Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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I stared after Harry as he left the room. I didn't know if I should speak up now before it was too late, or just let him go. After all, they say if you love something, let it go. I never expected him to say what he said. I don't know what I expected. 

"He's really hurt, you know," Louis spoke up once Harry was gone. "Almost as much as you are." I couldn't do anything except gape at him.

"How do you know?" I asked, my fingers growing restless. I lifted my one uninjured hand to the gauze that was snaked around my head. I toyed with the ends, picking and splitting them apart nervously.

"Because he's my best friend," Louis replied, sounding a little irritated, his voice starting to rise. "He's been crying over you all day, in public. Harry just doesn't do that, ever. I know because I had to go to the police station to get him after he assaulted two police officers trying to get to you after the accident. I know because he talks about how much he loves you until he falls asleep, and wakes up talking about you. I know because I've caught him doodling your names together by himself instead of watching Spongebob with me. I know because I can see it in his eyes. Why don't you see it?" Louis' shoulders were starting to tremble with his anger. I'd never seen this side of him, and I was frightened. 

[Author's Note] Play L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole from the sidebar when you read this section.

"He really did all that?" I asked, still a little bit shocked at Louis' sudden outburst. Louis just nodded silently. I guess it was my turn to feel stupid, and I did. Harry was really an amazing guy, and he deserved so much more than me. He'd felt awful, and I was the reason why. 

"I'm going to go see if he's okay," Louis said gruffly, as he stood up and walked out of the room. As he left, Niall brushed past him into the room, his hands full of cafeteria food. 

"What's up, sleepyhead?" he asked me, a big smile on his face. Niall put me slightly at ease, the way he acted like nothing was wrong. I could feel myself smiling like an idiot, his happiness infecting me. 

"Just breaking hearts," I replied, the smile immediately falling from his face.

"What happened?" Niall asked another question, giving me a concerned look. I readjusted myself, shifting my stiff, sore body to a more comfortable position. 

"I was so mad when I saw him that I didn't speak a word," I started explaining. "Harry hadn't defended me at the studio, and I was so hurt that he didn't stand up for me against those rude fans. That's why I ran and ended up like this in the first place." Niall looked up from the muffin he was devouring for the first time since I started speaking.

"All I know is that he really likes you, Rae," he said. Harry doesn't act this way with just anybody." Niall took another large bite of muffin. "L is for the way he looks at you, O is for the only one he sees. V is very, very, extraordinary, E is even more than anyone than you adore," Niall singsonged with his mouth full. He continued humming as he started to crunch a cookie. 

"This is crazy, Niall," I said, after I giggled at his parody of Nat King Cole. He paused from his cookie for a moment to nod at me slowly.

"Yeah," he replied, another huge smile growing on his face, "But it's worth fighting for, even if it's with each other." He laughed before getting up to throw his trash away, and leaving me smiling like an idiot by myself.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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Niall had eventually left because his hunger got the better of him. I told Louis that it was okay for him to go if he wanted to, but he refused to leave my side as I sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. I couldn't cry anymore, my tears had run dry. But I still felt like I was crying on the inside. I kept my hand grasping Rae's as she laid in the bed to keep my own from shaking. My other hand held my head. Louis kept trying to comfort me, a gentle hand rubbing my back softly.

"Whoa," Louis said, looking up at the bed. "Harry, did you see that?" I at him over my shoulder, my head still in my hand.

"No," I responded. "What?" Louis started bouncing up and down slightly.

"She's moving!" A smile started to creep up his face, and I could feel one starting to come on as well. Thank God. I had been terrified this whole time that Rae wasn't going to wake up, and she was just going to die in her sleep. I didn't want her to go before I had a chance to tell her how sorry I was. I had to tell her how much she meant to me, I had to tell her how I felt. "I wonder if she'll wake soon."

"Rae, can you hear us?" I asked her in a gentle tone, ignoring Louis' speculation. I grabbed her hand even tighter, afraid to let go. I squeezed gently hoping for some kind of response. Anything. Her beautiful blue eyes fluttered open, and gazed directly at me for the first time in hours. I loved her eyes, and I didn't realize how much I'd missed them. "Oh thank God," was all I managed to squeak out.

"What are you doing here?" Rae asked, looking from me to Louis, and back to me. She looked upset and scared, but not angry. Why wasn't she angry like she should be? She slowly sat up straighter in the bed, and to my dismay, removed her hand from mine.

"We're here because we care about you, Rae," Louis responded, trying to reassure her. For some reason she seemed a little relieved that it was Louis speaking and not me. 

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked, finally mustering the courage to look up at her from the floor, my curly hair quivering in the breeze. Our eyes connected for just a moment, her crystalline orbs were filled with tears. A look of absolute rage crossed her face for just a moment, but dissipated before she acted on it.

She said nothing.

"Please, please say something," I choked out in a whisper, nearly beginning to cry again. All I needed was to hear the sound of her beautiful voice, to see the way her pink lips curved when she spoke, the small dimples forming near the corner of her mouth. 

Silence.

Why wouldn't she talk to me? I knew, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. She was terribly angry, and I didn't blame her. Rae had every right to be mad, and then some. All I wanted was to tell her what I felt, and have her believe it, but somehow I knew that she wouldn't. 

"You have every right to be mad at me, Rae," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I could see her gaze snap back to look at me. "I'm so sorry for being such an arse, and not defending you when you needed it. I'm sorry for not immediately coming after you. I'm sorry that you got so injured. Most of all, I'm sorry that I ever hurt you." I swear I almost saw her mouth drop open, as she just stared at me. Louis just glanced at me, also clearly surprised at what I said. "I know that you probably hate me right now, but I think I love you, Rae, and I just want you to know that in case I never see you again." My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, and I couldn't be in the room anymore. I had to get out. I stood up, covering my eyes with my hand so Rae didn't see my tears.

The tears I shed for her.

For us.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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I was engulfed in blackness and silence. 

Heavy, deafening silence.

It felt hard to breathe, like that silence was crushing the wind from my lungs. I felt like I was floating around in space, the whole world turning without me. I was in a subconscious state of nothingness. Then the moving stopped. Everything was still. As still and silent as the dead of night. I wasn't sure where I was, or what had happened. I just felt free. There was no weight on my shoulders anymore. It was almost a relief, I didn't have to keep trying to be perfect. I didn't have to keep trying to live up to everyone's expectations. Was this what being dead felt like? If it was, I was almost dismayed to say that I enjoyed it. It was peaceful, undistrubed. 

I heard a sound. Was it possible to hear sounds if you were dead? It sounded like someone was shuffling around in the darkenss, their feet steadily scratching over the floor. Watching. Then there was murmuring. Small sounds that I could barely hear. I could feel my heart start to beat faster. Maybe I didn't like being dead after all. Why was everything so dark? I tried to turn around but I felt like I was glued to the floor. I tried to jerk my arms up, to pull myself away from whatever I was stuck to, but my limbs didn't respond to me. 

I wanted to cry. I was so frustrated and confused, and nothing seemed to make any sense. Why couldn't I move around? The sounds that I'd been hearing started to get louder and more pronounced. There was definitely something moving in the darkness. I was almost in a state of absolute hysteria. I was about to burst into tears, the fear finally consuming me. 

