DANI
Harry's way of calming me down was to make out with him in the driveway of his parents house.
The last few hours I had felt decently calm, but the moment we sat in the car I started to freak out again. It got worse and worse until we were parked outside his mom's large house. It was incredibly nice, a house I could only dream of. Harry had sensed my inability to move, and decided to take action by kissing me.
The moment his lips met mine, the tension erased, and I was reminded that he was there and I would be fine.
"Baby girl, as much as I would love to keep doing this, I don't think my parents would appreciate me having sex with my girlfriend in their driveway." He mumbles against my lips.
I breathe out a laugh, "What a first impression, huh?"
He grins as me, "Are you ready?"
I take a deep breath in, "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Dani, they're going to love you. Don't overthink this." He tells me.
"Sorry, it's just- I don't know... I never thought I would be meeting someone's parents."
"It's okay to be nervous, you know? I was practically shitting bricks when I first met Darla." He laughs.
"Really?" I ask, "You seemed so calm."
He shrugs, "Didn't want to seem like a total noob."
I give him a look, "Gee, thanks."
He laughs, "I'm just teasing. But we really should be heading in. My little sister keeps peeking through the curtain."
My head whips around, "Do you think she saw us making out?"
"Definitely," He says, unbuckling his seat belt, "be ready to be teased."
I groan, but follow his lead. He doesn't hesitate to take hold of my hand, intertwining our fingers, and walking us up the pathway.
It wasn't a mansion, persay, but it was the closest I had seen to one. It had a classic feel to it, brick with a touch of modern, yard most likely taken care of by hired gardeners. When we came into the neighborhood we had to check in with a security guard who recognized Harry. It was a level of rich I never thought I would associate with - or really I never thought they would associate with me.
He didn't knock on the door, opening it quickly and pulling me inside. The interior was not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be impersonal, full of art and maybe even weird sculptures, like you normally pictured a rich persons house.
Instead I was greeted by warmth. Not necessarily heat, even though it was quite toasty inside, but the feel of the place was incredibly welcoming. There were pictures all over the walls of their family and I assumed friends, shoes lining the entryway. I heard music playing down the hall, loud voices echoing.
Suddenly, a young girl, probably about thirteen, pops out of nowhere, "Are you Harry's girlfriend he keeps talking about?"
Harry rolls his eyes, but I can't help but laugh, "I sure hope so."
"Yes, Sophie, this is Dani, my girlfriend." He says, giving my hand a squeeze.
She tilts her head, studying me, "I heard him say that you were studying to be a psychologist."
It wasn't a question, but a statement. I looked at her closely, small in stature, but very confident. Her glasses took up half her face, and she looked like a cliche of that smart young girl stereotype.
"Yeah, I've got to get my master's and docorate's first, but that's the plan." I answer her.
She nods her head slowly, "I'm going to be a doctor too." She says proudly, crossing her arms, "But a surgeon like mom."
I give her an impressed look, "Do you know what you want your specialty to be?"
She perks up, "Haven't decided, yet. I was thinking cardio like my mom, but the brain is really cool."
"I'm a big fan of the brain. It's why I chose psych."
"I'm not a fan of people, so I couldn't be a psychologist. At least as a surgeon, for the most part, their knocked out." She says casually.
I laugh at that, "That's a good point."
She seems happy with my response, familiar green eyes peering up at me, "C'mon, I'll introduce you to everyone."
She turns briskly, and leads the way through the hall. Harry leans in and whispers, "One down, five to go."
I smile at him, turning the corner to see a big living room. Football was on the TV, but no one was paying attention. It seemed as though it was on just for background noise. There was an older girl talking to a middle-aged man, and two younger girls, both on their phones sitting on the couch.
"Livy! You owe me five bucks! Harry's girlfriend is real!" Sophie yells at one of the girls on her phone.
Livy looks up, lighter brown hair than both Harry and Sophie, and what looks like brown eyes, "Huh... Really thought he was lying."
I smirked, while Harry said, "It's good to have your support, Liv."
Just like her brother, she rolls her eyes, and turns to me, "You're very pretty."
I feel my face get warm, shifting from leg to leg awkwardly, "Uh, thank you?"
She just nods her head, and returns to her phone. Harry wraps his arm around my back, hand landing on my side, and says quietly, "She's always like that. Very moody and quiet sixteen year old."
I gave him an appreciative look, "Thanks."
He kisses my temple, and turns me towards the other girl, who had tossed her phone away and stood up to greet me, "Hey, I'm Casey."
"Dani, nice to meet you." I introduce myself.
She leans in and stage whispers, "You can tell me if he's holding you hostage."
