DEFENDER [hs]

Chapter 34

This chapter goes over a very heavy topic. So here is a little trigger warning.

If you're going through any of this, just know you are loved and enough. 

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"Take a second, and breathe."

I woke up from a night of deep sleep to the sounds of horns blaring. My eyelashes fluttered open as I regain consciousness. The honking came from the busy streets across the streets. For a minute I completely forgot I was waking up in a very busy city. 

I stretched and looked around the room. The sunrise plastered the room with rays of orange and yellow tint adding warmness into the room. The soft white sheets under me were crumpled.

Groaning, I laid back down in bed and let my thoughts race through my head. Everything was incredibly overwhelming. For so long, life was enjoyable and easy-going. But now everything is fast-paced and I can't seem to catch a breath. Even though I've always wanted to be here in one of the most beautiful cities, right now I didn't want to. Not under the current circumstances.

All I want is to walk freely in the streets, shop for unnecessary shit, and live the life that everyone should have. But I get why Harry is skeptical. It's unsafe for either of us. 

I slowly forced myself out of bed and made my way into one of the fanciest bathrooms I've ever seen. It had brown marbled tabletops and fancy sink faucets. Two fancy sink faucets. His and Hers. An hour and a half later I had finished bathing and brushing. I head out and rumbled through my suitcase finding anything to wear. I decided on a blue overall. 

My fingers pulled back the massive curtains allowing beams of sunlight to gush in. The streets were busy and people were everywhere. People were having their morning coffees, people walking their dogs, and even tourists taking pictures of anything they think is historical.

I made the bed and head out the door. The house was exceedingly quiet. My feet carried me towards the kitchen, then up a few flights of stairs. Harry was nowhere to be found. Did he leave? I walked around the house and got lost a couple of times. The upstairs was way bigger than the downstairs. I was still trying to get used to the castle he lived in. 

I climbed another set of stairs when I heard sounds almost like grunting. My eyebrows creased in confusion and I made my way into the room where the noises were coming from. When I open the door, I don't see him inside. I step in further, spotting a shirtless Harry behind a machine as he wipes his face with his shirt. 

Harry couldn't hear me come in as he had his headphones in. I decided to observe from a distance as he picks up some boxing gloves and put them on. He steps up to a punching bag and makes sure it's steady before bringing his fist up and slams into it. 

For some reason, my insides are in a billion pieces as I watch him effortlessly punch the bag repeatedly. His muscles were contracting, his breath was heavy and his forehead was glistering in sweat in the most non-disgusting way possible. I try not to stare for as long as possible but I simply couldn't tear my eyes away. How could someone have such attractive looks but can be the biggest dick sometimes? 

Not wanting to draw attention I made my way out and started walking away until my foot got caught in the awkwardly shaped foot of a table that had a purple vase on it. I lost balanced and fell which also sent the vase tumbling down. "Shit." I screeched out in pain. The vase shattered into pieces. I seriously hoped that it wasn't an important vase or even an urn. I would feel terrible. My eyes fixed on my reddened ankle as I removed it from the foot of the table. It looked twisted.