Then, something warm. It wrapped its warmth around my hands, winding its way between my fingers like a breeze. It felt like something was with me, not physicially, but spiritually. I had always imagined that this is what touching an angel would feel like. I tried to pick my head up off the ground to see what if I was right, but I couldn't. I pulled harder and harder, never quitting, never giving up. I tried until I could feel myself breathing heavily with effort, but nothing changed. I was still trapped, but that warmth never went away. I silently pleaded with the angel to help me; to release me from this horrible state, but nothing changed. 

"I think she hears us," I could hear the angel whisper breathily. The voice sounded distorted, all mashed and jumbled. I thought there was more, but I couldn't make it out. Straining hard, I picked up murmurs from other angels. How many of them were here with me? I felt the warmth spread over my body, and it came to rest on my forehead; soft and delicate. Was it blessing me? I struggled hard against the floor once more, trying anything and everything that might help me get away. 

"Please," I whimpered to the darkness. "Just let me go." I could feel my arms begin to respond almost immediately, not making much progress, but something was always better than nothing. I moved a little more, sending pain licking up my leg, burning like fire. I wanted to scream, and let out all the agony, but I knew it wouldn't make the pain go away, it would only make it worse.

"Did you see that?" I heard another angel say, sounding far away. I looked around wildly trying to see anything. What were they talking about? There was nothing but darkness here. I could hear more shuffling, the sounds getting stronger and clearer. I thought I heard footsteps on tile, followed by more whispering. What was going on? 

"I wonder if she'll wake soon," I caught another say. I silently prayed that they weren't talking about my death. I wasn't ready to leave all my loved ones, I finally decided. It wasn't my time. What about everything that I could've done? The thought of Harry crossed my mind. What about us? I was so hurt, and I didn't know how to deal with it. He'd hurt me so bad, and I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet, even though I was sure that I'd die without him.

I felt something warm and squishy in my hand again. It squeezed gently.

"Can you hear me?" The beautiful voice seemed to ask me. Only then did I realize that I'd had my eyes closed this whole time. They instantly fluttered open to see the most amazing boy, sitting right in front of me.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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The ride to Good Samaritan hospital was dreary despite the fact that it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and reflecting clearly off windows in the city. But it was hard for me to focus on anything other than Rae. What if I was too late, and she really was dead? I wasn't sure that I wanted to know whether she was or not. Part of me wanted to just go back to the hotel instead, but I knew that I'd never be able to calm down if I didn't know that she was safe. Eventually we arrived at the hospital, the taxi driver slowing the car substantially as he made his way up the long drive. There were many trees running along the side of the road, and little bushes intermingled themselves along their bases. There was a large, paved walking path between the rows of trees, and for a moment I thought that this looked more like a public park than an entrance to a hospital. As we finally came to a stop, I flew out of the car, leaving Louis and Niall to pay the fare. I raced inside, the smell of fabric softener and isopropyl alcohol filling my senses as soon as I set foot inside the door. I glanced around looking for a reception counter of some type, eventually spotting a desk further down in the large hall. Making my way over to it, I looked around, noticing the high ceilings, glass roof, and all the furniture set up in various ways trying to give this awful place a homey feel. 

"Excuse me," I said to a woman who was sitting behind the reception desk. She looked up at me from her computer, her blond hair falling neatly behind her. "Could you tell me where Rae Dawson is?"

"If she's a patient, I cannot divulge that information unless you're family," the woman replied calmly. I could feel anger beginning to rise in my stomach, but I pushed it down. "Are you her family?" Clearly she didn't recognize me, and I hoped that she wouldn't recognize Louis or Niall when they showed up either. Now was my chance to take advantage of being unrecognized. 

"Yes," I replied smoothly. "I'm Rae's cousin, Jackson. My brothers, Brady and Zach, and I came to see if she was doing alright now." I finished, gesturing to Louis and Niall, who had finally come up beside me." I exchanged a glance with Louis, who was giving me a confused look. Niall didn't seem to be paying attention to anything we said as he glanced around at the décor, clearly just as freaked out as I was about being here. Without another word, the woman looked down at her computer as we stood standing there, her fingers clicking on the keys of the keyboard.

"Rae appears to be in room 302," she finally responded, looking up at us again. "Go down the hallway behind me until you see the elevators, and then go up." I nodded at her, and made my way around the desk with Louis and Niall trailing along behind me. As we trudged along, the forest green carpeting and the stark white walls began to feel like they were closing in on me, and I prayed we'd find the elevators soon. No quicker than I'd thought that, we rounded a corner and were able to go up. Louis hit the button inside the elevator and the doors closed.

"What the hell was that all about?" Niall spoke up, giving me a confused look. Louis nodded, clearly confused about what was going on. 

"The woman wasn't going to tell us where Rae was if we weren't family," I explained. "She didn't recognize me, so I told her that we were Rae's cousins. I'm Jackson," I said pointing to myself. "Louis, you're Brady, and Niall, you're Zach." Louis and Niall exchanged a glance with each other before looking back at me. 

"Why do I have to be Brady?" Louis whined. "Niall, will you trade me?" Louis stuck his bottom lip out as he looked over at Niall. 

"No," I said intervening. "You're Brady. No trading." The elevator chimed that we'd reached the third floor and the doors sluggishly slid open. Niall was the first one out of the elevator, followed by Louis and I. I was more nervous now that we were on the floor. My shoes clicked against the white tiles as I made my way down the hall looking for room 302. 

"It's over here," Niall called to me from a little ways down the hall. I quickly walked over to him. We stood outside the room for what seemed like forever, each of us too scared to open the door; scared of what we would find. Finally, I got the courage to go inside. The heavy, wooden door squeaked slightly on its hinges as it opened. The walls of the room were bright orange, and bouquets of flowers sat in vases all around the room. Lying in the solitary hospital bed along the far wall was Rae. Her head was wrapped up in a massive wad of gauze, some of it stained a slight tint of red. One of her arms had been encased in a white cast, and placed at her side. There she sat, unmoving. Her heart monitor steadily beeped away, while IVs ran into the veins on the back of her hand. I almost couldn't bring myself to enter the room as tears sprang to my eyes. I had caused this. This was my fault.

"It's alright to cry, Harry," Louis whispered into my ear, comforting me softly as a gentle hand rubbed my back. "It's alright." All the tears I'd tried so hard to contain spilled over, blurring my vision as I bowed my head. 

"Look at her, Louis," I sobbed. "It's not alright. Nothing is alright. This is all my fault." I walked a little farther into the room, finding a chair, and dragging it over to the bed before sitting down.

"I don't know if I'm reading this right or not," Niall began, glancing over at a chart that had been put in a basket near the door, "but I think they put her into a medically induced coma." I lifted my head up to look over at him. The beeping of the heart monitor increased just slightly; it was almost imperceptible. We all jerked our heads to look at it, as we listened closely.

"Is it just me, or did that thing just speed up?" Louis asked, speaking all our thoughts out loud. The beeping got a little faster once more. 

"Everyone just be quiet for a minute," I said. "I want to test something." Louis and Niall exchanged a glance, and shrugged. A deep silence feel over the room, and the only sound was that of the monitor steadily plinking away with each beat of Rae's heart. It gradually slowed back down to it's original pace. I was convinced that Rae could hear us, and she knew we were here. Without really thinking, I reached up over the rails of the bed and grabbed Rae's uninjured hand, intertwining my long fingers with hers. The beeping on the machine increased almost immediately. Louis gasped slightly, and I locked eyes with him. Despite everything, a small smile crept up on my face. For the first time all day, I actually believed that things would be alright.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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I'd been out shopping with Niall when I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I pulled my phone out and answered a call from a number I didn't recognize. For a moment I was worried that someone had leaked my phone number again, and I was going to hear nothing but screaming on the other end.

