Guarded

04

A/N: Thank you for the votes and comments! Please continue to share. Also, this chapter contains some sex, so be warned if this makes you uncomfortable. 

-

“Why did you just leave me?” His voiced sounded sad. He looked at me, his bright green eyes glittering, almost as if he were on the verge of tears.

I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say, I had certainly not been planning on having this conversation with him, especially right now.

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You promised me, you would never leave me, Annaleise. You promised.”

“Harry, I’m sorry,” I said.

He cut me off. “I waited for you to come back. I really did. I thought maybe in a month or two you would realize you were wrong and come back even if it was just a proper goodbye. I didn’t even get one of those from you. I came so close to calling you a hundred times over the last six years. I just didn’t know what to say if I would have heard your voice on the phone.”

I went to respond and he held up his hand to stop me. “I saw all of your television shows. I kept tabs on you when I knew you had made it into acting. I went on X-Factor hoping you would notice me. But you didn’t. You didn’t even know I was in the band you were at a concert for.”

“Harry, I’m so sorry. I was stupid. I was 14 at the time.”

“I was 14 at the time, too, but that doesn’t mean I ever stopped loving you, Annaleise.” His words came out carefully, slowly and considered. Almost as if he had been practicing that speech for years.

I stared at him incredulously. Was he really confessing this right now? Did I tell him the only way I thought I could get over him was when to try to forget he ever existed and now that he’s come back he’s all I could think about for the last 24 hours?

“Do you remember New Year’s 2007?” he asked, coming closer to me.

I nodded. How could I forget?

We were both nervous and excited. I think I was more nervous and Harry was more excited than anything. We chose my house to spend the evening at since my parents were going to be in London for the night. I told them I would be staying at Georgiana’s for the night and they didn’t think to check up twice on me.

 

Harry had told his parents, who were going to the local pub, that he would be at his friend’s house for the evening. We hoped they didn’t decide to check up on my house since it was right across the street and they knew my parents would be in London for the evening.

 

We had managed to steal some champagne from my parent’s wine cellar and tried to drink the bubbly liquid as quick as we could. I got all giggly as soon as I had my first glass and Harry decided that was enough for me before I got too sick.

 

It was nearly 11:30 when we went upstairs to my bedroom. I had just gotten a double bed and I had never had a boy stay in my bed and I was thankful it was in my room – somewhere I felt safe. I lay down on the bed, Harry asking me a million times if I was sure. I finally cut him off with a reassuring kiss.