𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 | ✔

chapter nine

harry hook

-

I was sitting in the dimly lit hideout, watching TV with Gil and the pirate crew, but my mind was miles away. Auradon had decided to broadcast the dance live on TV, filling the room with the sounds of people exclaiming over and explaining everyone's outfits. The chatter and excitement felt like a distant echo compared to the turmoil in my heart.

"And coming in right now is... oh my goodness, is that Princess Rosemary? She is looking very gorgeous this evening, check out the flowers in her hair!"

"Harry," Gil nudges my shoulder, bringing me back to the present.

"What?" I almost shout, my irritation snapping through the haze. Gil points to the TV, and there she is... the girl who stole my heart and never gave it back... "Rosemary..."

"Wow Harry, she is pretty. But how did she fall for a crazy pirate like you?" Gil jokes, his laughter grating against my nerves.

I look at him, sending him a fake smile that doesn't reach my eyes. "Wanna say that again?"

Gil just chuckles and turns his attention back to the screen. "Hey, isn't that Uma?"

I follow his gaze to see Uma standing next to Ben, looking out of place among the glitter and glamor. A surge of anger wells up inside me, and I slam my fist onto the counter. "AH!! THAT HYPOCRITE!!"

Watching the dance and seeing Uma mingling with the Auradon crowd was infuriating, but I couldn't shake the image of Rosemary from my mind. Her smile, her eyes, the way she moved so gracefully... it was torture.

"Thinking about her?" Gil asks, his tone light but knowing.

"Who?" I ask, trying to sound indifferent. But Gil just nods toward the TV, knowing exactly who he meant.

"No... pfft, no way." I try to deny it, but my voice betrays me.

"Aww... someone's got a crush..." the son of Gaston singsongs, his teasing voice like nails on a chalkboard.

"Shut up, Gil." I snap, but there's no real heat in it. He does just that, for once, as my attention drifts back to the screen where Uma seems to be giving up the fight. My frustration boils over, and I mutter to myself, "Battle's not done yet... I know it."

The dance continues on the TV, but I can't focus on the meaningless chatter about dresses and suits. My mind races with thoughts of Rosemary. She looked so beautiful tonight, more radiant than ever. The memory of her laughter, her touch, everything about her haunts me.

I get up and pace the small space, the confined walls of our hideout closing in on me. The pirate crew is too engrossed in the spectacle to notice my agitation. I need to do something, anything, to get her out of my mind. But no matter how hard I try, I can't shake the feeling that Rosemary and I are connected by more than just chance. There's something deeper, something I can't ignore.

Gil looks up at me, his eyes following my restless movements. "You should go to her, you know. If she means that much to you."

I stop pacing, his words hitting a nerve. "And do what, Gil? Beg her to come back to this?" I gesture around at the dark, dingy hideout. "This is no place for someone like her."

"But maybe you're what she needs," Gil says softly, surprising me with his insight. "And maybe she's what you need too."

I scoff, but his words linger in my mind. Maybe he's right. Maybe I need to stop running from what I feel and start fighting for it. For her. For us.

The decision crystallizes in my mind. I look back at the TV one last time, seeing Rosemary's radiant face, and I know what I have to do. The battle isn't over. Not by a long shot.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a familiar voice behind me, calling my name.

I turned around, my heart skipping a beat. There she was, standing in the doorway, looking out of place but resolute. Her eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, everything else faded away.

"Harry..." she began, her voice shaking slightly but filled with determination.

I closed the distance between us in a few quick strides. "Rosemary, what are you doing here? It's dangerous."

"I couldn't stay away," she said, her eyes searching mine. "I needed to see you. To understand what's been happening. To know what's in your heart."

My breath caught in my throat. All the words I'd been rehearsing, all the bravado I'd built up, crumbled away. "Rosemary, I..." I struggled to find the right words. How could I explain everything I felt, everything that had been tearing me apart inside?

She took a step closer, her presence grounding me. "Harry, just tell me the truth. No more games, no more running."

I swallowed hard, looking into her eyes. "Rosemary, I..." The words felt heavy, but I knew they needed to be said. "I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since the moment we met. And it's been tearing me apart, not being able to be with you."

Her eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and relief washing over her features. "Harry..."

"I know it sounds crazy," I continued, my voice gaining strength. "We come from different worlds, and I'm just a pirate. But you're everything to me, Rosemary. I can't imagine my life without you."

For a moment, there was silence between us. Then, she reached out, taking my hand in hers. "Harry, I love you too. I've been so scared of what that means, of what we'd have to face. But I can't deny it anymore. I want to be with you."

My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly as if she might disappear. "We'll find a way," I whispered into her hair. "We'll figure it out, together."

She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with tears in her eyes but a smile on her lips. "Together," she echoed.

At that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the dangers, not the obstacles, not the past. All that mattered was the girl in my arms, the girl who had stolen my heart and never gave it back. We stood there, wrapped up in each other, knowing that whatever came next, we would face it together.