Off The Ice

Chapter 25

When I get home from the movies I greet my family in the living room before going up to my bedroom. I pull out my phone and sarcastically thank Chelsea for dropping it off in the mailbox Sunday morning when they got here before they knocked on the door to yell at me some more. She doesn't reply, shocker, and I throw my phone on my bed as I lie down. 

I don't understand why Harry had to get so hostile when I asked him about Niall. I mean I know Hastings gets under his skin but I didn't know that just the mention of Niall having to stay home would make him so angry. I wonder if there's more to the story. With Harry there normally is. 

I pull my phone up from my side and open Harry and I's conversation.

I'm sorry for pushing it. I know there's more that you're not ready to tell me and I'm okay with that.

Seconds after sending the message my ringtone goes off and Harry's name flashes on the screen. I instantly answer and Harry sighs into the phone. "Why are you fucking sorry? I was the one being a dick." He says.

"Because I know there's a lot of things that are hard for you to talk about and tell others and I know how much Hastings gets to you. It was my fault for trying to push myself into a place that I don't belong."

"You do belong. But with me, not with my drama and all the crazy shit that comes with me. You're already involved in all of this and I'm sorry for that. And I'm sorry for making that remark towards you about that night. You didn't know what you were doing."

"Whoa, someone got a visit from the forgiveness fairy."

"I just felt bad. After I drove off I started calming down and I realized that you're just worried and you have every right to be."

"Not really. I was just being nosy. I don't have any rights to ask questions about this stuff."

"Yes you do. As much as I hate it and wish it wasn't true, you're involved in it now. You have been ever since you walked through the doors of Stevenson Hall." 

"Harry, I've been involved ever since you walked through the doors of my skating rink." He sighs in to the phone and I know he's running his fingers through his hair as I push the glasses up my nose. 

"I know." He finally says. "Sutton, I can't leave you alone now. Now that you're in all of this you're not safe." The words send chills up my spine.

"Harry, why aren't I safe? Is it Hastings? If you're afraid he's going to do to me what he did to that girl then you're wrong. I'll never be alone with him, I promise."

"It's not just him you're in danger of. It's me. You know what happened with my parents, I told you their illnesses are genetic and if they gave me those then God knows what else I could have. And you saw me around Hastings. My current facial situation and the bruises on my hand speak for themselves. I can't control my anger. If I were to ever get mad at you I could..." He trails off.

"Harry you don't scare me and I know you'd never hurt me. You're not a bad person, I know you can control it. Sickness or not, you're strong and if you need to you can overcome your anger. You can contain it if need be. With Hastings, you don't need to because you have more than enough valid reasons to be angry with him. But if it ever came down to me? I know you could control it. I know you will never hurt me. And you know that too." 

"It's amazing how much faith you continue to have in me even after I'm such a dick to you. I kind of liked it better when you would fight with me and yell at me and tell me to go away. It made things easier."

"Trust me I know. I wish I could fight with you and yell at you and tell you to go away. But, I don't have any reasons to fight with you. I don't have any reasons to yell at you... at the moment. And mostly I don't want you to go away."