The Pact [h.s]

Chapter 18;

Holly's POV

"..The zoo?!"

Harry parked up. "Yup,"

"But.. why?"

"Because it's your birthday and who doesn't love the zoo?!" He took his keys out of the ignition before stepping out of the car.

I followed behind jumping out grabbing my bag.

"I can't believe we're at the zoo." I shake my head as he buys the entrance tickets.

"Lighten up Holly, don't you ever have fun?" He teased handing me my ticket.

I take it, a sad smile on my face. "Not really." I realised that that's missing in my life.

Fun.

Happiness. Being quirky and ambiguous. Staying up until 3am not doing work but watching the stars. Ordering too much food and literally crying from how much I've ate.

"Well, today is all about fun. You're going to have fun on your birthday."

In that moment I realised that Harry was right, it was my birthday why not have fun?!

- -

"So how much of a good idea was the zoo?" Harry smirked as we ate icecream on a bench. We'd seen the monkeys, hippos and flamingos, I was the most excited about seeing the lions and giraffes.

"The best birthday idea."

"Really?"

I nod. "Thank you,"

He coughs.

I frown. "I've noticed something."

He looks up at me, some strawberry icecream on the side of his lip. "What?"

"You always cough when you feel uncomfortable."

"I don't,"

I nod. "You do."

He shrugs.

"Like when you were in that lift with me that one time, or when you gave me my present earlier."

"Habit I guess."

"That's so interesting."

He rolls his eyes. "Okay I cough when I'm uncomfortable. What do you do when you're uncomfortable?"

"I don't think I do anything."

"You roll your eyes."

"I roll my eyes at everyone."

"True." He smirks.

I hit his arm playfully.

"Have you spoken to your mum?"

My smile fades. "I should be so lucky. She's on her cruise, remember?"

"She still has signal."

I roll my eyes. "It's my mother, she won't call."

"Does she miss your dad?"

I lick my icecream. "She says she does but I don't think she does really. She's living off his money, how do you think she affords this cruise?" I scoff.

"Do you miss him?"

I bite into my cone. "Everyday."

"What.. what happened? ..To him I mean." Harry coughs. If it wasn't such a sad question I'd smirk at his uncomfortable cough.

"He killed himself."

Harry was silent, watching me. His eyes taking me in, watching for me to break but I wouldn't. I was resilient to it now. That sad feeling.

"I'm-"

"It's fine,"

"Why?.."

"Depression. My mum was so angry,she thought he was selfish to leave her with three children, although myself and my brother weren't children. We never knew why he did it, he was the happiest man in the world. I was a total daddies girl, his shadow. He was the leading top barrister for this country for sixteen years. He worked on the biggest cases, out of his hundred and sixty two cases, he only ever lost five."

Harry whistled impressed.

"..He was my idol, he was so clever, he knew everything, well.. I thought he did. When I became a teenager we slowly drifted, he wanted me to be his little girl still, I pushed him away. Then one day, when I was fourteen I came home to my mum crying into my brothers arms. I knew something was wrong, I ran in the house, the paramedics lifting out a body bag. I didn't need to ask who it was, I knew it was my dad."

"What did you do?"

I smile sadly. "I don't remember, the six months after that have left my memory. My therapist who I used to see told me I'd never get that memory back, it's too traumatic to regain."

"Oh,"

"I don't want it back, I don't want to remember any of it."

"I'm sorry Holly."

I shrug. "It's life,"

He shakes his head. "Not just for that, for everything. For hating you for the wrong reasons, for treating you like shit, for not realising you're not anything like I thought or assumed."

I smile. "It's okay, and I'm sorry too. Hating you is too tiring."

He laughs holding his pinky up. "Truce? No more hate."

I wrap my pinky around his. "Truce."

We both stand throwing away our soggy icecream cones we'd neglected. "Can we go see the lions now?" I grin excitedly.

Harry swings his arm around my shoulder. "Let's go,"

"Hey Harry?"

"Mhmm?" He looks down at me watching my lips.

"Does this mean you like me now? Like..we're friends now?"

"I guess.. but don't tell anyone." He winks leading us to the lions.