I finally muster up the strength the go upstairs to my room, and fall back on the mattress. I don't mind that clothes are still damp from the rain, I just want to sleep. With Harry. But he's not here because you are stubborn, my inner voice slaps me in the face mentally.

I wake up and look at my alarm clock to see it's only one fifteen in the morning. I get out of bed and decide I should probably change my clothes and wash my face. I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and wash my face, and welcome the hot water that splashes against my tired eyes. Today has been terrible.

I pull on a pair of leggings and reluctantly grab a sweatshirt Harry has left here. When I put it on, his scent that I love so much invades me senses, and my heart aches. I need him. But I really need to sleep.

I go back to my bed and cover myself with the heavy blankets and turn off the light. All of a sudden I'm not tired, the thoughts in my mind not allowing me to sleep, no matter how many sheep I count.

I should just text Harry and tell him I'm sorry, I need to stop being stubborn. It is my fault, so I need to apologize.

I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have stayed there and I should've listened to you. You know how stubborn I can be, but I love you. I wish you would've stayed. x

I know we need to talk, but I think that's good for now. He's probably sleeping, so I hope he'll like waking up to that.

---

I wake up and my room is still full of darkness, so I know it's not morning yet. I hear the door creak open and then someone whisper "Aubrey."

"Fuck!" I shout as the lights turn on and I see Harry standing in the doorway. "Why the hell would you do that? You scared the shit out of me!" I angrily say as I hold my hand to my chest over my rapidly beating heart.

"Sorry, I didn't know if you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you" He says calmly, maybe he's not mad anymore?

"It's fine, why are you here?" I ask as my breathing steadies.

"You're text." He walks over to the bed and pulls off his jeans and joins me under the duvet.

"You're not mad at me?"

"I'm not mad, I just... I don't know. I'm glad you're okay and I'm sorry for how I reacted."

Well this isn't what I expected. He's apologizing to me?

"Yes I'm mad that you went and didn't listen to me, but you're okay now, and I should be glad that you're safe." He says and scoots closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"I'm sorry" I mutter.

"Aubrey its not your fault." He sighs. "Ethan's intentions have never been good and he was going to hurt you sooner or later. He's psychotic, baby it's not your fault. Lets just forget about it okay? I love you, and if I keep thinking about it I'm going to go insane"

"Okay" I sigh in relief. Thankfully he doesn't blame me. And he's right, if we keep dwelling on this, only bad things will come of it.

"You didn't kiss him back though?" I look up and want to be angry with him for asking for the second time, but I see the fear in his eyes and know he's genuinely concerned.

"No, Harry. I promise." I brush my hand over his cheek and feel him relax under my touch.

"I'm sorry he hurt you, baby. I'm sorry I let you go, I should've known. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

No, he can't feel guilty. The tears are back, and are very unwelcome. But I can't help it, now he thinks it's his fault and it's not. I can feel him beating himself up over this, and it pains me.

"Harry, stop, it's not your fault, please..."

"If anything happened to you... I would've fucking killed him." His eyes are closed and he takes a deep breath. "It's not going to happen again" he opens his eyes and looks down at me.

"I know. Thank you for everything you've done tonight. You are the best, and I mean it." I smile and kiss him, and thankfully he returns the favor.

---

"Oh, Aubs, your eyes" Harry pouts when we wake up, wrapped in each other's embrace.

I get up and look in the mirror to see them red and puffy from all of the crying. I turn the faucet to the right and splash cold water on my face before feeling Harry's arms around my waist.

"Did you cry after I left?" He asks quietly from behind me. I nod and grab the towel from the counter to dry my face.

"I'm sorry, I should've stayed." He kisses my shoulder.

"It's okay, you're here now" I turn around and lean up to kiss him. "Plans for the day?" I ask.

"What do you want to do?"

"I was going to start that physics project, but I really don't want to"

"We have school in two days, don't we" he groans and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Yeah"

Maybe it will be good to go back to school, get back on a normal schedule. This break has been insane. Good and bad.

"I have to go home, my dad's friend is in town so my dad and I are going golfing with him. Let's do something later though?"

"Do you have to go?" I smile and don't let him break the embrace.

"Yes, I wish I could stay too. I will call you as soon as I'm done"

I finally let go and kiss him until he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine.

"Are you going to be okay? I mean after..."

"Yeah, I think I'll do some homework to distract myself"

"Call me if you need me, okay?"

"Okay, don't have too much fun"

"I won't" he smiles before kissing me and exiting the room.

---

Well now I’m alone again, and I have no idea what to do. Homework is out of the question, my mind is scattered all over the place and I will not be able to focus. Maybe I should call Sophie? No, I’m really not in the mood to get scolded for going and having her tell me she told me so. I love her, but I am exhausted from talking about what happened last night. I’ll just put in a movie and try to relax.

I decide on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and the irony is not lost on me. But whatever, it’s a good chick flick and maybe I can take notes and use them on Ethan. I almost finish the movie when I hear someone knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell at the same time. Harry has a key? Maybe it’s one of those annoying solicitors.

I rush to the door annoyed as the visitor won’t stop knocking. Damn.

“Erica?” My face turns white seeing Ethan’s mother at my front step. Fuck. Is she with Ethan? Does she know what her son did last night?

