baby honey

seventeen

A/N; hey everyone. I know it's been nearly a month and I'm so so sorry about that. For those of you who don't follow me or just missed my announcement, my university got really busy for a couple of weeks and it completely took over my life. And then just as the dust was settling on that, last week we had to put down my beloved dog molly. She was with us for 14 years and I've been pretty miserable ever since. I didn't have it in me to write anything worth publishing, and I care about this story too much to just push out chapters that I don't believe are up to standard. I've taken some time and just tried to write a little everyday. I hope it's okay.

I'll be trying to publish more often from now, I just needed a bit of time. I'm sorry if you've been waiting and I've let you down.

Be kind to each other and keep safe. More soon. X

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"You're seriously quitting?" Luke asks with a slight hiss, surprising me as I leave my boss' office having just told her that I'm quitting my job at the bookstore. She took it surprisingly well, I guess maybe she saw it coming as I'd talked to her about my full workload coming next semester. I suppress a groan as I walk past Luke to head towards the storefront.

"Yeah I am. I have taken really big course load next semester in order to graduate early, and if I want to pass I need to have less stuff on my plate" I explain monotonously, I had really hoped after yesterday's confrontation between him and Harry but I guess not.

"Like a job?" His voice drips with sarcasm, and I don't like what he's implying so I give him a slight shrug of my shoulders as I move behind the counter and log into the computer system.

"You know you could just dump the boyfriend. Is he making you do this?" He cruelly insinuates. Sure; if I wasn't dating Harry I wouldn't be quitting my job, but I would want to quit. I had the motive and now I've been given the means, what's wrong with that?

"No! Why would you think that?" I say defensively, perhaps a little too defensively. A small smile flickers across his lips but he quickly masks it as he leans against one of the bookshelves opposite the front desk where I click through orders.

"Because I know the kind of things that guys like him do" He states proudly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Older rich men. They find young beautiful women and they make them so dependent on them so that they feel like they can't live without them. They make them quit their jobs, they cut people out of their lives that they don't like and make sure that they have no where else to go" He states proudly as I avoid his gaze, wandering out among the shelves to collect the books students have ordered. The words sink in, that may be how Harry and I started but that's certainly not where we are now.

"That's ridiculous, we're in a relationship, it's all equal" I counter, collecting a handful of books into my arms.

"How could it be equal? He's a billionaire and you're in university" He hisses as he starts tidying up a row of books on the other side of the shelf.

"Because our relationship isn't about money, and it's also none of your business" I bite back, carrying the books to the counter.

"Look I'm sorry if I'm stepping over some sort of line here, I just hope you know that you're so much more than just a pretty thing for him to parade around town" He continues, he really just doesn't get it. What does he even want me to do? Fall into his arms and cry about how Harry is just some gross old man that pays my bills?

"You are, you are stepping over a line. Harry is my boyfriend. I love him, and he loves me. Our relationship has nothing to do with money. And even if it did, it would still me none of your god damn business" I snap at him in a quiet and angry tone. He stares back at me, almost in disbelief that I have stood my ground. He still thinks he's right. A look of determination suddenly flickers across his face.