Chapter 19

14 0 0
                                    

Julianne

    Guess I shouldn't be shocked that Mom didn't call the police. Wouldn't want any investigation done around here. Mom knows what happened to me, but she continues to question who the man was that was in our house. Apparently, the step-dude isn't talking.

    I lay in my bed the rest of the evening glad the step-dude is finally off my back. A taste of freedom surrounds me. I contemplate what happened this morning. It was no different than what happened last week when I walked in to find them in a similar embrace. What has changed?

    We admitted our love for each other. And then he can go back to his perfect family while I go back to my broken one. The day in the rain floods back into my memory.

    The smell of the cool rain, the warmth of the house. The shoes in the foyer. The wife inviting us into the kitchen. Her daughters eating at the table. The man in the bed, pulling on his military grade socks. The house was like a pathway leading up to its finest gem, him.

    Its normality chills me to the bone. Especially considering the opposite circumstances now. The catalyst being the homewrecker. Me. Maybe I just bring that everywhere I go. Maybe it's me.

    Sleep somehow finds me.

    In the morning, I go through the bag of clothing. Can't believe it's here. More shocking, that I remember it. The dress from that day in the rain. I can't believe my own eyes. Well, this will be interesting.

    "Oh, it looks so good on you!" Nicolette exclaims as she opens the door. "That way one of my favorites."

    I let her pull me into the kitchen where Harry is pouring coffee. "Doesn't she look so pretty?" Nicolette coos.

    Harry glances up, and his eyes stay. "Yes, she does."

    My heart skips a beat. No, no, no. I swore I'd put a stop to this. What are you doing, heart?

    "Bueno," Nicolette says, "Okay, I'm leaving." She kisses Harry on the mouth. He doesn't even have time to kiss her back before she turns to hug the girls. "Have a nice day!" She calls out to all of as the door closes.

    His presence behind me is persisting. It's like his heat radiates off of him straight into my body, cold from the night spent alone. I was just starting to get used to it too.

    "What are you doing?" He says.

    "What am I supposed to be doing?" I feel my face give away emotion for the first time in twenty-four hours.

    "She's baby-sitting us!" Kalia laughs out.

    We both turn to look at the girls looking at us, confused.

    "Of course she is! Daddy must have gotten knocked in the head one too many times last week," he says.

    The girls giggle, and I cringe at his word choice remembering the beating he gave that idiot down the street. That was only a few days ago...

    Harry gestures with his eyes to the garage. I pretend not to notice and start cleaning up from their breakfast. He stares at me for some time before walking away.

    The girls get up to go to the playroom upstairs, and I cringe inwardly. He was supposed to have left ten minutes ago, but his car is still in the driveway. I'm about to follow the girls up the stairs when his arm pulls me quickly into the laundry room.

    We're in the dark for a few seconds before I flip on the light switch.

    We stare at each other. Me, stubborn and frustrated. Him, just frustrated.

    "Let me love you," he says.

    "Why?" I ask. "What's in it for us?"

    "Please," he whispers, "I need you."

    His words threaten to melt the anger in my heart. I hang on to that anger, not daring to let my guard down around him.

    Harry slowly touches my face. I stare at him still not letting him know the effect he has on me. Slowly, he puts his lips to mine. Fine!

    I grab his face in my hands kissing him fiercely. He presses me against the washer. I hop up on it and wrap my legs around his waist.

    "Is this what you want?" I whisper to him.

    "I want you. This is just a perk," he laughs.

    I swat him on the arm, and he kisses me again.

    "This is weird," I repeat my words from a few nights ago.

    "I know," he agrees.

Harry

    I speed to work. This is not the time to be living off-base.

    When I get home, she is already gone. Well, damn. Maybe, I didn't fix things after all. Guilt threatens to creep up again, but I remind it that this is not the whole picture. Nicolette was never mine. And that's something Julianne may never understand. Our open marriage. When I married Nicolette, it was to keep her in the country. We were great friends, not great lovers, but we could build a life together. This was with the understanding there would be lovers, mostly on her part. Not to say there wasn't sexual attraction between us, there was.

    But what I have between Julianne and I, is out of the question. Nicolette's trust in me is a bit high to think that I would never have anybody else. So far, I haven't. But, also, being with Julianne is a turning point that I would never have dreamed of getting.

    "What did you do?" She whispers. Nicolette looks at me, horrified.

    "I'm sorry-"

    "You idiot! I did this for you, and for her! You really think I didn't know? I wanted you to fall in love with her. I wanted you to help her. Nobody ever does! I want you to be with her when this is over between us. I've found my person. She is yours!"

    I look at her, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

    "I already knew. You were in love with her before you even met her." She rubs her forehead. "Goddamn it!"

    I go over to her and hug her. She lets me. "Oh my god," I say.

    "Yeah." She slaps me on the chest. "Oh my god!"

    She pushes me away and mumbles under her breath, pacing away. "Fucking idiot."

A Memoir, Harry Styles fanficWhere stories live. Discover now