At this, Harry groans, but my nerves start to settle. I grin widely, "Honestly, I think it might be a case of Stockholm Syndrome."
She breathes out a laugh, "Well, when you're ready I've put together a support group-"
"Alright, that's enough." Harry tells her, tugging me away to walk towards the final two people in the room. They had been watching us interact with everyone, one seemingly happy, the other more judgement pouring from them. "Dani, this is my older sister, Genevieve-"
"Just call me Ginny." She says. She holds out her hand for me to shake. I'm surprised by the strength in her hands.
"Hi." I say politely, then look at the older man, "You must be Harry's step-dad?"
He smiles widely, "Yes, name's Tom."
He shakes my hand as well, and I was surprised by his lack of an accent, "You're not British?"
He chuckles, "No, I met Liz here after her and Chris divorced."
"Have you lived here your whole life?" I ask him curiously. Harry hadn't really explained too much about his family. He talks about them a lot, but his family history had been a little vague.
"Grew up in the suburbs, and have only left for college, so pretty much. Harry said something about you wanting to stay here for your graduate studies?" He asks.
I nod, "Yes, I've already applied, and now I'm just waiting for the response."
"But you've applied elsewhere, right?" Ginny asked inquisitively.
"Oh, yeah, I've applied to two other schools, but I really would like to stay where I am."
"Are you staying because of my brother?" She asks boldly.
I hesitate to answer, but Harry steps in, "Ginny, stop giving her the third degree. I swear, you should've been a lawyer."
"Oh, god, she would've destroyed as a lawyer." Harry's stepdad said, making Ginny smile appreciateively at him.
"Mom in the kitchen?" Harry asks them.
Tom nods his head as Ginny answers, "Yeah, she gave you express permission to be in there with her, so she can meet Dani."
Harry raises his eyebrows, "She's letting us in the kitchen?" He turns to me, "That's a big deal."
"Is the kitchen off-limits?" I ask, a little confused.
"You have no idea." Ginny says, "Mom takes cooking holidays very seriously. We're not even American and she insists we celebrate Thanksgiving."
Dani chuckles, "She does all the cooking by herself?"
"Yes, she calls us useless in the kitchen." Ginny says dryly.
I realize that Ginny is the exact opposite of Harry. She's more serious, her sense of humor is much dryer, and could be taken as her being rude. She also holds herself more like her father, tension in her shoulders, perfect posture, but her nose isn't turned up at me. I couldn't imagine working with someone like their dad. I bet she feels as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders.
"Well, Harry did burn his toast twice in a row yesterday, so I get where she's coming from." I tease.
He groans, "I was distracted! And there's something wrong with your toaster."
I roll my eyes, "My toast was perfectly fine."
"Did he ever tell you the time he was baking a huge batch of cookies in high school for some bake sale, and he got the baking soda and baking powder mixed up?" Tom asks me.
I smile widely, "No, but that sounds like him. Only thing he can do is pour cereal, boil water, and make smoothies."
"Okay, we're gonna go to the kitchen now." Harry says, flicking off his sister who's now laughing. He earns a scorn from Tom, but ushers us on.
"Still nervous?" He asks when they're out of earshot.
I think about it for a second, "Actually, I'm good now."
He smiles at me, "Good, because it's a big deal that my mom is even letting me step foot in the kitchen right now. She must be really excited to meet you."
He knocks on the doorframe of their massive kitchen, still not stepping in, and I realize that everyone was actually very serious when they were talking about his mom and the kitchen. Her head whips around, green eyes immediately meeting mine. She takes one second to study me before she waves us in, saying, "There you are! How are you? You must be Dani."
She washes her hands, and beckons us closer. I reach my hand out to greet her, but she waves it off and envelopes me in a hug. I'm surprised at first, but concede quickly, chuckling awkwardly.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs...." My eyes widen as I realize I don't know her last name. Harry never told me what his stepdads last name was, or if she ever even changed it back from Styles.
She pulls away, laughing, "Last name's Copper, but just call me Liz."
"Right, Liz, nice to meet you." My face warms, at how stupid I must sound, which only makes her laugh harder.
"Honey, what did you tell the poor girl? She looks terrified." Turning to me, she smiles warmly, "You don't need to be all nervous, Dani. I've been a fan of yours since you made my son go all googly eyes at the beginning of the school year."
I breathed out a laugh, face still blushing, "Sorry, I've just never done this."
She leans against the counter, "I remember meeting Harry's dads parents for the first time. I nearly shit myself."
I couldn't hold back my laugh, not expecting her to curse. Her eyes light up and she looks at Harry, "Can I steal her for a bit?"
Harry looks at me hesitantly, but I just take a deep breath and nod, "Yeah, I'll be okay."
