Clash | Harry Styles

Chapter 5

Harry's P.O.V

I let go of her touch and push myself backwards. Wrinkles tense on my forehead as I scratch my head. Ashley gets up and grasps onto my hand. I look down at her hand and remove it.

"Wait here." I walk towards the door, ready for what might happen until I feel Ashley pull onto my shirt. I turn around and cup her chin tenderly. "It's going be okay."

I focus on her expression and smile to indicate everything is okay even though I know it won't be as soon as I go downstairs. I eye her lips before I bounce onto them with mine hoping my quick touch will make her let go of me.

"What if you don't come back?" She plays with her thumbs.

I move closer to her small face our foreheads touching and our eyes focused on each other. "I wouldn't leave you."

I kiss her on the forehead and spin around, closing the door on my way out. I heard draws being smashed back in place and the scatter of paper being shuffled around as I begin my decent down to hell. I jump down the stairs two at a time messing my hair up as I go. I lean into the back room to see my dad frantically searching the draws.

"Dad what are you doing?" He turns his gaze away from the messy floor and comes rushing to me.

"You! What did you do?"

I lean my body into the door frame and give him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" I ask frowning.

He looks down at the floor and falls into the arm chair. His legs spread wide with his elbows leaning on each leg. His hands cupped together under his chin.

"Why did you skip school...again? I get a stupid call saying my stupid son hasn't bothered showing up for the second time this week. It's only fucking Tuesday!"

I sigh, thinking it was nothing else but this. I push myself up from the door way and put my hands in my pockets. It's a habit of mine.

"I've just been feeling really dizzy recently and I thought it would be best if I stayed home." He looks up at me. His grey eyes scanning my lying face.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't home and I was going to go but when I was getting Gemma ready for school I felt dizzy again."

He got up and reached for a file on the table and handed it to me.  I looked down at the file and looked back up to my dad. "What's this?"

"It's yours and Gemma's baby pictures. I kept them stored away for when you were old enough to treasure them yourself." He says rubbing at his face with shaky hands.

I hesitate to open them knowing there will be pictures of mom in there too so instead I just swung the cream folder under my armpit and arm.

"But why are you giving them to me now?" I ask confused again. This is fucking random and, here I thought he was going to go ape shit on me for skipping school but instead he's acting weird.

"Son, I've been keeping those safe since your mother passed and we both know it's her death anniversary tomorrow, you're eighteen and I couldn't think of any other time that felt right."

I look back at my dad seeing his eyes have turned a glossy grey colour. He never cries or shows his soft side. I place my hand on his shoulder as he walks towards me; he sniffles slightly and rubs my arm.

This is the dad I like best - the sober one.

"I have to go back to work, I came back to check up on you and give you those darn pictures. Rest and I'll be back soon."