Darling (Harry Styles)

chap 31

HARRY STYLES
The House

      "Is Finn a nice guy?" I question Sophie as she sits on the couch in the living room, scrolling through her phone as some random show plays on the TV.

There are a few other Deimos members around the room, but I don't care enough to ask them to leave. They won't know what we're talking about either way. They're all too worried about what happened to me: how I've gone so soft.

Sophie has to double-take like she doesn't understand what I'm asking her for a second. "What?" She double-checks that the correct words left my mouth.

"Is Finn a nice guy?"

"Why do you care?"

I become frustrated, wanting an answer so this conversation can just end. I don't like to discuss a guy who might have feelings for Anna all day. Not exactly my favorite topic of conversation. "Just answer the question, Sophie."

"You're not thinking about giving Anna up for Finn, are you?" I don't answer, I'm scared.

I'm insecure. I don't do relationships. I've never done relationships. Annabelle wants a relationship so bad, but I could never give her the one she deserves. I just couldn't.

She scoffs, "You are such an asshole, Harry. God, I told her she should've gone for Cooper."

"She was going to go for Cooper?" I question, painfully.

I didn't think about the possibility of her with anyone inside our group. Not since I had asked Cooper that one time if he had a crush on Annabelle. I never thought she would have a crush on him, though.

"Oh my god," Sophie runs her hands through her hair, stressed, "you're such an idiot, Harry. It was always you to her. It always has been you two. And now what? You're gonna have her moaning your name at 10 in the morning, just to try and end things by 11?"

I looked around and spoke up quickly, "Everyone out." They didn't need to know this much. I didn't think it would go this far.

Sophie stood up when everyone else did too, approaching me. She stuck her finger out at me, ready to go off.

That was one good thing about Sophie. She had been a part of Deimos for so long that she was afraid of nothing. None of us could ever scare her, no matter how hard we might try.

That's how I knew it was a good idea to come to her. She would know just what to do to make me better. To rid me of this feeling.

Or she at least knew what was best for Annabelle.

"Stop, Harry." She wouldn't let me break eye contact, "Don't destroy this because you're getting scared. What is it? What's scaring you?"

"She deserves more than me, Sophie. You know that. You want her to have more than me." I shook my head, "I'm not good for her."

Sophie laughed, "You're right."

I blinked a couple of times, shocked.

I didn't expect there to be no battle. I didn't expect her to not tell me to fight for her. I didn't expect her to agree—even though I knew deep down that she did.

Annabelle was perfect. She was an angel. She was like a pure white shirt that I was going to stain with all the blood on my hands.

I couldn't do it. Sitting there and listening to her talk about what she wants. The kind of love she wants.

I've never even been in love before her. And falling for Annabelle was quick, I never saw it coming. I don't know how to treat it. I don't know how fragile it might be.