His eyes narrow as if he's trying to read me, and I laugh this time, "Harry, seriously, go. I'll be fine."
He turns to his mother and points to her, "Don't scare her off, please. I rather like this one."
She rolls her eyes and says, "Yeah, yeah, now get out of my kitchen."
He follows her orders, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, and walks out. I turn to his mom, smiling awkwardly.
"You're not a vegetarian, are you?" She asks.
I chuckle, "Uh, no."
"Good, you can help me with the turkey. Have you cooked at all?"
I nod quickly, walking towards her, "Yeah, my, um, mom taught me a lot, and I go back home and help her cook dinner for the family every month or so."
"Maybe you could teach Harry something." She quips.
I laugh, "You know, he's really not bad. He helped Dar- mom with the mashed potatoes earlier today."
I didn't plan on making it seem like I had a functional family. I was hoping it wouldn't have been brought up at all, but it slipped from my lips without my permission, and the last thing I wanted was for her to think I came from a bad home life.
Their family - from what I've seen so far - was a great example of the happy family that you saw on TV growing up. I mean, they even invited over the ex-husband for holidays. Who does that?
I don't think Liz would ever dislike me for being raised the way I was, but I couldn't be sure. There had been plenty of people, and many adults, who automatically assumed I was a "bad kid" or "trouble child" when they heard I was in the system. I guess it was a fair assumption considering I was. I definitely gave a lot of grief to the ones trying to take care of me, but I had never strayed into drugs or binge-drinking. I didn't go and date assholes, and get pregnant at a young age.
Those people who judged and turned their noses up pretended to live these perfect lives. They lived in a world where things were black and white, and expected everyone to be placed in their little boxes.
More often than not I was placed in the "stay away" box.
It suited me well growing up, because I wanted people to stay away. But the older I got the more I resented it. I didn't want people to look at me differently because my parents were shit, and I went through some horrific things because of them and their actions. I didn't want any of Harry's family to give me that look I've been on the receiving end of so many times. Hell, I couldn't even really tell Harry. I had opened up a little to him earlier in the day, and I was hoping I could tell him more tonight after we leave if I didn't chicken out.
"Oh, yeah, he told me he was meeting your family today. How did that go?" She asks kindly, showing me the old family recipe she was making from memory, so I knew what I was doing.
"Really great." I gush, "He's already meet my mom, but had a field day with my siblings. Charmed them all. Think they like him better than me."
She laughs, eyes gleaming with pride, "Harry's always been like that."
"Yeah, I know. Got me all flustered and charmed the pants off of me within a minute!" I joke. It takes me about two seconds before I realize what I just insinuated between me and her son, eyes widening as she looks at me with her eyebrows raised.
But she bursts out laughing a second later, "Oh, honey, you need to relax. I'm not going to bite. Harry told me about how you two met and all that. Boy couldn't stop talking about you for weeks. Came over here practically crying a few times thinking he screwed everything up."
I smile at this, heart warming, but not exactly happy his mother knew about how we met. "Yeah, he was always worrying about that when we first got together. Think he's calmed down a bit since, though."
"Dani, he's very happy with you. Happiest I've seen since he was just a kid."
I look down smiling, "He makes me happy too."
She smirks at me, "I can see that. Got the same look in your eye that he has when he looks at you." I feel myself blush which makes her laugh again, "C'mon, let's get this food in the oven. They get mean when they're hungry. So tell me about school."
For the next thirty minutes, she asks me about my life, friends, what I plan on doing with my degree. My nerves disappear the more I talk to her. She's a lot like Harry, charming, welcoming, talkative. I learn more about what she does, and we even get into a conversation about med school.
She poured me a glass of wine when we put the turkey in the oven, both of us sitting on stools near the island. I didn't tell her that I had only tasted wine once, and didn't particularly like it, instead swallowing it down as we drank and talked. She even set out a little snack board for us.
Liz was so easy to talk to, and she made me feel as if I was normal. Soon enough I was spilling more and more about me and Harry, practically gushing about him. I was actually bragging about his writing and how talented I thought he was. I don't think his mom knew he wrote all that much, and I hoped I hadn't spilled a secret I wasn't supposed to.
When dinner was finally ready, Liz ushered me out of the kitchen to get everyone. I found them congregated on the couch, in a deep game of poker, Harry and Sophie sitting cross-legged on the floor. I smile at the scene in front of me, the family staring at each other in silence until Ginny pushes her pile of candy all in.
I hold back a laugh as nearly everyone folds immediately but Sophie, the little girl's eye flicking back and forth between her older sister and the pile of candy in the middle. Finally she goes all in, challenging Ginny. They both fold their cards to see Ginny completely bluffing and Sophie holding a full house.
