Together [Sequel to Love Actually]

Chapter 24

Yes, I fell asleep standing up, waiting to get onto the bus. I woke up about ten minutes later, and Harry was laughing at me.

"Babe, you couldn't wait five minutes?" He laughed, dragging me by my waist onto the bus.

"Don't laugh at me." I whined.

Harry smiled, and shoved me lightly into the bus. I crumpled into a ball once inside.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked concernedly.

"My ovaries hurt." I groaned.

Harry smirked, and pulled me to my feet.

"Go lie down." Harry said.

I nodded, and went into his bunk. I laid down in it, and wrapped myself in the blankets. I closed my eyes, and tried to ignore the searing pain in my head. My eyes watered from my cramps, and I was just a total mess.

I rolled onto my side, and buried my face in the pillow. I felt a warm hand on my back, but was too lazy to turn over and see who it was.

"How you holding up love?" Niall's voice said.

"I'm dying." I complained.

Niall rubbed my back slowly.
"Want me to get Harry then?" He asked.

I shook my head no. I didn't need Harry for everything, and I knew it would hurt Niall knowing that he wasn't enough.

"Can you get me some Advil?" I asked.

Niall nodded, and left my side. He came back shortly with Advil and a glass of water.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

I took the medicine, and laid back down. It wasn't until now, that I realized I still had bandages on my wrists. I looked at my arms, and Niall met my gaze.

"You forgot about that didn't you?" Niall asked.

"I guess I did." I chuckled.

"Harry didn't." Niall whispered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nothing." Niall said trying to brush it off.

"Tell me." I said firmly.

Niall looked down at his hands. He looked back up at me, and then dropped his eyes as to not meet my gaze.

"Tell me now Horan." I said.

"Tell her what?" Harry asked walking over to the bunk, and sitting down.

"Niall and I were just talking about my cuts, when I said I sort of forgot about them, and he said that you hadn't. I got confused, and asked what he meant, and he wouldn't respond. Now you are here, and I would like an explanation." I stated.

Harry shot Niall a look that could kill, and then looked back at me.
"What did he mean?" I asked growing slightly angry.

"Well, you see, Niall and I, we were going to throw you like this party a while back to show you how much you were loved and stuff, but then Niall announced he was in love with you, and the idea got squashed." Harry said.

"Scarlet, you're going to be really mad." Niall mumbled.

"What?" I asked frustrated.

"Scarlet, we told your dad about your cuts." Harry said.

"You did not." I asked shocked.

Harry nodded slowly.

"How could you do that to me?" I asked.

"Scarlet, he's your dad, he needed to know what you've been doing to yourself." Harry said.

Niall got up and left. He did not want to be caught in between Harry and I fighting.

"He didn't need to know, because I have things under control. He didn't need to know because I didn't want him to know. It was none of your business to tell him Harry. None." I stated.

"Scarlet, I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to do, and after he hit you I figured I needed to let him know all you went through, and so he would feel bad or something..." Harry said.

"You can't live my life for me Harry. I am my own person, and I can defend myself. I can stick up for myself, and I don't always need to protect me. I need to experience stuff so I can learn and grow, and you're preventing me from living, you're suffocating me." I stated.

I stood up from the bunk, and went to leave the room.

"I was just trying to help, please don't be mad at me." Harry said.

"I'm nine miles past mad Harry." I stated.

I left the room, and joined Perrie on the couch.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"Come in the bathroom." I whispered.

Perrie nodded, and we snuck off to the bathroom. We got in, and closed the door behind us. It was a tight space, but it was private.

"Harry and Niall told my dad that I cut myself." I whispered.

"You didn't want him to know I'm guessing?" Perrie questioned.

"No, I hate him, and now he's going to think I'm some crazy psycho." I stated.

"Well, he had no right to tell, it wasn't his business." Perrie said referring more to Harry then Niall.

I nodded, and Perrie gave me a small hug.

"Word of advice...don't give in to him. Stay mad, and show him that he can't just do what he wants and get away with it. I can tell this really hurt you, and I know you Scarlet, you want to run into his arms and be like it's okay I love you, well don't do it. Stand your ground no matter what. It'll pay off in the long run, trust me. Your relationship will be better and stronger, and you'll feel more independent, and more powered as a woman. It's a pride thing. Make him go through this fight and lose his pride, make him beg for mercy. If he loves you as much as he says he does, he'll do anything, no matter what to make you forgive him. Fights like this are a test. They test whether he'll stick it out when the going gets tough, and fight for you, or if he'll be like this isn't worth the time. Make it worth the time." Perrie said.

I nodded, and gave a weak smile. Perrie was right though, I had to show Harry, and myself that I wouldn't be pushed around. This as little as it may seem to everyone, hurt me more than anything. I didn't need Harry trying to protect me all the time, sometimes, he just needed to step back, and let me do my thing.

Perrie and I left the bathroom, and Zayn came over to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Everything okay love?" He whispered in my ear.

"Mhm." I said while nodding my head.

Zayn looked over at Perrie, who nodded. Perrie and I went and sat back on the couch together. We were having some much needed girl time.

For a while I had fallen back into my relying on Harry for life ways, and I needed to give that a little rest, and hang out with Perrie. She was a girl, and my age, and we had stuff in common, and we could get on really well, if I just let myself go a little, and hung out with her.

