Her Secret Best Friend || N.H.

Chapter 40: Let Her Go

>> Harry <<

She just slapped me. I don't even understand why.

All I can do is hold my cheek in complete and utter shock.

"I'm sorry Harry."

I shake my head with a reassuring smile. "No it's fine."

Melanie's father shakes his head. "It isn't but I understand why. Melanie hasn't seen me in over 10 years. I don't blame her for her reaction. Just let her blow off some steam and then talk to her okay?"

I raise my eyebrows. "I'm sorry Mr. Campbell if I come off as rude, but how would you know this if you haven't seen your daughter in 10 years?"

Mr. Campbell smiled at me. "That's the thing Harry, she is my daughter. It doesn't matter if she's nine or nineteen, I know her like the back of my hand."

I smile and stick my hand out for him to shake. "Thank you, sir."

He takes a firm grip on my hand, shaking it briskly.

"It's no problem. Please, call me Hunter."

"Hunter." I repeat, with a nod.

I turn to walk back down the stairs that led to the house.

"Oh, and Harry?"

I turn and face Hunter.

"Please take care of my daughter."

I smile. "I will, si- Hunter."

I scurry down the path, putting distance between Hunter's house and myself.

I find Melanie leaked up against the car, her face pain-stricken.

I call out for her.

"Melanie?"

She looks up at me and I can see the blaze of anger in her chocolate down eyes.

"How fucking dare you?" She says, taking a step closer towards me.

I raise an eyebrow. Does she not see how much trouble I went through all for her?

"What do you mean? I was just trying to--"

"No. I don't need your help. None of this was any of your business Harry! I'm so mad right now I can punch you in your face. What, just because I told you what happened with my father gives you the right to bring me him."

"What do you mean? I was just trying to--"

"No. I don't need your help. None of this was any of your business Harry! I'm so mad right now I can punch you in your face. What, just because I told you what happened with my father gives you the right to bring me to him?" She screams, leaving me dumbfounded.

"Mel, please calm down..." I say, trying to fend for myself.

"No, I will not calm down. None of this was your place to do Harry. You know what, this is all my fault. I trusted you guys too much because I was a fan and now look where I ended up. I had to hit one band mate and the other one hit me. So I being the senile lunatic I am, I trusted blindly."

Ouch.

I am rendered speechless.

After a few seconds, I regain my composure.

"Melanie, I'm sorry. I didn't know this would upset you." I say nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.

She shakes her head and runs her hand through her beautiful brown locks.

"Just take me back to the hotel Harry." She says, making my heart hurt, knowing I've made her upset.

"Okay." I say, being the only thing I could manage to get out.

*

The car ride home was more intense than I could actually handle.

The half hour drive felt more like quadruple the amount of time.

Her silence killed me and I could barely think of words to say.

"Melanie..." I begin, hoping to get out a proper apology.

"No Harry, please. Just don't talk to me right now."

I nod curtly and focus on the road.

When we finally pull up in the hotel parking garage, Melanie jumps out of the car, almost instantly, leaving me behind.

I sigh and walk briskly to catch up with her.

By the time I take the elevator up to the room, her suitcases are gone.

My breath hitches in my throat.

I couldn't think of all the possible places she could have gone. She was alone and foreign in Los Angeles.

Great, how much more exciting can this get?

I turn on my heels to go find the other boys, only to coincidently see Zayn approaching me from the opposite end of the hall.

"Zayn! Have you seen Melanie?" I ask, running my hand through my hair, messing up my already messed up curls.

"I actually was coming to you to talk about Mel. She just said goodbye to us, except Niall of course, then she took a cab to LAX." He replies, continuing on, "I was actually coming to ask you why she's in such a rush to get to the airport?"

I sigh. I tell Zayn everything from beginning to end.

When I finish. He runs his hand through his hair.

"Harry, you didn't think this through. Her dad left her and she told us how she felt about it. And with everything going on with Niall. This wasn't the right time." He says.

I nod. "Now what do I do?"

Zayn thinks for a second and then he sighs. "Just let her go, mate."

Just that second, Niall's hotel room door opens.

"Where's Melanie?"