Lessons Learned (Sequel to Love At War) Harry Styles

Chapter 25

He span around, lowering the arm that was about to through a pebble into the water. He met my gaze instantly, his eyes searching mine, looking for some kind of answer as to why I’d just called his name. I shook my head, beckoning to him while biting my lip. I was being swallowed by my own anxiety, and I needed to leave this second. He knew, I don’t know how, but Harry knew. Without questioning it, he dropped the stone, took the hands of both of my girls and hurried up the brick pathway to meet me. I took Maddie’s hand the second they reached me and rushed to the car, loading her in without a word. Within a fraction of a second, we were driving along the seafront towards the main road.

“Are you okay?” he asked after a couple of minutes.

“I’ll be fine,” I replied quietly, not wanting to talk too loudly, knowing my voice would crack under the pressure of my building emotions.

“Want to talk when we get home?”

“Yeah, I’m not having this conversation with little ears about.”

“Mum, we know that when you say little ears, you’re talking about us,” muttered Ellie, her statement making me smile briefly.

“Sometimes Ells, there are things that only Mummy and Daddy need to know okay? There’s nothing for either of you to worry about,” said Harry calmly, grinning at her through the rear view mirror.

“Okay Daddy,” she smiled, bopping her head along to the music that was only making me have the opposite effect.

I longed to turn it off and have some time to think, but I knew it was the only thing occupying the girls. I’ve said time and time again how wise they are for their age, and while Ellie may have been satisfied with Harry’s response, I knew that they were still wondering what was wrong with me.

The drive home didn’t take as long as it usually did, probably having something to do with the fact that Harry was stressed and wasn’t necessarily paying attention to the speed limit. He murmured something about going to make some tea once we were through the front door, so I put the girls to bed on my own. After they had washed their faces, brushed their teeth and hair, and put their pyjamas on, they were both snuggled up in bed with me sat in the middle of the room on the floor.

“Mummy?” asked Maddie, her head only just visible in her duvet.

“Yes baby?”

“What’s the matter? Because me and Ellie know that something is wrong and you and Daddy aren’t acting the same. Why did we have to leave the pier really quickly? What’s wrong?”

“It’s like Daddy said Mads, sometimes, things will happen that the both of you don’t need to worry about. Daddy and I are here to protect you and to love you and that’s what we do. So leave it be, and everything is going to be okay.”

“But-“

“No Madeleine, it’s bedtime and you need to go to sleep,” I replied, standing up and approaching her. “I told you there’s nothing wrong okay?”