Drifter | (Harry Styles AU) • COMPLETE

Chapter 53.

Anissa's POV

I feel the warmth of my body draining, despite the blanket I'm wrapped up in, the second Harry says he invited guests over for a week.

"Who did you invite?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the possible guest candidates rushing around in my mind. A pair in particular popping up more then the rest, for they are the pair I don't wish to waste a second with.

"It's a surprise," Harry grins.

"I don't like surprises," I whine,"Especially your surprises, they always turn out to be horrible, life threatening, messy ...."

"Don't exaggerate," Harry interrupts, laughing hysterically, clearly aware of which surprises I'm referring to.

"You know I'm not!" I tell him, pointing a knowing finger in his direction,"I appreciate you trying to surprise me, I really do Harry, but you're terrible at giving them."

"Name one surprise that was so terrible," Harry says, still grinning.

"Our first day here in this house you surprised me with 'small' illegal fireworks to celebrate...you nearly blew my head off!"

"But I didn't," He laughs.

"And you burnt a huge chunk of our back fence off," I add laughing at the once terrifying memory.

"In my defense the guy that sold those to me told me they wouldn't shoot up, all he said was that they made a lot of noise," He says.I honestly have no clue why Harry thought setting off explosives from our back porch was a good idea, must be a guy thing.

"Mhm sure," I smirk.

"That hardly qualifies me as a bad 'surpriser'."

"I'm not finished," I tell him, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear,"Lets see...oh! That picnic you planned in the middle of the desert after four wheel riding for three hours..."

"Hey, that was a good surprise,"Harry interrupts,"I seem to remember you saying you were having a fun time."

"I said that before I knew you forgot the picnic basket in the car...three hours away!" I point out, poking him in the stomach,"By the time we reached the car, the food wasn't even edible anymore, we had to wait another hour until we finally reached a food stop."

"Okay, you got me on that one," He laughs putting his hands up in agreement.

"Then we have that 'short' scenic hike we went on that was only suppose to be six miles long when really it turned out to be sixteen."

"I read the miles wrong! I was just excited I found a scenic hike since you said you wanted to go on one,"Harry says defensively,"Either way the surprises I've done for you in the past aren't the same as this, this is a 'people' surprise."

"Please just tell me," I ask in the nicest voice I can manage, despite my irritation. The suspense will just add to my already growing anxiety. First the news about Mariano and Lolita coming down to visit next month and now this? I just pray Harry isn't surprising me with a visit from them.

"You'll find out at the airport," Harry tells me in a melodies voice, getting up from the couch. I watch as he walks into the kitchen pulling out a water bottle from the fridge.

"Tell me!"

"Nope," He smiles, licking his lips in amusement. I roll my eyes as he turns around to grab a left over piece of toast.

This is the one thing about Harry that always bugs me; his ability to keep a secret, to keep the surprise, a surprise. A few kisses to the neck, and a pouty face later I'm spilling my surprise to him as fast as I can, but not Harry.

I've come to find that he once he's decided to keep something a secret, he does just that. He keeps it a secret. There's no persuading, only waiting.

Stretching out my legs on the couch I bump into Harry's cell phone, which he conveniently left next to me. A little snooping on this, and the surprise guests will be revealed sooner, rather then later.

Nervously, excited, I take the slim iPhone into my hands, sliding my finger across the screen to reveal the last application Harry was on, Safari. My thumb hovers over the home button as my eyes scan over the google translator webpage. Unable to stop myself, I read what he has typed in.

I feel my heart being to pound quicker and quicker as I re-read the exact message that's inscribed on the key that Lolita gave to Alanzo, the key in my jewelry box.

"Are you looking through my phone? Come on Anissa, don't ruin the...what's wrong?" Harry asks, walking over to me, taking notice to his phone that I still hold in my hand. Unsure of what to say, I wait for him to slide the phone out of my hand. He looks down at the small screen, then back at me, letting out a breath before sitting down next to me.

"I'm trying really hard to understand you Anissa," Harry says quietly, breaking the silence. He runs his phone-less hand through his damp hair, looking straight ahead.

I know what's next.

This is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for. The moment I've been waiting to have happen naturally.

He's going to ask about my past, and I'm going to tell him.

"You're upset," I whisper, trying to find my voice. I shut my eyes for a minute, awaiting his reply, so I know just what type of answer he's looking for.

"I am actually," He says letting out another deep breath,"I just don't... I mean...fuck...why do you have that...that stupid key shit," He stutters angrily.

"Harry I can..."

"Remember at the hospital when I made you promise me that you'd someday find the right words to say the things you couldn't?"Harry interrupts,"I need you to find those words right now, I need you to tell me about this. I need you to tell me whatever the hell it is you need to tell me for this to just go away..."

"Harry it's not..."

"Don't try and deny it either,"He snaps holding his hand up to let me know he isn't finished,"I hear you - I hear you in your sleep, I hear you on the phone hiding in the closet, or when you think I'm sleeping...I hear you. You say this guys name at least once a week. Once a week Anissa! I can't," He stammers now, his voice cracking,"I can't just act like I didn't find a fucking key in your jewelry box from this guy, okay? I try and act as if I heard wrong, I try and convince myself that I'm hearing things. But this...this is different. I saw this with my own eyes. I read the message. And I can't ignore it anymore. I can't,"He finishes, I look over and see he's on the verge of tears,"Tell me the truth."

"Right now?" I whisper, a single tear rolling down my cheek. I reach out to touch his hand, to comfort him, to let him know that I'm I'm here for him, but Harry pulls away. And that tells me more then his words ever could.

"Right now," He repeats in a shaky voice, his hand wiping beneath his eyes as he looks into mine.

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