Sophie smiles brilliantly and says, "You've got a terrible poker face, Ginny."
The older girl rolls her eyes, looking way more relaxed than she was with me, "Yeah, yeah, just try not to get any cavities with all this candy."
Harry was standing up and walking towards me, noticing me leaning against the archway watching them. Tom tells the girls to clean up, while Harry greets me, "Hey."
"Hey, you're mom sent me out here. Dinner is officially ready." I tell him, accepting the small kiss he pecks on my lips.
"Dinner's ready!" He calls over his shoulder, and turns back to me, "How did it go? You guys were in there for a really long time."
I smiled, "I really like your mom."
His smile brightened as he saw how happy I looked, eyes searching mine he asked, "Yeah?"
Nodding, I answer, "Yeah, she's really funny, and told me some great stories of you as a kid."
"Of course she did." He deadpanned, "You look very comfortable now. No longer nervous?"
"No, your mom supplied me with alcohol."
He laughed loudly, head falling back, "C'mon, let's have dinner, baby girl."
He takes my hand and leads me to the dining room. It was its own separate room, two small doorways on opposite ends, one going in to the kitchen, and one connected to their main hall that we entered through. Everyone was setting bowls and plates of food down the middle, and I had never seen an actual dining room like this. The table was long, and made up with a runner and everything. I honestly didn't think people actually did this.
Harry pulls me to a seat between him and his younger sister Sophie, Liz at the head, Tom next to her followed by Livy and Ginny, Casey sitting next to Harry.
Livy speaks up, "Are we not waiting for dad, or did he bail again?"
"Your father let me know he was going to be late, and to start eating without him. Should be here in ten minutes." Liz answers.
She nods her head, and starts dishing up some stuffing, continuing, "This looks amazing, mom. Thank you."
Liz waves her off, "No problem, Liv. Don't forget to thank Dani. She made the stuffing herself."
Casey looks at me, "She let you cook in her kitchen?" I nod hesitantly, and she turns to her mom. "No fair!"
She gives her daughter a look, "Casey, you hate cooking."
"Last time you cooked, it was inedible." Harry teased, earning him a kick under the table.
"And anyways, I had to bond with my future daughter-in-law."
Both Harry and I choked on our food, "Mom! Seriously?" Harry coughed out, small tears in his eyes.
Liz looked quite amused with herself, the girls laughing, "Couldn't help myself. You two look so cute together."
My face warms, and I focus in on cutting my turkey, and I can see Harry out of the corner of my eye glaring at his mom.
Livy speaks up, "Dibs on planning the wedding. I was thinking reds and golds."
Ginny snorts when I try desperately to change the subject, "Uh, so you're graduating next year, right Livy?"
She smirks at me, "Yep, so I have plenty of time-"
"Will you lot shut up?" Harry groans, hiding his face in his hands.
I can't help but laugh at the awkwardness rolling off the two of us, and the sheer amusement gleaming off their faces. I reached down to squeeze Harry's thigh, so he would calm down a bit. His embarrassment was clear on his face, an apologetic expression meeting mine.
Before anyone got to tease us any further, Harry's dad stepped in. I saw both Harry and Ginny straighten up, the younger girls quieting down, but sending their father smiles. Liz and Tom greeted him more warmly, and I found it interesting that the three of them got along so well. It was more like Harry's dad was the workaholic uncle they only saw on the holidays instead of the ex-husband.
"Food looks delicious, Liz, like always." He says rather formally, still dressed in his suit, tie held tight to his neck.
"Thank you, Chris. Dani, here, helped make some of it." She says kindly, giving Harry a look.
Harry swallows his food, glancing at his father reluctantly and formally introduces us, "Dad, this is my girlfriend, Dani."
I stand up and shake his hand, knowing he was the type, "Hello, Mr. Styles. It's nice to officially meet you."
He nods his head, serious eyes studying me, "You're the one that works at the restaurant near campus."
It wasn't a question, but a statement. Honestly, I was surprised he even recognized me. "Yes."
He doesn't respond, instead sitting down and plating up his food. He looks at his youngest, "Sophia, how did your tests go?"
"Aced them all. On track in all my AP classes, and got accepted into that volunteer program I was telling you about." She recites as if practiced beforehand.
"You'll need more if you want to be accepted into an Ivy. You should pick up a sport, so you can be seen as an all-arounder." He responds, and without seeing his daughters dejected face turns to his next eldest. "Livy, you still dating that boy?"
Livy clenched her jaw, "Yes, dad, I'm still dating Austen. He's doing great, thanks for asking."
