Aftermath // h.s

Chapter 8

There was two weeks to go until your court date, but the anxiety started now. There was an ache in your chest that made even the most simple of task the most difficult. Your mind was a mess, and all you could focus on was what could go wrong. How this could go completely off track and he could get out, only to find you and attack you with revenge clouding everything.

You went through every worst case scenario. Every single one. Over and over.

"Sweetheart..." Harry's gentle touch on your arm grabbed your attention. "You need to eat something..."

The paper bags with takeout sat unopened in front of you. "I can't eat right now..."

Harry let out a deep sigh and dropped his hand from your arm. "It's still two weeks away... we need to try not to think about it..."

"Can't do that..." you shook your head. "Can't do that, nope."

"You can..." he urged, not wanting to push any boundaries.

"Nope." Your voice was firm. You wanted him to stop. Stop bringing any aspect of the fucked situation up.

Harry pursed his lips together and looked at his food, picking up one of his fries and just chewing on the end of it. He wouldn't push it. Maybe that wasn't the healthy thing to do though. Maybe he needed to push you, and not enable this destructive behaviour. Letting you worry was not going to help anything at all.

"(Y/N), we need to talk about this." His voice was a lot firmer now. "Seriously, I get that you don't want to, because it's all so horrible, but we can't just pretend like it's not happening, or that it didn't happen, okay? This isn't going to solve anything, and if you want to get through this, I think that maybe you should go talk to a psychiatrist or anything like that. I'll pay for it, whatever you need from me, but we can't keep acting like it's not happening. You're not eating, you're barely sleeping, and fuck, I am not watching this without doing everything that I can to see you get better?"

The both of you stared at each other with wide eyes, your jaw tense. Your big, tired, dry eyes blinked back some tears as you tried to put some slack back in your jaw. You pushed the bags of food away and went to stand up.

"Sit down." Harry said firmly. "I am not letting you run away from this."

"Leave me alone..." you muttered bitterly, pulling your sleeves over your arms nervously as a shield.

"No."

You swallowed thickly, hunched over and backing away from him slowly. "Don't talk to me like that."

"Well what do you want me to do (Y/N)?? Stand back and watch you self-destruct? Watch your mind eat away at every sense until you're nothing but a shell?"

"Already am..."

"You are not..." he shook his head. "He has not broken you, you are still strong, you have strength in you that I know is scaring you, but it's there."

You stood with your back against the wall, your eyes staring at the ground.

"Please... please!" The firmness, the anger, had turned into desperation. Pure desperation. "We have two weeks... please... I'll do anything that I can, but I'm obviously not doing enough... so we need more help... For fuck's sake babe.... Please."