"Hello?" I said, answering the phone.

"Louis," Harry answered me from the other end. "Boobear, something terrible has happened." I could hear Harry's voice trail off. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it was him and not some crazy girl. Where was he anyway? I hadn't seen him since this morning on the bus. He'd left around 11 o'clock, and I hadn't known where he was going.

"Harry?" I was confused. What could possibly have happened? "Is that you, mate?" I heard some shuffling on the other end of the phone before, a clearing of the throat and , finally, a response.

"Yeah," he said, sounding like he was going to start crying.

"What's wrong? Who's number is this?" I had so many questions. A million thoughts ran through my head. What could Harry have done? What was going on with Rae? It seemed like an eternity before he finally answered.

"I'm calling from a payphone down at the L.A. police station," he said, pausing for a moment, as he choked back sobs. "Rae's been hurt. Bad." I was taken aback by his words, and I couldn't help but gasp, even though I knew it was going to hurt him. I could feel his pain, here, even though we were far apart. 

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just hang on for me, everything is going to be okay, Haz," I tried to calm him down. He was openly sobbing now over the phone. You'd have to know him, but Harry doesn't cry a lot, and when he does, he tries to hide it. If he was openly crying like this over the phone, then it must be serious. I heard the line go dead without a response. I started to panic. "Niall!" I shrieked through the store. At once, Niall appeared, weaving his way around clothing racks. The smile he had was wiped clean off his face as he saw me standing there.

"What's going on?" He must've noticed the scared look on my face, and stopped asking questions. He simply knew something serious was up, and he replaced the items he was thinking about buying.

"Harry's at the police station," I explained to Niall as we rushed out of the store. "and Rae is in the hospital." I could see all the color drain from Niall's face, as the gravity of the situation registered with him. "Harry is crying in public. It's serious." The first time I could, I hailed us a taxi and got a ride to the police station. I sent a text to Liam saying we were dealing with a crisis, and not to bother us, but I didn't explain what was going on. I'd have time to worry Liam later. I didn't bother trying to get ahold of Zayn. It seemed like it took forever to get to the police station, the ride only taking longer since we all sat in silence.

"Wait for us, we shouldn't be in there too long," I said to the driver as we pulled up outside the police station. It was a dingy looking building with dirty whitewashed walls, small, dark windows, and a crumbling parking lot. Niall and I ran inside, and approached a large counter at the front of the building. "Excuse me, ma'am, but we were called down here to get Harry Styles," I said to a woman in uniform who looked to be in her early forties. Her frizzy blond hair swayed slightly as she looked up at us from the computer she was sitting at, and finally stood up. The woman led us back through a waiting area to a large holding cell, where we found Harry. He was sitting on a bench inside the cell with his head in his hands. Tears were streaming down his red and puffy face. Even I didn't think it was going to be this bad. Opening the cell door, the woman released Harry, and he came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, still sniffling.

"It's alright," I said, trying to calm him. "Everything is going to be alright." I could almost feel how bad Harry was hurting inside. It was just one of those abilities we shared as best friends. It was really hard for me to see him like this. Niall even noticed how hurt he was, leaning over to join in the hug as we both comforted Harry. The woman simply rolled her eyes at us, and turned to go back to the counter. We followed the woman back out front, and she told us that we were free to go after we'd filled out Harry's bail paperwork. By this point, Harry had mostly regained his composure, although his face was still slightly puffy, and his eyes were still a bit red. 

"Haz, what the hell is going on?" Niall asked him. I exchanged a glance with Niall before looking back at Harry as we walked out of the station. I watched as a look of horror came across Harry's face, and he shuddered off the horrible memories. "Nevermind." Niall said; the look on Harry's face had been enough. We all climbed into the taxi and prepared to go back to the hotel rooms we'd rented after the concert, despite protests from Harry, who wanted to go to the hospital to be with Rae.

"Haz," I said. "You don't even know which hospital she's in. We ought to just go back to the hotel." A steely edge came over my voice.

"Who are you talking about?" The driver asked. I could see him looking at us from the rearview mirror.

"His new girlfriend, Rae." I said, simultaneously pointing at Harry. He cried out at the simple mention of her name, the painful memories still too fresh in his mind. 

"I heard about her accident," the driver said. "Rae Dawson, right?" Harry sat up straight for the first time since getting in the backseat, nodding his head furiously. "It was just on the news station a few minutes ago. I was listening to her story on the radio before you got into the car. They said she's been taken to Good Samaritan Hospital on the west side of town." 

Harry immediately perked up in his seat a little more. "Go," he said.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 10

It was hard to breathe as I was shoved into the back of the police car. I didn't know what to do. I didn't speak a word. I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge the thoughts running through my head. I short while later, I was released from the back of the car and hauled into the police station. The officers put me in a holding cell with a few other people, all of whom I was absolutely terrified of. As they started to walk off, one of the officers spun around.

"I almost forgot. You get your call," he said in a gruff tone to me. They hauled me out and lead me to a row of payphones along the wall. "Here," the man handed me a few dimes. "Make it quick." I was so terrified. I dialed Louis' cell phone number as quick as I could. The phone rang and rang. I thought he was never going to answer. I was about to hang up when he finally picked up.

"Hello?" His voice sounded strange to me. 

"Louis," I responded relieved. "Boobear, something terrible has happened." I felt tears welling up in my eyes as the memory of Rae being taken into the ambulance came into my mind. 

"Harry?" Louis asked. "Is that you, mate?" 

"Yeah," I said, my throat getting tight. 

"What's wrong? Who's number is this?"

"I'm calling from a payphone down at the L.A. police station," I began to explain, the tears finally spilling over my eyes. "Rae's been hurt. Bad." I could hear Louis gasp on the other end of the phone.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just hang on for me, everything is going to be okay." I sobbed openly now. I didn't know if things would be okay. For all I knew, Rae was lying dead in the hospital. If I could just have her in my arms right now, it would be okay. Until then, I didn't know how I was going to survive. I couldn't respond, so I just hung up the phone.

"I'm so sorry," I squeaked out to the officer. "I didn't mean to hurt you, or your partner." He nodded at me, as if to accept my apology, but still marched me back to my cell.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 9

[Author's Note] Look up the song Nothing Left To Say by Imagine Dragons, and play it while you read this section.

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I just froze. I don't know what was wrong with me. These despicable girls were hurting the one I loved, and I just froze. Rae threw a teary look in my direction, getting ready to break. I could feel my heart cracking in half at the sight of her. Why couldn't I say something, anything at all? What is wrong with me?

"Fine," she said, her voice trembling as she stepped out of the way. "He's all yours." The group of girls surged forward. I was engulfed in screams again, so loud that I couldn't hear my own thoughts. I tried to see over them, only to catch a glimpse of Rae fleeing from the room. I was losing her. My other half was running from me. From this life. I didn't know what to do. I guess it turns out that this visit didn't go as well as Perrie and the others had said it would. It seemed like everything I did turned into some horrible nightmare anymore. 

"Back off!" I shouted. I could feel tears spring to my eyes, and I wanted to flee as well, but I was trapped with nowhere to run. All the girls looked taken aback. I enjoyed the shocked looks on their faces. A hard silence fell over the room, blanketing everything. "I can't believe what I've just heard," I continued on. "You are not real Directioners if you'd treat the girl I love like that!"

