The Arranged Wedding
Chapter 7
Harry Styles POV.
I've been in Los Angeles California for three months now. The next morning, after Annabeth had told me to leave, I announced I would be doing just that. That night when I stood in front of the door with my suitcases my family watched me. Mum and Gemma gave me half hearted hugs, and Riden just stared at me with a smirk. Annabeth didn't even come to say goodbye to me.
When I told Zayn he decided to join me on my journey. He knew that this had been my dream since I was a child. Alas it wasn't how I imagined it. Sitting on this beach, with a condo behind me, I felt not satisfaction from the scene in front of me. Cool blue waves crashing on shore, marking the vivid white sand. Oh how I had imagined this scene a million times. Yet as bright orange and red melted into the sea, and a full moon could be seen rising from the horizon, bitterness was all I could feel. I always thought that this is what I wanted.
I turned the page in my book, which was called "Into the Wild". I was getting to the end I was pained by reading the horribly slow death of the character I had grown so fond of. This book has been my only happiness in the past months. I looked at a perplexing line.
”"And so it turned out that only a life similar to the life of those around us, merging with it without a ripple, is genuine life, and that an unshared happiness in not happiness... And this was most vexing of all."" I read out loud. I sighed to myself, kicking a rock in the sand. Happiness is only real when shared. This is what Christopher learned. Luckily it won't take me my dying breath to realize that. I knew I was alone. I had Zayn, but that was different.
I didn't have a beautiful brunette by my side, who eyes gleamed, and body shook when laughter erupted from the priceless lips. Since my eyes met my dear Annie's, I knew this moment wasn't for me. This sunset into front of me was for her eyes only, because it was the only thing that came close to comparing to her beauty. She had told me to come back if I found nothing, but she wanted me to have an open mind.
Two weeks after I was here I met a short brunette that resembled my dearest, but she didn't exhume the same amount of perfection as she. Regardless we flirted and I took her back to my home. She kissed me roughly, and I couldn't even enjoy it because it just couldn't compare. I couldn't even follow through with anything, because I became too frustrated at a beautiful woman who seemed so flawed in my eyes. I felt bad for making her leave, but it just didn't feel right. It left a disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even now I felt nauseous just thinking about it.
I haven't found anything. At this point I'm not even sure what I'm meant to be looking for. Does this mean I go back? Does she even want me back there? What is it I would find when I entered the doors of my childhood home? Would the girl who I adored be pregnant with the child of my sulfurous brother? So many questions to rest in the mind of one man.
I was so deep in thought I nearly didn't hear the blood curdling scream of a child. My head darted at the terrible sound, as I tried to search for the owner. Then I saw a small child running. She wore a white dress that had rips all over it. Blood leaked as she run towards me, a man close behind her. The small child fell into my lap, as the man stopped in front of me. He was a big man with a round belly. He looked like a drunk, and had a disgusting smell coming off of him. He reached to grab the small blond from my arms, but I shielded her away from him. Light sobs echoed from her.
"Delilah I told you we must leave the beach. Your mum made dinner she going to be quite worried if we're late." The man said to the little girl, though I did not find his statement convincing. The girl seemed terrified, not upset that a day on the beach had ended. I glared at the man, and held on to her tighter.
"Please don't let him take me! He's not my daddy, I don't have one! Please sir he's going to hurt me!" She begged me. I nodded my head, and stood up still holding the child. She wrapped her little arms around my neck, and buried her head into my hair. Zayn was on the patio watching us a couple of feet away. I gave him a look, and he knew what I meant. He took out his phone, and dialed three simple numbers.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm not letting this man take you." I cooed her. The man's face turned from its fake smile into an intense look of anger. I set the girl down, and she panicked for a second letting out a small cry. The man inched towards her, but I moved my body in front of the girl.
"Love do you see my friend over there on the porch?" I asked her pointing to Zayn. She nodded her little head at me. "Okay sweetheart I want you to go over to him. He's a kind man he'll get you cleaned up until the police arrive." I told her. She ran in Zayn's direction, and as she did the man dart towards her. I reared back my fist, and punched him as hard as I could. The man fell to the ground, and twisted in the sand like a turtle stuck on the back of his shell. I saw her reach Zayn who immediately gave her comfort, taking a seat in his lap as he held the phone to his ear, saying something I couldn't hear.
A few hours later we found out we made the right choice. Delilah had gone missing early that morning on her way to school. This bloke have kidnapped her, and raped her. Judging by what she said, if she hadn't gotten away when she did, the man was planning to kill her next. She was merely six years old, and lived at a small foster home. Social services sat across a desk in front of me filing some paperwork. Delilah was on my lap, now in fresh clothing, cuddled deep into my body. For some reason I immediately felt a connection to her. She had no real family to turn to, just like me.
"Alright little one time to go back home." The woman said looking up from her papers. She was a pretty woman in her late twenties. Still, something about her demeanor made me not like her. She seemed impatient, and lacked empathy. The girl hid into me more.
"I don't wanna go. I want to stay with Harry and Zayn. They protected me, they can keep me safe." The girl cried. Her words broke my heart, and I smoothed her hair.
"Delilah I imagine these young men have better things to do than take care of a whiny child." The woman spat at her, only making Delilah's cries louder.
"What if we wanted to though?" I asked the woman. Her venomous eyes shot from the small girl in my arms to me.
"Excuse me?" She asked me narrowing her eyes.
"What if we wanted to take Delilah in?" I elaborated. The little girl looked up at me with curious eyes, and I gave her a soft smile. The woman was in deep thought, admiring her freshly manicured nails. She then sighed and pulled out a stack of papers, and dropped them in front of me creating a loud thud.
