No Matter What // Harry Styles AU -- Dunkirk inspired

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Hazel's P.O.V

"What do I do, Luce?" I plead over the phone. It's been two days since I frantically agreed to Jack's demands, and now we're supposed to go on this lousy date tonight. Thank god that my weekly chat with Lucy landed right in the middle of this pickle. I'm absolutely desperate for some way out of this.

"First of all," she begins, her protective nature encouraging an even thicker Brooklyn accent than usual, "This Jack fellow sounds like an absolute goon."

"Trust me, he is," I emphatically agree.

"But second of all," she continues, ignoring my griping, "don't you dare go on a date with that creeper."

I was kind of expecting that kind of advice, but at the same time, I don't really know if that's genuinely an option. 

"I wish it were that simple," I mutter, tucking my knees into my chest.

"Why not?" Lucy replies.

"What if he tells Gran, Luce?"

"Hazel, this is silliness," she calls me out. "You can't trust him." 

"I'm sure he'd tell, Lucy, I'm positive of it. And if Gran finds out that not only have I been seeing someone, but also sneaking out to do so, I'm sure she'd send me back. There's no chance for me and Harry then. Why would she ever keep a troublemaker around?"

"But who's to say Jack doesn't just tell her later? It could turn into some long list of do this or do that and eventually you'll have to say no, so it'll all comes out anyways. But by then, you would have gone on several dates, making it so much worse."

I groan, completely agreeing with her logic.

"Appeasing him will only delay the inevitable, and possibly just make it worse, even if it seems like the smart move right now," she adds firmly.

It's almost comical how annoyingly awful this whole thing is, and I find myself chuckling softly as I lean my head back against the wall. "Good gosh almighty, since when did my nonexistent love life turn into the next international crisis."

"I could always ring Churchill for you, see if he could arrange another Munich meeting for you," she laughs lightly. I chuckle a little with her, but the humor of the moment subsides into nausea as my stomach turns. 

"Oh Lucy," I sigh, "What am I going to do?"

Lucy takes a moment, her heavy breathing crackling softly over the phone as she mulls over my worries. "Perhaps you just need to stop sneaking around."

"You mean stop seeing Harry?" My heart aches just saying the words.

"No," she quickly replies. "I mean, just tell your Grandmother you like him- or someone. I don't know, maybe ease her into it."

"Maybe.." I reply doubtfully. I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't occurred to me already, but I don't want to make that decision without Harry. He has his career to think about after all.

"Hazel, you know him better than I do and perhaps your situation is different, but I'll tell you this," she says before pausing carefully, "You deserve more than to be someone's secret. He should want to show you off to the world, not hide you from it. And if he really wants to be with you- and if he really is as wonderful as you say, then he'll do just that and all this worrying you've got going on will work itself out."

I slowly take in her advice, resisting the knee-jerk reaction I have to defend him. I've only known him for a little whiles, but I trust him with everything in me. Harry seems much too sweet for any kind of nonsense like that.