I bit the inside of my mouth to stop myself from smiling at the young girls snark. She obviously was in that teen rebel stage, and I couldn't blame her. I wouldn't respond particularly great to someone like their father either.
"Casey, how is football? I heard you won your last game, so you'll be going to the playoffs?" He asks the girl next to Harry.
"Yeah, I scored the winning goal. Our next match is scheduled for the second week in January. Do you think you'll be able to make it?" Casey asked hopefully.
I could see how much it meant to her to have her dads support, just like the rest of the girls - besides Livy - but I wondered how many games he had actually been to. I watched her face turn into a forced smile and nod when he answers, "I'm traveling a bit in January, so I might miss this one. Why don't you let me know when you get to the finals, and I'll try and make that match?"
"Of course, dad."
"Genevieve." He says, and I see Ginny turn to him expectantly. I could see how badly she wanted his approval even more than Casey. "Good job with the reports you wrote up. Very detailed."
She beamed at him, saying a quick thank you, but he had already turned to Harry, "Son, you decided what you are going to do?"
Harry took a deep breath in, not looking at his dad, saying, "I already told you my decision."
"So you're sticking with writing." Another statement, this time laced with disapproval.
"English." I correct him before I could stop myself, "He's getting an English degree, not a writing degree."
Mr. Styles looked at me, eyes challenging me. Harry's hand found my thigh, gently squeezing it, my hand holding his.
"My mistake, then." He concedes, "And what are you studying? Psychology?"
My brows furrow, not quite knowing if that was a lucky guess or if Harry had told him, "Yes, I am."
He nods his head slowly, "Can't really do anything with a degree in that unless you get a doctorate."
"That's the plan." I said with a forced smile. I was having a really hard time biting my tongue now with the way he was talking to me.
"That's going to be a lot of money. Surely, someone who grew up in your position would have a hard time affording that. Have you thought of a different career path?"
It takes me a second to answer, chewing my food slowly, "No, I haven't and I won't. I've got a full ride scholarship from the school, and other scholarships that'll pay for my masters degree. And what did you mean by 'someone who grew up in your position'?"
"Someone who grew up in foster care."
My head snapped to Harry, his face confused as he looks at his dad. The rest of the table was silent, and I didn't dare to look at his mom. I didn't want her to think I was lying earlier when I talked about my family.
"Dad, how did you know that?" Harry asked slowly.
"When your mother told me you were seeing someone I hired a private investigator-"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Harry explodes.
"Christopher..." I heard Liz's low tone of warning.
I squeezed Harry's hand in mind, bringing my other one down to encase it as a way to calm him down, but he was pissed.
His dads eyes narrowed, "Don't speak to me like that, son."
"You have no right to do that-"
"Harry, it's fine." I say calmly.
He looks at me with disbelieving eyes, "Dani-"
"Calm down." I tell him firmly.
He purses his lips, and I turn to his father, "Do you have something to say?"
Livy snorts across the table, looking down at her food quickly to try and hide it. His father looks at me, not responding so I answer his unspoken thoughts, "Yeah, I grew up in the foster care system, and I don't have a lot of money, so I rely on my scholarship. I worked hard for it, and I'm top of my class, so I'm hoping to continue on with my graduate studies with the help of the school."
I waited for him to say something, never breaking eye contact. He was challenging me, that was clear, and I wasn't going to satisfy him by running away. As uncomfortable as this all was, I refused to leave. If they didn't like me simply because of my past that they knew nothing of then, oh well, but I wasn't going to have them thinking I was a coward or weak.
It seemed to work when Liz changed the subject, talking to Ginny about work. After a few minutes the tension subsided, and everyone seemed to forget what happened. It's like they were so used to Mr. Styles bringing this unwelcome energy that they could ignore it easily.
Harry leaned over, and whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry."
I looked at him and smiled softly, "It's not your fault."
He looked like he wanted to say something, but I just pressed a soft kiss onto his forehead. He gave me a small sad smile, and I knew this way weighing on him.
I was still a little in disbelief that he had hired a private investigator. That meant he knew why I was placed in the system, and possibly some of the stuff I got in trouble for as a kid. He would probably tell Liz and Tom, but there was nothing I could do about that. I knew Harry wouldn't care. I never would've opened up earlier if I thought he would think of me any different. I just hoped he could hear it from me first.
And I knew deep down that that was why Harry was so mad at his father. He wanted me to tell him. He wanted my words, not some report that was scrawled on paper from a third party guy who knew nothing about what actually happened.
He deserved the truth from me.
When dinner ended, everyone cleaned up and went their separate ways, both Sophie and Livy went upstairs to their rooms. Casey left to meet some friends at the movie theater, and Ginny and her dad were talking in the living room, leaving myself, Harry, Liz, and Tom. His mom popped open another bottle of wine and poured us all one.
