Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 22

The next morning, Julie woke up to a strip of sunlight shining in her eyes. She sat up and looked around. She was in the beach house, on the couch. She shook her head and recalled the night before. She remembered falling asleep on the beach, but she didn't remember coming into the beach house. She sat up and rubbed her face. Harry had to have carried her in. She looked over at the small kitchen when she heard cups being placed on saucers. His back was towards her, snug t-shirt showing his back muscles moving beautifully as he poured her coffee and his tea. Damn, this man was so beautiful in every way. He always made both coffee and tea. Their joke about how she was all American and preferred coffee over the English tea. She knew the coffee would be made perfectly, just how she liked it. After a few minutes of just staring at him, she cleared her throat. "Good Morning. I guess I don't have to ask how I got in here."

Harry smiled, picked up both cups and turned to her. "Good Morning. Well, as comfortable as you were, I couldn't actually let you sleep on the beach. It got pretty cold, and it started to sprinkle. I couldn't be that mean." He handed her the coffee and sat beside her. "You seemed to sleep pretty well."

She took a drink of her coffee, wrapped her hands around the cup, enjoying its feeling and warmth, and stared into it. "Yeah, guess it's been awhile since I've slept. Again."

Harry sighed and looked at her. "I'm sorry."

"I wish it was only you." She took a deep breath. "I don't think I've ever been settled. Yes, I slept better when you were around, but it...I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't have to. I get it." He contemplated what he was going to say next. He'd probably gone over it in his mind ten different ways. "Would you be open to letting me help you? Look, I know you probably aren't ready to forgive me, or give me another chance, but I can help you."

Julie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know you could, Harry. I know. I know you always could have. But my point back then is still the same. I don't want to rely on you."

"You let Zayn help." Harry said quietly. He knew he shouldn't have, but damn it, why couldn't she just let him.

"I'm not arguing with you about Zayn." Julie said setting her cup on the coffee table and standing up. "I'm not. I'm not talking to you about him. I do not want to have this argument with you. I don't want to argue at all."

"I'm just saying, if you could let him help you, why can't you let me? You know I would make sure that you were taken care of." Harry said watching her. "I'm not trying to argue."

"Yes, you are." She said turning and looking at him. "It's some sort of competition. What Zayn and I did, or didn't do. Is none of your business. You and I weren't together. You made sure of that."

"I know I did. But him? After everything, why him? I just want to understand." Harry asked quietly.

"You just want to understand? Whether you believe it or not, I didn't go to him. We ran into each other, like I said. But, it seems like you're more than a hypocrite when it comes to this." Julie said a bit bitterly crossing her arms.

"How's that?" He looked up at her, watching her close herself off. The harder she crossed her arms, the more she was pulling back.

Julie raised her eyebrows. "You have got to be kidding me? Kendall? Like going to her wasn't on purpose, just to hurt me."

"That was after...Zayn." He said it, but even he realized how it sounded after he said it.

"Oh, so that makes it better? Thing is I didn't get with Zayn just to spite you. Just to hurt you. In fact, it was quite the opposite, and boy, do I feel stupid about it now." She said to him. She fought the tears threatening to spill out over her cheeks.