Freed

Seventeen

"You've been keeping in contact with your father?" Harry asks, looking at my phone as if it's going to explode at any given minute.

"N-No," I say, picking it off the bed. Warily, I place it at my ear. "F-Father?"

"Yes, me indeed!" Father exclaims, making my heart speed up.

"H-How'd you get my n-number?" I manage to say, as Harry scoots closer to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders; pulling me into his side.

"Well, once I saw you on the news the rest was a bit of research and time wasted." Fear clamps its ice-cold fist around my throat. "I have a lot of things to discuss with you, so are you coming back home, or do I have to send some people to collect you?"

"I-I..." I shut my eyes, letting out a deep breath. "I don't want t-to come home."

"When do you ever?" Father questions, letting out a bark of laughter. "But we don't always get what we want, now do we?"

"What's he saying?" Harry asks, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. I look at Harry, a storm brewing inside my head.

"Um...I can't c-come home because I'm with Harry." I say, crossing the fingers of my free hand in hopes that father will buy my shit.

"Oh, really?" Father asks, amused. "Because I was under the impression that you had left his home years ago."

"Y-Yeah, it was a s-small fight," I stutter. "We got back together soon after."

"Fine, then. Visit our palace, the two of you." Fuck, no!

"Father, y-you know how Harry feels about y-your place," I say.

"Then I'll come visit. Since your cellphone tracked down to Chicago, I assume you're vacationing there?" No, no. He cannot find out about my whereabouts. I will not allow my father to ruin this life for me that I've created.

"We'll visit!" I exclaim, my eyes widening at my own words. "I cannot promise a fixed date, but once I've spoken to Harry, I will call."

"If I don't receive a call today by 7 at night, my men will be coming to collect you both." Father warns before cutting the call. I'm still holding the phone against my ear, staring straight at the wall opposite the bed.

"We're...visiting?" Harry asks warily, snapping me out of my thought bubble.

"Um..." I don't know what to say because I've just tied a noose around my neck. After all, I cannot force Harry to go along with my plan and do this favor on me. I have lost all rights to ask such things of him.

"I'll do it," Harry says. I gawk at him. Without saying anything, Harry understood my internal struggle and just gave me a solution. However, this is still too big of a favor to ask for.

"N-No, I can't expect you to," I shake my head, "Absolutely not!"

"This is repayment for you spending those nights and days in the hospital." Harry shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

"It was the least I could do after causing your accident," I say. "I'll...figure something out, don't worry."

"Mus, I want to do it," Harry smiles at me. "Please," he gazes into my eyes, silently pleading me to say yes. Wait...who's asking the favor again? Letting out a resigned sigh, I nod. To be honest, I cannot see any other way out.

"Fine," I mumble. "But we're only forming a team for the visit. Then you're back to your life and so am I." Harry nods, the corners of his lips tugging upwards in a smile. "What?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. "What's so humorous?"

"Nothing," Harry tosses his legs off the bed and stands up. "I'm going to the bathroom." I narrow my eyes at Harry's back, as I get off the bed as well.

For some reason, I feel as if fate is conspiring to throw the two of us together, and I do not like it one bit.
*******

"So how're we going to carry out this plan?" I ask. Harry and I are seated at the bar, breakfast plates in front of us, and a mug of coffee next to them. He shrugs, taking a sip of the coffee.

"Well, you are still my wife." Harry says after a few seconds. "All I have to do is whip you into the plane and we'll head on over to your dad's."

"What about Ashley?" I question, just the thought of her causing my blood to boil.

"What about her?" Harry's nonchalant way of referring to her, and his uninterested attitude towards her pleases me in the oddest of ways.

"So...you and her don't really have anything going on, do you?" I trace the rim of my mug with my index finger, my gaze cast into the drink.

"No," Harry replies. "We've got nothing going on for us. Never did. Never will," Harry pouts. "I really miss you."

Me too, I want to say. Instead, I clear my throat and get off the stool.

"Well, I better get packing." Harry nods, an amused smile adorning his lips.

"Mus, I was thinking that we'll stop by our house before heading over to your dad's." Harry says, following me as I make my way towards my room. The fact that Harry referred to his place as, 'our,' fills me with immense satisfaction. Wrong thoughts!

"Why?" I question, frowning. "Let's just head straight to my father's."

"I was thinking that I'll get a friend from the media to take a few pictures of us heading towards the airport. You know, to make the whole situation seem genuine," Harry shrugs his shoulders. "It's your choice though."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." I murmur, biting down onto my lower lip; the cogs in my brain rotating. "But I don't want to spend too much time at your place." Harry nods.

"Of course, I absolutely understand."

"Okay, I'm glad we've established that." I enter my room, Harry still close behind my heels. I stop and turn around, Harry slamming into my front front. Placing my hands on my hips, I raise my eyebrows.

"Yes?" I say, smiling. Harry mirrors my expression and tilts his head to the side.

"I was just wondering if you need help," Harry sounds hopeful.

"Sure," I chirp up, and just like that I've agreed. Why the heck am I unable to say no? It's such a simple, two letter word.

As Harry and I are packing - him folding my clothes and me, putting them into the suitcase - I get a bad feeling that what I'm going to do is a mistake. Harry and I are destructive together, and keeping in mind that I've acknowledged the fact that I still have feelings for him...in simple words, I have a feeling I'm going to regret this trip.