My Step Brother

The Day You Slipped Away

Harry and I were Katy Perry's opening act for her tour, we would be travling the road with her for a whole year. Gemma was going to take care of Jake while we were gone. I couldn't bare the thought of leaving him for that long. I don't think I've cried so hard in my life. And on top of that, I had to worry about my dad and his heart. He's been having trouble with it and I have been taking care of him most of the time when Anne is at work. I think he's doing better, I mean, I'm no doctor. But I feel like he is.
Harry was so thrilled about the fact that we were working with Katy Perry, he was madly in love with her, which didn't make me jealous. I knew he loved me and I had nothing to worry about. Everything by this point was going great. I felt like everything was falling into place...everything was just perfect.

Harry and I waited in the wings when we heard the announcer come on the speakers. "Recently we just lost a big star. He was dearly loved and his loss was a tragedy...let's please take a moment to remember Edward Stiles." The whole stadium didn't speak. I found it completely ridiculous. I looked up at Harry who was already looking at me shaking his head. I looked out at the silenced crowd and frowned. "If they only knew..." I said holding back the tears. Harry grabbed my hand and tightened it. "I know baby. Everything is alright now." He leaned down and kissed my cheek and gave me a warms smile. I smiled back at him and then looked back out. We were called out to start our performance.

We did our cover of 'Home' by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and 'They Don't Know About Us'. It went really well, Harry had all the girls screaming and throwing their under garments on stage...it was madness. I couldn't blame them, I'd probably be down there doing the same thing if I were them. Wait, I kinda was those girls. When I was obsessed with Two Directions and Edward. I gripped my mic...Edward...I still hated him...
Harry and I went off stage. He hugged me as soon as we got into the wings. "Baby, you did so good!" He said. "You did, too! You got a lot of bras thrown at you. I told you you'd get lots of female attention if you did this." I smiled poking him playfully. He smiled and shook his head. "And what about those guys whistling at you?" I looked away and smiled. "I didn't hear whistling." I joked. I actually did, I was just playing that game where I acted like I didn't, but he knew I did. "I was to busy listening to my husbands sexy solos." I said leaning into him and biting my lip. Harry smiled grabbing my chin and lifting my head up and leaning in. "RENE'E!" I heard someone call my name. I pulled back and looked. "Yeah?" "You're dad...he's in the hospital...he's had a heart attack." I stood there for a moment and was in complete shock. Harry didn't say a word, I think he was in shock also. Suddenly everything turned on me and went from perfect to a living hell. I thought he was doing so much better...so much. I guess he wasn't doing as good as I thought.
I ran through the wings and to the back doors of the stage and with so much force pushed it open. I ran out to the parking lot and ran. "RENE'E!" I heard Harry's voice behind me, but I chose to ignore it and keep running. I felt the need to cry and I knew at any minute I would, no matter how hard I tried. "RENE'E STOP!!! STOP!!!" He kept yelling and I heard him getting closer. I slowed my paced and felt the tears sting my eyes. I stopped and fell in the dirt on the side of the road and stared crying. The one man I thought was so strong was laying in a hospital bed somewhere. "Rene'e..." Harry said breathing heavily he knelt beside me and held me for a long time. "Baby, you're okay..." He tried to calm me down and stayed positive. "No, I'm not." I softly sobbed into his chest. He held me some more without saying anything. "Come on, Rene'e...be strong, baby. For him, you have to." He got up and grabbed my hand. I yanked it away and covered my face with it and sobbed more and more. Harry sniffled "Come, on baby. You have to get up." He grabbed my arm again and I jumped up. I became angry and upset at the same  time, which is never a good mix. Harry stared at me and stepped back. He knew how angry and upset I was, he could see it in my eyes. "Don't touch me..." I said. "Don't take this out on me...please, baby." He said. "He raised me, Harry. HE RAISED ME! He was all I had! Don't tell me I have to be strong!" Harry stepped closer "I know what it's like having one parent, Rene'e. Are you forgetting that?! I know how you feel." I looked him right in the eyes and pointed at him "YOUR MOTHER IS NOT IN A HOSPITAL BED SOMEWHERE, HARRY!" I said with so much anger. "You need to come with me...please." He tugged on my arms forcing me forward. I used all my strength and dug my heels into the ground to keep myself from moving. "No, let me go!" I said trying to remove his hand from  around my wrist. He looked back and let go of my wrist and he tried pulling me closer to him. I pushed him back "Don't. Stay away from me!" I yelled and I turned and I walked away rubbing in the other direction. Harry had so much hurt in his eyes when he heard me tell him to stay away from me. I didn't say I was sorry for that.
"Where are you going??" He asked "I don't know. Away." I sobbed not looking back. "Rene'e..." He called out. My converse hit the dirt as I kept walking along the road. I had no idea where I was. I stopped when I was far enough and looked back. I saw Harry still standing there watching me. I looked away and cried more. I just hurt Harry for what I said to him all because I was hurting and I tried to ignore it by hurting someone else. I looked back again, Harry was crying into his hands and he was sitting on the ground. I wiped the tears that came from seeing him that way. "Harry..." I called out and he looked up. I made my way back over to him and he got up brushing the dirt off his pants and wiping his tears away. I picked up my pace and ran into his arms. My converse slid in the dirt as I did. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry!" I sobbed. His breathing became heavy and he ran his fingers through my hair. "It's okay, baby. It's alright." He said with a cracked voice. "You're okay..." He sniffled.