Harry stands behind me, one hand holding onto the kitchen counter near my hip, the other holding his glass. I'm still feeling a little awkward, not knowing what they think of me, and I can tell that Harry's mom knows.
When Harry gets called into the living room to talk with his sister and dad, he sighs, looking at me and wondering if he should bring me.
"Harry, dear, go on. We'll keep Dani company." His mom says.
I looked back at her to see her wink at me, making me crack a smile. "Go on." I tell Harry playfully.
Once he left the room, his mom wasted no time, "I'm sorry for Christopher, Dani. He can be very..." She searched for a word, "difficult."
"You don't need to apologize." I say quickly, but she continues.
"He had no right to share your past with us when you obviously weren't comfortable telling us."
My heart sunk and I felt guilt seep in, "It's not like I wasn't comfortable with you guys specifically. I just don't really talk about it to a lot of people."
Tom speaks up, "We know that, Dani. I hope you also know that it doesn't change our opinion of you, either."
"He's right. We couldn't care less where you came from, or how you're paying for college as long as you love our son." Liz adds, "Like I said, he's never been this happy, and it's because of you."
The word love struck a chord in me, my body buzzing when she said it, but I pushed the thought out of my mind before it became too consuming. That I knew I wasn't quite ready for.
"Thank you for not judging me on my past. Not a lot of people give me the benefit of the doubt." I tell them honestly.
"Please, we knew we would welcome you into the family the moment Harry mentioned you." Tom says, "The boy wouldn't stop talking about how beautiful you are, and how he hasn't felt this way ever."
"Honestly, it was getting a little annoying. Thank god he was able to convince you to somehow date him. Don't know if I could've handled a heartbroken Harry." His mother jokes.
I breathe out a laugh, "Didn't take any convincing at all. Easiest decision I've ever made, really."
His parents smile warmly at me, his stepdad asking, "So you're majoring in psychology? Do you want to be a psychologist, or work in research?"
I nod quickly, "Yeah, my focus is on child psychology."
"Is it?" Liz says, "Do you mind if I ask if it's because of your past."
"It's okay, you don't need to tiptoe around it. It's out in the open now. Uh, yeah, when I got placed with Darla, my foster mother who I mentioned when we were cooking, she convinced me to see a therapist, and after the fifth one I was about to give up, but went to a final session. Dr. Baltis was the first person to make me feel somewhat comfortable, so I kept going back until I was actually talking and answering questions. Her and my foster mom are probably the only reason I'm even still alive."
It felt a little weird to be this open to two people I had just met, especially two people that meant so much to Harry. But if I was going to make this work, then I needed to start opening up to people.
It wasn't until Harry that I noticed just how unhealthy it was to keep going the way I was going. I had trusted few, in fact four people who weren't considered my family, and I was sleeping with so many guys. I had never once had a connection with someone until Harry, and the moment I met him it changed my whole world.
I'm now someone who wants to be open and share, no matter how absolutely terrifying it is. I want Harry to know about my parents, and some of my experiences in the foster system. He has shown nothing but patience and care, and I wanted to reward him.
"Harry's also told us how smart you are. You're top of your class?" Tom asks.
"Uh, yeah, I'm hoping to get awarded Magna Cum Laude. Talked to my school counselor, and she said if I keep my grades up then I'm definitely in consideration, but who knows. There's so many kids in my class that are just as smart. Bishop is basically right behind me in GPA, so he could run away with it." I say with a shrug.
"And you said you wanted to stay here for all your schooling?"
"Yeah," I say quickly, "my whole family is here, and I help out Darla quite a bit. Plus, Harry is here, so..."
"Hmm, well, I must say, Harry's lucky he found you." Liz says, and takes a long sip of her wine, "Lord knows that boy is a handful."
I snort right as Harry, Ginny, and his dad walk into the kitchen. Both Harry and Ginny look miserable, Harry walking over to me immediately, grabbing for my hand. He doesn't pull me away or anything, just intertwines our fingers, and brings me into his side. I hug his side, putting down my wine glass, press a kiss into his shoulder when Ginny says, "I'm going to head out. It's getting late."
She hugs her mom and Tom, ignoring her father, and walks up to me and Harry. I let go of him, so they can say goodbye, Harry kissing her cheek, and whispering something into her ears. She gives him a tight-lipped smile, and looks at me, "It was nice to finally meet you, Dani. Next time we'll actually sit down and talk."
"It was nice to meet you too, Ginny. Why don't we get lunch sometime?"
My question surprised even myself, but I did want to spend more time with her. She was like a weird mix of her father and her mother, a little rigid, but surprisingly warm.
