Lessons Learned (Sequel to Love At War) Harry Styles

Chapter 1

The cold water lapped at my toes as I walked along the beach, a pair of flip flops in my hand. The sun was beating down, the warm rays a nice contrast to the waves. Castillo de la Dequesa was my destination; I was taking a well deserved break from work. I'm a photographer, I take family portraits for famous clients that are signed up to the agency I work for. I love my job, it pays all the bills and leaves a sizeable amount of money left over for holidays and other treats.

I live down in Portsmouth now, right near the docks of Southsea, which is a beautiful place to live. My job involves a lot of travelling so I'm not actually home all that much, but I don't think I could ever leave Portsmouth for good. It's home, it has been for seven years, and it's perfect. There are loads of little restaurants and cafés, and it's right near the beach and the funfair. It's very picturesque, not unlike Holmes Chapel in that sense, but it holds none of the bad memories.

So I guess I'd better update you on the Harry situation. One Direction are still together, they're still making headlines and going on tours. Harry's twenty-six now, so am I as of three weeks ago. I don't know how the time goes by so fast, I feel so old! Louis and Eleanor got married a few years back according to the papers, and they've just had their first baby, a couple of days back. So as of August 31st, tomorrow, the boys are going on a sabbatical for a year. August 31st 2020 until August 31st 2021. A lot of their fans are gutted but I respect their decision. They need quality time with their baby.

I haven't spoke to Harry once in seven years. I saw him and the boys once when I worked in a Nando's. I don't know why I decided to go for a job there, I was bound to run into them at some point. I'd turned around to go and serve them, and there they were...sat at a table in my sector, talking and laughing. I backed away from the table and bumped straight into one of the other waitresses, sending food flying everywhere and making the plates smash. Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at us. Harry saw me. He looked hurt...angry even. He stood up from the table and stared at me. I didn't know what to do so I just pulled off my apron, threw it on the floor, and ran out f the shop. It's safe to say that I lost my job.

When I moved down to Portsmouth, I changed my number, email address, deleted my Facebook and twitter. I didn't want any contact from anyone in Holmes Chapel. I didn't even give my mum my address for three months, I stayed completely isolated. It wasn't easy but I had to cut all ties for a while. It made things better in the long run. I also changed my last name from Pierce to Green. It was my mum's maiden name, before she married Dad. I knew that way, even if Harry was trying to find me, it would make things a lot more difficult.

A lone tear drifted down my cheek as I thought of Harry. I'm not going to lie, not a day goes by when I don't think about him, I'm still completely and utterly head over heels in love with him. None of my past relationships have gone well at all, purely based on that fact. I don't get recognised as being Harry's ex, I've changed my look completely. Instead of long blonde hair, it's cut shorter and dyed brown. I buy expensive makeup and pile it on everyday. It's like a mask, so I can hide from my past. I know it's wrong but I have to. It's the only way I can get up in the morning.

Castillo de la Dequesa was a half an hour drive from Marbella, the place that Harry always promised to take me to. I cried as I drove past it on the way to the apartment, having flown into Malaga. It was horrible and I wasn't sure how I was going to do it when I left later that day. I'd been in Dequesa for two weeks now and I needed to get back for work. Apparently I had a lot of clients waiting for my return home.

My eyes drifted to two little girls who were playing in the water. They were playing beach tennis, or their version of it. They would hit it back and forth twice at the most, before it splashed into the water. One of them had curly blonde hair, and the other had straighter brown hair, but both were completely gorgeous. They were giggling, they didn't have a care in the world. When you're that age, you don't...the worst thing is when you fall over and graze your knee. You feel so much pain and you don't think anything can be worse. When you're that age, you don't know what it feels like to have a broken heart.