STAY MINE // Harry Styles

Our Place

This chapter contains smut.

Next chapter: May 20, 2020.

For Patreon: May 15, 2020.

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Laura was asleep when Thea came. The nurse attending her said that she'd woken up for a few minutes before drifting off again, so Thea would have to come back tomorrow if she wanted to speak to Laura. At least now she knew Laura was safe. It was getting late and she had already texted Laura's assistant; her job here was done. She'd better go home and get some rest.

But the thing was, she didn't really want to go home. The thought of facing Blake – who must have been waiting for her to come back so they could talk – instantly put her off. Thank God she'd never given him her number.

As soon as she exited the hospital, she fished out her phone to call the only person she wanted to see right now. Before she could even unlock the screen, however, she spotted him standing right by his car. Maybe telepathic communication was real.

His face lit up the second he saw her. He waved, and her tight muscles eased with relief as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and ambled toward him. He pushed away from his car, met her halfway and eagerly wrapped her in his arms. She melted instantly into his protective hug, blinking back her tears. Fuck. It'd been a really shitty day.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," she mumbled as he pressed his lips to her forehead. She'd texted him an hour ago that she'd been writing and needed to be alone in order to focus. Though she'd hoped he wouldn't come over to check on her, she was glad he'd shown up here.

"Laura's assistant called me because she couldn't reach you," he said, his face taut with concern. "Have you spoken to her?"

Thea nodded, watching his brows pulled together.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Laura," he ventured. "How is she?"

"She was asleep when I left..."

"Did you know she was a heavy drinker?"

"No," she murmured. "I just came over to ask her why she'd cancelled the meeting with the publisher, and I found her unconscious on the floor."

Half of the truth was all she could afford to tell him; he'd be so upset to find out what Blake had done. Besides, tomorrow he'd have to hear the truth about his father and Gemma and Isaac, so she couldn't unload her burden on him now.

Suddenly, she wondered if Gemma and Isaac had already left. What if Harry had run into them before Thea had come out? Judging from how calm he seemed, Thea guessed he hadn't.

"Come on," he spoke, rubbing her arms to warm her up. "I'll take you home."

"Wait." She tugged at his sleeve, feeling a bit shy. "Can I...can I stay at your place tonight?"

He blinked at her, his lips slightly parted, then he smiled. "My place is yours, kid. You don't have to ask."

He kissed her on the cheek and opened the door on the passenger side for her. She got in. Her eyes stayed fixed on him when he got behind the wheel and buckled his seatbelt. As he started the car, she started to replay those four words inside her head.

My place is yours.

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At his place, she took a shower while he prepared dinner for the two of them. She felt a sense of guilt and misplaced anger for the things she wasn't allowed to tell him. He was happy tonight, well, not exactly happy, but he wasn't in a bad mood, and completely unaware of all the terrible things Winton and Emilia had been doing to him since the beginning. They didn't deserve him. But who was she to criticize? She hadn't been honest, either. She'd doubted him today, and for a moment believed he had something to do with Laura when it'd turned out to be Blake.