DEEP END // Harry Styles

Die for Me

A/N: Hi guys, sorry for taking forever to update this book. I had been freelancing for the past year while doing my MA in Creative Writing. I did a lot of ghostwriting which left no time to write my own thing. But good news is that I finally graduated and I'm starting my new job tomorrow in editorial at a publisher in London, so I can finally go back to writing my own thing again, which is exciting! Thank you for waiting and enjoy the chapter!

A million thoughts ran through Harry's mind when Maggie took him to her home. It was an old block of flats near Shadwell station. Hers was the door numbered 27 on the ground floor.

"I hope she's awake now," Maggie said as she unlocked the door. There was light coming out of the room at the end of the hallway, and Maggie beckoned Harry to follow. The flat was cold and wet, with muddy boot prints on the wooden floor, but it didn't make any difference since both Harry and Maggie were soaked from the rain anyway.

"Oh, you're awake," Maggie said as she entered the room. "Harry is here to see you, dear."

When Harry stepped in, Ezi's blue eyes pinned him to the spot. She was sitting on the bed in Maggie's funky rainbow t-shirt; her forehead and arms were bruised. Maggie had told Harry that Ezi had fallen from the bridge, and honestly, he had imagined worse, so this was quite a big relief. He did wonder how Maggie had managed to dive in and save her, but that was a question for later.

"Hi, Ezi. How are you feeling?" There was no response or reaction, so he continued, "I was very worried when I heard. I'm glad you're safe now."

Still nothing. Just two hollowed eyes staring at him like they didn't speak the same language.

"I'll leave you two alone," Maggie said.

It was then that Ezi spoke. "Get out. No, not you, Maggie. You can stay. I don't want him here."

Harry's gaze jumped to Maggie, who was now half a step out of the door. She slowly looked up, eyes locked with his.

He didn't know what he was expecting, for her to say something, maybe? He wished she would defend him and try to convince Ezi to just hear him out. But Maggie only stared back, helpless, as if saying, 'Maybe you should go.'

But you fucking asked me to come here, Harry wanted to say, but he clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

Ezi still refused to meet his eyes. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and an agonising look on her face. It was at this moment that Harry thought about her falling into the dark water, her struggling to swim, drowning and helpless against the currents for the first time in her life. She must have been so scared. He wished he'd been there. He would have jumped in and tried to save her.

"Ezi--"

"What did I say?" she snapped. "Get the hell out or I'll start screaming and the neighbours will come. Maybe they'll even call the police." She whipped her head to Maggie with a threatening glare. "You wouldn't want the police to knock on your door, right?"

Maggie tugged gently at Harry's soaked sleeve. "M-Maybe you should go outside for a bit."

But Harry was impatient. He shrugged off Maggie and strode over to the bed, and Ezi recoiled and gripped the duvet tightly to her chest, an alarmed look on her face as he sat down on the edge of it and reached for her. She didn't think he meant any harm, did she?

"Hey, listen." Carefully, he placed his hand on her knee and felt her stiffen against his touch. He hated this. What had he done? "Ezi, please hear me out."

"I've heard enough," she hissed. "My sister tried to kill me, my queendom is in danger, and now I can't go home. Are you happy now?"

"Of course not. How could you say that?"