Stockholm Syndrome // h.s

chapter nine

"I'm so sorry Harry," I say, genuinely meaning it. He fiddled with his hands and didn't reply to my comment.

Harry revealed the so much about his past to me. He told me all he could manage concerning his ex-wife, and honestly there was not a doubt in my mind that he was saying the compete and utter truth. I saw him as a completely different person. He was no longer the evil person that took me against my will and treated me horribly. He was a person, a real person that has gone through hell and didn't know how to start over again and live a normal life. I felt so much sympathy for him; he had something absolutely cruel happen to him. He was completely in love with someone that just used him for money.

I now completely understood why he had taken me captive, why he was so upset when he found out I was trying to escape yet again and his daily nightmares. All the pieces were falling together and I hate to admit it but I was starting to care for Harry's feelings.

I stood there looking at Harry, his eyes were bloodshot, his hair was still wet from his shower and his lips were frowning while he looked at the floor. He looked so broken, so effected by his past that it haunted him every day. All I wanted to do was fix his man standing in front of me, to bring the broken pieces of his heart back together again, to make him whole. I didn't know how to fix a broken person but I would, Harry deserved it after all he had been through.

I moved closer to Harry and brought by arms around his still wet body and gave him a hug. At first he looked at me in shock, not expecting me to react this way, but soon enough his strong arm enveloped me in a strong hug. For the first time since Harry had brought me to his house I felt safe. His arms felt protective and inviting. I'll never leave if he keeps holding me this way.

***

Things have honestly been completely different between Harry and I after he told me about his dark past. Usually I stayed in my room all day and only came out when Harry demanded me to, but now I actually spent time with him because I wanted to. Harry still locks my door at night and when he is out, but I understand why. He needs me or at least someone and so he can't afford for me to escape. He was actually a pleasant person to be around and I was mad at myself because I had never realized that before. I had never spent the time trying to figure him out, or get to know him; my mind was too clouded by anger and hatred to even try.

That night Harry and I eat dinner together at the table. He had brought pizza home after being out for a while.

"Harry, where do you go every day?" I ask.

"Well isn't it obvious? I have a job, I don't know how in the world I would pay for food and others things every day if I didn't." I look down at the pizza, by cheeks heating up with embarrassment. I felt so stupid for not being able to realize something as simple as that. Harry immediately noticed I was blushing, he tilting my head up so we were looking right at one another.

"Don't be embarrassed darling, especially around me. Okay?"

"Okay," I said with a slight smile.

Derek's (Belle's brother) POV

I sat down at the dinner table impatiently waiting for my father to arrive. I had decided to come to my parent's home for the weekend and catch up with them before going back to my apartment. Coming back really wasn't the same as it used to be. Belle's absence really had an effect on me and I missed her dearly. I still resented my father for being so harsh on her and practically throwing her on the streets with nothing. Just the fact that he was late for dinner made me very annoyed, he was lucky I even still kept in contact with him so the least he could do was show up for family dinners on time.

I finally hear the front door open and my father walks in with a leather satchel on his shoulder and a big binder of papers in the other hand. He casually waves to me with his free hand; I return it with an icy glare. He sets down all of his work and then joins my mom and I at the table.

"Hello Derek, it is very nice to see you," he said. I replied with a nod, already regretting coming to this dinner.

"How was your day at work honey?" My mom asked my father.

"It was great; the students in my class are really coming along."

"Good, and Derek how is work?"

"Fine I guess," I reply to my mom being very bored with the conversation. Our family has never been the same since Belle left; we actually used to be a very close and loving family. Now we could barely speak five words to each other without it becoming awkward.

***

After dinner was over I helped my mom carry the dishes into the kitchen. My father had already left to go into his study upstairs not bothering to help either of us clean the dishes. After the last dish was clean I decided to go upstairs and look at the room I used to live in. On the way I pasted my father's office. The door was slightly ajar and I saw that his computer was on but he was nowhere to be found. I slowly entered the room and moved towards the keyboard, curious as to what he was up to.

The first thing I saw was a document containing the notes to lecture he was giving. I skimmed over it not really giving a second thought to the boring lecture.

I then clicked on the internet tab and saw his email inbox. I glanced behind my back, worried that my father had appeared without me noticing. Seeing that no one was behind me I start scrolling through the emails and saw nothing of real purpose. Just as I was about to get off his computer and venture to my room I saw an email that stood out. It was Belle's email address!

I was about to click on the email and figure out why she was even emailing my father, but I heard the toilet flushing and the sound of washing hands. I quickly opened the lecture document and ran out of the room just in time, my father was just coming out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing up here, son?" my father ask.

"I just wanted to visit my old room," I said, trying to pretend that I hadn't been in his office just seconds before.

"Oh okay, just make sure you talk to me before you leave."

"Okay."

I was going to figure out why my father was receiving and sending to Belle. I was hurt that he didn't tell me that he was contacting her and I wanted to see what was so important that he had to hide it. For all I knew Belle was only reaching out to him because she was in trouble. Whatever it was I was going find out.