Addicted

Chapter 3

Harry P.O.V

I walked around town for a while window shopping. I passed along people minding my own business until I saw her.

“She’s not my problem.” My words rang in my ear. I’m right, she’s not my problem so why do I care? “Because you know that she needs help and that’s all you know how to do is help people. You always do.” Well then, glad I can answer my own questions. I stood a few feet away from her and watched. Her head sunk between her legs and she looked a mess. A brown paper bag dangled from her hand and I heard small sniffling noises. Her hair was messy and her shoes lay beside her. I hesitated to walk up to, but of course I did anyway. I sat down next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched away and looked up at me. Her makeup was smeared all over her face and her mascara was running down with her tears. I tried to wipe them away but she scooted back away from me. I noticed she was shivering, so I took my jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. I took the paper bag from her hand and she yanked it back.

“That’s not yours! Leave it alone!” She tucked it under her arm and stood up. She threw my jacket back at me and stumbled off. I rubbed my face and stood to follow her.

“Please wait.” I said quietly. She stopped and waited for me to say something else. I watched her dumbfounded because I didn’t think she would actually stop. “I, uhm, can we talk?”

“Are you going to talk that slow the whole time? Because I definitely don’t have time for that.” She said harshly.

“Listen all I want to do is help you because you can tell that you definitely need someone, but I’m not going to if you’re gonna be rude all the time.” I replied.

“Darnit!” she snapped her fingers. “I guess I just won’t get help from you now will I?” She started to walk away again. “I’m pretty sure I’ve said many times that I don’t need help.”

“What’s in the bag?” I held my hand out waiting for her to accept it and sit down with me, but she never did. I awkwardly let my hand drop and waited for an answer.

“Nothing for you. God, you are so nosey and you never leave me alone! Do you just come searching for me or something?”

“No, actually I don’t. You just seem to be everywhere I am. I do tend to walk around this town a lot and it’s seems that you are always somewhere sitting on a sidewalk.” She rolled her eyes and my phone rang. I picked it up and Louis was on the other line.

“Hey, we are all going out for dinner tonight, wanna come?” he asked.

“Uhm, not tonight. Sorry.” I replied.

“Eh it’s cool. Don’t worry too much about that girl.” I looked up and saw her playing with her fingers.

“Yeah, I won’t. Bye.” I hung up the phone and put it back in my pocket. I stood awkwardly and placed my hands in my coat pockets and started to hum. I looked at the street and watched all the people walk by.

“Why are you still here?” She asked. I looked back over at her and walked past her to the bench. After I got comfortable I shrugged my shoulders.

“I’m waiting for you to tell me what’s in the bag.”

“Just go home, this is a waste of both of our time. I’m sure you have better stuff to do.”

“Actually, no. I’m free all night.” I started to hum again and tap my finger on the bench. I heard her sigh and she sat on the ground with her side to me, looking out at the street. She started to shiver again. I went to sit next to her and I placed my jacket around her again. Every time I tried to look her in the eyes she moved her head a little so I couldn’t. “Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?” I asked hesitantly. She nodded her head yes, this time not getting defensive. I could tell she was tired and worn out. “Let me walk you?” This time she shook her head no. She rubbed her eye with her hand and looked at me. He face was sunken in and she was fragile and broken down. I knew exactly what was in the bag. “Are you going to sleep in a bed tonight, or some sidewalk?” She narrowed her eyes at me and bit her lip.

“I have a house. I sleep there every night.” She was getting defensive again.

“And you’re lying. My friend Milan found you asleep just a few blocks away from the coffee shop this morning.”

“Milan is the girl with the darker boy? The one who called for you last night?”

“Yes, the darker boy, his name is Zayn.”

“And the other couple that was at the coffee shop?”

“Kalandra and Louis.”

“And the one with the blonde hair and the Irish accent, and the girl next to him?”

“That would be Niall and Juliana.”

“The other couple with you that night?”

“Liam and Samyy.”

“Why did you guys help me that night?” She looked away from me and started picking at her fingers again. She seemed to be scratching her hand as well. I seprated her hands and placed them by her side.

“They were trying to rape you, I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

“They could have killed you easily.”

“They were drunk, I could have won easily.” I waited till she looked at me again to continue. “Plus, Zayn is quite the fighter.”

“The darker one? But he wasn’t there?”

“They were right across the street.” I shook the thought out of my head of what would have happened if I wouldn’t have helped her. “Enough about me though. Let’s talk about you.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She stood up and handed me my jacket.

“Wait, two questions.” She stopped and looked back at me. “What did you do to the stuff in the bad, I already know what’s in it, but what did you do?”

“Next question?” she asked ignoring my first one.

“What’s your name?”

“Belle.” She said and walked away. She stopped and kept her back towards me. “You can’t save everyone.”  She said so quietly that I could barely hear it.

“But I can always try.” I replied and watched her turn the corner and disappear.