𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃 // 𝐇.𝐒.

61!

Chapter 61

Harry was right.

The people in this safe house and the Angelos were viewing me in a new light. To put it in his words, they were kissing the ground I walked on. I was receiving attention and praise when I hadn't done much and I wasn't sure how to accept that.

For the past four days since I learned the Angelos were on their way to protect my mom, I've been going along with it.

"Jo!" A group of young teenage girls shouts my name when I enter the training room. Harry follows behind me.

In front of the girls, Eileen stands in workout gear. Her blonde hair is tied up into a ponytail and she wears a big smile. "I told you, girls, she'd make it," says Eileen since she had personally invited me to watch her self-defense class.

I finally wave, saying hi to the excited girls. I don't even know their names. "I hope you don't mind. I brought Alex with me," I say, looking back at Harry. He half-smiles because I had to cut time for the two of us short.

"Who?" Eileen continues to tease him. "Oh, Alan. Yeah, that's fine. Have a seat! We were just about to begin."

I smile and look up at Harry when he scoffs. I take his hand, pulling him along when I find an empty spot on a blue matt for us to sit on.

"Why are we here again?" Harry asks when he sits next to me. While Eileen begins to talk to her group of young girls, Harry leans in even closer. He then whispers, "We should be breaking in our new room."

I grin, linking my arm with his as he talks about the new room I ended up asking Eileen for. She made it happen after seeing the way people would crowd our bunk bed in the mornings just for a chance to talk to me. That's how much has changed in four days. "Because... she invited me to watch. Least I can do, right?"

"But I miss you," he mumbles.

"You see me every day," I whisper with a soft grin before I find myself leaning towards his lips. I kiss him softly because I miss him just as much regardless of what I said.

"Loverboy," Eileen calls Harry with a devious grin. "Would you like to volunteer?"

"No," he strictly responds and it makes her students giggle.

"Don't you want to be a part of teaching the young girls of tomorrow how to defend themselves? Surely, you aren't afraid I'll kick your ass."

I shake my head, about to tell her we only came to watch but Harry stands up. He rolls up the sleeves of his black crewneck and makes his way to the front with Eileen. He then heaves a sigh, making it known he isn't thrilled to be up there.

"Ladies, please give a nice warm welcome to Alan," says Eileen, and I can't help but slip out a laugh over his reaction.

I clap my hands as I allow myself to be amused over what I'm about to see.

"Imagine you're walking down the street," Eileen begins to paint a picture for the young girls. "and you see some scary man follow you. What do you do?"

"Run and scream for help?" answers one of the girls.

"Call the police," answers another.

"Wrong and wrong!" Eileen begins to pace as if she's teaching a lecture.

"Then what should we do, Ms. Eileen?"

"That's a good question, Gabby. What should we do?" When she stops pacing, she then looks at me. "What do you think we should do, Joelle D'Amore?"

And just like that, the young girls have turned to me as they wait for my take on the situation. But I shrug.

A scary man followed me once and then I slept with him. I can't say that out loud, of course.