Always A Pleasure || H.S. [COMPLETE]

Fifty-Nine

As Harry dug through the new stack of mail that Harris had brought him that morning, he came across an envelope that was made out to Katherine with her previous address on it, which was forwarded to the flat. His stomach turned violently when he noticed the return address was from Rikers Island. The author— Roger Mason.

Oh, hell no.

Was her piece of shit father writing to her now? What in the actual fuck could he possibly have to say to her?

The feeling of absolute dread overwhelmed Harry. He wanted to protect Katherine from her drunk, abusive father, but knew he needed to give her the letter. He couldn't keep it from her. Or could he? He could shred it and pretend that he never saw the goddamn thing. It would be for her own good.

"Harry," he heard as Katherine flitted into the kitchen, startling him, causing him to drop the envelope.

It felt like slow motion as he watched it fall to the floor.

"Katherine," he said, a little too breathy for his liking.

She walked up to him and began to bend over to pick up the letter for him, but he stopped her.

"No, no. I've got it, angel," he said, quickly snatching it up from the floor.

"What is that?" Katherine asked carefully.

Harry looked up to see the apprehension plaguing all of her features and he knew she had seen the return address.

"I-I... I wanted to prepare you for this first. Before I showed it to you," he said, letting out a deep sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Is that from my father?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly.

Just the sight of her falling apart over the idea of a letter from him had Harry's chest tightening with anxiety. Fuck. Why did her father have to do this? She was doing so well without him.

"Katherine, you don't have to read it if you don't want to. You can just throw it away, or-or put it away somewhere if you want," he offered.

"No. I'm gonna read it. Why wouldn't I read it?" She told him firmly, holding her hand out for it.

Harry sucked in a breath before placing it in the palm of her hand. Roger fucking Mason, fucking his daughter's life up even from prison. The hits just never stopped coming.

"Why does he matter to you?" Harry asked, honestly curious for an answer.

"He's my father," she told him firmly.

Harry didn't understand it. Both of their father's were the worst type of men. The bottom of the barrel. Scum of the earth. Just because it was their father's sperm that knocked up their mother's, didn't somehow make them worthy of any ounce of their respect. The only reason his father was in his life was because of Styles Enterprises. If it weren't for that, that toxic piece of shit would have been cut out of his life years ago.

"That's not justifiable," Harry told her as the need to protect her from her monster of a father swelled inside of him.

Katherine looked puzzled by his words and it caused him to question what kind of thoughts were going through her mind.

"I don't have to justify it," she told him firmly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Katherine," Harry sighed as she turned away from him and sliced open the top of the letter with her finger.

She walked toward the couch in the living room before sitting down on it as she pulled out the singular piece of paper that was inside. Harry walked to her as he watched her read it, hoping like hell it was a notice to tell her that her father had fucked off and died in prison. Best case scenario.

"He... he wants me to come visit him," Katherine relayed, looking up at Harry. Fuck. Worst case scenario.

"Absolutely not," Harry scoffed, shaking his head furiously. There was no fucking way he was going to let her walk into Rikers fucking Island to visit that man. No way.

"Harry— What?" She scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No fucking way, Katherine. Hell no," he said sternly as he began to pace the floor in front of her, anxiously tugging his bottom lip between his fingers.

"Good thing you don't control me, huh?" She snapped as she stood up from the couch, her eyes narrowed angrily at him.

Harry instantly stopped pacing to shoot her a look of absolute astonishment. Where did that attitude come from? And why the fuck was she so emotionally connected to that man after everything he had done to her? It was like some sort of emotional conditioning bullshit. Absolute brainwashing.

Her father beat the shit out of her for years and yet, there she was, ready to fight the man who was completely devoted to her just to defend that mother fucker.

"It's my choice if I want to go see my father or not," Katherine told him firmly.

"And do you want to?" He snapped, feeling anger and annoyance festering inside of him. Not because of her, but because of that living breathing pile of shit she called a father.

"I don't know," she said quietly as she bit her fingernail and began to anxiously pace the floor.

"Look what he's already doing to you and you haven't even gone to see him. It's not a good idea, mon ange. What has he done to deserve anything from you?" Harry questioned, wanting her to actually take time to come up with an honest answer to his question.

"Harry..." She squeaked, shaking her head.

"He's not worthy of you, angel. He has done nothing but make your life hell. I could kill him for what he did to you," Harry growled through his teeth.

"He says he's sober... and-and that he plans on staying sober when he gets out. He's going through the steps," Katherine said in a near whisper.

"What the fuck does that matter? Doesn't change who the fuck he is or who he was," Harry erupted.

"He's never been sober. Not in my whole life," she said, looking into Harry's eyes and he noticed tears threatening to fall.

"Oh, mon ange. Do not cry over that man," Harry cooed as he immediately crossed the room to comfort her.

"Maybe... maybe this is... maybe he has changed. He's never been sober... not in twenty-five years," Katherine said hopefully and it tore apart Harry's insides. She was getting her hopes up over a man that never once gave a fucking shit about her.

"Katherine, mon ange. Please," Harry pleaded as he tugged her into his arms, "Please do not get your hopes up. I don't want you to get hurt."

"He's my father," she breathed quietly.

"He's not worthy of the title," Harry murmured before leaving a kiss on her temple.