opportunity |H.S|

• twelve •

June 7th

"Duke of Richmond recently attacked, details yet to be disclosed..."

"William Abram spotted leaving Cassel Hospital around 10:30 p.m ..."

"Dorothea Abram, the daughter of the Duke of Richmond, supposedly missing from the party less than two hours after it began..."

"... hasn't been seen since June third..."

"... a mugging may have taken place the night of June third ..."

"... an intruder broke in..."

It didn't take long for photos to be leaked to the media or for news outlets to speculate on what happened the night of the party, everyone wanting to be the first to report on one of the biggest families in England. Photos had surfaced of Father leaving the hospital causing more and more people to question what happened.

It was a given that people were going to find out about him eventually, it's not easy to hide a broken nose and black eye. But already being in the public eye prior, now it just feels like everyone is really watching out every move, waiting for someone to slip any details on what caused all of this.

Gossip spread like wildfire, different rumors floating around as to what happened to Father. People assumed there could have been some sort of break in or maybe Father was mugged when he was alone that night. My name was thrown around in the articles as well, speculation on my whereabouts since people must have seen me leave the party quite early and I never did come back up. Thankfully no one saw the aftermath of that night, no pictures of me with Zayn or Harry released. I don't know what I'd do if any had gotten out, my bruise on full display because no one can see that part of me, not after all I've done to hide it.

It wasn't hard to piece together that Harry was the one who did all the damage to Father as soon as I was able to calm down after being left on the kitchen floor. I replayed everything Father had said to me as I cleaned the glass off the floor.

"Do you see what he did to me?"

"You think he really likes you?"

"He's just using you."

There's not many other people he could have been referring to besides Harry, what other would he want me to stay away from? However as much as Father may have deserved what he got, Harry shouldn't have done that. He went too far. It only made things worse in the end and it wasn't even Fathers fault. I was the one who got in the way, I had it coming.

I don't know why he would even do that to begin with, I don't need him defending me in that way. None of Harry's actions have been making much sense since he arrived here, giving me the cold shoulder then trying to interfere with my conversation with Xavier at the dinner? Bringing me to his house and even then acting like I was just a random girl staying the night until I tried to leave?

It seems as if I can only catch a small glimpse of the warm person I once knew when I'm in more vulnerable situations, any other time he's trying so hard to put up this cold front. Is he trying to push me away now that he's back? Or is he trying to stay away from me? Maybe this is just who he is now, I'm not really sure.

It's been around two years now, I can't keep holding on to what he used to be. Two years can do a lot to a person, old memories and feelings can easily be forgotten within that time frame. People remain a foggy memory whom you occasionally wonder what ever happened to them but never dwell on it for too long because they are just that, the past. I'm not the same person I was all that time ago either so I shouldn't expect for him to be. The Harry who he is now is none of my business just as the Thea I am today is none of his.