic. Where could he have gone? What if someone got him? What if one of Gary's guys came and snatched him as he slept?
The possibilities swarm through my mind as I try to block them out but they are loud. And frightening.
I run back to the main nurses office and interrupt our phone call.
"Harry. Harry Styles." I exhale. "Where did he go?" I whisper. The nurses rolls her eyes at me and hands me a pink, sticky note.
Charlotte,
Come to room 401. It's on the top floor and I think you will like it. Bring your lips. I've missed them.
Harry
My heart immediately flutters as I bring the note to my chest. I mouth a thank you the quite rude nurse and jog down the hallway towards the elevator.
I press floor 12 and hum silently as the elevator takes me higher up. When I finally land, I look around in confusion. It isn't a normal hospital hallway, but instead, it seems as if it is a storage unit in rooms as big as ballrooms.
Room 401.
Where is that?
I turn slowly around towards a door that has a capital R. Could that mean rooms. I walk toward it clutching the note and twist my lips.
I begin to twist it slowly but halt midway through. I turn around with my head tilted sideways and I listen. I hear the familiar keys of the piano, low and steady, a sad tune. Letting go of the nob to mysterious "R" door, I make my way back to the middle of the room and listen for the piano once more. I hear coming from my left so I push open the nearest door and walk down the trail of stairs, continuing until I hit the bottom after what seems like two levels.
The piano is loud now, I can hear it through the hallow walls. In front of me lays a plain white door and behind it must be the piano.
It's like a secret level of the hospital; not even a hospital anymore. Just storage. How could Harry find this?
I push the door open and walk into the vast, empty room. Inside there are couches, tables, couple of old televisions, and some computers. I walk and skim my hand on a light, beige couch, watching the dust appear on my finger. Everything is dusty and old, looking like they haven't been touched in years. Fascinated by the destituteness of the mysterious room, I almost forget about the piano being played around me. I walk away from the beige couch and make my way past the stacked boxes. The sound is getting louder with each step and finally I reach the piano.
It's beautiful. I see a mop of curls with his back towards me as he hums to the song he is playing. It's a tune that I have never heard before, but it's fascinating.
"You never fail to surprise me." I whisper and Harry turns around.
"I knew you could find me." he smirks and stands but I quickly shake my head.
"Keep playing, please. I miss the sound of piano." I miss playing it more.
"Only if you sit next to me." Harry grins, still dressed in his hospital pajamas.
I hesitate stepping forward. I know I played the piano with Niall up on stage but it didn't make me want to play again.
"I wont make you play, I promise. Only if you want." Harry pleads and I nod, making my way over to the bench.
Its frightening how Harry knows much too much about me. Im sure he can sense my uncomfortable posture around the piano, but he cant know why. Because I haven't said it out loud.
That only makes me want to tell him.
I can't explain the feeling. Why do I want him to know my dark secrets? Why could I possibly trust him in not judging me?
To be honest, I don't know. I don't know what has changed in since I came to London. I know I had a blue fire, barely lit within my heart but when I met Harry, it turned a fury red. It ignited completely and refused to be put out.
I sit next to Harry and he starts up the song again like he promised. I close my eyes and listen to the tune; the absolute beauty of the sound of the piano. The way you can hum to it and its like birds are chirping in your ears with you.
"You like it?" Harry smiles at me and I open my eyes.
"You should sing to me too." I wink and Harry laughs.
"Now you're pushing it parker." He rolls his eyes and I snuggle into the crook of his neck.
He winces immediately and I jump off. His eyes are closed in pain.
"Shoulder." He mumbles.
Shit.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean..."
But his lips shut me up before I can finish the sentence. "I know." he whispers against me tugging at the plushness of my bottom lip.
"Too bad we were interrupted in the cabin." He says and I feel a pit in my stomach grow larger.
"Mmmm, right. We never got to finish our marshmallow eating now did we?" I laugh and Harry leans his forehead into mine.
