𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 {𝑯.𝑺}

Chapter Twenty Seven | Appreciation

I didn't want to stand backstage because it seemed less intimate than being able to watch Harry from the crowd.

At first, he was hesitant.

He wanted me to stay away from the arena, where there was less people; where it was safe.

"You're still injured, Mia." He stated, gesturing at my body. "My concerts can get really chaotic and dangerous."

"I know, but it'll be more fun this way."

He totally disregarded my reply, simply continuing on with: "Besides, it's a lot of standing...you should be able to sit down if you want. You should be comfortable."

After some serious persuasion on Sadie's behalf, she convinced him to snag a few chairs by the front stage, making sure that it was blocked off and that we were fully protected with bodyguards.

After eating a few slices of pizza, we made our way out of the lounge and towards the arena. Harry was with his team somewhere, participating in a last minute meeting before having to take the stage.

With an overdramatic entrance, thanks to the excessive bodyguards that he assigned to us, we finally made our way to our seats-catching the eyes of fans around us.

"I don't know why he hired so much security," I said to Sadie, shaking my head in disbelief. "Five bodyguards is excessive."

She cracked a smile. "He's just paranoid...that shooting kinda messed with his anxiety."

My shoulders fell in realization. "Oh."

"He means well. I think he just wants to protect you. He feels like he owes you the skin off of his back."

I sighed at that. Yes-that was something that I was beginning to notice. Harry seemed to feel endlessly indebted to me; like there was nothing he could do that would make him stop owing me. It was obvious in the remarks that he made; the way he'd thank me out of nowhere for saving his life, even when I kept telling him to forget about it.

"I guess I can understand." I replied.

"That brace your wearing doesn't make it better. It sends his nerves into overdrive." Sadie explained.

"How do you know this?"

"He told me!" She laughed. "He tells me everything." And then she was off on another subject. "Hey, do you like Harry?"

Her question was sudden enough to give me whiplash. I blinked in surprise.

"It's just...you're really pretty." Her grin widened, a pink tint appearing up her neck. "I wasn't sure if you two were a thing or not. I would really love to take you out one of these days? Show you a good time? If you want that."

I tried to recover from my shock, picking my jaw back up. "Oh, thank you." I breathed, trying to think of something to say. "I..."

Her smile lessened by a few inches. "You like him, I'm guessing?"

I bit my lip, nodding shyly.

A large part of me felt guilty for the way that her shoulders deflated. She looked disappointed. Incredibly disappointed. I could tell that she was trying to cover it up.