Guarded

05

A/N: Thanks for all the reads and comments and vote so far. Please keep doing so! <3

-

The day next, more and more posts had reappeared in the media. It turns out even people in Holmes Chapel were eager to talk about my relationship with Harry and my parent’s death and even how they knew I would be a ‘star’ when I grew up so they could get their five minutes of fame.

Cost had called me all night and all morning. I hadn’t received any phone calls from Harry though. Lizzy had shown up around noon with coffee and some everything bagels from our favorite bakery.

My publicist had a field day trying to answer all the phone calls while my agent had been handling requests from talk shows wondering if Harry and I would come on and do a live interview.

I was finally able to excuse myself from the drama and have a free moment to sit with Lizzy. We went outside to sit by the pool to drink our coffee and eat our bagels.

“You have some explaining to do, missy,” she told me after handing me the cream cheese.

I took a sip of my coffee. “I know.” I told her how Harry and I had gone to school together, everything from our first kiss to the first time he told me he loved me to our first time together. I told her how after my parents had passed away, I moved to California within two weeks. I mentioned how I hadn’t even realized he was in the band until I literally ran into him in the hotel room two nights ago and he confessed he still had feelings for me.

When I finished my story, Lizzy was nearly in tears. “How could you just leave him without saying goodbye! No wonder he never got over you!”

I winced. She was right, she really was.

“No explanation or anything, Annaleise? Not even a proper goodbye? That’s really, that’s really mean,” she finally said.

“I know! Lizzy, I know! I was also fourteen at the time so how could anyone really expect me to be making logical decisions. I had just lost my parents.”

“And he lost you, Annaleise.”

I stood up from the table. “I need to go lay down. I need to just be alone for a while.” I headed back inside my house and went up to my room, locking the door behind me. I put my headphones in and drifted off to sleep, thinking of Harry.

Valentine’s Day 2008

I had always wondered what other people my age did in relationships. I didn’t think Harry and I had a typical relationship but then again, what was a typical relationship? Valentine’s Day had always been a special day for my parents and they were out of town that night in London. I had convinced them I didn’t need a babysitter, I was 14 and I had a boyfriend even!

 

My mother had smiled knowingly at me before she left. “You’re growing up so fast, Annaleise. I remember when you were just born.”

 

My father had kissed me on the forehead and told Harry he didn’t want any ‘funny business’ while they were gone and he would call his mother at 11 to make sure Harry was back at home.