Devil's Due [h.s.]

Chapter 34

**THIS WAS A DOUBLE UPDATE. Read Chapter 33 first!!**

--

Chapter 34

Harry's P.O.V.

I was gonna kill her.

I swear to god, I was actually going to kill River.

"Hold still," I muttered, my hands closing around the towel. The stupid little writhing sack of flesh in my lap wouldn't stop moving. It wouldn't stay still long enough for me to try and dry it off. "You're getting yourself all worked up, idiot. You need to just–"

It sprang from my legs and jumped onto the ground in a flash, darting from the bathroom with a pained cry before I was able to realize what was going on. The towel fell from my lap as I stumbled after it, almost tripping over my feet to catch up to the little demon.

"Fuckin' hell," I breathed, stepping into River's bedroom and giving it a quick once over before dropping onto my knees and checking underneath the bed. Nothing. This stupid cat was nowhere to be found.

God only knew why I was even doing this shit in the first place. It wasn't my fault it jumped off my lap. River shouldn't have left it with me, that was on her. Regardless, with a frustrated breath, I got to my feet and went into the living room anyway to continue my search.

"She got away from me," I called out, still with my eyes on the ground. No sign of the thing. "I didn't do anything, it just–"

My words got caught in my throat as I lifted my gaze to River, who was now sitting on the couch. Her leg was bouncing anxiously, and the stupid little runt was on the other side of her, peering over her thigh at me. Hiding.

River's hair had fallen over her shoulders, her expression downcast. It was like she hadn't even heard me come in. I took a few tentative steps forward, wincing slightly upon noticing her guarded and tense stance. In complete juxtaposition to how she'd been only a few minutes prior.

"River," I said quietly, taking in her profile from the side. Studying the way her chest rose and fell with even breaths.

Something inside her snapped. Her head lifted and she sucked in a small breath, turning to look at me – as if she'd only just now realized I was standing there. It was hard not to balk at her expression. It was the same one she'd carried on her face the ride home yesterday after the event.

And just like yesterday, I had no fucking clue what to do.

"Sorry," she said softly, running a hand over her face. "I just... got distracted. Got thinking."

This wasn't normal for me. None of this was. The whole having to keep myself in check, having to deal with the aftermath of the fight alongside another person, trying to read someone else's emotions. I'd never had to.

Whenever this time of the month rolled around, I pulled back. I always got drunk as shit, had a lot of sex, and repressed ­– as River had so annoyingly put it. I usually didn't talk to anyone unless I had to. Morgan and the rest of them knew to leave well enough alone and if they didn't, I lashed out. And it had worked for me so far, meaning I didn't need anyone trying to tell me different.

Which was why this whole thing with River was fucking infuriating. She never knew when to leave shit alone, never listened to what I said, spoke what was on her mind even if she knew it was going to make me mad.

So why did it make me feel so confused and annoyed when she'd always wind up being upset?

I'd left her out here for too long. She'd been dwelling on her thoughts, feeding on the events of yesterday it seemed.