THE CURB (MATURE HARRY STYLES AU) #WATTYS2016

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

**DEDICATED TO LOVELYLOUISS**

"I..hurt you so much but I was scared, I got so scared when you left." Harry says after some time, his lips ghosting over my cheek as he speak, sniffling right after he finishes his sentence.

"You had left without a word, Stella and I didn't know what to do." Harry says after a few seconds of silence, tilting his head upwards enough to makes an eye contact with me. "Eight months without a single trace of you, can you imagine how hard it was?"

Harry's voice crack at the end, tears coming out of his eyes and falling on to my cheek as I silently listen to him, not making even a single sound because I don't even know what am I supposed to do. If this all would have happened a day back, I sure as hell would've pushed him away, had screamed that I'm not the girl he is in love with but right now, my mind is in a conflict. It's hard to just scream and shout and push him away because I feel pity for Harry. He's not an oppressor here, he's not a villain. Harry is a victim in this case, just like me.

"I have to take the medicines now, you know that?I..the doctor prescribed me medicines for depression and anger issues after you left. I will get better for you again." The corners of his lips twitch into a small smile but it vanishes as soon as it appears, his bottom lip quivering as a single tear comes out of his eye.

His words and the look on his face caused something to stir inside me. He looked broken like he can not be repaired again, just like me. Without another single thought, I bring my hand up to cup his face, Harry leans into it, his eyes fall shut when my thumb drags over his cheekbone, wiping away the stray tear form his cold skin.

Harry stays completely still with his eyes clamped shut and mouth parted open but when I try to move my hand away he grabs it with his own bringing it to his mouth, he lays a few lingering kisses on the back of my hand and even though I want to pull it away from him, I let him hold it, fully aware that he means no harm to me this time.

Infact, now that I know the truth a small part of me thinks that Harry never really meant harm to me intentionally. All those times he had cried after beating me flash before my eyes, making me realize that he's not some delusional, mentally retarded person who enjoy hurting people. He's just a normal patient whose suffering from depression and is in need of some love and care from the girl he loves, or should I say..loved.

"What's this?" Harry murm, his fingers brushing over my sore wrist and I immediately flinch, trying weakly to snatch it away from Harry, my attempt failing, Harry having strength which easily over powers mine.

"How did this happen?" Harry says, a small frown etching on his lips as he places another tender kiss on the back of my hand before he gently places it onto the mattress, covering it with the warm blanket afterwards.

I watch with my puffy and tired eyes as Harry shifts a bit in his kneeling position, his knees produce a cracking noise as he stands up to his full height. His eyes are latched onto my face when he picks up the bowl of ice from the side table, taking the small pad of cloth out of it, Harry places in onto my forehead. A small gasp escapes my lips at the coldness, small icy cold water droplets trickle from the sides and drop on to the pillow.

"I'll be back in a second, and when I return, I need an answer." Harry says his voice coming out stern, and without waiting for a response from me, he walks out of the door, closing it silently as he exits it for the second time within less than a half hour.

It doesn't take him long to return, the creaking of the door followed by the sound of footsteps echoing through the silent room and I immediately clamp my eyes shuts, pretending to be asleep 'cause I don't know how to answer his question. I can't tell him about everything that has happened tonight because it will result in him losing his mind and if I will say that he caused this when he once held my wrists too tightly, Harry might not believe me.

"Hey." Harry acknowledges me, the side of the bed dipping tells me that he's sat down on the other side of the bed, shuffling a little closer towards my lying figure, I feel Harry's fingers on my forehead as he retracts the no longer cold pad from my forehead.

"Cut the act, Stella. You think I'm foolish enough to believe that you're asleep? I can see your eye balls moving and your breathing is uneven." His voice is confident and stern as he speak but I don't dare to open my eyes, afraid of what he will do if I did but when Harry grabs my jaw all of the sudden, I shriek in surprise, my eyes flying open instantly.

"Now I need you to answer my question." Harry says, his voice no longer soft like it was sometime ago. The gentleness in it gone and replaced with irritation and anger.

My lower lip wobbles and my tears are at the verge of tears at the thought of how helpless I am but I take in a long breath, trying to stay composed and not break down again. Harry removes his hand away from my jaw and I watch from the corner of my eye as he places the pad onto the side table before turning towards me with an electronic thermometer in his hand and I part my lips for him to place it in my mouth before he even asks me, hoping that he will just forget about the marks he saw on my wrist and instead focus on something else.

"No, Stella. You can't just ignore my question. I'm asking you one more time how did it happen and af-"

"I don't know. I don't, I swear." I say in a small voice, cutting Harry off in the middle of the sentence.

Harry seems to become angry at my question because all of the sudden he's on top of me, his legs straddling my waist while his hand wraps around my neck tight enough to knock the breath out of my body. A small squeeze of Harry's hand causes a gasp to release from my lips and the tears I had tried so hard not to shed start flowing out of my eyes.

"You don't get to interrupt while I'm talking." Harry's voice is nothing less than a growl, with every word he says, his grip around my neck tightens, making it hard to even focus on anything.

My hands come up to where Harry's choking me and I try to pry his fingers off, my eyelids shut and mouth parted in an attempt to somehow take in some air into my lungs but It doesn't help. Seconds feel like hours as Harry choke me and finally I decide to give up trying to escape his grip.

My hands fall limpy onto my sides and I let my tense body relax, waiting for either Harry to realize what he's doing or falling into the peaceful, eternal sleep. The second option sounding a lot more better than the first one because that way I won't have to deal any more pain, both physical and mental. God seems to have some other plans for me though since all of the sudden Harry's hand around my neck loosens before It's goes completely limp. I breathe in deeply, coughing violently right after and I feel the weight been lifted off of me.

I feel Harry's hands on my shoulder and back, his voice sounding to come from far away as I cough and try to catch my breath. My head feel heavy and my eyes take too much energy to stay open and so I clamp them shut, the sleep overcoming me instantly and blocking out everything from my brain.

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FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER, AFTER RE WRITING IT FOR A WEEK.

I JUST HAD A STUPID WRITER'S BLOCK AND THEN I THOUGHT, FUCK IT. I JUST TYPED WHATEVER.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO COME UP WITH THIS CHAPTER. xx