She looked pleasantly surprised, "Uh, yeah, I would really like that."
"Cool, I'll have Harry text you sometime then."
"Okay, well, have a good night everyone." She gives a last wave, and walks out, a moment later the door swinging shut.
"Liz, I think we should have a talk with our son about-"
"Seriously, dad?" Harry groans, elbows finding the counter and burying his face in his hands, "Can't you just let it go?"
"Harry, you're throwing away your future for this sudden passion of yours." His father says, "This is serious."
"Chris, we talked about this. If Harry doesn't want to work for you then that's his decision." Liz says tiredly.
You could tell they've had this fight a million times. Harry looked so exhausted, so different than he had all day. I sidled up next to him, body facing his side, and my hand softly gripped his bicep. My thumb slipped under the hem of his sleeve and started to rub circles into his skin. I rested my cheek on his shoulder, not caring that his parents were right there. It was second nature to comfort Harry, that had been clear since that night he accidentally told me he loved me.
His head came out of his hands, straightening up a bit, my free hand intertwining with his. He turned silently and kissed the top of my head.
"So you're okay with him throwing away everything he worked for on a whim?" His dad asked incredulously.
"Dad, it wasn't a whim!" Harry half-yelled. His parents looked at him, one with surprise written across their face, the other with confusion. "I've always wanted to do this, but I've never had the balls to tell you."
"Is this because of that girl?" He asks as if I wasn't standing right next to Harry. I saw Tom clench his jaw and look away, definitely biting his tongue, trying not to get involved.
"Leave her out of this." Harry warns, "My decision was made years before I met her, and since I have she's been nothing but supportive."
His dad rolls his eyes, "Of course she is. She wants your money-"
"Christopher!" Liz hisses.
"Finish that fucking sentence and-" Harry starts furiously, but I cut him off.
"You know, Mr. Styles, for being the owner of a multi-million dollar business, your logic is quite dumb."
His eyes narrow in on mine, about ready to speak, but I continue, "Don't you think if I wanted Harry's money I would want him to take over your business one day? Not go into a career that you say is a dead end? If you're going to insult me, at least try and have it make sense."
His jaw clenches, "Looks like your foster parents skipped the lesson on manners."
"Why would I show manners to a man who thinks so little of me in the first place?" I say simply.
"Okay, we should be getting home." Harry says, tugging at my hand. "I'll talk to you guys soon."
"I'll walk you two out." Tom suggests, leaving a very angry Liz and Chris together alone.
I grab my jacket and purse from the hallway closet, Harry pulling his coat on as well.
"Thanks for coming, Dani. It really was a pleasure to meet you." Tom says sincerely.
I smile at him, "Thank you for letting me come. Regardless of what just happened, I did have a good time, and, uh, I'm sorry about that..."
He chuckles, "Oh, no, don't worry about that. I'm sure Liz is tearing him a new one right now. You had every right, dear."
I sigh, glancing at Harry whose face looked neutral, "Can you tell Liz goodbye for me?"
"Of course." He smiles warmly, bringing me in for a hug, "Hopefully you'll come back for tea sometime?"
I grin, "Definitely."
He hugs Harry, patting his back, "Drive safe, you two."
"Night, Tom." Harry says before leading us out to his car.
He's quiet, as we get in, and pull out of the driveway, not speaking until we get on the highway, "Do you mind if we stay at yours?"
My hand combs his hair back as he drives, "That's fine."
It wasn't until we were in my room, changing into our pajamas, that he came up and wrapped me in a giant hug. "I'm so sorry, Dani." He mumbles into my neck.
"Why?" I ask.
"My dad's such an ass."
I snort, "We both knew this going in. I'm sorry for not holding back my anger."
"No, don't be. I love it when you stick up for yourself. It's hot."
"Harry!" I push him away playfully, immediately taking hold of his hand and lying us down. I let him snuggle up to me this time, hair tickling my chin as he rests against my chest. "Besides that whole thing, I did have fun. I like your family."
"Next time it'll just be me, you, my mom, and Tom. Might be easier for them to get to know you." He suggests.
"I'd like that. Although, your mom and I did bond while cooking dinner."
He chuckles, "I really can't believe she let you in the kitchen. It's a miracle I was allowed to bring you in to meet her."
I smile widely, "Yeah, well, I'm an exception."
"Yes, you are." He presses a kiss to my chest, and lies his head back down.
We're silent for a few moments before I bite the bullet.
"Um, Harry, can I tell you something?" I ask hesitantly.
"Of course, baby girl. You can tell me anything."
"It's about my parents."
His head shoots up to look at me, a serious look in his eyes, "Are you sure? You know you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel pressured."
