All You Need Is Love: A Harry Styles/One Direction Fanfiction

Chapter 68

“You look nice,” my dad said as I ran past him into the bathroom. “Going somewhere?”

“Erm,” I quietly said, thinking of a good way to word it. “J-just out with some friends.”

“Do I know them?” he called.

“Y-yeah, friends from back home,” I said before pausing. Back home. But...here was my home. New York was my home. Wasn’t it? “I mean, from London,” I hesitantly added. I walked out of the bathroom and past my dad again, this time entering my room.

“Do you mean Kristen and Gabrielle?” he asked.

“Yep,” I responded, knowing that I had to elaborate; I couldn’t lie to him. “And Georgia, and Megan, and...Liam, Louis, Zayn, Niall and...Harry.”

“Harry?” I heard directly behind me and jumped slightly. I turned around and looked up at my dad, who was shaking his head.

“Carly, come here,” he said, guiding me to the living room. I sat down beside him on the couch and looked at the view out of the floor length windows, not wanting to make eye contact. Eventually I turned my head to look at him, and he sighed quietly.

“Carles, when you moved here six months ago, it killed me seeing you so upset and...different. You weren’t yourself; you were just a frame, not living. I didn’t tell you at the time, but I rang your mother and spoke to her. I wanted to go back to London to speak to him, to tell him what he’d done to you, Carly. Because when you moved here, I didn’t know who you were. He broke you so terribly and I had to watch you suffer. And now look at you,” he paused, gesturing at me. “You’re you again, and I’m so happy about that. You’ve built an amazing life in such a short time but now you’re just letting him in again? This isn’t a good idea.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to say, because he was one hundred percent correct. He couldn’t have been more accurate if he’d tried. I opened my mouth and contemplated with a few responses in my head before replying.

“I – dad, I’m not letting him in. Harry is only one person there today, there are nine others. Nine other friends who did absolutely nothing to me, and who I care about. I mean, you’re right,” I said, looking down and then back up again. “I’m me again, but at the same time, I’m not. My life has changed so much and being here in New York has just given me time to think. I’m not a kid anymore, dad. I don’t think that relationships are like fairytales anymore, because now I know they aren’t. I’m completely aware of what he did to me, and how it affected me, but it won’t happen again, because I’m not going to let him in. After everything that’s happened, that would be the stupidest move ever. I’m just acting mature about it, because that’s the person who I am now.”

He looked at me for a few seconds before smiling and shaking his head.

“How the hell you’re my daughter I will never know,” he said, causing me to laugh. “But at least now I don’t have to worry. You handle this in whatever way you think best, and it will be right.”

“Thanks dad,” I smiled. “I appreciate you worrying, but I will be okay. I promise.”

With that the buzzer rang, signalling that they were here. I quickly ran over to the buzzer and pressed the speaker, calling into it: ‘I’m coming!’ I then went into my room and grabbed my bag, checking myself once over in the mirror. I had chosen to wear a black pinafore jumpsuit with a grey jumper underneath, paired with boots, a woollen coat and a black bowler hat. Making my way towards the door, I gave my dad a hug before closing it behind me, getting into the lift in front of me. I patiently waited as it zoomed down past the dozens of floors below me and threw my bag over my shoulder as it opened to reveal the lobby. I pushed the entrance door to the building open, and was met by nine pairs of eyes. No, wait...fifteen pairs of eyes. There were six bodyguards stood with them too, and no blackened out cars. I slowly walked down the two steps, slightly confused.