I shoved through the crowd, storming away from the group. I could feel twenty pairs of eyes boring into my back as I marched out the door, and no one spoke a word. As soon as I got out of the room, I bolted. Reaching the front door of the building, I ran outside into the sunlight. I spun around wildly, searching each direction for any sign of Rae. 

"Rae!" I yelled, frantic. She could be anywhere by now, and I knew she was hurt. I just wanted to fix everything. I wanted to apologize and make it all better, I wanted to mend her heart. It was going to be hard to find her; she knew the city better than I did, but I had to try. "Rae!"

Suddenly, the high pitched whine of a siren nearby filled the air. It was a few moments before it finally appeared, rushing past. So many thoughts filled my head. What if it was Rae? It couldn't be, but I had to be sure. I followed the sound of the siren, running fast down the street. As I rounded the corner, I saw the whole scene. Police vehicles littered the area as the street was shut down momentarily. Many people were standing by, witnessing the commotion. I ran over to where the cars were. There she was, being put on a stretcher, her head a bloody mess. I was too horrified to pull my eyes away.

"Rae!" I screamed as hard as my lungs would allow as I climbed over the top of the hood to the police car and began sprinting to her side. I was met by several officers who wouldn't allow me to go any closer to her. They shoved me hard back, trying to get me out of the accident scene. I struggled hard, not wanting to leave. I had to see her. I had to be with her. "Let me go!" I struggled even harder against the men's strong grips on me. I slammed my right shoulder into one of the men causing him to lose his hold on me and stumble, and in the next instant, I lifted my leg and brought it down hard into the other officer's knee. I broke free and sprinted toward the ambulance just as the paramedics were beginning to shut the doors. "Wait!"

The paramedics banged on the back of the doors to tell the driver to go. The ambulance rushed away, and I was left standing in the middle of the street all alone. The officers who had recovered from the assault, came up to me and started to click my hands into cuffs behind my back. I wasn't paying attention anymore. I was such an idiot. Rae could be dead, and it was all my fault. I had no one to help me, and now I was going to go to jail for assault. What have I done?

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 8

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I was shocked at the soft trail that led its way up my neck. I was shocked that Harry'd reacted like that; it was genuine, and I could tell. I was shocked at his beautiful words, and even more so at the amazing eyes that locked onto mine in that moment. I didn't know how to respond, so I just smiled at him before letting out a deep sigh.

"Do you feel better?" Harry asked me in slight spark of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, still only inches from mine. I did. I felt like all the bad energy, all the hard feelings, everything had just been released. For the first time since the accident, I felt truly happy. Before I wasn't sure how I felt about being chosen by a popstar; I wasn't sure that I wanted that kind of life. Now I was sure that I did. Harry was the only person who'd ever made me feel like this, and I was never going to give that up, no matter what happened. He was like my drug. The more I took, the more addicted I became. 

"Yeah," I breathed, my voice still shaking slightly. "I don't really talk about it much. This is actually the first time I've really tried, and it feels good to let go of all the hurt." I finished my sentence, regaining my composure. 

"It's good to let it out," Harry agreed, his messy curls tickled the edges of my face, and I couldn't help but giggle. "Do other people know?" Before I could answer, the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room opened as the dancers began to return from their lunch break. I quickly glanced at my watch to find it was nearly 2:30, and time for the second half of the rehearsal to start. Just as I was about to shoo Harry out before too many of the girls got curious, many of them looked Harry over clearly recognizing him. It was too late. I could hear many voices beginning to whisper his name, and they all started to creep forward to see if it was actually him. I noticed Harry cringing slightly as the others got closer. 

"Are you the Harry Styles?" Someone asked boldly. Harry's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "It is him!" No longer unsure, the group rushed forward, bombarding Harry with yells and questions. Everyone's voices raised trying to speak over each other, until there was nothing but screaming. It sounded like there was a thousand girls here instead of a mere twenty or so. I glanced over at Harry to see he was starting to freak out. I knew the attention was making him nervous with the girls being so close, him having no protection, and nowhere to run.

"Stop!" I shouted, angry that they were making Harry uncomfortable. My outburst shocked the group, although I wasn't sure how they'd heard me over their own ruckus. "Can't you see that you're freaking him out? He can't hear with all of you screaming at once anyway. Just back off!" Several girls looked offended, but for the most part the girls were simply appalled to hear me raise my voice.

"You back off, slut," responded a voice from the back of the crowd. "You don't make the fucking rules." I looked around horrified to see many other girls nodding in agreement. I couldn't even think of a good response, so I just stood there looking like a moron.

"Not even going to defend yourself?" Another called. More voices joined in the mix, creating a cacophony of insults, each growing worse than the last. I could feel my eyes begin to water again. I took a blurry glance back at Harry, who I'd tried to defend. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he supporting me? Why wasn't he stopping this?

"Maybe that car accident gave her brain damage," I heard someone else comment. "Now get your stupid ass out of the way before we break both of your legs again." I had no idea what I'd ever done to deserve such treatment. I'd never shared a word with ninety percent of the girls in this room before, so I didn't understand why they were saying these things to me. I took a final look at Harry, begging him to fight for me. He was silent. Maybe I was wrong, maybe I didn't want this life like I thought I did. Maybe Harry didn't love me like he said he did. I couldn't take it anymore. 

"Fine," I responded with a shaky voice, my tears threatening to spill over. "He's all yours." I stepped aside, not listening to Harry's cries of protest as I fled from the room. I needed to be alone with my thoughts, but most of all, I needed to be away from this place. I didn't care if I got fired. I don't know how I'd be able to come back to this studio after today anyway; I couldn't face the dancers and all the horrible things they said. I ran out of the building and up the street. I couldn't deal with all the thoughts that were running through my head; I just had to get away. I pelted down the street as fast as my legs would carry me, hot tears blurring my vision. I never stopped to find out where I was. I didn't care. Suddenly the shriek of a horn, and the sound of twisting metal filled the air. I couldn't process what was happening until it was all too late, and I was consumed by deep and utter blackness.

[Author's Note] Oh no! What do you think happened, and what do you think will happen next? Sorry if it's a bit short.. I was running low on time! Let me know in a comment what you think anyway!

-M

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 7

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My alarm clock buzzed in the morning, and I groggily sat up in bed. I was still exhausted. For a brief moment I thought that everything I'd experienced was just a dream, but I checked my phone to see that all the messages between Harry and I were real. Would I ever get over how surreal and amazing all of this was? Part of me thought I would eventually be cool with dating an international popstar, but another, bigger, part of me realized it would probably always feel this unreal. I rubbed my eyes before glancing around the messy room. My desk was in its usual state of organized chaos, with books piled in tall stacks on the sides, the tall wooden wardrobe's doors still stood hanging open. Articles of clothing and unapproved of outfits littered the floor.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, throwing back the bright blue comforter and stood up. I shuffled into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair. I still couldn't seem to wake up, so I splashed my face with cold water. Poking my head out of the bathroom, I glanced at the clock. It was already 7:33. I started rushing to get dressed. I pulled a pair of blue skinny jeans off the carpet and shimmied into them, and then removed a white and grey striped shirt from the wardrobe. I slipped into some red Vans and made my way to the kitchen. Starving, I grabbed a bowl and poured myself some Captain Crunch. While I ate, I surfed Instagram and kept tabs on the clock. After quickly finishing the bowl of cereal, I headed out to the car. The studio wasn't far from my home north of L.A. I arrived just in time to warm up on the piano before the dancers from the upper level courses began to show up. 

