walls | h.s

twenty-five.

Harry carried my bag as we got out of his car and walked into his house. I could hear his mum's footsteps coming from the kitchen when Harry shut the door close. She had a smile on her face as she saw us. Her eyes travelled to the bag Harry was holding and then to my bruised cheek.

"What happened?" her eyes flashed with worry and she hurried to me, examining my cheek. "Oh my god," she whispered. "What happened?" she took my hand and dragged me to the living room and made me sit down on the couch. She sat down next to me. I smiled softly at her, she looked worried and it warmed my heart to know that she cared.

Thankfully I had enough time to take my shoes off when Harry and I got into the house, I didn't want to make everything dirty.

I heard Harry going up the stairs and I supposed he was putting my bag in his room. "What happened?" Anne asked me again and I bit down on the inside of my cheeks. I knew I didn't have to tell her if I didn't want to. But I wanted to tell her.

"I don't really know where to start," I half laughed. "I guess it started when I decided to tell my parents that I don't want to become a lawyer. Harry was with me because I just didn't want to do it alone and I was scared how my parents were going to react, especially because my father is abusive." I pursed my lips and Anne's hung slightly open. Her eyes were wide and they were starting to water. She threw her hand over her mouth and I continued.

"I was feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, like I got to escape the cage my parents put me in. My dad got angry and stood up so I did the same, I-I didn't think he'd do it if Harry's with me," my eyes welled up with tears and I tried to blink them away. "My mum didn't even do anything, she just sat there and did nothing when he hit me and then-"

"I punched her dad." Harry finished my sentence and both, Anne and I, looked at him. The crease between his brows was visible again, telling me that he's angry. He sat down on a chair, facing us, and my eyes tore away to look at Anne. Her moth hung slightly open but she didn't seem surprised.

"You know I hate it when you're violent," his mother said as she shook her head softly. Seconds later a little smile broke out on her face. "But her dad really deserved it. I'm glad that you stood up for her." Harry nodded his head.

"She's going to stay here for the night, I'm not letting her go back to here house where an abusive asshole lives."

"You can stay for as long as you want to." Anne turned to me again and smiled sadly at me, probably pitying me. I didn't like it when peopled pity me, but I understood why she did. If I met someone whose father is demanding and abusive, I would feel pity for them as well.

"Thank you," I smiled at her. I was thankful, I really was. Not everyone would let someone stay at their house for as long as I want to. It warmed my heart to know that Anne let me stay, I really liked her. But what made my heart beat a million times faster was that Harry wanted me to stay.

"We're going upstairs," Harry stood up and looked at me. I stood up as well and he grabbed my hand. "Bring us food for dinner." And with that he started walking to the stairs. I looked back and smiled apologetically at Anne. Why was Harry acting like this towards her? I had never heard him speak to his mother in a polite tone.

I knew it was none of my business but that didn't mean that I was not going to ask him. He shut his bedroom door close behind him and I stood there in silence, watching him. His tall figure strolled over to his closet and he grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head. His back was facing me and I could see his muscles flex as he moved. I sunk my teeth in my bottom lip as he threw his shirt on a chair.

"It's not polite to stare." He said, the smirk was practically visible in his voice and he turned around. My assumptions were right, he was indeed smirking. His fingers fumbled with his belt and his eyes remained on mine.