It’s been thirteen days since Harry and I had sex for the first time, and it’s been the best week and six days of my life. Every night, we sneak into each other’s bedrooms, staying up all night talking, making love, watching movies, or simply laying together, our legs and arms tangled, just soaking up each other’s presence. Every day, we drive to school together after sharing breakfast when our parents leave for work (I even let Harry take us on his motorcycle last friday), we do our homework together once we get home, then we either hang out with his group of friends (who have become just as much my friends over time) or stay home and lock ourselves in my room so we can talk… It’s been frightening. It’s been thrilling. It’s been the breath of fresh air that I needed. It’s been amazing.

We decided not to tell anyone at school about us because we were afraid it might get a little weird seeing as we are practically siblings, but Harry didn’t want to lie to his small group of friends, and although I was a little nervous, I was grateful we had decided to tell them. Perrie was excited to not be the only “girlfriend” among the guys, and it was nice to hold hands with Harry in front of them. It was getting hard to resist touching and kissing him while we were walking through the halls at school.



It was the thirteenth day of the best days of my life when the streak ended. I knew that since I’ve had so much shit tossed my way in my life that at one point or another I would have to face some more crap, but I was enjoying the days when all I had to worry about was Harry.

I was sitting at my desk getting some of my lit homework done while Harry was with Zayn working on his motorcycle when my dad came in.

He smiled a little and sat on the bench in front of the window. “Hey kiddo, how’s the homework going?”

“Fine.” I shrug. “What’s up?”

“Chlo…” He sighs, and my stomach tightens. I don’t know what he’s about to say, but his expression has me nervous.

“What is it, Dad?”

“Look, I understand why you’ve been so distant from me, and I just want you to know I get it.”

What? He knows? And he gets it?

I swallow before setting my pencil down and turning to him. “What are you talking about?” I ask quietly. What if he really does know? Will he end it? Will he make Anne and Harry move out?

“I know you’re still upset with me for leaving you and mom, and for dragging you to come live here. I would be angry myself, but you have to understand that I did everything because I care about you so much, sweetheart. You’re all I’ve got, all I’ve ever had, and I can’t lose you again.” He looks away from me and scrubs his face with his hands. "It kills me that you’ve been acting so distant lately and pushing me away when I thought you had finally forgiven me.”

A million emotions and thoughts run through me; relief, confusion, sadness… I realize that since Harry and I have been together, I’ve been spending all my time with him, and that’s why my father thinks I’ve been so distant towards him. I feel bad that he feels this way, but it’s better than the alternate knowledge of knowing what Harry and I have been doing.

“Dad… I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to distance myself from you.” I tell him honestly.

“Chloe, it’s okay, but I need to tell you something. I promised your mother I wouldn’t… but it’s tearing me apart.”

“Tell me.” I demand. I’m beyond confused.

He sighs again before grabbing my hands on the desk and holding them in his. “Don’t hate your mother, it’s not her fault.” Pain flashes through his eyes, and my stomach tightens even further. My heart races as I wait for him continue. “I know you thought I just packed up and left you and your mom, but that isn’t the whole story.”

“Tell me the whole story.” I force the words out. I pull me hands from his. I don’t know what I’m feeling, and I won’t decide until I hear what he has to say.

“Your mother didn’t want to be married anymore… We grew apart I suppose. She was unhappy. One day, I went into my office and there was an envelope waiting for me on my desk… She had sent me divorce papers.” His voice cracks at the memory. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I drove straight home, I never saw it coming. I knew she wasn’t happy, but she didn’t even tell me. Chloe, I was heartbroken. When I got home, all of my things were on the front step.”

I remember saying goodbye to my father before I got on the bus to school. He seemed so happy, and everything was okay. Then when I got home, him—and all of this belongings—were gone.

“I tried to tell her we could get marriage help, separate for awhile to work it out, do anything… but she insisted I sign the papers and get out of her life.”

“No.” I shake my head. My mother would never do that, and she would never hide that from me… right?

“Yes, Chloe. I’m so sorry. I know I should’ve told you… I should’ve said goodbye… I shouldn’t have let her do that, but I was so upset and heartbroken. I loved her so much, I thought my life was over when I saw those papers on my desk.”

“Why didn’t you even try to see me?” I say through my tears.

Dad runs his hands through his hair before looking at me with eyes similar to mine. “I was so upset with her, that I just packed up and left. I was selfish and didn’t think about how it would affect you. I left and pretty much drank myself into an oblivion for a year before I realized I need to get my shit together and fight for you two… I drove back to the house while you were at school and your mother let me talk.”

“What did she say?”

“She told me she didn’t want me back… that you guys were doing better now without me.”

She said that? That was the worst year of my life!

“I asked her if I could see you, and I knew she could smell the alcohol on my breath and could tell I had done nothing with my life since I left because she told me no. She said she never wanted me seeing you again.”

“And you just let her?” I cry. “I needed you! I needed a father!”

“Chloe, I’m so sorry.” He whispers. “She has every right to tell me no. I was in no state to take care of you anymore, and you wouldn’t want me to. She made me promise I wouldn’t come back, and I agreed because I realized how much of a failure I had been… How terrible I was for leaving you. I’m sorry, don’t be mad at your mother or me. I’m thankful for this second chance, but you have no idea how much I wish things could’ve gone differently.”

I felt like my head and heart were going to explode.

“What are you thinking sweetheart?”

“I just need to finish my homework. I’ll be down for dinner.” I need to be alone.

“Chloe…”

“I’m fine. I should get this done.”

