[Neither of them promised forever, yet it hurt all the same.]
River Hamilton cannot afford to fall for just anyone. To continue the legacy of her family the only way she can, she must eventually marry someone she may not want to spend the rest of he...
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H.STYLES
Harry had a few panic attacks in his life but this was not one. Sure, anxiety crippled him to the point where he felt physical pain and had to leave the main event to catch his breath, but this was not a panic attack. Not compared to his previous experiences.
Now, he sat outside as the sun slipped to rest, to paint the sky soft orange and pink, to begin anew somewhere on the other end of the planet. Harry wondered for a moment how strange life would be if he constantly had to move around the globe to be the natural clock of the world, to begin a new day for millions of people. In a way, he supposed, he could relate. His presence at work kept the team together, provided them with someone to almost dictate the rules when they appeared thinned.
Much to Harry's dismay, he couldn't stay with his thoughts long enough. Besides this particular occasion, he would've been grateful for the interruption. Right now, he needed a moment of quiet, a moment of privacy to regain control of his heart, of his breathing, of his nerves that began to chip away at his sanity.
"Hey, why did you leave?" Juliette's curiosity was genuine, though perhaps not in the way Harry wanted to believe. No. If he learnt one thing about this woman it was her constant need to ensure Harry didn't fuck up anything. His words, not hers. Juliette never outright told him to behave in a certain way or do specific things but Harry knew how to read people. Juliette McAllister was not hard to figure out.
"I needed some fresh air," he responded. It was the truth and he was fine to leave it there. The odd dates and other social appearances they shared did not entitle Juliette to know much else about him, but even if it did, Harry wasn't going to open up. His heart raced like it began to run out of time, and his patience wore thin as his palms started to sweat.
"Well, don't take too long," she suggested. The tone of her voice was the indicator of Harry's wrongdoing, the fact that he up and left which may not have given the best impression to people around them. Styles wasn't stupid—he knew that everyone around him followed his every breath because he didn't belong with these people. To them, he was an outsider. "Oh, and one more thing. Did River say anything?"
"Hm?"
Juliette tilted her head. The wind blew the straight strands of her hair everywhere. "River. I saw you two were talking."
"Right."
"Did she say anything?"
Harry felt confused as Juliette pressed on the matter. Was there something River should've told him? As Harry stood face to face with Juliette, he couldn't help but wonder. He didn't like the way in which he was addressed, spoken to like he needed to be told off for something he did wrong.
"No," he answered as he felt the walls close around him, rose higher and higher. "She just asked how I was."
"Why would she do that?" she asked, practically interrogated Harry, and he nearly broke out into a grin. He physically had to bite into his lip to keep it off of his face. What did this woman aim to achieve with these questions? "What?"