"Now there wont be any more interruptions." He smiles and lazily kisses me. I pull away and look into his eyes for a moment.
"Harry." I whisper and his eyebrows furrow.
"What? What happened?" he immediately implores.
"Nothing...I just... Will you come back to America with me?" I ask bluntly, biting my lip so hard that I can taste the saltiness of my own blood in my mouth.
"You're going back?" Harry asks, confused.
"Yes. I miss my Dad and my brother."
"Hmpph." Harry huffs.
"You can't stay here? With me?" Harry asks and I hear the cracks behind his voice.
This isn't going how I planned.
"Maybe we should just talk about this later." I mention and Harry nods slowly.
"And I want to talk to you about the things you heard...the things Niall said." He says and my eyes shoot up.
I place my hands over his as he leads out an unsteady breath.
"Not right now. You don't need to right now because I understand. I don't know how but I do."
"I don't want you think I am a monster." Harry shakes his head.
"Harry..." I try to interrupt but he continues.
"I've done terrible things Charlie. And the worst part was that at that time in my life, I liked it. I like all this bad stuff until I met you. Until you purified me. You're angel from the heaven Charlie and..."
"Just shut up and kiss me, Harry." I finally say. His face lifts and his eyes lighten as he crushes his lips against mine. Slowly I find the rhythm of his tongue and get lost in the feeling of his lips on mine .
~
When Harry and I make it back downstairs, I walk him to his room. As we step in though, I immediately feel the presence of someone and my body tenses.
The man stands by Harry's bed as I squeeze onto Harry's hand tightly. When he finally looks up, I feel all the air being sucked out of me.
"Dad?" I whisper.
Harry lets me go as I run to my dad and swing my arms around his neck.
"Oh my gosh. You're here!" I whisper as he pats my back. He pulls away with a solemn face and looks me in the eyes.
Oh, shit.
"Is Dylan okay?" I whisper and my dad nods.
"You could have called Charlie. I could have saved your mom." He seethes, his eyes so dark I don't even recognize him. Harry steps forward and my dad locks eyes with him.
"I could have called? Right. Of course I could have called when I was being hunted down every minute I have been here." I scream. I feel Harry's presence scatter away behind us. I know he respects me to leave me alone for this conversation.
"You're so mad that I ran away when really you know I would have been kidnapped eventually. You and mom have neglected to tell me everything." I whisper and his eyes shade a different color.
"I know you know." He says in a deep voice.
"Yeah that you aren't my father?" I say. I am mad, but not at him. I can't possibly be mad at the only family I have left.
"We did it to protect you."
"I get that."
"Protection only got us so far huh?" I whisper, looking at the floor.
"She died to save you, didn't she? She always predicted she would." He says his eyes watering.
"No don't you dare say that. She didn't die to save me, she died to save her precious little secret." I whisper, anger fulfilling me.
"As I would have." He cuts in with a deadly stare.
"If you loved me you would tell me what it is." I whisper but my dad only closes his eyes.
"It would ruin you Charlie. I can't let that happen."
His words shock me but most of all, they hurt.
This secret is bigger than I have assumed. And as much as I have pushed it away, it is still here...floating around somewhere.
"I am going to figure out what it is. You leave me no choice." I say and my dad shakes his head at me.
"Please Charlie. Your mother loved you, leave it. We can go home, make amends and move on." My dad pleads but I look away.
"A true father doesn't need blood." I say and he looks down at me.
"But a true father needs to love his daughter. And if you loved me at all, you would tell me."
"Charlie..." he begins.
"Enough! I know. I know you wont. But I will figure it out even if I take my last breath trying."
"Go home Dad." I continue.
"Charlotte..."
"Go home!" I scream, crumbling to my knees. My dad obliges, walking past me as I let the tears spill out.
Of course it's never over when you think it is.
This secret, I know,Chapter 39: Endless will haunt me until the day I unravel it.
And I will.
Oh, I will.