18 Going On 30 || h.s. au

nineteen

this took longer than expected because i decided to do a double update! buckle up.

tw: slight violence and mention of panic attacks

MADDIE'S POV

"You have thirty seconds, and then I'm leaving." I say to Harry, trying to ignore the nauseating feeling in my stomach.

"Okay, you need to listen to me, I was going to the bathroom and I saw him fucking making out with another woman, and he definitely didn't know you were there too so I'm ninety nine percent sure he came to see the other woman, and then I got really fucking angry, and then I...I'm sorry." He explains, the nausea growing stronger in my stomach with every syllable he speaks.

"I don't...I-"

"I would never lie to you about this, please?" He pleads, a look in his eyes that makes me know deep down that he wouldn't.

"I have to go." I manage to choke out, turning around and walking away without another word. I hear him call out again but it's all blurry as I climb into my car, James already in the passenger seat.

When we started to hear screaming and commotion from the hallway in the bar, I was immediately concerned because Harry had only just gone back there. People started to congregate and wonder what was happening and I attempted many times to actually see what was happening after I saw Mitch and Miles disappear back there. Imagine my surprise when I saw a furious Harry being restrained and James on the floor with a bloody face.

I didn't know whether to be concerned about what happened or about the fact that James was there at the bar in the first place, for starters. It wasn't until Harry was punched that I realized he must've been the one who punched James. It made perfect sense even though the thought made me nauseous.

I don't know what happened. Frankly, I don't want to know. Do I believe what Harry said? Am I even sure I heard him correctly? I don't know. I don't want to believe his words. I know he wouldn't lie to me, but I also haven't heard both sides of the story.

"I wasn't-"

"Save it." I shut James up, not wanting to get into this here in the car as I drive on the busy streets of London.

He reclines in his seat, still holding his nose that I'm sure is broken from the look of it.

The night was going so well. I was genuinely having the best time with everybody, singing our favorite songs and hogging the karaoke. But of course everything just had to come crashing back down in the worst way possible.

I don't know what happened.

I'm terrified to find out.

I try to ignore the shake of my hands as I grip the steering wheel so tightly I'm shocked it didn't crumble to pieces. I barely notice how it starts to drizzle outside just as I parked the car in front of the building, the slam of James' car door startling me out of my focus.

I take a deep breath, getting out of the car and locking it before trailing behind him into the building. My heart races, not knowing what the fuck I'm going to say and wishing I could just lock myself in a room and forget about all of this for a blissful few hours in avoidance of everything coming crashing down all at once.

I don't even know why I'm struggling to hold back tears, whether it's over what Harry said or the utter confusion over why they needed to get so violent with each other.

Getting a closer look at James' nose in the lift, it's definitely broken. The bruising around it looks so bloody that it makes me nauseous knowing Harry did that, that he's capable of doing something like that. Sure, a broken nose is trivial compared to other types of injuries, but this is the first time I've ever witnessed Harry express his anger through violence and I didn't know he had it in him. It scares me.