Nothing [Harry Styles AU] - DISCONTINUED

forty

Harry's POV

3 weeks later.

STYLES INC.

It looked surprisingly good, written in jet black, sharp letters across the stark white paper. I smiled, proud at all the work I had put into turning everything into motion and rebranding the company. It had been something that was in works for the last 6 months, but the past 3 weeks had been such a blur that all I did was focus on getting it done.

Grueling hours at the office, coupled with multiple meetings with designers, manufacturers and contractors had been my life the last few weeks. Ever since Eve suggested we take a break, I immersed myself into my work in hopes of distracting myself from the pain it had all caused me and the constant ache I had from not being able to be with her.

STYLES INC. - I was proud.

I had been the talk of the business world for quite sometime, I was in the business section of nearly every newspaper and the amount of paparazzi that lurked around my building had presumably tripled. My calendar had filled up for the next 6 months with interviews and press conferences and it was still all a bit crazy, all for putting my own name on the side of my building.

At least I had succeeded, because submerging myself into my business had definitely worked in trying to dull the pain that Eve had left behind. It didn't help at all that I still saw her every Thursday when she took care of Alice for me, and it still didn't help when all I ever got out of her was a forced smile and one word answers.

I understood that she wanted time, and I understood that she was mad, but I couldn't keep going on like this. I missed her like crazy, so much that it would physically hurt, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on for. I wasn't entirely sure how to go about getting her back, seeing as I didn't want to force her to talk to me and that I told her I'd wait until she was ready to talk everything through.

So I sent flowers, Lilies to be exact, because I recall her telling me those were her favourites once. I sent her a bunch everyday, delivered straight to her house, most of them sent in the evenings once she was home from school so that her parents wouldn't get too suspicious about all the flowers. They probably were suspicious about it though, seeing as I had sent her added a total of 21 bunches so far.

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, and it creaked slightly open to reveal Alice, her eyes half closed and her arm clutched tightly around her teddy bear. I frowned, it was after midnight, she should be asleep.

"Alice, what are you still doing up? Come here," I soothed gently, and Alice pushed open the door and ran straight into my arms, pressing her face against my shirt. "Baby, did you have another bad dream?"

"No," she breathed, rubbing her face against the soft material. I sighed, picking her up and placing her on my lap before brushing away the curls that hung over her face, trying to read the expression that was settling over her features.

"Is something on your mind?" I asked, twisting a strand of her hair around my finger, stopping instantly when the painful image of Eve doing that to me popped into my mind.

"I miss Evie," she whined, and I swear that today couldn't get any worse.

I scowled, "Al, you saw her just today, she looked after you for 4 hours, how come you miss her?"

"It's not the same," she groaned, "Has something happened? Is she okay?" She asked, worry etched into her tired voice.

It was kind of scary how Alice noticed the change as well. I know I didn't have the right to tell Eve how to treat Alice, but Alice shouldn't be punished for the result of my actions. Eve was angry with me, not Al, and it sucked that she had to deal with the consequences. She was only 5, and she looked up to Eve as if she was part of the family.