CHARITY (harry styles au) [discontinued]

○ two ○

"Why are you staring at me like that, Harold?" Cadence asked, leaning against the side of the building. She withdrew a cigarette and lighter from her coat pocket and placed the nicotine between her red lips. Harry watched as she cupped her hand around the lighter's flame. She look a long drag and let it all out through her nose.

Harry shook himself out of the trance the girl had cast on him and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"I don't know. It's just that... I can't believe I found you here tonight." He said slowly and incredoulously, studying the girl's face. "I guess a whole lots changed since I've seen you last." he shrugged, running his hands through his chocolate curls as a wind blew.

Harry was right. The Cadence that stood before him tonight appeared nothing like the
Cadence he once knew. Better yet, the Cadence he once loved. The girl in front of him looked like she'd seen hell. She wasn't as lively and bright as the Cadence that Harry once knew. Instead, she was somber, ambition-less. Despite the bright yellow lace peeking out of her coat, there was nothing vibrant about the new Cadence.

But Harry knew that his old friend was in there somewhere.

He also knew that the Cadence before him tonight was beautiful, nonetheless. Her black hair was long and wavy, cascading down her shoulders and ending at the cresent of her lower back. Her golden brown skin was dusted with a light glitter and her beautiful body shone shone like a star. Her almond eyes looked tired.

Cadence laughed bitterly at Harry's comment as she took another drag and shook her head.

"You have no idea, Harry." she uttered, a spiteful smile still tugging on the corner of her mouth. She wasn't looking at him. Instead her eyes traveled past the boy, focusing on the distant skyline.

"How did you..." the boy trailed off, at a loss for words. He knew what he wanted to ask, but he had no idea how to formulate it. Without offending Cadence, that is.

"End up a stripper?" Cadence cut in darkly. Harry gnawed his bottom lip and nodded as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. She put out her cigarette on the side of the building and sighed, looking at the ground.

"I have a daughter, Harold." Cadence said quietly. "Her name is Amnethyst and she's three years old."

Harry stared at the girl, trying not to make his shock obvious. But upon looking in his eyes, Cadence could read the boy's disillusion.

"And... I didn't have any family, no fucking money. I needed a job that I knew I would get income from. So I figured, if I need to strip and fuck for money in order to provide for my kid, then that's what I'm doing." Cadence shrugged, still avoiding eye contact with Harry.

"So you're a... escort too?" Harry asked softly. The girl began to laugh and Harry didn't know why.

"Harry, I'm not going to fancy hotels in designer dresses to meet rich white men. I go on the corner in a vinyl mini skirt and wait for some gross, fat slob to pull over. Then, I give him half-assed head and call it a day." Cadence said bitterly. She looked tense, crushing cigarette but between her thumb and index finger. A few seconds passed and she relaxed again, placing her head on the against the wall. "But that's only when money's real tight." she threw the cigarette butt with a shrug.

Harry didn't know what to say. He'd just received a lot of information and wasn't really sure what to do with it.

"Are you... happy?" Harry finally asked, taking a ginger step towards the girl. She looked up at him, right into his eyes. Many seconds passed, of them in the same stance, searching eachothers eyes. Finally, Cadence spoke.

"Everyday I wake up, Harry, I'm hoping to die."

Her words came as a surprise to Harry and he froze. The Cadence he once knew was so happy, you'd never even have to ask. Her exterior was constantly effervescent, a smile always on her face. Harry would do anything to bring her back. So he did the first thing that came to mind.

He stepped forward, cupping the girl's face and stroking her face with his thumbs. It wasn't until then that he noticed the tears she was holding back.

"You're beautiful, okay? You deserve so much better than this. If you let me, Cadence, I'll take care of you." Harry said barley above a whisper.

"Har-"

Before Cadence could say a word, Harry leaned down and kissed her. Initially, she was surprised by the passion. But she found herself kissing the boy back desperately, almost as if she needed it. The two stood there kissing for many minutes, exploring evey bit of eachothers lips.

Cadence pulled away breathlessly, placing her hands atop of Harry's. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, never wanting this moment to end.

Unfortunately, it did.

"Go." Cadence breathed. Harry's eyes fluttered opened and looked at her.

"What?" he asked, kissing her thumb softly. She promptly snatched her hands away and moved her face out of Harry's range.

"Go." she said a little more loudly this time. "Go! Harry get out of here."

"But-" Harry began to protest, but Cadence had already spun around. She strode back into the club, her body language unreadable. Harry wanted nothing more than to follow her, but he knew it would be pointless. So he began heading back to his car, a plan formulating in his head.

He'd see her again sometime soon.

And the end of chapter two!!! i like this chapter a lot guys hope u do too!!! love yall thanks for reading!! dont forget to comment and vote!!
-pam