Harry walked into the room, and sat down next to me. I stood up and left, as Perrie followed after me.

"I don't think I can do it." I whispered when we got into another area of the bus.

"Yes you can Scarlet. You're mad and you know it, and you will regret forgiving him. Listen to me alright? You and harry fight a lot don't you?" Perrie asked.

"How do you know that?" I questioned.

"You forgive him all the time, like quite easily yes?" Perrie asked.

"Yeah normally." I stated.

"That's why. You let him get away with everything, and he know it. Even if he doesn't intentionally pick fights with you, he sort of does. He sees how far he can push you, and you always come running back. You need to let this on sit a little, let it click for him that you are mad, and in the long run you will fight a whole lot less." Perrie said.

"How do you know?" I asked nervously.

"Scarlet, what do you think Zayn and I were like in the beginning?" Perrie asked.

"Like Harry and I?" I sad knowing the answer.

"Exactly like you and Harry." She said with a slight nod.

I swallowed hard, and nodded my head.

"You'll be okay. You have me anyway." Perrie said nudging my arm.

As we were about to continue talking Zayn walked in the room.

"What is going on?" He hissed at us.

"Harry and Scarlet are in a fight." Perrie said.
"Well obviously. Harry is a mess of emotions out there, sobbing into Liam's shoulder." Zayn whisper shouted at me.

"I can't go be all lovey with him Zayn, I just can't right now. He really hurt me, and I just can't give in to him anymore." I said softly.

"What did he even do?" Zayn asked wearily.

"He told my dad that I cut. He knows how I feel about my dad, and he just tries to protect me too much, and to be honest it's quite suffocating." I said.

"So you are willing to put your relationship in jeopardy because he was trying to protect you?" Zayn asked.

I nodded my head slightly, which warranted in Zayn rolling his eyes at me.

"I don't know what you two are up to, but if you hurt Harry any more than you already have he will never come back to you." Zayn threatened.

He left me and Perrie, and my stomach was in knots.

"What if Zayn is right? What if Harry does leave me forever?" I asked getting slightly choked up.

"Scarlet, would you just listen to me? They all want you to give in; it's what you always do. If this was a normal situation, you would run out and hug Harry and be like I'm so sorry yada yada yada, but guess what? You are holding your ground this time, because he's the one who owes you an apology, and not just and I'm sorry. He needs to come back begging on his knees, and knowing Harry, he will." Perrie said.

I nodded my head, and a hot tear rolled down my cheek.

"Don't do that." Perrie said wiping my tear away.

"He just makes me so mad." I groaned.

"You have every right to be mad." Perrie said.

"I need to comforts of a man." I whined.

"I'll get Louis." Perrie smiled.

She left the room, and returned with Louis. We explained the story to him, and he understood where I was coming from.

"You want a hug love?" He asked.

I nodded, and collapsed in his arms. He rubbed my back gently, and kissed the top of my head.

"Harry's an idiot." He whispered.

This made me smile a little, and I wiped up my tears.

"Don't let him know I cried." I said.

"Of course." Louis said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, and Louis tell Paul to get Scar and I a room for the two of us." Perrie added.

"Kay." Louis replied.

He turned and left the room.
"Scarlet you need not worry about this." Perrie stated.

"I know, I just don't want to lose Harry. I've known him forever, but like sometimes, it feels like he has forgotten that we've only been together like two months. We've been friends for like sixteen plus years, but we've only been dating for like a couple months. I think sometimes he thinks we've been together a lot longer than we have, and that he is too comfortable." I said.

"He's comfortable, because you made him that way. You let him do whatever, and he doesn't appreciate you anymore. You need to make him start fresh, you need to make him work for your love. You give yourself to him on a silver platter. There's nothing for him to chase anymore, and he's bored with you. If you keep it up, these cheating rumors won't be rumors. The constant sex needs to stop Scar. He'll get bored doing the same old same old. Letting him see you naked all the time, it'll get boring for him too. Your body won't be special, it won't be a secret. You need to work on you. During this test, you need to fix yourself, so when he comes back to you, you won't be this needy you. You'll be the independent less easy version of yourself. You'll be the girl with the cast who didn't have sex with him because she wanted it to be perfect." Perrie said.

I nodded, and Perrie continued.

"He wanted you so badly Scarlet. That's all he could think about. The glory that laid beneath your clothes. It fascinated him, and left him wanting more. Now all he has to do is push you against a wall, jam his tongue in your mouth and turn you on. When you turn on, you need to learn to turn off, so that way, whenever he tried to have sex with you, you can resist. It isn't very hard. All you need to do is think of like your ex walking in on you or something." Perrie said with a smile.

"So he thinks I'm a whore?" I asked.

"No, but you just aren't like a prize." Perrie stated.

"So he doesn't think I'm special?" I asked.

"No, he does, but just like in a different way." Perrie said.

"So he doesn't like me?" I asked.

"No, Scarlet, he loves you, but is he in love with you, that's the real question." Perrie stated.

"How can I tell if he is?" I asked.

"Depends on what he does to win you back." Perrie stated.

"What if he does nothing?" I asked.

"Then he isn't worth your time." Perrie said.

I nodded, and sucked in a deep breath. I could do this.




A/N: here you go. Sorry for the late update.