Dad sighs and nods reluctantly. When he stands, he hesitates before kissing my forehead and leaving the room. As soon as the door clicks shut, new, hot tears spill from my burning eyes. I walk over to my bed and ball up under the blankets.

I grab for my phone that’s charging on my side table and dial Cassidy’s number. I would call Harry, but I need someone who knows the whole situation I was in back home, and she knows everything.

She doesn’t answer, so I leave her a voicemail telling her to call me back ASAP before calling her another five times. I’m desperate. So desperate that I call Grant when I can’t get ahold of her. He knows everything too. And at this point I just need someone to vent to… even if it’s Grant.

“Chloe?” He answers on the fourth ring. His voice gives me mixed emotions, but it also gives me the sense of home… like things are back to the way they were a year ago—perfect.

“Grant, I’m really sorry I’m calling, but Cassidy wouldn’t answer and I need someone right now.” I cry through the phone pathetically.

“What is it Chlo? Are you okay?” He asks, concerned.

“No.” I sob and try to pull it together. “My dad… he didn’t just leave… my mom, she kicked him out and always told me he just walked out. He came back Grant! She wouldn’t let him see me. Not even a goodbye.”

I hear him sigh over the phone as I wipe my nose and walk over to my bathroom to fix my running makeup. I think I’ve cried all the tears in me. “Chloe, shit… I’m so sorry.”

“This whole time I hated him. I want to ask her why, but she’s gone Grant. She lied to me, and I can’t even be mad at her because she’s gone!”

“I’m sure she had her reasons. She loved you Chloe, she did it because she thought it was for the best. Don’t hold it against her.”

I begin to thank Grant for helping me despite our situation when Harry walks in the bathroom. A smile spreads across my face seeing him… I may not have known it, but he’s exactly who I needed to see.

I press my palm over the speaker to silence my phone and walk over to kiss Harry quickly before saying, “just a second.”

I press the phone back to my ear. “I don’t know what I should do.” I tell him honestly.

"Forgive her, and move on. Now you can move forward with your dad. You don’t need to hate him anymore. You have him now, don’t lose him again.” Grant tells me, and it for the first time since he dumped me, I feel the hatred I hold towards him dissolve a little.

Harry asks me who I’m talking to, but I ignore him to listen to Grant.

“I know… It’s just hard.” I sigh. “I’ll let you go Grant—“

“Grant?” Harry asks.

“Who’s that?” Grant asks over the phone.

“It’s no one, but thank you. It means a lot.”

I look to Harry and nod. His expression turns into anger, and his fists clench at his sides. “Hang up the phone, Chloe.”

I hold up my forefinger signaling one more minute. “Thanks again, Grant.”

“Chloe… It’s not a problem. And look, I’m sorry for how I acted this summer…”

“Stop. It’s done with, let’s just forget it okay?”

“Hang up the fucking phone.” Harry says again, reaching for the phone.

I turn around so he can’t grab it. “Yeah, okay. I better be going. I’ll talk to you later, Chlo.”

“Yeah, talk to you later Grant.”

I hang up the phone and set it on the counter. I turn to Harry and see his face red and serious. What the hell is his deal?

“Hey.” I frown and attempt to kiss him again.

“Why the fuck were you just talking to the bastard?” He asks before stepping closer and forcing me to look at him by my chin. “And why the fuck have you been crying?”

“My dad told me something… I needed to talk to Cassidy, but she wouldn’t answer, so I called Grant.” I explain realizing it must look pretty bad that I’m in my bathroom calling my ex boyfriend.

“What did your dad tell you?” Harry asks, his anger not subsiding.

“It’s a long story…” I sigh. I will tell him, but right now I’m exhausted and it’s the last thing I want to talk to him about.

“Why would you call him and not me?”

“Harry, I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I called him really. He knows everything about my dad leaving me and my mom, so when Cass didn’t answer, I just called him.”

“What the fuck Chloe? Are you calling him often?”

I take a step back. It’s no secret that Harry’s moody, angry, and what not, but he’s honestly scaring me right now. He’s never been aggressive with me, and even though I know he won’t lay a finger on me to hurt me, I know his words have the capability of hurting me just as much as any physical blow.

“No Harry! This is the first time I’ve talked to him since the summer!”

“So what’s going on between you two? Are you going to start dating again?”

“You’re kidding? Harry, my dad dropped a bomb on me and I needed to talk to someone! Calm down!”

I expect him to ask me what my dad told me, but he doesn’t. “And again, why didn’t you call me? Do you not think you can talk to me?”

“Harry stop! I’m sorry okay, it was innocent. Please, it’s not like that.”

“What am I to you. Chloe? Am I just your fuck buddy while your talking to Grant? I thought we were more than that?”

The tears freely flow down my face again. “Harry, you’re taking this way too far, Grant has been my friend for years, and I just needed to talk to someone who knew what my like was like when I lived in Arizona. I’m sorry, Harry, I’ll delete his number because that’s how much I don’t need him. I need you to realize you’re overreacting and trust me.” I’m out of breath. I just need him to calm down and come back to me. I don’t know who this guy standing in front of me is.

“Fuck Chloe. Fuck!” He yells. “You know how that makes me feel? The fact that you’re talking to a guy you have history with? The fact that you don’t come to me with your problems when I told you I’ll always be here for you?"

“Harry… I was going to talk to you when you came home. Why are you overreacting?” I beg for an answer. I reach out for him, but he pulls away.

“I can’t do this.” He turns and before I can tell him to stop, he’s out of my room and into his with the door slamming behind him.

What the hell just happened?

Notes

Ugh, sorry for this chapter. It's super difficult to type still, but I needed to update. But, I'll update again tomorrow if you all comment, rate and subscribe <3