redemption: harry styles

Chapter Fifty Nine

The water swirling in the sink was red. I picked up the soap again and vigorously scrubbed it against the top of my hands. The hot water made my skin sting but I didn't stop trying until all the dry blood was off. I looked at myself in the mirror and yanked a towel out from the drawer. I used it to wipe off the red dots of blood that managed to get onto my neck and half of my face, and the wet trails of tears. My heart was still roaring in my chest, and I thought my legs were going to give out from under me.

I don't know how long I sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the wall, but I heard something move to my right and when I looked up, Harry was standing there, whispering things and apologies that were comforting in his perspective. It was just one man. I did it for us.

Half an hour later, I was lying across my bed, reading a text I got from the same private number that texts me a few times a week.

I love you.

I think Harry was admiring the feeling of being in love. He seemed different now, but every I love you feels even better than the last. The worst part of it was I had an incomprehensible mix of I don't care and So what?  feelings but also guilt. Guilty for not caring.

I stared down at the remainder of my sandwich, my head resting in my palm. Just when I thought I was getting better, I felt my stomach clench, and I ran into the bathroom.

In nine hours, I woke up to the sound of morning rain and cold air seeping into my room. After about ten minutes of attempting to fall back to sleep, but failing because of the coldness in the room, I pushed myself out of bed, the blanket still around me shoulders, and stood in the center of the room wondering why my room was so cold. Then noticed the balcony door open an inch, but no notes or anything signaling anyone's arrival.

In three days, I woke up to my phone's alarm--labeled "Fuck"--Monday morning. Today was my last day of school.

THREE DAYS AGO

"She keeps the news channel on all the time, the windows shut and all the doors locked. My mother's living in constant fear, Harry. How did that help with anything?"

"You are confused-"

"Clearly."

"We're leaving." Harry managed to push past me and through my front door. I stood there for a moment, trying to process what he said, then slammed the door closed and scurried after him.

"Leaving?" I caught him at the stairs. "What do you mean leaving?"

"You know, leaving. We are leaving the city, going off someplace elsewhere," Harry said as he entered my room. "Where we used to stay."

"Why?" I frowned, gaping.

"Why are you asking things you already know the answer to?" he asked and pulled out his phone.

I closed the door behind me and leaned onto it. "Why?" I repeated sternly.

"It's for your own good," Harry's voice hardened.

"My good doesn't appeal to you," I said.

"You 'appeal' to me," he replied. Harry placed his phone by his thigh and sighed. "We can't stay here."

"Is this considered running away or are you going to tell my parents?"

"We're running away." He stared at his phone screen. "Even though the threats stand, your mum cares about you more than herself, and she'll report it even if it gets herself killed. So we're not telling her, or anyone, for the sake of our damn lives. We're gonna have to sneak out, ever since lockdown they've been searching for identification for people who enter and leave the city."