Dakota's POV

"Happy birthday!" Everyone shouts when I enter the beautifully decorated room with all our friends and some of the 1D staff. The boys even got a bit dressed up. Each of them cleaned up and looked decent, and by decent I mean plain tees, pressed pants, and sneakers. The girls had put on dresses and put on some makeup.

I smile and play with the jacket around my shoulders. “This is beautiful,” I tell him about the blue light room.

He smiles, “This isn’t the half of it. Louis!” The lad looks to Harry and smirks. “Now!” My eyes follow Louis as he leaves the room for a few seconds before coming back. Harry wraps his arms around me as a massive smile breaks out on my face. Ed Sheeran walks back with Louis laughing and smiling. “Ed!”

The ginger walks over all smiles and nods at us as a greeting. “Harry, mate, haven’t seen you in forever. I see you’ve found yourself a lovely bird, one of my Sheerios.” I giggle and look at the ground. “What’s your name?”

“Dakota,” I mumble and look up to see him once more.

He smiles, “Nice to meet the girl who makes my little Harold happy.”

Harry grumbles, “I’m not little.”

I laugh and peck his cheek. “Harry, the fact that you’ll always tower over me means you're not little."

He smiles and rests his chin on my head, "Louis said you were a Sheerio and since I know him... Ta da." I look at Ed again and smile.

"Anything for a friend and his girl," He smiles before looking at Harry. "Now or later?"

"Later," Harry says letting him walk away. "Do you want to read or dance?"

I smile thinking of the options. Harry took me to see P.C and Kristin Cast and they gave me the next book in the House of Night series which comes out in October. I really want to read it, but I’m not going to see Harry for such a long time after this. He comes before reading.

“Let’s dance,” I surprise him and pull him to the floor.

He chuckles and holds my body close while one of my favorite songs play, Halo by Beyoncé. I reminds me of Harry. He saved me before things got out of hand. He managed to break through my walls and brought people with him. He makes me happy. Complete. I thought I’d be happy. Then I met him. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

He smiles at me knowing that everyone is pretty much awe-ing at our affection. I nuzzle my head in the gap of his shirt to his bare chest. I love those. How he leave buttons up and walks around freely. It’s attractive on my part. He kisses my temple and rests his cheek on my head. Soon, we’re not even moving anymore. Just embracing each other and taking in everything.

“I love you,” He breathes into my hair and rubs circles in my back.

A light laugh escapes my mouth. “I love you too, Harry.” I look up to him and smile when I see his dimples prominent on his face. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you."

"For what?" He says with amusement.

My head rests on his chest again, "For not giving up on someone broken."

He chuckles, "From the moment I saw your face at the café, I knew I loved you. For me, it was love at first sight."

We stay holding each other before we decide to sit down. I read my new book wanting to know how Zoey's journey continues. Harry holds me as he talks to some of the 1D staff. When I would start pulling away, he'd hold me tighter. I close the book when I have a fourth done and nudge Harry. "I'm going to the bathroom," I tell him and kiss his cheek.

He smiles and lets me up. Freedom! I walk to the doors and down the hall to the bathroom near the lobby. I see the security hard at work keeping the girls from getting to a One Direction party. Seeing me, they go into a frenzy yelling rude insults and profanities. Ignore them, I think wanting to go to the bathroom, but curiosity keeps me, What do they think of me? I'm not on social media and Harry doesn't me to, but why? Everyone hates me, how much do they?

"B*tch!"

"C*nt!"

"Wh*re!"

I close my eyes and let in the familiar pain in my heart. It's so familiar, I missed it. Something that hurt me so much to the point I considered suicide, I missed it. My life was that for a time long enough that it's natural. My nails dig in my wrist listening to why I don't deserve to live until I feel the blood on my nails.

"Go die in a hole!"

"Just kill yourself!"

I could just picture everyone snarl nasty things like that in school. It still hasn't stopped. To the people that said it would get better, it did, but the pain didn't. It will always be there. People will always be there to bring pain or to distract from it.

"Emo!"

"Cut yourself again!"

When I open my eyes I see them charging at me, but I don't move. Everything in my mind yelling at me to move can't connect to my body. Why should I? They hate me. Everyone does. Always have. I look at the floor emotionless until they reach me. They pull my hair, punch every area they can, scratch me to bleed, and keep throwing insults.

I let my body fall to the ground and close my eyes. It was inevitable. It was going to happen again.

Happy birthday to me.