“Hi Aubrey, I’m sorry for just showing up like this, but you left your jacket at our house last evening. I wasn’t aware you were coming over? Ethan said you two had dinner, but he was awfully strange this morning when Jim and I got back from our trip. And he has a black eye! Do you know what happened?” She holds out my coat and I can’t help but remain speechless.
What the fuck do I say? “Oh sorry I must have left it behind when your psychotic son took advantage of me and I ran away?"

“Oh, um.. Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” I take the jacket from her hand.

“Aubrey, is there something wrong?” She asked like a concerned mother, and my emotions take over yet again. I start sobbing like a hungry baby, and I feel her arms wrap around me and she rubs my back, no questioning.

“Come here, let me make you some tea. Sit.” She leads me to the breakfast bar and I take a seat on the stool with my elbows on the island and my head supported by my hands. What am I going to tell her? She is going to be heartbroken when I tell her about her son.

“Is this about Harry? Or Maddie?” She asks and hands me a cup of tea. I shake my head.

“Aubrey, we don’t have to talk about it, but I think you should. Have you talked to your mom?” I shake my head again and take a sip of the hot tea, not caring if it burns my throat as I swallow. This pain is nothing compared to what I have suffered in the last twenty four hours.

“I thought you and Jim were going to be there last night, at dinner…” I say quietly and take another sip.

“I don’t understand? So this is about Ethan?” Her face pales and I feel guilty as I nod. This isn’t even the half of it, Erica.

“He invited me last week, saying you wanted to catch up and have me over for dinner. But when I got there last night, you and Jim obviously weren’t there, and Ethan said you guys were still at work. I stayed and after we ate, he told me you guys were never even coming.” I close my eyes with the horrible memory of last night.

“Why would he do that Aubrey? He knew we were in San Diego?” She looks more confused than I did when Ethan told me they were never coming.

“He said he wanted to have dinner with just me, and he knew I wouldn’t want to, so he tricked me into going.”

“What is wrong with him?” She looks confused. “I’m sorry Aubrey, but why are you so emotional over this? You know how he can be, he doesn’t really know how to show his emotion…” She defends her son.

“Oh, I think he does…” I mutter in my cup before taking a swig of the warm liquid. “After he told
me that, I was angry, so I got up to leave and… And he grabbed me so I wouldn’t go.”

“He grabbed you?” Erica breaths. I nod and hold up my wrists in front of her so she can she the black and blue bruises. The blood drains from her face and her eyes turn glossy.

“He pinned me against the wall and wouldn’t let me leave. He told me he wanted me back and…” I cry. I can’t believe I’m telling his mother this. But she has been like my mother, and I know I can confide in her.

“Oh Aubrey,” She wraps her arms around me again and we cry together. “I am so sorry for my son’s behavior, this is not acceptable. I am very disappointed and angry, but I need to know you’re okay?” She pulls out of the embrace and holds me at arm length to look me in the eye.

“I will be. He only kissed me” I say quietly. I hate saying that. I hate replaying the events of last night.

“He did? Jesus, Aubrey, I can’t apologize enough, I am terribly sorry. Did he do anything else?”
I shake my head and realize I am thankful that that’s all he did. It could have been a lot worse.

“Wait… Were you the one that gave him the black eye?”

“No, I got away from him and ran before he could do anything else to me. But when I told Harry, he went over to your house and was furious. I’m sorry, I tried to stop him, but he was really mad.”

“Don’t apologize! Ethan had it coming, and honestly, he deserves a lot worse. I can’t believe what he did, laying so much as a finger on you! Aubrey, I am sorry. This should not have happened, this is not how I raised him. Is there anything I can do?”

“You’re already doing enough… I feel guilty that you are taking your son’s ex girlfriend’s side over his.” I shrug. It does feel strange.

“Aubrey, you are like a daughter to me, and I will not take his side just because he is my son. What he did was wrong and he will pay for it.”

“Thanks Erica” I hug her once again.

“I think I should go deal with Ethan now, call me if you need anything, don’t hesitate Aubrey.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie, are you sure you’ll be okay alone here?”

“Yeah, Harry is coming over soon”

“Alright, hang in there” She kisses me cheek and leaves.

Holy shit. That was too much to handle. I can’t believe I just talked to Ethan’s mother about this. I sit back down at the couch and pull my phone from my pocket. I need to talk to Harry.

“Hey babe, are you okay?” He answers, and I immediately relax upon hearing his voice.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, how’s golf?”

“You’re not bothering me, I told you to call if you needed to, Aubrey. What’s going on? And it’s hot out here, but I should be done soon.” He says lightly, and I smile at his support. I don’t deserve him, but I’m too selfish to give him up.

“Ethan’s mother just came over.”

“Did you tell her how much of a fuck up her son is?”

“Yes, I told her what he did. She apologized and talked to me for a bit, I just wanted to tell you.”

“How do you feel about telling her? Was it hard?” Oh god, Harry the shrink is on duty today.

“Very, but I’m just a little shaken. I’ll be okay.”

“I’m coming over in like an hour, are you going to be okay until then?”

“Yeah, sorry for interrupting, I love you”

“Aubrey, you're not interrupting I can imagine his jaw clenching and his eyes rolling as he scolds me. “ but I love you too.”

I hang up and return to my movie. It did feel good to tell Erica, as hard as it may have been. Maybe she can get through to him and find out why he is so psychotic.

Notes

Filler chapter because I really need to start my AP statistics homework and I have a family dinner in an hour haha :) But I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for all of the comments, they make my shitty day better hah! xx

And you all should rate this story if you haven't already... Pretty please? ;)