Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 12

I let the kitchen door swing behind me as I walk to Harry’s room.  I close the door behind me and sit on his bed with my head in my hands.  I shouldn’t be reacting this way.  I knew that he would never buy me.  That isn’t the way things work out.  I won’t have a happy ending.

I shouldn’t be this angered and upset by it anyways.  I don’t like him that way.  He’s just a friend to me.

I put on my sweat pants and throw on a t-shirt before walking over to turn off the lights.  I lie in bed motionless as I stare up at the ceiling.  I wonder if I’ll ever get to do this when I’m with Drew.  What kind of things will he make me do when I live with him?

He’s going to treat me like I’m nothing—like I’m some kind of item that he can toss around whenever he pleases.  That’s all I know.  It’s probably going to be similar to the way Uncle Jim treated me.

I turn on my side and curl up into a ball.  I’m scared although I don’t want to admit it.  It’s not like I can admit that to anyone anyways.  The only person I truly have is Alice.  And even then she’s not here 24/7.

I hear a loud bang from the kitchen and I pull the covers up to my ear as I bury my body further into the blankets.  I try to listen closely to what Harry’s doing but there’s no other sound except quick footsteps that scurry around the wood floor.

I relax in the bed.  Harry wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.  He’s told me that plenty of times before.

I take in a deep breath and find myself coughing.  There’s something in the air that doesn’t seem right.  I bolt upright and breathe in again.  It smells like something’s burning.

“Jackie!” I hear Harry scream.  “Jackie!”

I throw the blankets off my body and scurry to the door where it flies open revealing an out-of-breath Harry.

“Harry?  What’s going—”

He interupts me by picking me up in his arms and racing to the front door.  “There’s a fire in the kitchen and it’s spreading fast.”

He speeds past the kitchen and I glance at the growing fire.  It blazes upwards and I can hear the cackle of the wood burning.  It warms my skin even though we aren’t close to it.  I bury my head in his chest.

He throws open the front door and runs with me bouncing in his arms to his neighbor’s house.  A blonde haired boy answers the door and looks at Harry quizzically.

“There’s a fire.  Take her inside and make sure she doesn’t escape.”

I feel Harry’s arm shift from underneath me and now I'm in the blonde boy's arms.  “No!” I scream.  “Don’t go back, Harry.”

“I’ll be fine,” he says.

“Harry, no!  Please!”  He starts running away but I quickly grip the back of his t-shirt silently begging him to stay with my eyes.  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” I choke out.

“I promise,” he whispers.  “I’ll be fine.”

I feel like I can’t breathe as I watch Harry squirm out of my grip.  No matter how many quick, uneven breaths I take, there’s just not enough oxygen for my lungs.  I feel like I’m breathing in swords that scrape at my throat and chest.

“Please, let me help him!”  I kick in the boy’s arms trying to get out of his grip as he walks me inside.

The blonde boy sets me on my feet and I immediately start running to the already locked door.  I yank on the knob but it doesn’t budge.  “Please!  Let me out!  I promise I won’t run away,” I beg the boy.  I pound my fists against the door desperately trying to get it open.  He looks at me shaking his head with sympathy laced in his eyes as he walks closer to me.