Yours: a short story [harry styles] ✓

7

25th November 2017 - Part Two

Harry ventured further into the room until he was stood at my side. Preston looked so genuinely surprised to see him that I wondered if he really did think I'd been the one to send the invitation after all. 

"Now," Harry began. "What the hell are you doing back here, Preston?"

I watched my father straighten up as if trying to make himself appear more intimidating. "I would like walk my daughter down—"

"No." Harry cut in, and my eyes widened. "Absolutely not. Elenore is walking Marnie down the aisle, you're a fool to think otherwise." 

"Excuse me?" He spluttered; cheeks flaming scarlet. "I am her father. I was invited here today and I will therefore carry out my duties as her father. She will not be walked down the aisle by that idiot of a girl."

I gasped angrily and clutched my chest. I was so flustered and enraged that I just wanted out of the damn dress. "Elenore has done more for me than either you or Mum ever did. I don't know why you think you even get to have an opinion anyway!"

Harry's long fingers latched around my wrist and he turned his head towards me. "Marnie, I know this situation is less than ideal but please try and calm down. It's not good for you or our little one. Let me handle this, after all, I was the one who made the mistake of inviting him in the first place."

Preston's eyes jumped from my face to my bump and I scowled. I wanted to tell Harry to stop telling me what to do and let me fight my corner, but ultimately he was right. I had to think of the baby—even if it did feel like I was backing down. "Fine." I sighed. "I'll take a seat."

I made my way over to a cream chaise lounge and sunk into it. We should have been married by now, not dealing with this shambles. More than anything, I was embarrassed. Embarrassed because just when things got good, my parents always seemed to manage to ruin it.

"Preston, you're going to have to leave." Harry sighed. "I was stupid to think you could come here today and not upset Marnie. In fact, if you were always going to cause such a big issue—why the hell did you come at all?"

"He came to make himself feel better." I interjected from my fancy seat. This was all so awful and unfair on Harry. "He didn't come for anything other than his own selfish needs." My father's nostrils flared but he didn't disagree. Harry swore under his breath and jabbed his left index finger in my father's direction.

"In which case, yes, you really do need to piss off now, Preston." 

His face flickered with the recognition of rejection, but rather than do as he'd been asked, my father turned to face me instead; wearing an expression that I knew all too well from the years of scolding and disappointment lectures. "Do you really think this is what your mother would have wanted?" He dared to ask. "That I be turned away from our daughter's wedding?" 

I launched myself out of my seat, much to the panic of Harry. "If Mum was still alive, neither of you would have been here. And if you had, it probably would have just been for another newspaper deal!" Harry picked at his nail polish anxiously as I continued. "Honestly, Dad, I'm not sure why you bothered having me in the first place."  

"I'm not sure why we bothered either!" My father yelled back and I flinched at his venomous tone. "You were a waste of time and energy from the beginning." Harry abandoned his finger nails and clenched them into fists as his sides. "Your mother would be ashamed if she were here right now. Look at you—no job, another child on the way and sponging off of this man. Perhaps I did come here today to make myself feel better, but I needn't have bothered. What is there to feel good about when I've wound up with you as a daughter." 

I gasped once and sank back onto the chaise lounge. He was right—I didn't have a job, but it didn't mean I was never going to make anything of myself. So why did it hurt so much to hear him say it? 

"I have had e—fucking—nough." Harry barked at my father. "You know what, Preston, I don't think I realised how much I take my own father for granted until Marnie told me all about you. You're shameful. It's your daughter's wedding day and you've come here spouting off pure vitriol. Look at her—she's beautiful and she is absolutely everything to me." I looked up at him and managed a smile. "We have built a family together—something you will never have because you are a bitter and selfish old man. You don't deserve Marnie and she sure as hell deserves a lot better than you as a father."

Preston's face turned about as red as the lingerie set I'd purchased for our wedding night. He opened his mouth to speak but Harry cut him off with one ring-clad hand raised in the air.

"So, you are going to leave this place, right now." He snapped. "And you're never going to contact any of us ever again, because I love your daughter enough that she doesn't need anyone else to love her. Especially you. Do you understand?"

My father's eyes landed on my own and for a brief moment something flickered in them. An emotion I'd never seen him wear. Regret. He nodded once at Harry, turned on his heel and left; leaving only the scent of tweed and his cologne as any real indication that he'd ever been there in the first place.

Harry appeared at my side within seconds; hands brushing over my collarbones and cupping my face as if he expected me to go to pieces. "Are you ok, Marnie?" He asked softly. "We can postpone today if you want to. Everyone will understand."

"Absolutely not!" I exclaimed, pulling his hands off of me and holding them tightly in my own instead. The cool bands of his rings dug into my skin but I didn't care. "I'm marrying you today whether you like it or not and I'm not letting my father ruin this more than he already has. Plus, you just made a swoon worthy, movie-style speech in my honour and I've never fancied you more."

One side of Harry's mouth pulled up into a lazy smirk and he laughed. "Good, because you look absolutely stunning and I'm not sure I could wait much longer anyway."

"Well, come on then." I grinned, pulling myself to my feet and keeping one of Harry's hands interlocked with my own. "Let's get married."

I hitched up my dress with my spare hand and we hurried towards the door, only to come to a standstill just as we were about to cross the threshold. I turned to Harry, who stood digging around in the pocket of his suit trousers. "Give me your phone." He said.

"What? Why?" My ecstatic facial expression fell into a reluctant one as he continued to dig around but came up short. "It's over there somewhere with all mine and Ele's stuff."

"Just hand it over!" He pressed and I dropped his hand to go and retrieve it from my overnight bag. He took it from my grasp and started tapping the screen.

"What are you doing?" I asked again. It was more of a demand this time than a question.

"Calling Ele." He pressed the phone to his ear, anxiously waiting for someone to answer.

"What, why? I don't think I can handle any more surprises today, Harry." I warned him.

"To tell her to get her arse back here. If she doesn't walk you down the aisle after all that, my award-winning speech will have been for nothing!"

My head snapped up and I shook my head. "You're an idiot." I exclaimed. "I thought something else was wrong!"

"I sure am." Harry agreed, just as the call went to voicemail. "There's still time to back out..."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I beamed, and threw my arms around his neck.

A/N: that's it. That's the end! If you're an eagle eyed reader, you'll have noticed the ending dialogue is almost the same as the final chapter of "Ours"!! Let's be honest, they were never going to make it to the ceremony without some sort of drama! There's an epilogue and a final author's note still to come and then Harry and Marnie's story will officially come to a close. I hope you've enjoyed it!