alive [h.s.]

Chapter 40

double update yay !!

.

Allison's POV

I can't decide if I'm excited or terrified. Everything. Wow. Does that mean, like everything? Oh my God, I don't know if I'm ready for this. The first time he tried to tell me this I told him I didn't want to hear it. I feel like I'm ready now, but what if I'm not. Holy shit. I don't know what to think.

"Everything?" I ask him and he nods.

"Do you want to sit down?"

"Preferably." I nod and Harry takes me to a vacant table.

I'm grateful that the noise level has been reduced because I want to hear every syllable.

I sit across from him and fold my hands in my lap. He takes deep breaths in and out and I can feel my heart rate accelerating, beating so quickly I fear it might burst in my chest.

"Allison." Harry begins, folding his hands on the table. "I want to start off by saying that I love you. Truthfully, I do. The affection I've shown you has been absolutely genuine. I didn't expect that I'd fall in love with you, but I did. Quite quickly I might add." He says and I stare at him intently.

I suddenly take in a deep breath. Holy shit, I'm forgetting to breathe. I don't know how long I was expecting to hold my breath until I passed out. Breathe in and out, Allison. Control yourself.

"But," He continues, "It was no accident that we met. Yes, it was a coincidence that you moved in across the hall, but I was going to start a relationship with you no matter where you lived. You were an imperative component to my work and I had to pursue you."

Ouch. I'll pretend that didn't hurt.

"Honestly Allison, when I met you, I knew more about you then I let on. I knew about Hayden. He's the whole reason I was told to get involved with you."

I furrow my eyebrows. Hayden? What does he have to do with anything?

"I know this will come as a shock to you, but Hayden is a drug addict. He was, even before you met him." Harry says and I gasp, covering my mouth in disbelief. "The reason he stopped funding your education so suddenly is because he was shit broke. He spent whatever he had on drugs and left none for you."

I stare off, away from Harry, trying to pull myself together. That can't be true. Hayden? A drug addict? He never showed any kind of symptoms, I guess. I don't believe it. I mean, it would explain why he kicked me out but I don't want to believe it.

Why wouldn't Harry have told me? "How do you know this? What does it have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that." He says and I nod. "Basically, Hayden got into profound debt because he started buying drugs that he couldn't pay for. He would do I.O.U's and never come up with the money. So, how does this involve you?" He says and takes another deep breath in.

He drops his head in his hands, breathing heavily. I reach across the table and grab his hand. "Harry, please."

He looks back up at me, looking like he's about to fall apart. "Allison, Dylan is a major drug dealer. Probably one of the best and most popular in the state of Florida. The other boys and I work for him. We help him with deliveries and pick up inventory from the producers and things like that."

I gasp again, completely overwhelmed. This isn't happening. This can't be happening. I cover my ears and imagine that I'm somewhere far away from here. Somewhere that everything makes sense. I imagine that I'm alone with Harry, reading shitty jokes off of Laffy Taffy and making love by the fireplace. Just, anywhere but here.