Picking Up the Pieces // Harry Styles

Twenty

So you guys were all screaming in the comments and i was just like laughing so hard bc i saw this coming (obviously) but your comments made it funnier. 

i kinda, like remembered what the real meaning of harlot means. Like, Harlett is different from harlot, but harlot means prostitute and that's not nice so. Scary. That's the best ship name ever, aha!

Enjoy the chapter! My gift to you since i'm done with school. yess. 

but I have summer school. :( pray for me.

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Twenty

"But you don't know about me." I said quickly. 

"I want to." He said calmly. "I know you're scared," 

I stared down at our hands. 

"Don't be though," I slowly met his eyes. "I know I don't deserve you, but I love you, Scarlett." 

"Thanks." I said, a little too harshly. 

"Kitten," he whispered, making my knees go weak. 

What if we didn't work out? What if he spilled all my secrets? What if I hurt him more? What if - 

"Let go." 

"What?" 

"Let me help you." 

I snapped out of the alluring trance he had me under. His voice was mesmerizing. I'd follow this boy to the end of the world if I had too. 

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. I am strong. I am independent. I am like Beyonce. I don't need a man. I will be a nun. I am a single lady.

Wait. But Beyonce has Jay-Z, right? 

Oh shut up. 

Those lips. Ugh. I wanted to order a Harry with a side of fries and take him home. 

"No!" I hissed, the war in my mind settling on one final conclusion. I had no heart. I had nothing to give to Harry Styles.

"This is about you! I help fix you and then I'm gone!" 

"Who says?" 

"I say." I tried to slow my breathing down, but I couldn't. 

The pastries remained untouched.

The hot chocolate was as cold as my heart.

"It doesn't have to be this way." He pressed on. 

"It'd protect the both of us, Harry." 

Scarlett, shut up and just say yes!

"I want to protect you. I want to protect you from everthing that's hurt you." He said, a little louder. 

You can't protect me from my own mind, Harry. Your Kitten is drowning. We all know kittens can't swim.

Midnight Bridge. The pills. 

I was practically shaking in my seat.

Failure. Bayberry. 

It was so cold from the top of that bridge.

I stared at Harry in fear and wonder. It seemed like forever. Determination was all over him face. His jaw was tensed and his eyes were as hard as steel. His beanie was adorably covering his cute messy hair, but he was still waiting for an answer. 

"You keep trying." I noticed. "Why on earth are you doing such a stupid thing?" 

"Because you keep pushing me away, Kitten." He cocked his head to the side, in a challenging way. 

I bit my lip and tapped my fingers. I did everything I could to avoid speaking to Harry but nothing made him go away. 

Slowly, I leaned in. 

Slowly, I became undone. 

Slowly, I kissed him. 

And slowly, I fell - I believe this is what they call it - in love. 

"You kissed me." Harry said, surprised but grinning. He was so shy sometimes it was adorable. 

"I kissed you." I repeated, since I couldn't believe it myself honestly. 

"Do you love me, Scarlett?" He whispered after some silence.

"I'm afraid I do, Harry. I'm afraid, I do." 

Love was never a word I never learned to pronounce. It felt odd and strange and incredibly bizarre to me. I wasn't the biggest fan of commitment. I preferred to be alone. 

Being alone left me with my thoughts. My thoughts ruined me. My thoughts brought me to Bayberry. My thoughts brought me to Midnight Bridge in the middle of the night and a suicide note decorated with the prettiest handwriting I could manage as I broke into sobs. 

But here Harry was. I didn't know him too well. We'd flirted and laughed and shared records and shopped for about a good month. I was used to making love to something then leaving without a trace. I never stayed in one place for too long. Never. Just because people knew my name, that didn't mean they knew my game. I was an outsider. I was from the Land of Misfits Toys. 

But here Harry was. I didn't feel guilted into loving him. My heart was beating so fast, and God the room was spinning. 

Stop it, Scarlett. Stop it!

He was the perfect stranger. I didn't know him, but I knew him enough to know there was something special about him.

You're going to regret this.

I don't think I will. No. Not at all. He's lovely.

My beautiful stranger smiled wide and slowly, I did too. I scooted a little closer to him in the booth as he softly kissed my cheek. I leaned my head on his shoulder and jumped when his loud ringtone went off. I put my hand over my heart to calm myself down. 

He rubbed my shoulders gently with a quiet chuckle. "Scared of my phone, darling?' 

I laughed a little. "iPhone's are the scariest you know." 

"I beg to differ. Droid's are." I giggled as he surprisingly answered the call. Hitting the green button when I knew he didn't really want to talk, was a small victory for him.

"Louis?" He said with a tiny smile. "Where are you calling from? The phone booth?" He laughed. "We're at the old bakery I used to work at. Okay. See you soon. Bye. Yes, I love you too." He laughed as I joined hin. He hung up then announced to the other boys that Louis was coming. 

I yawned a little as I sat up a bit. Drowsily, I blinked a couple times as Louis burst through the doors. 

"Thanks for waiting guys." He said sarcastically. I giggled as he playfully glared at me. Innocently, I slowly sipped my hot chocolate, a bit of cream on my nose. I wasn't aware of it until Harry kissed it off me. I blushed and smiled down at my lap shyly. 

"Now, what do we have here?" Niall grinned mischievously. 

Hiding my scarlett face, I hid it in Harry's neck. His laughter made me smile a little against his neck. 

For once the little voices in didn't matter as much. Maybe the world wasn't so dark after all.