I shake my head, and he lies down next to me. I turn my whole body, so we're mirroring each other, and say, "No, I want you to know. I also don't want your dad to say anything to you about some stuff I'm sure he found out about me..."
"No, baby, you don't need to worry-"
"Harry, I still want to tell you. I tried telling you earlier today, but it's just... hard. I've never really told the whole story, only bits and pieces." I take a deep breath as Harry plays with my hair, waiting patiently. "My parents were never meant to be parents. They didn't want me, but they had me anyways. I think I was a pretty good tax payoff for the first couple years. Um, my dad always had an issue with drugs. Meth, specifically. His friends were all addicts, and my house was kind of their hangout. My mom always had me hang out in my room. She had her own issues. She was insecure and a drunk, because my dad berated her until she believed she was nothing.
"I didn't know this at the time. I was a kid. I didn't know anything. Except what meth looked like and smelt like, and what it did to a person. " I say a little bitterly, "My mom cared for me in her own way, I guess. Never with love, but she kept me away from the men. They didn't even know I was alive until I was a bit older... ten, maybe. I remember the way they used to look at me, leer at me. My mom saw it, but my dad didn't give a shit. He was high most of the time, anyways, and barely considered me a daughter. As I got older, I saw... uh, I saw my dad hit my mom for the first time. I mean, it was the first time I saw it, probably not the first time it happened...
"Anyways, the last Thanksgiving we all had was bad. I ate my Mac n Cheese in my bedroom on the floor. I sat there as I heard yelling and crashes downstairs. I didn't do a damn thing, I mean, what was I supposed to do? I was a kid who was scrawny and malnourished, because I would go a day or two without food sometimes. I couldn't stop a grown ass man who was high as fuck on meth from hurting my mom. Later that night when I knew my dad would've been passed out, I left my room, and found my mom bawling her eyes out in the kitchen, spotting a giant black eye and cleaning up broken glass. I'll never forget the look she gave me. It was so full of hate, like I was responsible for everything. I think now when I look back on it I get it. I looked more like him than her. I have his eyes and dark hair, and I think she associated me with her life going downhill."
I take a deep breath, relieved that there was no tears. I glanced up at Harry whose green eyes were watching me carefully. His fingers danced in my hair slowly as he asks, "How did you get placed in the system?"
I smile sadly at him, "A week after that Thanksgiving I was at school when I got pulled out of class. The principal, school counselor, and a police officer were there. Basically, my dad was arrested for drunk driving, but they found, like.... fifty grams of meth in the car. Apparently, they searched my house and found the meth lab they had built in the basement. I didn't find those details out until way after the fact. At the time, they were interviewing my mom who was at the house. They wanted to know if she was involved, but she somehow got cleared, and was given back custody of me. By the time Christmas arrived, my dad had been sent off to jail, and my mom was... well, she was going through something. In my studies I've read a lot about depression and selfish acts - what a lot of people call them. She was drowning, and I was a reminder of everything bad in her life, so she packed up a bag for me, drove to a fire station, a little note pinned to my jacket, and left me there."
"She just abandoned you?" Harry asked in disbelief.
I smile sadly at him, "You have to remember she never wanted me in the first place. When my dad was sent away she saw it as her chance to be free and happy again. I was the only thing holding her back. The fireman who found me sitting on the steps in the middle of winter called social services, and that very night I was placed in my first home."
"What did the note say?"
I shrug the best I can lying down, "Never read it. My old case worker has it in my file - which is huge, by the way. She asked if I wanted it, but I told her I wasn't interested. Those people were never my parents. They're nothing to me, really, as sad as that sounds. They were just people I lived with that fucked me up mentally and emotionally for the first decade or so of my life."
"I'm so sorry, Dani. You don't deserve that." Harry tells me sadly.
"I know. I deserve a whole lot better, and it took me a really long time to realize that. But now... I've already told you that I think it's my turn for happiness. I know what I deserve now, and I'm letting myself have it." I say sincerely.
He looks at me softly, "I'll be what you deserve, I promise. Every single day, if you let me. Dani, I'm so obsessed with you."
His words bring a smile to my face, surprising considering I just told him a story I've never told anyone else, at least not completely, "Well, that's a good thing, because I'm also so obsessed with you."
His smile mirrors mine, "You're so strong, it amazes me."
"You make me feel stronger." I admit.
We're silent for a moment before his hand slips down to cup the back of my neck, and pulls me towards him. Our lips meet instantly, as if they're magnetic. We embrace each other with such passion, it's astounding. I can feel every bit of emotion he carried throughout my story, every drip of pain he felt as I told him what it was like. He cared so deeply, and in this kiss I knew he didn't see me differently.
No, he saw me better.