Forever In My Heart |HS|

Chapter 30

I chuckled softly, glancing down at a sleeping Harry while I pressed the phone to my ear and listened to Calvin ramble.

"Amelia, I swear, he's like real cool. And uhm," He paused,"He's attractive. This is the first time I've actually seen him without a hoodie covering his entire face and shit,"

"You're beginning to sound gay," My brows furrowed,"If you are gay though, he's mine."

"Yeah, I noticed from the way he was devouring your lips yesterday. I didn't think he could even brush his fingers against a girl and wow, you two had sex, didn't you? Oh wow, does he like secretly live some kind of double life? Like nerd during the day, supercool at night? Cause that would be awesome, ri-"

I rolled my eyes as I hang up, silencing my phone when his call came through again. I giggled when I saw the first few words of his text message, putting my phone away and focusing on the masterpiece beside me.

Somehow, we had woken up with tangled limbs, and I was in no hurry to separate myself. His lids fluttered, and a small smile pulled at his face.

"Harry?"

"Hm?" He mumbled as he looked up at me, eyes glowing even more than usual. I smiled softly, snuggling further into him.

"Calvin really likes you." I chuckled.

Harry's lips pulled into a smile and he giggled,"He's pretty cool, you know. I mean, when you put aside the bullying and the part where he thought you were not on his level until his ex started hanging out with you."

I sighed as my brows furrowed,"Harry, it's not like that. It's just-" I paused and thought of how to pick my words right,"This hoodie thing you've got going-" I clamped my mouth shut, looking out into the night sky. I was afraid I would say something and it'd come out the wrong way, so I simply shut the hell up, only hoping he got my point.

It was silent for a few seconds. The kind of silence where each party was completely lost in their own thoughts. And, Harry's soft voice was first to break it.

"Anne isn't my biological mother."

I shot up in the bed, hands gripping my head when it bumped against the headboard. Harry shot me a concerned look, then looked away from me.

"M-my mum is d-dead," Harry sighed,"Anne is my aunt. My mum's identical twin sister, that's why I still look so much like her. But-" He paused,"She didn't give birth to me."

Harry's POV
"I'm sorry, what?" Amelia's brows were furrowed, and I looked away from her. But all the same, I moved to sit directly in front of her and took her hands in mine.

It was now or never. And honestly speaking, I wasn't doing this for her. I was doing it for myself. I was afraid if I didn't talk to someone other than a stupid therapist, I was going to explode. It was just too much to keep.

"My-" My face contorted into disgust and I scowled as I breathed out the next two words,"My dad. H-he," This was pathetic,"He killed my mum."

Amelia's jaw dropped and her gasp could be heard from a million miles away. Her eyes widened and she blew out air through her mouth.

I waited for her to utter a word, but when she didn't, I simply took her silence as permission to continue. I took a few deep breaths, attempting to collect the jumbled thoughts in my mind.

"Uhh, we were an average family, you know? Sort of middle class. Not too rich, not poor either. But that all changed so suddenly," I looked away from her intense gaze,"My dad was a drunkard. He didn't work, yet he spent our entire fortune on alcohol. He took money from my mum to get drinks, and- and one day, she hid all the drinks in the house and refused to give him money t-to buy and," I sighed,"He killed her."

"Oh, Harry." She muttered quietly.

I shot her a small smile,"You remember Gemma, right? Mentioned her once or twice,"

"Course," She mumbled,"Your sister."

I nodded lightly, my eyes shutting tight. "She- she had to f-find a way t-to support us since m-my mum d-died." I paused, telling myself to get a fucking grip. "She was a- uhm, she was a stripper." My heart swelled at Amelia's lack of emotion. I'd expected her to gasp in surprise or maybe even disgust, or at least for a change in her facial expression, but it remained neutral. "She was fifteen and fending for herself, her little brother and her alcoholic father." I shook my head.

I paused for a bit, and Amelia grabbed my hands in her little ones, looking up at me and then pressing a kiss to my cheek. As usual, heat waved against the skin as I pep talked myself into continuing.

"We survived a while. Gemma was uhm, pretty good, so we survived off of her huge tips. Wouldn't have if my dad had continued with his addiction. We threw away all the bottles in the house, even spoke to every shop and asked them not to sell to my dad. It was a small town, so the task was pretty simple. Until," I couldn't help it when I felt anger flash through me,"The stupid man broke. He had a fit about how he needed some alcohol, beat me to a pulp when I got between him and Gemma. But- but, I would take it. I would take anything for her. Heck, I'd even trade my life for her to live instead."

"Oh, Harry." Amelia repeated quietly, thumbs running comfortingly along my knuckles.

I let out a shaky breath,"He left the house, and when he came back, he dragged Gemma out by the hair. Apparently, he'd made a deal with this man. Have sex with Gemma in exchange for some booze and a couple dollars," I choked,"He took her virginity, Amelia. He raped her and stripped her of every ounce of dignity,"

I leaned into Amelia's touch when she cupped my face in her hands, eyes somehow glistening with tears as I spoke. I pressed a kiss to the inside of her palm, and let out a shaky breath.

"She didn't speak for days after my dad brought her back with ripped clothes, and the coldest facial expression I had ever seen. But when she told me what happened," I sighed when my voice cracked,"When she t-told me, she mentioned reporting it to the authorities. News got to the man. And he told my dad, it was either he silenced his daughter or he'd have to return the money and alcohol."

I gave myself a small pat on the back for making it through to this part without a single tear, though my eyes stung terribly.

"He killed her." I choked out,"The fucker killed my sister right before my eyes. He pointed the gun at me, but I was out before he could pull the trigger. He told the police that I killed Gemma." I scoffed,"Told them I pulled the trigger and put a bullet right between my sister's eyes. Eventually, they dropped the case. There was no proof of anything. But in the streets," I breathed out harshly,"In the streets, they called me a murderer."

My eyes dropped to our entwined hands,"I went into depression. Hid myself under hundreds of layers of clothes because if one more person called me a murderer, I'd die. That's just how things went from there. There's your story behind the hoodies," I attempted to shoot her a smile, but apparently Amelia saw right through my facade.

"Oh, Harry." She sighed softly, lunging at me and wrapping her arms around my neck. I let out a soft breath, eyes falling closed as I paid attention to the unsteady beating of her beautiful heart, focusing on the feeling of her thumbs stroking my skin.