"Alright ladies and gentlemen," Lydi, the head instructor of the Los Angeles Conservatory stated as she walked into the room to begin class. "Places, we are ready to begin rehearsal. Today we'll start of with the piece we worked on together last class," she added, looking over at me. I quickly reached into my music folder and pulled out the correct accompaniment music. I counted four beats in my head before beginning the music. I pounded away at the keys bringing life to the black dots on the paper before me. We stopped and restarted, rehearsing for hours until finally we took a break for lunch. I wasn't feeling very hungry, so instead of leaving for the café down the street as I usually would've, I stayed in the studio to practice my pieces more. As I was practicing I heard the large wooden door click open, and I heard someone enter, but that was not reason enough for me to stop playing. As Lydi has always said, 'being distracted by people around you is never an excuse.' I kept my eyes locked on the sheet music in front of me, my fingers picking at the keys in rhythm. When I finally arrived at the end of the piece, I was shocked to hear loud clapping echoing around the room, the sound bouncing off the stark white walls, tall mirrors, and vaulted ceiling.

"That was amazing," I heard a beautiful voice say. After a moment I looked around the piano, and I realized it was Harry, a big, cheeky grin on his face as always.

"What are you doing here?" I asked curiously. I could feel myself smiling like an idiot, amused that he'd come all the way here to see me. Harry walked over from the other side of the room and approached the piano.

"I wanted to surprise you," he replied nonchalantly, that warm smile never leaving his features. "I actually had a lot of help from Danielle and Eleanor to find this place." He added laughing. 

"Well wish granted," I said with a giggle. "I'm definitely surprised to see you, Harry." I stared to stand up from the piano as he held his arms open for a hug. The embrace was short, but still warm and inviting as Harry pulled me into his arms.

"Forgive me for being an idiot, but what kind of dance do they teach in here?" Harry looked at me inquisitively as he released me from his embrace.

"Usually they teach Contemporary Ballet here," I replied offhandedly. I followed Harry's gaze around as he admired the high walls and big windows. 

"So how did you become a pianist here?" He asked, glancing back at me as we both leaned against the edge of the piano. I thought about how I should answer that. It had been a rather long, difficult journey to get here.

"It's a rather long story," I replied quietly. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to tell him the whole thing. Dance had encompassed a huge part of my life since I was little, but not anymore.

"Well I love stories," Harry said, turning his head to lock eyes with me. I smiled slightly at his words. Harry had a way of making me feel butterflies inside in a way I'd never experienced them with anyone else, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"It started when I was younger," I began. "I always loved dancing as a little girl, and my mom noticed it. She signed me up for ballet classes, and I ended up taking them until I was about fourteen, and from what people have told me, I was quite good. I wanted to take classes here so bad, that I auditioned as soon as I got the chance." I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "One day, my dad had picked me up from my very first class here, and on the way home a drunk driver ran a red light and t-boned our car." I almost couldn't bring myself to continue. I could feel my throat growing tight as I recoiled from the hard memory. "I broke both of my legs in three different places, and I had deep gashes all over my body, but I was lucky to be alive. None of my doctors thought I'd walk again, much less dance. I was crushed. Everything I'd wanted was slipping away from me as I laid in the hospital. When my legs finally healed, and I was slowly able to walk again, I wanted to try dancing, but the Conservatory had already passed me up, and given my spot in the company to someone else." I looked over at Harry to see a concerned look on his face. "I wanted to be in this school so bad though," I continued. "I didn't get my first choice, but I decided I'd find a new dream, and that's when I discovered piano. I went and learned it religiously for a year or so before coming here and applying to be the accompanist." I finally finished speaking and a heavy silence fell over the room. 

"That's tragic," Harry said, letting his voice trail off as he looked down at his feet. "I know this is kind of personal," Harry started, "but what happened to your dad?" 

"He, uh," I spoke, my voice beginning to tremble, "He was killed instantly in the accident." I could feel hot tears spring to my eyes as I remembered the day that I found out when I'd woken up all battered and bruised in the hospital. I propped myself up off of the piano to wipe at my eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Harry choked out; his usually smooth tone sounded raspy. He turned to me and hugged me hard, shoving me into him. I put my hands around his waist and closed my eyes, my head resting against his chest as I enjoyed the comfort of his presence.

**********

Rae was one of those people who was simply amazing. She was the definition of beauty, and I only grew more certain of that the more I knew. She was determined, strong, and committed to anything and everything she put her mind to. It was captivating. The more I found out about her, the more I wanted to know. I felt myself being drawn closer and closer to her with every story. It was beautiful; she was beautiful. She had these scars, both physical and metaphorical, and each one had a story. She was perfect because of her imperfections. 

"I'm so sorry." I was barely able to breathe. I felt awful for asking her; clearly these were painful memories. I pulled her close to me again, not willing to let her go, as if hugging her forever could fix everything. It was irrational and it made no sense, but if I could keep her fragile heart from breaking any further, I would at least try. In that moment, I swear time stopped. It seemed like we were the only two people in the world; every other detail became a blur. I don't know how long we stood like that, just hugging, not making a sound. Reluctantly I pulled away from Rae for just a moment. Her wavy brown hair hung down over her shoulders. Gently, I pulled the hair back from the left side of her neck slowly revealing the long scar I'd seen the day before. I looked up at Rae's face, her blue eyes still filled with tears, as she looked down at the damaged skin on her collarbone. She looked up at me as if to give me permission, and watched as I bent my head down to plant soft, delicate kisses all over the skin. Nothing was ever so perfect to me as Rae in that moment. I found myself getting slightly carried away as I let my kisses trail their way up her neck, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to show her how perfect she was in my eyes. My lips finally came to rest in front of hers, brushing them ever so slightly. "If I learned anything from your story, it's to never give up on your dreams," I whispered to her softly, "So, Rae Dawson, I'm never giving up on you." 

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 6

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 I was shocked when Harry openly called me his girlfriend. Was I really so captivating to get an international popstar in one day? Usually, I would've said no, but now I wasn't so sure. I'm not sure where I got the confidence to act like I did, but regardless, everything they say about confidence being key is true. 

I always told myself that I was good enough, even though I only half believed it. But when I met Harry, my view of myself changed. Suddenly, being good enough, wasn't good enough anymore; it didn't satisfy me to know I was only half trying. I was only half living. I decided that being bold was the best route with Harry, and he seemed to agree.

As Louis came to round up the boys, I noticed how much it pained Harry to try to walk away. It was hard for me to see the look in his eyes; like a puppy hit with a crossbow. I couldn't stand there and do nothing about it! What kind of girlfriend would that make me? Harry picked me up in a big hug, almost unwilling to separate. As he set me back down, I acted upon my twenty seconds of insane courage before I had a chance to think about it. I pulled away just enough that I could reach his face, and gave him a soft kiss.

"Encouragement," I whispered, my lips still brushing his. "Now go kill it out there." I could feel a certain kind of electricity flowing between us. I don't know what it was; the way he held me close to him, and didn't let me go left me feeling dizzy. It was like someone had kept air from me for so long, and now I could breathe again. This feeling was refreshing and real. Harry didn't say anything in response, he just breathed in deeply and pushed his forehead against mine before slowly separating from me.

