Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 23

A.J. leans in closer to Harry’s face as he whispers in his ear loudly.  “Did you forget you were hosting the meeting today, Harry?”

His breath reeks of cigarettes and just the smell of it makes me want to vomit.

“I thought so,” A.J. says when he sees Harry’s face suddenly fall with realization.  “I’ve been waiting for you to come home for an hour.  You’re lucky that I’m calm tonight.”

Harry stands up straighter against the wall but A.J. doesn’t let go of his wrists that are still pinned above his head.  A.J. chuckles darkly before grabbing a fistful of his shirt, tugging Harry closer to his face.  “But don’t make me wait like this again,” he says as he throws Harry away from him.  “Let’s begin the meeting, shall we?”

A.J. claps his hands and then takes a seat on the couch.  I watch as Harry quickly fixes his shirt that’s lying crooked on his chest.  He glances at me once, before shooting me a reassuring gaze.

I pull my lips into my mouth as I watch him stand in front of the other gang members.  I don’t recognize any of them.  The usual members; Louis, Liam, Zayn, and Niall, are nowhere to be found.  Instead, a group of loud and big men take over the room.  Their hair looks greasy and they’re all about ten times bigger than Harry.

A.J. turns around in his seat and glares at me.  “Leave the room, sweetheart.  You aren’t allowed to listen to this.”

I nod my head once but my feet won’t move from my spot behind the group of men.

Move your legs, Jackie.

But they won’t.  They stay glued to the floor.  A.J. glares at me harder.  He grits his teeth and snarls at me.  “Go to Harry’s room before I get mad.”

I nod my head again and scurry out of his stare.

“And if I find out that you’re lurking in this room, you’ll be in a lot of trouble.  And I’m sure you don’t want to be in pain,” he says as he eyes Harry.  He smirks before turning his back on me completely.

---

I pace back and forth as I panic over the situation that’s occurring in the family room.  About a million questions are shooting through my mind.  Why is he hosting a meeting?  Where were the usual gang members? Who are those guys out there and how come I’ve never seen them before?  What are they talking about?

None of the questions are ever answered as I continue to walk from the door to the window and back again.

It’s too quiet in the house.  I’d rather hear quiet whispers than no noise at all.  The silence is slowly killing me.  It grants me freedom to let my mind wander to places that I’d rather not think about.  They all result in Harry either getting hurt or dying.

I shiver from the morbid thoughts and then slowly slide down the door, resting my head on my knees.  My fingers claw at my forehead, attempting to scratch away any pain that manages to seep into my brain of Harry.  He’s the one that keeps me safe.  He’s the one that saves me when I need help.  He’s the one that protects me.

But I’m never there to return the favor.

He could be out there in the family room right now as A.J. and the other gang members team up on him.   And I’ll stay inside here because that’s what I do best.  I’m just a damsel in distress.

The thoughts of him run through my head and my hands curl into fists.  A sudden boldness surges through my body and I stand up immediately and put my hand on the doorknob.  I turn it slowly and peak my head out.  There’s still no noise.