𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙊 𝙔𝙊𝙐 ↣ 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝘿𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉

ACT MY AGE

I woke up in a different place the next morning. I shifted awkwardly against the person who was holding my head in their lap, not bothering to open my eyes.

"Hey, darling," Harry said. His voice was gravely and deeper than it usually was, signaling that he hadn't been awake for long. "The boys are recording right now."

"You didn't have to stay behind," I said, "the nightmares aren't as bad as they used to be."

"Lou said you were pretty restless last night," Harry said. I opened my eyes to look up at him. I realized, suddenly, that we were on the couch and not in a bunk like I thought.

"I don't remember having any nightmares," I said.

"It was about Donte," Harry said softly. I sighed. "That kid really messed you up, huh?"

I opened my mouth to say I don't really want to talk about it. But I couldn't say that. I didn't need to keep everything bottled up, not anymore.

"Yeah," I said, "there was a point where I thought he had turned me completely back into who I used to be. He didn't, I know he didn't, but I felt the same." Harry cocked his head, so I continued explaining. "Trapped, alone, and scared. I couldn't tell you guys."

"You could have," Harry mumbled. He pet my hair with one of his hands.

"No, I couldn't have. You don't know what that kind of abuse does to someone's mind, and I can't explain it. I couldn't have told you."

"Are you going to press charges?" Harry asked. That was something that hadn't come up. I had said no originally, about three months ago when I first got away from him. I hadn't thought about it since then. "Hm?"

"I don't want the press to get all over it," I said. "You know they have a hay-day with that sort of thing. They'll turn it into something it wasn't."

"You could make the statement," Harry said, "if you come out first and tell the whole truth, no one can add on or take away from it, you know? And, plus, I think it would be good for a lot of people to realize that they can get out of a bad situation the way you did."

"I'm not a motivational speaker," I mumbled lowly.

"I know," Harry said, "But you have a platform, and a story that can make a lot of girls feel less alone."

"I guess," I said. I closed my eyes again and thought about it. Is that a good idea? Should I tell the world what happened to me? If it can get a girl out of a bad situation, I need to. If I can help someone, I have an obligation to. "You're right."

"We can talk to the other boys later and get their opinion on it too," Harry said slowly, "you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know," I said. I opened my eyes and smiled up at him. His green eyes met my blue ones. One of his eyebrows raised. "Your hair is getting long."

Harry's hair had grown out since I first met him. The curls that originally stayed up and around his head had grown out to almost his shoulders.

[a/n: sorry im lowkey a whore for prince haired and ESPECIALLY long haired harry let me insert a picture rq