"What was that?" Eleanor asked with excitement as soon as Harry was gone. A smile grew on her face, as she exchanged a glance with the other girls. They all looked at me with wide eyes.

"I, uh, like him a lot," I stuttered out the words to form a choppy sentence still feeling a bit short of breath. I could feel my cheeks growing hot with embarassment. 

"I have honestly never seen Harry act like that," Perrie spoke up, the smile gone from her face. "In all the time I've known him, you're the first girl I've ever seen Harry look at the way he looks at you." My mouth dropped to the ground as a new wave of disbelief washed over me. Danielle and Eleanor could only nod in agreement.

"The emotion and passion I see when he looks at you reminds me of the way Lou used to look at me when we first met," Eleanor said, sounding rather melancholy. "I see a lot of Lou in Harry. I guess Harry's been taking pointers." She cracked a weak smile as she glanced up from the floor.

"It almost doesn't surprise me," Danielle added, exchanging a knowing look with Eleanor and Perrie. "For them, bringing a girl to a concert is like taking her to meet their family because the boys are all so close. If Harry brought you here, you must be special." I could feel myself smiling like an idiot at the girls' speculation. So many thoughts started racing through my mind as I struggled to wrap my head around what they were saying. Before I had a chance to focus on it for too long, I felt a vibration in my pocket. I glanced down to see a text from my mom as I pulled the phone free of my pocket.

From: Mom

Rae, where are you?! It's almost eleven o'clock at night!

I could tell my mom was freaking out. I suddenly realized that I was supposed to have been back home by 2 o'clock after the meet and greet, but I'd gone out with Harry without telling my mom what was going on. She must've been worried sick, I thought to myself. 

To Mom:

I'm at the One Direction concert, and it's almost over. I'll be home soon! I have a lot to tell you :) x

I quickly replied to the message. When I looked back up at the other girls, they were all giving me worried looks.

"Is everything alright? You look like you're upset about something," Eleanor spoke for the group. I realized I must've had a concerned look on my face as I texted my mom back. 

"Oh, yeah," I responded, reassuring them. "I just realized I forgot to tell my mom that I was coming to the concert, so she was kind of freaking out on me." They visibly relaxed as I explained the situation. My phone buzzed again in my hand.

From Mom:

Alright, but hurry home. Remember you have to play for your dance class tomorrow pretty early. 

"Shit," I mumbled. I'd entirely forgotten that I had to work tomorrow at the studio. I needed to get home soon, or I would be too tired to play the music for the class. I looked up from my phone again at the other girls, now genuinely concerned. "I have to leave. I forgot that I have to work early tomorrow."

"Ah," Perrie said. "I hear ya." She nodded her head in agreement.

"What do you do?" Eleanor asked, interested.

"Oh, I'm a pianist," I replied nonchalantly wrapping up the conversation. "I have to play some of the rehearsal music for this dance class tomorrow up at this really big dance studio called the Los Angeles Conservatory, which I totally forgot about."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of them!" Danielle's face lit up when she realized what I was talking about. "I've been there actually, it's a really cool place. It must be amazing to get to work there."

"It really is," I replied. "Unless you have to work so early in the morning! Anyway, would you mind telling Harry goodbye for me when the show is over?" The others immediately agreed and I quickly grabbed my things and headed for the door.

**********

 The show wrapped up about an hour after the intermission. I was bone tired, all I wanted to do was sleep for the rest of my life. The only thing keeping me awake was the opportunity to see Rae again before the night was over. I headed off the stage and back to where I'd last seen the group of girls talking, but when I arrived she was gone. I immediately started to panic.

"Where is she?" I demanded of the group of girls. I must've scared them, as Eleanor and Perrie, who's backs had been to me, jumped at the sound of my voice. 

"She left," Danielle said, turning to face me. "She said she had to work early tomorrow, and she needed to get home. Then she left." 

"Yeah," Perrie echoed. "She asked us to tell you goodbye for her, though." I was a little bit stung to find out that Rae had left early. I had been looking forward to seeing her again.

"Oh," I replied quietly, feeling a bit abandoned.

"I'll give you a heads up though," Eleanor said, a little mischievous smirk showing on her face. "She told me she's a pianist at a major dance school here in town." I cocked my head to the side, only half understanding the idea that Eleanor was trying to convey.

"Okay?" I asked, utterly confused. "How does that help me?" Danielle and Perrie gave me incredulous looks.

"You should go surprise her at work tomorrow," Perrie explained the idea that I missed. "She won't expect it, and it'll be really adorable." A large smile was growing on her face, and it was spreading to the other two girls as well. 

"Ah," I said, finally understanding. "Do you really think I should? Wouldn't that be a bit stalkerish?" I didn't know if Rae would really like the idea of me showing up at her job uninvited.

"She'll love it," Eleanor said. "Didn't you see the way she looked at you when you showed up at intermission unexpected? It'll be fabulous." I was slowly but surely starting to warm up to the idea of surprising Rae tomorrow. 

"Sounds like I've got my work cut out for me," I responded, a warm smile starting to creep up on my face. I'd have quite a bit of Internet searching to do in order to figure out exactly where to go tomorrow. I bid the girls goodnight and headed to the bus for some much needed sleep, where the thought occurred to me that I must really be in love if I'm getting up early on a Sunday for a girl. It's only been one day, and Rae's already got me whipped, I thought, sleepily. I slowly started to drift off to sleep as the rest of the guys climbed on the bus to sleep as well.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 5

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I could feel myself getting lost with Rae. The longer we stood there together, the more I could feel the rest of the world slipping away. It was like we were the only two people who were real in that moment. With Rae, everything was easy and it just made sense. The night was a blur after that. Before I'd wanted to, I'd been forced to let Rae go, and rehearse more. Rae gave us excellent advice about stage presence, and she gave me the impression that she knew more about performing than she let on. Soon enough, the arena began to fill up, and the screaming started.

It was a hard thing to keep your energy up so long when you were as tired as I was. Despite all the wishes of luck from Rae, our managers, and friends, knowing that Rae was watching was nerve wracking. I felt like I had to impress her. Since the X-Factor, I'd not felt like that when I was performing in front of a crowd. I didn't even feel like this when we were at Madison Square Gardens last year. It was crazy. During the performance, I felt distracted. I started to realize how much my life was passing me by. I'd spent so much time on my career, which had been fantastic, but now I realized that I was making everything else take a backseat to it. I didn't want to quit, I was sure I'd never want to, but I needed to slow down. The nice thing was that this was the last performance of the North American leg of the tour. I wouldn't have to be anywhere or do anything until mid-September after tonight. I would finally be able to slow down for a minute instead of jumping straight to the next thing. Part way through the show, we took our fifteen minute intermission. I walked toward the wings of the stage to get a drink of water, and to see Rae's reaction to the performance so far. After grabbing a bottle of water, I wandered around looking for Rae. I finally found her further backstage chatting excitedly with Perrie, Danielle, and Eleanor.

"So then what did he say?" Eleanor continued pressing Rae, clearly not noticing me approaching. Her brown eyes excitedly looked at Rae. They were all gossiping like schoolgirls, clearly anticipating Rae's future entrance into the girlfriend clique. I stopped and ducked into a nearby hallway entrance. I stood there listening hard, hoping to gain any insight into how Rae felt about earlier today.

"It was kind of cheesy, so don't laugh," Rae replied, and I could tell from the tone of her voice that she had a huge smile on her face, even though her back was to me. "He said, 'Nothing else matters as long as I've got you.'" All the girls had the hugest smiles on their faces after listening to the story. Clearly I'd done something right.

