Grey Area (Harry Styles)

IV

IV

SITTING IN HIS AUDI R8, I stared at Harry. He either didn't have the sense of me watching him, or he didn't bother to look at me, which one it was I wasn't sure. His curls were unranged, pushed back in a sleek style, light stubble growing on his jaw line. Harry didn't have perfect skin, not by any means, but I always loved that because it made him more human.

However I wasn't sure if he was human anymore. I decided to give him a chance, what did I have to lose? I didn't have much in this city, Harry was the tree that I held on from, from falling down a cliff of despair. But the more miles we rode, the more I began to overthink it.

Harry and I got into a relationship fast. Too fast for anyone's liking. The truth was, from the moment I met Harry in front of my favourite artwork by Fran, the moment he gave me small talk, he was all I could think about. And I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. The instant my best friend told me she was leaving London for a few months, Harry was all that was left. I didn't want him to leave me too, so I decided it was time to take it further than just friends.

"You seem unsettled," Harry sternly spoke, changing gears. "You'll get used to all this, I promise, darling."

I scratched the back of my neck. "I don't know if I will, Harry."

"You'll have to if you want to survive in my world."

"You told me I would be safe by your side."

"And you will be," he nodded, giving me a smile. "But if you even think of going to the police about this, I will cut your toes off."

I gulped and furrowed my eyebrows, giving him an outraged look. Did he really just tell me that?

He instantly knew he was out of line and sighed. "Darling, I-I - I get caught up in it sometimes. I didn't mean it -"

"Leave it."

We past down some more roads, driving past the rows of houses, the many pedestrians who sauntered by. All of them were normal, like I was, like I am. Finally we came to my destination, my flat that was shared with two other, unbearable people.

Harry parked the car nicely on the sidewalk. However the car doors stayed locked, hinting me he had something to announce.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"I thought you ran the West," I muttered, ignoring his statement. His eyebrow raised in confusion. "Clapton is North. Isn't there a rule you can't be on someone else's territory, or is that just fiction?"

He laughed; didn't expect him, neither did I want him to. I was bitter, bitter that what I thought was perfection turned out to be the opposite.

"Oh, sweetheart," he chuckled, clearly finding it too funny. "I have a good alliance with the North. Not so much with the South. I'm allowed to be here, unless I vandalize their property or something worse than that."

I could feel he was taking it easy with his words, especially after what he told me, which was completely out of his character; well the one I knew well.

I made no effort to look him in the eye. "Alright."

"It's been all arranged with."

"What has?"

He licked his lips, annoyed that I was being slow today with catching on. "What happened last night. I called Henry up, explained the situation -"

I shifted, looking at Harry. "Explained the situation, did you?"

"A situation," he corrected himself. "It doesn't matter what I said, but I want you to know it's resolved."

I nodded in response, and looked out ahead again.

"I'll call you."

Harry then handed me my phone. The black sleek device had slipped my mind in the last 24 hours. They must have grabbed it when they kidnapped me. I accepted it and put in my pocket.

"You do that."

The car door unlocked, and I opened it stepping out. Turning around, I watched Harry drive off in a loud, obnoxious sound. Maybe he has really wealthy parents, was the first thing that popped in my mind back in October when I saw he rode those kinds of cars.

"Wealthy parents my ass," I mumbled, as I made my journey to the front door of my flat.

Without keys, as I left them at "Films For You" in my own locker, in the back next to my Co-Workers moldy food and stacked movies, I knocked hard on my front door. My mood had been shifted, trampled on and I was beyond indecisive.

"I'm coming, for crying out loud!" I heard Valery scream at the top of her lungs, the door being unlocked before opening.

Her eyes turned into disappointment then to aggravation when she saw me.

"Do you not have a bloody key?" she snapped at me, as I walked past her. "You probably woke up Rick!"

I rolled my eyes as I maneuvered to the kitchen, Valery not done stalking me. I crouched down as I opened the fridge, reaching my small section of it. Quickly grabbing a water bottle, I mumbled, "I left my bag at 'Films For You' accidently."

"Well that isn't very smart, is it?"

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," I remarked quietly, as I strolled past her towards my room; the only place where Valery could not bother me anymore.

/

Rolling over my bed, I stared at my digital clock.

4:23 AM

I could feel anxiety, all of it. I could feel it wash through me, from my head to toe, but not once, but multiple times; over and over again. A cycle that won't break, a fire that won't burn out, a waterfall that has no end.

There was so much processing through my head. I deprived myself from Harry's texts that he sent me, one after the other, each becoming more impatient with my ignorance and "act of defiance" as he told me in the latest one. When I got home I couldn't face Henry, not after the robbery and what happened. Edward purred into my side, but even he didn't make me smile. I just needed myself to make decisions, but I realized that I couldn't do this on my own.

Rolling back over, I grabbed my phone quickly going to my contacts. I pressed the one I hadn't called in a while, whether it was because I was too stubborn to be the first to call or maybe I was just to frustrated to.

"Fran, please, please pick up," I begged quietly, tears slipped onto my pillowcase, traces of mascara being found. "Please."

In a matter of seconds, the voice that I dreaded filled my ears.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service."

I squeezed my eyes shut and I swore I could hear my heart rip. My heart was already sore from the deceit, from the fact I was being blinded by someone who I absolutely loved, I wasn't sure if I could handle this.

I dialed the number another three times; then once more for good luck. It was then I realized, sitting on my lousy bed, in a 2x2 room, that maybe I did need Harry in order to survive. With Fran crossed out, Harry was the last person there.

Harry was always there for me and I was always there for him. Maybe it was a twisted situation, maybe I was twisted for thinking I could handle something like it. But maybe I needed something twisted to help me out of this state.