Nothing's Easy.

Chapter 33.

4 years later ~

"Darcy! Baby, your lunch is ready!" I shouted to her from the kitchen.

"Coming!" She shouted back.

As I finished cutting her sandwich in half, I felt two arms snake around my waist. I smiled a bit as my boyfriend of four years rested his head on my shoulder.

AJ and I had been dating since the weekend after he asked me out. On our third year anniversary, he asked for me and Darcy to move in with him. He's 24 and I'm now 22, so I thought it would've been a good idea. Darcy's now 7 years young. She used to occasionally ask when we'd see her father again, but after receiving continuous 'I don't knows' as answers, she stopped asking.

I haven't spoken to Harry since he cheated. I'm going to admit that I did and do miss him a bit. But even if we were together, he would never have time for me or Darcy. He seems too busy with the guys and tour.

Darcy came into the kitchen and shook her head at the sight of me and AJ. She walked past the both of us, took her sandwich off the counter and walked into the living room to continue watching something on Disney Channel. I sighed, thinking that Darcy didn't like AJ.

I turned around and was greeted by a pair of piercing electric blue eyes. I lifted up my arms and locked my hands together at the nape of AJ's neck.

"Are you going to work tonight?" He asked. I nodded my head as I took the snapback he was wearing off his head and put it on my own backwards.

"Noooo," he groaned as he nuzzles his head into the crook of my neck. I laughed as his stubble tickled me.

"I don't want you to go. I just want to watch movies and cuddle and stuff," he whined.

"Is it your time of the month, babe?" I joked.

"Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, can't you just blow off work tonight?"

"No, because we're rehearsing for a very big event."

AJ sighed before he bent down, tightly wrapped his arms around my legs and then lifted me up onto his shoulder.

"Let me down!" I laughed as I pounded my fists into his back, trying to get him to release me.

"No! You're not going to work!" He shouted as he walked upstairs and into the bedroom. He threw me onto the bed and immediately started straddling my hips.

"Get off of me!" I laughed again as I tried my best to wiggle out of his grip. He grabbed both of my wrists with one of his hands and pinned them above my head. He was obviously a lot stronger than me.

"You're not leaving," he said with an almost serious face.

"Yes, I am."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you aren't."

I sighed and try to come up with an idea.

"If you take a shower and shave your stubble, I won't leave."

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

"Yup. Just get off of me, go to the bathroom, take a shower and shave and I won't leave."

"Seems easy enough," he said before releasing my wrists and getting off of me.

He leant down and pecked my lips before he walked into the bathroom. Once I heard the lock of the bathroom door click, I laughed at how he believed me and almost sprinted to the closet.

I put on my black tank top that "Party With Sluts" in different colored lettering. I quickly slid on my dark grey sweat pants and put on my high tops. I left AJ's snapback on, grabbed my iPhone and sprinted downstairs.

"Bye, baby. I love you," I said while kissing Darcy's forehead, grabbing my car keys and leaving the flat.

Darcy's P.O.V. ~

Mum left and everything got more tense. I lowered the volume of the TV to see where AJ was. It sounded like he was taking a shower. I sighed in relief before I continued watching Jessie.

AJ was really nice when mum was around, but not when she was gone. Whenever mum left for work or something he was rarely nice. I don't think he liked me.

A few minutes later, AJ came downstairs, his hair still wet from the shower. He put his hands in his hips and looked around the living room.

"Where did your mum go?" He asked. I quietly mumbled "work" before continuing to watch TV. He nodded before he walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing mums number.

I heard his conversation with mum since he put her on speaker. They said "I love you" to each other before he hung up. He then walked back into the living room and stood in front of me.

I took a silent gulp before looking up to meet his gaze.

"Your room's a mess, clean it up before your mum gets back home," he said.

"You aren't my dad, don't tell me what to do," I replied, shocked that those words just left my mouth.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice getting angrier.

"You aren't my father," I said, emphasizing each word.

I suddenly felt my right cheek start stinging, very badly. It started burning. Tears ran down my cheeks as I looked back up at AJ, telling myself that I should've expected that.

"Now leave. I don't care where you go, just get back here before your mum comes back," he sternly said before leaving the living room and going back upstairs.

I opened the front door, left the apartment building and tried to walk to the nearby coffee shop without bawling my eyes first. I'm 7-years-old and I have to deal with this. This happened almost every time mum wasn't home.

There was a dark, tiny alleyway a few feet away from the coffee shop. I went around the corner and into the alleyway. I sat on the floor, pulled my knees up to my chest and continued crying.

Apparently I started sobbing louder than usual because a man with a tall figure started walking toward me. I hid my faces into my knees and continued crying, trying to ignore the man.

I felt a presence in front of me. I looked up and saw a man with green eyes looking at me. He had curly brown hair and wore a beanie.

"Love, what are you doing out here by yourself?" He asked.

I didn't answer.

"Where's your mum and dad?"

I didn't answer.

The man sighed before taking his jacket off and putting it around me. He took a seat next to me and observed me.

"What's your name, beautiful?" He asked.

"Darcy," I mumbled.

He furrowed his eyebrows at me.

"What's your last name?"

"Styles."

"Well, it's nice to see you again, Darcy. You might not remember me, but my name's Harry. You can call me dad."