"Aw, who knew Harry was like that?" Danielle spoke up. "I almost want to steal him away from you." 

"You want to know what's really freaky about it?" Rae asked, and the other girls nodded. "Right before he'd said that, I'd been thinking almost the exact same thing." Eleanor's facial expression said it all. Her mouth dropped open. 

"It's like a fairytale," Eleanor commented. "That's a good sign. Harry is a great guy; they're all fantastic. But it's uncharacteristic of Harry to be romantic like that, so he must really fancy you." That's true, I agreed mentally.

"Is that so?" Rae seemed genuinely shocked. Danielle, Perrie, and Eleanor nodded furiously. "I'll keep that in mind, then." I was pleased. Perrie and Eleanor seemed to be working on my side, and they gave me nothing less than a glowing report, so I was feeling good. Especially since two of the group were dating the biggest divas of the band: Zayn with his hair and Louis with his sass. I decided it was a good time to fake walking around the corner.

"Looks like I've found my way behind enemy lines," I said as I approached the group. All the girls turned to look at me. The way they stared at me could only mean one of two things: either they were reading my mind, or I looked seriously bad. I assumed the latter and looked myself over. "What?" I asked when I found nothing wrong.

"Nothing," Eleanor said, exchanging a glance with Perrie and Danielle. "We were just talking to Rae here to see if we should grant her official entrance into the girlfriend's clique." Rae, who had turned to look at me as I approached, immediately spun around to give a surprised look to Eleanor.

"What are you doing back this far, Styles?" Danielle asked, clearly amused by his statement. "You should know fully well that there are a lot of things we could do to you for discovering our camp." I was quite surprised that Danielle played right along with me. 

"Well, seeing as how you've taken my new girlfriend hostage," I replied not missing a beat, "I had to make sure she was holding up alright back here." Sometimes I even surprise myself with all the things that come out of my mouth. I just openly called Rae my girlfriend. I wasn't sure that it was the right move until I glanced over at Rae to see her bright blue eyes sparkling. I could tell she was about to fangirl, but unexpectedly she  held herself together. I stood right next to Rae, and wrapped my long arm around her waist. Eleanor's eyes widened, and she exchanged a knowing glance with Rae. There was so much more to the expression than I'll ever understand, but clearly girls are telepathic, just as I suspected. These girls barely knew each other, and they could already communicate with just facial expressions like best friends. Suddenly I became aware that what I'd said hadn't been a slip up, I really meant it. It felt good to have my true feelings be known. 

"I'm alright," Rae finally spoke. "You're doing really good out there, Harry!" Now it was my turn to freak out. Even though there were thousands of girls out in the crowd screaming encouragement to me, for some reason, the only approval I needed was from Rae. It gave me butterflies in my stomach, which is not something I thought I'd ever experience in relation to a girl. 

"Harry, mate we've got to go, the second half is about to start," Louis called to me as he came rolling around the corner on a skateboard. He hopped off and walked over to Eleanor before planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Oh, thanks," Eleanor replied nonchalantly as he turned around and patted me on the shoulder before heading back toward the entrance to the stage. I glanced down at Rae, not wanting to leave again. I turned and hugged her, her head nestling itself in the crook of my neck. I lifted her up slightly off the ground. As I set Rae down again, she pulled away slightly and planted a soft kiss on my lips. It was unexpected and sweet, and it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Encouragement," she whispered before separating herself from me entirely. "Now go kill it out there." I'd never felt so good in my life. With Rae, everything was electric and unexpected. I didn't feel nervous at all heading back out for the second half of the performance. As long as Rae was nearby, everything would be fine.

Never Give Up- Harry Styles Fan Fiction Chapter 4

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After getting into Rae's car, we pulled off and headed back to the arena. The sun had sunk lower into the sky, and I was almost afraid I was going to be late for rehearsals. I didn't want to distract Rae by talking too much to her, but I didn't want to be awkward by not saying anything at all. Truthfully, I was happy just to be in her presence. Part of me didn't want to go back to the arena; returning to that moment in the alley was just fine with me. It felt almost like Cinderella, and my clock was about to strike midnight. My fairytale was nearing to a close, and I was being forced to return to the prison of tour life. 

"Are you going to come to the show?" I asked absentmindedly as I looked out the window. I could feel Rae's eyes on me, though she did not reply right away.

"No," she finally answered. "The tickets sold out too quickly. It's not like I would've been able to afford them anyway." I looked over at her while she concentrated on the road. Her beautiful blue eyes scanned the street ahead, and her hair was blown back over her shoulder by the fans of the air conditioner. "I spent almost all of what I had saved up on the M&G pass." Rae's voice trailed off.

"I want you to be there," I said. "If you don't have anything going on, you should just come with me. You could just be backstage or something." I looked nervously over to her face. Rae's eyebrows were furrowed; I couldn't read the expression on her face. Maybe I'm pressuring her, I thought. That was the last thing that I wanted to do. Rae looked over at me again.

"Are you sure that it's okay?" Rae asked, sounding anxious about it. "I don't want to impose on your rehearsal." I nodded my head and rubbed a hand through my curls. The car began to slow as we arrived and parked near the front door of the arena. I walked to the front of the car and waited for Rae to get out and join me. As she around to the front of the car I had to stop myself from grabbing her hand. I desperately wanted to wind my long fingers around her small hand, though I didn't want to appear that way.

"Shall we?" I asked as we stood in front of the vehicle. A light breeze blew over my shoulder, pushing Rae's hair back over hers. For the first time, I was able to get a good look at the uncovered beauty of this girl in front of me. For just a moment, she wasn't hiding underneath her hair. As I looked, I saw beneath the long strands was a long, white scar. I could tell she noticed me looking at it as she shuddered her shoulders to put her hair back in place, but I said nothing. 

"We shall," Rae said nodding her head, a small smile playing on her lips. As we walked along, our fingers brushing each other. I wanted to scream out loud; it felt so amazing to be in her company. When I was with Rae, I was no longer the star. She was. Slowly, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I slid my left hand down the palm of her right, and slipped my fingers into place between hers. It felt complete like this; being separated from her was like losing my other half. I knew I'd fallen, and I'd fallen hard. Seeing her again was like getting to re-meet her for the first time. It was simply magical. Every moment we seemed to get closer, even though we said nothing. As we approached the front door to the arena, Rae let me take the lead. Finally getting inside, we found that the lads had finished setting up and tuning, and had already started rehearsals without me. I released Rae's hand and jogged forward. 

"Sorry I'm late," I called from the isle near the third row. Liam squinted against the lights down, a look of surprise mixed with concern on his face. 

"Where've you been, Harry? We were starting to get afraid you'd gotten mobbed you were gone so long," Liam said, his fatherly side coming out. "Who's she?" he finished as he glanced over my shoulder at Rae. I turned around to glance at Rae, willing her to stay silent.

"I was at the coffee shop like I said," I responded, "and this is Rae." I noticed the other boys had stopped talking and were looking up from what they were doing to stare at Rae. I held my hand behind me and out to her. Slowly she approached me from behind and took my hand. I pulled her closer behind me. I felt like I was shielding her. I knew I was in deep trouble for not telling them the whole truth.

"Didn't you tell them that you were meeting me?" Rae asked, her voice barely above a whisper in my ear as she stood behind me. 

