Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 32

I stand in front of A.J. and Drew as they discuss money and deals.  They bicker back and forth with each other and I know I should be listening to them right now, but something else is occupying my attention at the moment.  All my thoughts are trained on Harry’s secret little sign.  It’s amazing how much this is affecting my mood.  It’s distracting me yet again from the intoxicating business that has finally arrived after the long anticipated wait.

He told me that he loved me.  It wasn’t his voice that said it, but his hands spoke a language that words could never say. Call me biased, but the secrecy of his message is almost better than him actually saying those words himself.

 Unfortunately for both of us, I never got the chance to say anything back to him before A.J. yanked me inside and shut the door, putting an end to his secret message.  I can only hope that Harry knows that I would have reciprocated his actions back to him if I hadn’t been pulled away, like a force in physics.

The gravity of Eastside is, again, pulling me down, battling for dominance. 

Someone clears their throat, bringing me out of my reeling thoughts.  A.J. smiles grimly at me before clenching my shoulders in a tight fist.

“I thought this day would never arrive,” he says, shoving me into Drew’s arms.

I stumble over my feet before I turn around to face A.J.  He’s smiling at me and it’s probably the most natural smile he has ever expressed.  A dimple that I’ve never seen before leaves an indentation on his one cheek and his long, fingers flicker through the stack of cash he holds in his hands.

“It’s about time,” he adds, leaning into my ear.  “It must’ve been the threats, hm?”

He pulls away, still with a smile on his face.  The green in his eyes have never been so alive before.  They’re so light and energetic.  It makes me feel squeamish.

“I’ve been waiting so long,” Drew says, “She’s worth the shit job I had to do in order to get the money.”

A.J. laughs sinisterly as he starts to back up, ready to leave with his money in hand.  “It was a pleasure doing business with you Michelle.”

He nods his head at me, chuckling at his own joke before stepping through the door and slamming it closed behind him.  I stare at the closed door, trying to process everything.

A.J. is gone—he finally sold me.  I don’t have to worry about the threat of being killed now.  I’m still breathing and functioning properly but there’s a difference between living and functioning.

Functioning is just getting through the day.  You can see things, you can hear things, and you can touch things, but all these things don’t register with your brain completely.  You’re just getting through the day, little by little.  Living is something deeper.  You feel alive and free and above everything else when you’re living.

But how can I live when I’m missing something vital to me?  I’m missing Harry.  He’s gone and I can only hope that he’ll return.

Drew brushes his fingers through my hair, reminding me once again where I am.

“I thought you were hot before, but damn.  This new look just took everything to a whole new level, Michelle.”

He smirks at me, bringing his lips to my ear.  I turn my head away, dodging his attempted kiss.  I smirk when I hear him huff in annoyance.

Drew keeps talking to me, but his words are like a blurry image as I see A.J. and Harry outside through the window.  They both wear scowls on their faces but based on Harry’s scrunched up forehead and crinkled nose, I know that he’s fighting the tears in his eyes.  It’s a mask that I’ve discovered while living with him.