Broken || h.s. AU (Special Edition)

Chapter 18 - Crackers and Cheese

*content warning: food, brief mention of religious content, mention of alcohol/substance abuse*
If you come across a trigger that wasn't listed, let me know. Stay safe.
Chapter 18- Crackers and Cheese

Julia's P.O.V.

I find myself walking yet again down the sidewalk, Harrys hand stiff in mine. The silence is slightly awkward and I'm afraid to look at Harry's face.

"The nerve of some people, can you believe her?" He seethes quietly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's fine, Harry..." I whisper, squeezing his hand lightly, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"The way she looked at you, if she wasn't a woman and we weren't in public." He mutters angrily, his jaw locking as he glares ahead.

"Harry..." I say softly, stopping in my tracks and tugging him to a stop next to me.

"She treated you like trash because she thought she looks better than you." He says in disbelief, disgust curling his lip into a sneer.

I frown, squeezing his hand in another attempt to regain his attention.

"Like she's so fantastic-" He starts, but I cut him off again.

"Harry, she was jealous that I have you and she doesn't... You only saw how she looked at me, you never saw how she looked at you. I don't think she meant anything towards me, I think she got that look because she figured that if you want me, you'd surely want her..."

He looks at me, dumbfounded. "Why would I want her more than you?"

I pause in surprise. His eyes are genuinely confused, perplexed at the reality of the situation.

"Because she's prettier than me, Harry... It was pretty clear... This has nothing to do with my own self image, she honestly was... So I guess she figured that if you were attracted to me, you'd be drooling over her..."

"Oh." He says, frowning. "But she doesn't hold a candle to you." He argues, confusion still settled in his eyes.

I smile at that, continuing to walk down the path. "Thank you..."

The sun is still continuing its slow descent behind us, slowly lurching us forward into darkness.

Harry stays silent at my side, his warm hand still holding mine as he watches the ground in thought.

"Diana..." He starts quietly.

I can't make myself meet his eyes but I reply just as quietly.

"Yes, Harry?"

I can feel his eyes on my face as he speaks again, careful to keep his tone calm and collected. "You know... You know I wouldn't pick someone else over...over you... Right...?"

I pause, slightly taken aback that it was on his mind. "Yeah..." I reply, sounding more like a question. He shifts uncomfortably again and I clear my throat awkwardly.

The ground is suddenly very interesting as I watch my shoes kick along a pebble. The silence stretches out even longer. I don't know where we're going and frankly I don't want to ask.

But finally, he pulls me to a stop and turns to face me, speaking faster than I think I've ever heard him talk before.

"Diana, I know you said you don't care and you know I'd pick you, but you don't seem to get how important you are to me. And I want you to know. I-I've been a lot happier since we met and you've helped me and changed me and- and cared for me no matter how much of a jerk I was to you. And just now, you seemed so convinced of the fact that I'd want her more because she was prettier- and she wasn't, by the way. She was pretty, you're gorgeous. But I wanted you to know that you're honestly the best thing in my life right now and you deserve so much better than me, but you've stuck by my side anyways and it really means a lot to me."