"Oh, so it's like that," Louis spoke up from the stage. "You know, Harry, we don't mind if you go to meet people, but we do mind when you lie to us, mate." My face felt hot; my cheeks burning bright. I'd been caught red handed. 

"You didn't bring me a bagel either," Niall spoke up. "I would've been more willing to accept it and move on if you had, but now? I don't know, man." He let out a loud laugh. Instantly the mood in the room felt lighter, as if all the tension in the room had just been severed.

"Why didn't you just tell us, Harry?" Zayn asked. He and Niall exchanged a glance before looking back out to me, and Rae, who'd started cowering behind me. She'd already been anxious of the situation and getting in trouble, and this was only making it worse.

"I didn't want you guys to give me any crap like you have before," I explained. "I wasn't entirely sure if Rae was going to come anyway, based on how she'd acted when we met earlier, so I didn't think it would matter whether I told you about her or not for the time being." I chose my words carefully so that I offended as few people as possible. "Oh, and Niall, the coffee shop that we went to has a muffin buffet." Niall's face visibly lit up, as he imagined all the muffins in his mind. I thought he was going to start drooling for a moment, until Zayn poked him and brought him back to reality. 

"Well now that we know the whole truth, the teasing is going to be twice as bad," Louis responded. "It'll be payback." Louis grinned big, a mischievous look crossing his face.

"So, are you going to bring her up here or what?" Liam asked, trying to look past my shoulder to see her. "I'd like to meet her." I glanced over my shoulder at Rae's face that was buried slightly into my sleeve.

"As you wish, Daddy Direction," I showed a cheeky grin as I knew I was finally out of trouble. I could feel Rae's small hands on my waist. I covered her slender fingers with my longer ones, and tugged her along behind me as I approached the stairs to the stage. As I reached the stairs, I let her lead, and I walked behind her climbing the stairs. Rae missed a stair and began to stumble. Reacting quickly, my hands grabbed her before she could fall. As we moved forward, I kept my hands on her waist to steady her. We snaked around behind the curtains before coming into the stage lights. 

"How do you guys stand these lights?" I heard Rae ask shakily as her body tensed up. "I feel like I'm blind." Rae pantomimed putting her hands out in front of her and feeling around like a blind person. 

"It's actually really helpful," Niall said, looking down at the microphone in his hands. "We can't see as many of the people that we're performing for. It helps with the nerves." As Niall finished speaking, Liam wandered over to Rae. He approached her, taking her hand in his and shaking it.

"It's nice to see you again, Rae," Liam said, smiling warmly. His deep brown eyes took in her bright blue eyes, wavy brown hair, and her slender face. "Are you staying for the show tonight?" Rae looked over her shoulder slightly to where I was standing with my hands in my pockets looking at the floor. 

"Harry wants me to," she replied. "But I don't have a ticket." I could tell hear her voice trembling. My head instantly snapped up and I smiled at her before putting my hand on her back.

"Don't be a peasant," Louis chimed in. "Nobody gets to miss the queen's performance." Rae laughed heartily while the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"You really can't miss it," Zayn spoke up. "He is quite fabulouis." Zayn could hardly contain himself, clearly amused at his own joke.

"There's always plenty of space backstage," Liam said with a bright smile. "So if you'd like to, you're welcome to stay."

"That would be fantastic," Rae answered, her eyes shining. The rest of the boys approached Rae to talk to, and officially re-meet her. I felt awkward, just standing to the side watching her, but at the same time it felt right. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to concentrate tonight if she was here. It was going to be difficult, if possible at all, but everything was worth it. After she finally talked to all of the boys for a while, Louis pushed us to get back to work.

"Hey, Rae," Louis began, "Why don't you sit down in the audience and give us feedback on our rehearsal?" Rae's face lit up at the opportunity, and she smiled widely before bounding off the stage; her long flowing hair the last thing to disappear into the darkness. Before I'd missed her, she reappeared in the audience. The lads and I started clowning around and then performed our set. I couldn't stop myself from busting out laughing during my solos while I looked only at her. Every song that I sang, I could feel myself getting nervous for no reason, and subconsciously trying to substitute her name into the words. I slipped up a couple of times and sang her name in the lyrics, to which she cracked a huge smile. I could almost hear her laugh ring in my ears. 

"Okay, Niall," Rae started, giving her feedback to the group. "During Kiss You, you kept getting closer and closer to Zayn, so you need to move to your right a little more. In fact, All of you spread out."  Rae flapped her arms in a spreading motion. "I don't know about you guys, but I think it would be really cool if you came forward and everyone else moved back during each of your solos." She waved with her hands in front of her, making a sweeping motion like a broom. It was funny to watch Rae talk because she used her hands so much. "Just perform Last First Kiss again, but move forward with your solo. I want to see what it looks like." As she finished speaking, Liam started to sing his solo, standing in front of the group. He looked like a leader, in front of us all. During my solo, I moved forward, but instead of singing 'girl' I openly sang out Rae's name. I smiled a big smile, my face getting hot. Rae sat in the audience with her hand over her mouth, covering her huge smile. I could see it in her eyes. I closed my eyes during the chorus, and when I opened them again, she was gone. My heart started beating faster, and I couldn't slow it down. I wanted to know where she was. I looked around the room, scanning nervously. I finally looked over at the wings of the stage, and there she was. Rae had tears in her eyes. I turned instead of facing the empty auditorium, I faced the wing. Rae was still covering her mouth with her hand. As the song ended. I walked into the wings. 

"What's wrong, Rae?" I asked. I didn't want to have genuinely upset her. She looked like she was going to burst into tears, and now I couldn't tell whether it was with joy or sadness.

**********

I could hardly contain myself. I was having a hard time holding it together; I felt like I could pass out any minute now. I didn't want Harry to think that I was hurt by him singing like that to me. It was beautiful. I'd never had a ton of luck with guys, especially if I ever mentioned One Direction as my favorite artist, but with Harry I felt like I could really be myself. He seemed to accept me for who I was, despite the fact that we'd just met. It was strange; this feeling was so surreal. I could hardly believe that this was me, standing here, right in front of Harry Styles. He was singing this to me. It made me weak in the knees. I didn't know what to do with myself. 

"That was beautiful, Harry," I was barely able to choke out the words without becoming a blubbering mess. I didn't want him to see this side of me. It was disgusting. "I'm sorry I'm such an emotional wreck." I rubbed at my eyes with my jacket sleeve, the tears leaving streaks in the mint fabric. 

"You're so pretty, when you cry, when you cry," Harry began singing again, this time the words to Nobody Compares. He stopped for a second, and I cracked a weak smile. Harry reached up to my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. I almost started crying again, and he wiped away the lone tear on my cheek. "I never want you to be upset, Rae. Nobody compares to you," he finished with the words to the song. 

"I'm not upset," I squeaked. "I'm really, really happy. You make me so happy, Harry." Harry moved closer to me, wrapping his long arms around my waist, and pulling me close to him. 

"Good," he whispered into my hair as he planted several small kisses along my neck. I felt so wonderful to be here with him. He was soft and sweet; everything that I needed in my life. I wrapped one of my arms around the back of his neck, and placed the other into his hair, toying with his curls. I loved the way that my neck fit into the crook of his neck. It was like puzzle pieces; each one only had one perfect fit, and I was certain that Harry was mine. It didn't matter that we'd only met, nothing else had ever felt so right. Nothing else mattered anymore. "Nothing else matters," Harry said, echoing my thoughts. "As long as I've got you."