Empire of Deception (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 35

I wake before she does. Apparently being next to a Jarwin isn't the best sleeping medication, but I think what bothers me more is that I honestly didn't have any trouble falling asleep.

I hear footsteps and suddenly I see her face and her giant clothes as she leans against the doorway.

Neither of us say anything at first. I am sitting at the table sipping coffee and she is standing and we are just staring at each other trying to figure out what to say.

Her eyes seem smaller than usual, her hair actually messy for once. She leans casually and her skin is clear and pale and she looks tall. She looks nice. Relaxed. And... Nice. She turns her head slightly so she can look out the window and that's when I notice subtle bruising along her jawline. When I look, I notice it's on her other side too. And a few more spots on her cheeks. I immediately search her open skin for more signs of bruising and I see some purple peeking from underneath the sleeve of my shirt.

"Are you going to talk about it?" I ask her. She still hasn't given me any sort of explanation for last nights knock.

"Are you going to tell me why you have fresh flowers everywhere but no vases?" She responds immediately.

I look around at all of the bundles of flowers that decorate my apartment, all of them on their side or being propped up against something. "It's not weird," I explain in attempt to stick up for myself.

"I didn't say it was. I was just wondering. Why do you have so many flowers? I would say it's the maid or your personal assistant but you don't have either of those."

"What makes you think I don't have a maid or a PA?"

"You don't have any vases and I never see you show up to meetings with a girl on your heels."

I chuckle. She almost smiles. Almost.

"So are you going to tell me why you have so many damn flowers? Because this isn't normal. There are everywhere. I was sure your girlfriend would be irked by this... She seems really put together and I think this would really bother her."

"Mads... She's never been here... I've never brought her here before."

Victoria looks concerned. "You have got to be joking."

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"I.. I can't. I feel like... I feel like this place is dirty and I can't bring her here and I feel guilty because this is the only place I don't feel disgusted with myself and then I feel more guilty because I still won't bring here here."

"Yesterday," she says, "I was told Jackson was back. I went to go see him at his office and accidentally interrupted an important meeting. I apologized and left and he came to my house really late and I asked him how the meeting went and he grabbed my face and told me to call next time before I came by. I was so shocked. He's never actually hurt me before and Christopher was in the corner watching Alexander who had just witnessed this and... I couldn't breathe. He didn't say anything he just watched this guy touch me and he didn't even flinch... And in the end I know it's because of anything happens at the firm, Jackson is going to win their case. And my brother didn't say anything because that would have angered my dad and made things worse. I pushed Jackson off of me, grabbed my coat and was wandering around trying to figure out where I could go. I could have gone to my office or gone to a hotel but I couldn't be by myself. I always feel alone and it's terrifying and I feel like there is so much space that my chest starts to collapse from lack of foundation. And somehow I ended up here."

I wasn't expecting it. Her to open up like that.

"You deserve better." The words leave my lips before I can stop them. That's probably not what she wants to hear right now.