Adulation / h.s

26

"Baby," Harry whispered waking Rosie up from her slumber. Her face and stomach aching.

She slowly sat up in his bed, noticing the tea and tray of breakfast.

"What happened to you?"

She hadn't seen herself, not really remembering what she did when she got in last night.

"I was mugged," She choked, her head sore.

Harry's face was hard. "Where?"

"Along the riverside, I was walking to get the tube and-"

"The tube? Why?" He frowned.

"My phone died so I thought to walk to the nearest station."

"Why didn't you come back in? I'd of gotten you a driver."

"I didn't want to disturb you,"

Harry shook his head. "Rosie you are my number one priority, if you're out in London at nearly midnight I want to make sure you're getting home safe not walking miles to a fucking station!" He fumed.

"I'm big enough to take the tube Harry,"

"Not the point. You weren't safe, you put yourself in a vulnerable situation."

"So I deserved it?" She laughed but there was nothing funny. "I deserved to be mugged because I was walking around London at nearly midnight?"

"You know that's not what I meant, but these people target women."

"I put up a fight, I fought back-"

"That's not the point, your face says a different story."

Rosie was quiet.

"If you're not safe I want to be the first person to know. I don't care what I'm doing, I'd stop the world to make sure you're safe."

"Can you stop making out it was my fault."

"You were out late, in an expensive dress and-"

"And what Harry?" Now Rosie was angry, she was done being spoken to like a child. She was capable of getting a tube whether he liked it or not.

"You should have let me call you a driver,"

"I didn't know this was going to happen."

"And as soon as your phone died you should have come inside to me."

"And I told you, I didn't want to disturb you. I don't see why you're so upset, you basically abandoned me for most of the night anyway, forgetting I was there half the time while you spoke with rich it boys." She didn't mean to shout it all out, and she didn't mean half of what she said. He hadn't abandoned her at all, but she knew how to hit his weak spots. It was low, but she was angry.

"I said I'd walk you out, I offered you a driver but you turned it all down and now this has happened." Harry's voice was quiet, he was controlling his temper around her not wanting to completely erupt, he knew it wouldn't solve anything.

"This happened because that guy was a dick and decided to mug me, not because I was walking alone at night. It wasn't my fault he assaulted me, they were his actions."

Harry was silent. She was right, it wasn't her fault but he couldn't help but feel the guilt of it all. He should of been there, he should have ignored her and waited until she was in a taxi, he should have checked his phone and realised she hadn't texted him when she was home.

"We're going to the police, eat up." He pointed to her breakfast.

"What? No, it's fine we don't have to do that."