Toxic (Harry Styles)

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is war; love is growing up.

As I hear Harry turn around and walk down the driveway back to his car, I rest my back on the white door. I can't keep myself up and my legs give out, making me slide to the floor. My glee overrides the ache though, and I bite my lips to try and contain my childish grin.

Of course I'm disappointed that Harry had to leave so abruptly when he got a call from Lucas. However, he did give me a fair warning that within the next few days it's plausible he'd have to go at anytime. I just wish he could've stayed with me, just this once.

I'm soon joined in the foyer by my father who heard me come in. His dark, sleepy eyes find me on the floor and he looks at me questioningly.

"Shay," he tests the waters. "Did you just get in?"

His enquiry makes the image of a very hot and sweaty Harry above my wriggling frame come to mind. I wonder if Dad can make out the red hot blush on my cheeks, or the glow that I noticed in the mirror of the dance steaming dance room before we left. I'm suddenly very glad I kept my hair down to hide the marks and bruises Harry had left on me.

"Um, yeah," I tell him. "I did." I, swiftly as possible, rise to my feet, enduring the shaking of my legs.

Dad frowns at me. "Are you alright? You seem a bit off today."

Just to confirm his suspicion even further, I falter as I walk towards him. It enough to make me grab the table but I play it off as well as I can by leaning down and untying my trainers. I say with a forced smile, "Yeah, just...it's been a long night."   

He hums, still not taking the bate and scanning over my body. "You were with Harry, I assume." I furrow my brows at his oddly correct assumption until I realise I still have Harry jacket around my figure.

I stiffly nod, gauging his reaction, which really was no big change; his eyes remained questioning. "I know what that glow is, Shay," he informs. "So, you and Harry. Yeah?"

I'm render speechless from the softness of his tone. Surely he'd be more like any other stereotypical father would be like. He'd want to rip Harry to pieces because he "ruined" his little girl. He would leave right now and go find him. But he's not. My dad is completely stagnating, like a still body of water.

I find it tricky and awkward to look at him as I hardly nod and shrug. Callous hands are placed on my shoulders and I'm gently tugged into my father's comforting chest. I take his offer and bury my head into his broad shoulder, smelling his cologne that would calm me down when I was younger. It was the kind Mum liked on him.

He lightly kissed the crown of my head. "Were you safe?"

I groan, wanting to pull away, and then chuckle, "Of course, Dad. Harry and I aren't that careless."

"You'd be astonished at the number of cases I hear of teenage pregnancies in a week's time." Dad holds me at arm's length, making sure to stare me in the eyes. "I should probably tell you something."

I glance over his contemplating features. "What is it?"

He swallows hard. "I know now...that Harry, he's not the boy I thought he was. I was wrong about him, and I'm sorry for falsely accusing him." Shit, I think. This is about what he found in the folder. "Tell him I'm sorry. And I apologize for not believing you when you said he was a fine lad. He's a good guy, Shay."

All I can do is nod, afraid that if I open my mouth some odd, choking cat noise might escape.

"The way he walked down those steps not long ago, with the look in his eyes...it was the way I looked at your mother," Dad voices.