Hate That I Love You

Chapter 23

Harry jumped slightly when his father, with a thud, dropped a newspaper on the desk in his room, on the front pages, there were photos of him and Louis.

"Explain this to me," he growled sternly, pointing at them with his index finger.

Harry swallowed a lump of saliva and, as he sat in the chair behind his desk, slowly raised his head to his furious eyes that now dominated him.

"Father, I ..." Harry bit his lip. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You're sorry?" he yelled. "Are you sorry? I had to be on the phone with Walter for hours to reassure him! How do you think this makes his son look? He's angry too, you risked canceling the marriage!"

Harry lowered his head. "I was just-trying to comfort him," he whispered. "We didn't really kiss," he muttered.

"Comfort him? Comfort him?" he screamed even more. "To a beggar like that? The son of the Tomlinsons represents everything I hate most in them! You don't even have to talk to him unless it's needed!"

"But, father," he protested faintly. "Louis is a good guy and .."

Des pointed a threatening finger at him. "Don't even let yourself say his name," he growled. "From now on, I forbid you in any way to have anything to do with him. You cannot touch, see, talk, look at each other. You must completely eliminate him from your memory, Louis Tomlinson will become a stranger to you."

"I'm twenty-three, father," he complained. "I can make my own decisions!"

"Apparently not," he shook his head. "You still have to deal with him and I swear to you, I swear, that I will disinherit you."

Harry leapt into the air. "But father!" he exclaimed. "Do you realize what you are saying?"

"Yes," he nodded sternly. "We will tell the press that you had a moment of confusion and Xander, as a true gentleman that he is, has decided to win you back by asking you to marry him. It's a good story, people will like it."

"Father, I..." Harry nervously played with his completely sweaty hands, trying to give himself some courage. "I'm not sure I want to marry him anymore."

Des smiled bitterly. "Still looking for the bullshit of true love?"

"I-I don't know," he whispered with his head down. "I love Xander, but you don't think that's enough. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me too."

"If you keep looking for love, son," he said scornfully. "You will end up like your mother."

Harry slowly looked up at him, grainy and hurt. "How-how can you say such a thing?" he hissed, between disgust and bewildered.

"And how am I supposed to say that? She preferred to kill herself instead of being with me, to live in the luxury that I gave her. Your mother is just a disappointment. That's why I give you some advice, the only thing that will never betray you is the company" he stated. "That is the only love you should feel, for our empire, for our name. And not for a little boy who gives you stupid attention and who sooner or later will get tired of you" with these words Des walked towards the door. "If you see him again, it'll be trouble for you," he finally said, slamming the door loudly and obviously turning the key several times.

Harry dropped dead weight into his chair, throwing his head back and sighing deeply. "Great," he muttered.

Now yes, he was screwed. Now his fate was sealed.

What else could he have done after all? Give up the company for him?

For what then? For something that he still did not want to admit and that, perhaps he would never admit. After his conversation with his father, he finally had clear ideas: his path and Louis's were irreconcilable. Too far to be able to find a meeting point, too different to be able to get close.