Sweet Disposition (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 3

After Paul took Harry away I had to go back to my room and relax for a little while. The guilt was eating me alive.

The way his face crumpled when I yelled at him and how he made little snuffling noises made me feel bad for what I had said. I may be stubborn and rude, but I'm not completely heartless. I planned to apologize to him later tonight at dinner if he showed up. If not I would do it first thing the next morning. It was proper manners after all. I should know after how many manners classes I had to take. Stupid prince stuff.

I was about to take a nap when Paul came in, glaring at me.

"My office. Now." He said through gritted teeth.

I followed him quietly past the barn and into a small building off to the side. We passed a few rooms before stopping at the largest one and heading inside.

Paul motioned for me to sit in the chair across from his desk so I did. He sat in his chair and examined me for a moment. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Was he really that mad? I didn't mean to make Harry cry!

"From now on I want you to stay away from Harry. If you need help with something you'll have to ask one of the other boys. I don't want you anywhere near him for the remainder of the summer. I don't care if you are the prince, you have no right to treat him that way. He's a human being and he doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."

"Look, I didn't mean what I said, and I feel horrible. I didn't know calling him a baby would upset him so much. I was going to apologize at dinner tonight or tomorrow morning." I sighed.

Paul gave me a look like I was stupid, so I raised an eyebrow.

"Harry didn't get upset because you called him a baby. He got upset because you told him to go cry to his mum. Louis," He paused. "Harry's mum is dead."

I think my heart stopped for a second and if it were possible I felt even guiltier. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at my feet. How could I have said that to him?

"I-I didn't know." I said quietly.

"Well you do now. Then there's the fact that you caught him when he was most vulnerable. You are one of the few people who have witnessed Harry having a panic attack and I would appreciate it if you didn't spread that around the school."

"I wouldn't do that." I shook my head frantically.

That was just cruel. Who would do something like that?

"If you don't mind me asking, how did his mum die?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure I want to tell you after what you did to him. You might find some new material to taunt him with."

"I didn't mean to upset him! I heard him crying and I went to comfort him, but he was being a stubborn brat! I said something without thinking. I'm sorry. I just want to understand so something like this doesn't ever happen again." My voice had quieted to a whisper at the end of my sentence.

Paul sighed and glanced at a picture on his desk. He reached for it as a small smile came to his lips. He turned it around and pointed at a woman who resembled Harry.

"Harry's mum, Anne." He moved his finger. "Harry." He moved his finger again. "Harry's sister Gemma."

I nodded my head, showing that I understood, so he continued.

"Two and a half years ago Harry was one of the top riders in the world. he was truly remarkable for someone so young. He was even invited to one of the biggest horse shows in the country. Harry was incredibly close to his mum and sister and didn't have many friends because of all the traveling he did for shows. His dad walked out on them when he was only a bay so he relied on his mum. Anyways, after the show Missy started limping and Harry got really worried so he begged his mum to take her to the vet. Harry's always been really close to Missy as well and he gets nervous when she's hurt. It was late and it was pouring rain but my sister could never say no to her son, so she drove them to the vet. They were almost there they were hit by another car. Missy freaked out and started kicking, causing the trailer to fall over, taking the car with it. His mum was killed on impact and his sister died that night in the hospital. He had survived but he was in a coma and had three broken ribs, a broken arm, and many cuts and bruises. Missy broke one of her legs which is basically a death sentence, but we knew how much she meant to Harry, so we spend the money to get it fixed. Harry woke up from his coma after three weeks and was distraught. Weeks after that he started having panic attacks and slipped into a deep depression that he still hasn't come out of. He basically shut down and he hasn't ridden since then. He refused to sell Missy though and he formed an unbreakable bond with her. They were both broken beyond repair so I guess they related to each other. Whenever Missy was out of his sight for more than thirty minutes he would panic. He went through a lot therapy and it helped in some ways, but not others. The cheeky, happy lad that I once knew was replaced with a dull and lifeless one and there was nothing we could do about it. He agreed to work for me this summer to help pay off Missy's vet bills and just because he had nothing better to do. He's a natural with horses and has a weird ability to calm them down. It's sad to think, but I don't think he'll ever be the same again."