play family [harry styles] book 2

twenty-nine

Amanda

Riverside Correctional Facility

I took a deep breath as I walked inside the building and to the front desk.

I knew I probably shouldn't be here, but I knew that I needed closure.

The man at the desk looked up at me expectantly, waiting for me to give him the name of the person I was here to see.

"Jordan Styles."

After a few minutes, they led me back to a room where other people were visiting as well, and they brought her out.

"Hi, Jordan." I said, looking at her through the glass.

"What do you want?"

To be honest, I didn't exactly know. There were so many things I wanted to say and get off of my chest, so I knew I had to say something.

"I want you to know that I'm sorry," I told her, and I could see her face twist with confusion. "I'm sorry that you can't have children, I'm sorry that Harry cheated on you, I'm sorry that I ruined your marriage, and I'm sorry that he doesn't love you..."

"But you know what I'm not sorry for?" I grinned, as she looked at me carefully. "I'm not sorry that I have a beautiful child and another on the way. I'm not sorry that I love Harry with everything in me, and I know deep down he does too. And I'm not sorry that you're going to sit here, for years after what you did to us."

She sat back, glaring at me for a while before she started to smirk.

"Are you trying to convince yourself of something, Amanda?" She inquired, but I could hear the hint in her voice. "I'm sure Harry's having... a little trouble processing some things I bet?" She laughed, and I thought back how distant Harry was being, and wondered if maybe she she had said something to him...

"Did you... say something to him that day?"

"I think that's between Harry and I now isn't it?" She chuckled. "I know Harry, Amanda. All you have to do is plant an idea in his head... and boom, he self sabotages..."

"You don't have any power over us anymore." I declared, and she just laughed again.

"Oh but I do," she chided, leaning towards the wall that separated us. "And I always will."

"Well it's a good thing you'll be in here to rot." I spat and she narrowed her eyes at me.

I hated the fact that even though she was sitting here, behind bars that she really did. At least to an extent. I knew we were always going to have the paranoia and fear... but we'd get through it. Together.

That's what I kept telling myself.

"Goodbye, Jordan." I breathed, standing up and walking away. She didn't say anything else, and I didn't care.

I didn't look back.

-

Josie and I were walking down the hallway of the hospital, her skipping along as she held my hand.

"Slow down, kiddo." I laughed, but really and truly I was just nervous.

We got to Harry's room, and Josie ran in yelling, "Daddy!"

I watched as his face brightened as she tried to jump up on the bed with him

"Josie, be careful." I warned, as Harry helped her navigate around his IV and wires.

"Oh, not it's fine." He grinned, helping Josie onto the bed where she snuggled against him.

"Daddy, I missed you." Josie whispered, as he held onto her, and watching the two of them together made me want to cry.

"I missed you too, Princess." He spoke, and then looked up at me. "Both of you."

So I sat down in the chair beside the bed, watching as Josie and Harry played with Mr. Wiggles, before she ran out of energy and fell asleep in his arms. I looked around and noticed a clipboard on the table; I guess it was an overview of Harry's condition, medications, and other things, but something at the bottom caught my eye.

Release Date: August 31st

That was tomorrow.

I looked up at Harry who was rubbing Josie's back as she slept and I spoke.

"You're being released tomorrow?" I blurted, and he looked over at me, his smile faltering. He coughed, and looked away.

"Yeah..."

"When were you going to tell me?" I spoke angrily, and he sighed, shrugging at the same time, before turning back to me.

"I wanted to, it's just-" He stopped, and looked at me, his eyes boring into mine. "I'm going to be in a wheelchair for six weeks maybe longer, a-and I don't want you wasting your time by taking care of me-"

"Why, Harry?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice low and calm because of Josie. "Why won't you let me help you-"

"Because I'm the reason we're even in this situation!" He exclaimed softly, and then looked down at Josie who was still asleep in his arms. "What happened never should've happened, especially with Josie and- I just... I've caused you both enough pain..."

I thought back to what Renee said in our session and I took a deep breath.

Be there for him, just like he was for you.

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry." I assured him, and he looked up at me with sad eyes. "We're not going anywhere, okay? No matter how much you fight me, I'm going to be here, because I love you..."

When he looked away from me, I could tell that he must've been crying. It broke my heart seeing him like this. To be honest it was kind of new, because he wasn't a crier at all, but it was a different side of him. A good side.

I sat on the edge of the bed and held onto him, pulling him close to me and letting out a sigh of relief.

"You don't always have to be so strong, Harry." I whispered, and he nodded. "I love you... no matter what."

"I love you too." He whispered.

So we sat there, holding each other for a few minutes in silence. It felt like now we both understood each other and silently came to a mutual understanding.

Josie shifted on the bed and yawned, looking up at the two of us. "What's wrong?" She asked quietly, noticing both of our teary eyes.

"Nothing, Princess." He breathed, pulling her to us.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Are you still going to leave us?" She questioned, looking up at him with big green eyes. He looked at her, up at me, and then back to her before he gave her a small smile.

"No, I'm not."

--

🥰
-mel