Hired for Harry Styles (EDITING)

Chapter 27

Harry's POV

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I waited until Milly was plugged into her phone and bobbing her head along to the music playing from her head of before I asked Grace about her dad.

"I know this probably isn't a great time to ask but you know what El was saying about your Dad.." I trailed off as I heard Grace sigh beside me.

"Um," she began and looked rather panicked, I saw her blue eyes dart around.

"You don't have to tell me.." I said, but inside I was praying that she would. I wouldn't say that I was being nosy, just..considerate. I felt that if she had told El she should be able to tell me.

"No, that would be unfair." I stayed quiet as she thought how to start. "Um, you have probably realised that I haven't really mentioned my Dad before." she kept her voice quiet and constantly glanced behind her to see if Milly was listening.

I nodded and let her continue.

"Well, uh, I don't know how else to say it," she paused again and I patiently waited silently, "he- we, we didn't really spend much time together, the four of us as a family, because he was always on his own, in the loft which was kind of like 'his room'." I kept nodding, showing her that I was paying attention. She seemed calm, the stuttering only coming from her thinking of how to say it. "And, well, as I'm sure you could figure, it didn't really turn out very well, you know? But anyway, long story short, he came home one day and said that he'd been diagnosed with, uh, bipolar disorder." my eyes widened as she said it.

"I'm sorry," I said but she shook her head firmly.

"It's fine," she paused again and stared out the window for a while. I placed my hand on her knee and rubbed it encouragingly.

"He tried to spend more time with us but he would get so sad at times and it didn't mix with me and Mills lives. Like at school, we'd always be told, Milly especially, that we seemed more quiet and we'd be asked if we were feeling upset, you know, the usual." she stopped again and placed her hand on top of mine, playing with one of the rings on my finger. "So we had to do something about it and my mum had been searching and searching about what could help, and the same thing kept coming up, which was go on lots of outings and holidays. I'm guessing it would just take your mind off everything and leave it in peace."

"Mm," I agreed, nodding along.

"But obviously we didn't have the money to keep going out places so we all made the decision that he would go on his own, just him and a work friend." she sighed and let go of my hand, turning to out face the window again. "And now he never really comes home often, but when he does we all get..I don't know..scared? I suppose, because we just don't know if he's better or not." Grace finished by turning my was with a sad smile on her face.

I sighed and tried to think what to reply with.

"I don't really know what to say." I decided to be honest with her. "But thank you for telling me that," I sent her an encouraging smile, "it's really brave of you and I respect that," I squeezed her leg again, "and I'm going to try as hard as I can to help you fill the missing piece that your dad has left."

"Harry, you can't go and get my dad back." Grace was forceful with her words but it didn't anger me. I nodded before replying.

"I'm not going to try and get your dad back." I took a deep breath. "I can be that missing piece."

Grace stayed silent after I had spoken and I focused on the road. A few seconds later, however, I felt Grace's lips on my cheek.

She kissed the skin just next to my ear and said, "thank you Harry. It means a lot. It really does." she nodded and smiled at me.

"Aww!!" We were both surprised when Milly interrupted our little moment. "You two are so cute!" She fangirled behind us. Milly's comedic timing was just spot on for everything. I could tell she was a confident girl, not scared to speak her mind.

"How much of that did you hear?" Grace asked, playing it off as a joke but I could tell she was a little worried.

"Huh?" Milly questioned, pulling one earbud out. Phew.

"Don't worry." Grace said swivelling back to face the front again.

"I have to tweet about this." Milly whispered to herself, making Grace and I both laugh.

"Oh, oh, turn it up, I love this song!" Milly exclaimed, ripping her other headphone out and pointing towards the radio player in between Grace and I. We both reached out at the same time and our fingers fumbled with the volume button.

"Sorry," I said shyly.

"You concentrate on driving." Grace tutted me and turned up the radio and I laughed when I realised that it was 'Story Of My Life' playing.

Milly started dancing in the back, making me laugh and Grace turn away in embarrassment.

"SING IT NIALL!" Milly screamed as Niall's final solo came on.

...

We parked in a multi-story car park and I quickly checked that there was no one outside before opening my door and stepping out. A bitter cold wind hit me and I felt myself pulling my coat tighter round my body.

"You ready?" I stuck my head back into the car once I'd rushed to collect our ticket.

Grace and Milly both nodded and clambered out the car.

"Where are we going first?" Milly excitedly asked, bouncing along beside Grace and I.

"Where ever you want to go, me and Harry were here yesterday." Grace replied, chuckling at her younger sister.

"Can we go in Chanel?" Milly asked and Grace pulled a very attractive confused face.

"Why on earth would you want to shop in Chanel Milly? The most expensive shop you've been in is H&M." Grace protested.

"Oh no, I'm not there to buy anything. I just want to take a picture of the sign for my instagram," she explained, tapping away at her phone, "because then I will look all posh and rich and stuff," Grace cringed, looking a mixture of confused and disgusted, "and it will also go with my theme so, you know, we're killing two birds with one stone here!"

Grace rolled her eyes and chose not to reply but I was finding it all funny.

"I apologise about my freak of a sister, Harry." Grace turned to me as she spoke, louder than normal making sure that Milly could hear also.

"Bet your so glad I invited her to come along." I whispered to Grace, smiling widely but I got a soft punch on the arm in reply.

I held onto Grace's hand as we stepped out of the lift, keeping Milly close to my side, too, just incase there was anyone waiting for us. Milly seemed too off in her own world to notice so I let her carry on taking in the wonders of London.

"I haven't been here since the lights have been up." Milly breathed, lifting up her phone to take a picture of the Christmas lights.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I nudged Milly's side. 

"Pretty awesome, yeah."