...
We had to tell Katy that we needed to leave and that my dad was in the hospital. We came to her ourselves, instead of out agent. It seemed more appropriate if we did. She completely understood and hugged me. She had to find a new opening act for her show, but I'm sure she would find one in a heartbeat. She was big and people would kill to be her opening act.
My dad was in the hospital back home. Harry and I were rushed there immediately, no one wasted time. Harry followed me into the hospital as I rushed in and asked for my dad. They gave me the room number and I ran the whole way there.
Anne was outside the room against the wall crying. I ran up to the door. I was so hysterical at this point that I wasn't even crying anymore, I was shaking and freaking out. My eyes were puffy and red. "I wanna see my dad, Anne." I said looking into the small window of my dads hospital room. I couldn't see him. "Please...." I pleaded. She nodded and opened the door. I walked in with Harry as we saw my dad laying there hooked up to so many things. I sobbed when I saw him like that. Harry grabbed a hold of me and held me. I buried my face into his chest and cried. I heard Harry start to cry. I gripped Harry's shirt and looked back. He didn't look the same, he looked different. I almost didn't recognize him at all. Once again I buried my face into Harry's chest and tried to hide form this. I cried and cried...I now knew this is the hardest I've ever cried.
"Rene'e..." I heard my dads weak voice call out. I turned and looked back, he was now awake and I ran over to him. "Daddy..." I sobbed as I held onto his hand. "You're going to be okay...you'll be okay, daddy. Just- just ke- ep holding on..." I said with a cracked voice. "You can't give up, you're stronger that this, daddy. I know you are." I smiled weakly through the tears. "Rene'e.." My dad smiled through his pain "It's my time. I'm so proud of you. You found everything I wanted you to. I can go knowing you're taken care of. You have Harry and Jake..." He coughed into his fist. I looked away and a tear ran down my cheek as I closed my eyes. "You're grown up now. You can make it without daddy now, sweetie." He said. I shook my head "No, daddy...I can't. Just hold on." Harry walked over and I felt his hand on my back "Baby, tell him to let go...he needs you to tell him..." I looked back at Harry and then back at my dad "No, no. Daddy..." I shook my head and refused to tell him to let go. "Rene'e...please...I need you to... I can't go knowing you wanted me to stay like this..." I bowed my head and sobbed. I can't believe I was here in this moment right now. Harry sniffled and I looked up at the ceiling, tears flowing down my face. "Daddy... " I said. I tried to get those words to come out. But I looked down and kissed his cheek and tightly held his hand. He was holding on for me, and I knew I couldn't be selfish and keep him here as he suffered through this. "let go, daddy. You can let go now. I love you..." I said with a soft voice. Harry rubbed my back. My dad smiled and I felt his hand tighten around mine and then loosen. I heard the life monitor go off. I let go of his hand felt weak as I let go of the side of the bed. Harry caught me and held me close to him as I cried.

My daddy was gone...