"These are the requirements you must meet to foster her. Call me when you ready so I may review your home. Until then, she must stay with in the custody of the state." The woman told me. She stood up, and ripped Delilah from my arms, and as they walked away, I saw I small hand wave bye to me. I blew her a small kiss, and then picked up the stack of papers.
I was going to do whatever it takes to be able to care for Delilah because I had finally found what beauty was meant for me to find on the beach...
And that beauty was named Delilah Grant, who in just a few hours stole my heart, faster than even Annabeth...
I've been in Los Angeles California for three months now. The next morning, after Annabeth had told me to leave, I announced I would be doing just that. That night when I stood in front of the door with my suitcases my family watched me. Mum and Gemma gave me half hearted hugs, and Riden just stared at me with a smirk. Annabeth didn't even come to say goodbye to me.
When I told Zayn he decided to join me on my journey. He knew that this had been my dream since I was a child. Alas it wasn't how I imagined it. Sitting on this beach, with a condo behind me, I felt not satisfaction from the scene in front of me. Cool blue waves crashing on shore, marking the vivid white sand. Oh how I had imagined this scene a million times. Yet as bright orange and red melted into the sea, and a full moon could be seen rising from the horizon, bitterness was all I could feel. I always thought that this is what I wanted.
I turned the page in my book, which was called "Into the Wild". I was getting to the end I was pained by reading the horribly slow death of the character I had grown so fond of. This book has been my only happiness in the past months. I looked at a perplexing line.
”"And so it turned out that only a life similar to the life of those around us, merging with it without a ripple, is genuine life, and that an unshared happiness in not happiness... And this was most vexing of all."" I read out loud. I sighed to myself, kicking a rock in the sand. Happiness is only real when shared. This is what Christopher learned. Luckily it won't take me my dying breath to realize that. I knew I was alone. I had Zayn, but that was different.
I didn't have a beautiful brunette by my side, who eyes gleamed, and body shook when laughter erupted from the priceless lips. Since my eyes met my dear Annie's, I knew this moment wasn't for me. This sunset into front of me was for her eyes only, because it was the only thing that came close to comparing to her beauty. She had told me to come back if I found nothing, but she wanted me to have an open mind.
Two weeks after I was here I met a short brunette that resembled my dearest, but she didn't exhume the same amount of perfection as she. Regardless we flirted and I took her back to my home. She kissed me roughly, and I couldn't even enjoy it because it just couldn't compare. I couldn't even follow through with anything, because I became too frustrated at a beautiful woman who seemed so flawed in my eyes. I felt bad for making her leave, but it just didn't feel right. It left a disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even now I felt nauseous just thinking about it.
I haven't found anything. At this point I'm not even sure what I'm meant to be looking for. Does this mean I go back? Does she even want me back there? What is it I would find when I entered the doors of my childhood home? Would the girl who I adored be pregnant with the child of my sulfurous brother? So many questions to rest in the mind of one man.
I was so deep in thought I nearly didn't hear the blood curdling scream of a child. My head darted at the terrible sound, as I tried to search for the owner. Then I saw a small child running. She wore a white dress that had rips all over it. Blood leaked as she run towards me, a man close behind her. The small child fell into my lap, as the man stopped in front of me. He was a big man with a round belly. He looked like a drunk, and had a disgusting smell coming off of him. He reached to grab the small blond from my arms, but I shielded her away from him. Light sobs echoed from her.
"Delilah I told you we must leave the beach. Your mum made dinner she going to be quite worried if we're late." The man said to the little girl, though I did not find his statement convincing. The girl seemed terrified, not upset that a day on the beach had ended. I glared at the man, and held on to her tighter.
"Please don't let him take me! He's not my daddy, I don't have one! Please sir he's going to hurt me!" She begged me. I nodded my head, and stood up still holding the child. She wrapped her little arms around my neck, and buried her head into my hair. Zayn was on the patio watching us a couple of feet away. I gave him a look, and he knew what I meant. He took out his phone, and dialed three simple numbers.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm not letting this man take you." I cooed her. The man's face turned from its fake smile into an intense look of anger. I set the girl down, and she panicked for a second letting out a small cry. The man inched towards her, but I moved my body in front of the girl.
"Love do you see my friend over there on the porch?" I asked her pointing to Zayn. She nodded her little head at me. "Okay sweetheart I want you to go over to him. He's a kind man he'll get you cleaned up until the police arrive." I told her. She ran in Zayn's direction, and as she did the man dart towards her. I reared back my fist, and punched him as hard as I could. The man fell to the ground, and twisted in the sand like a turtle stuck on the back of his shell. I saw her reach Zayn who immediately gave her comfort, taking a seat in his lap as he held the phone to his ear, saying something I couldn't hear.
A few hours later we found out we made the right choice. Delilah had gone missing early that morning on her way to school. This bloke have kidnapped her, and raped her. Judging by what she said, if she hadn't gotten away when she did, the man was planning to kill her next. She was merely six years old, and lived at a small foster home. Social services sat across a desk in front of me filing some paperwork. Delilah was on my lap, now in fresh clothing, cuddled deep into my body. For some reason I immediately felt a connection to her. She had no real family to turn to, just like me.
"Alright little one time to go back home." The woman said looking up from her papers. She was a pretty woman in her late twenties. Still, something about her demeanor made me not like her. She seemed impatient, and lacked empathy. The girl hid into me more.
"I don't wanna go. I want to stay with Harry and Zayn. They protected me, they can keep me safe." The girl cried. Her words broke my heart, and I smoothed her hair.
"Delilah I imagine these young men have better things to do than take care of a whiny child." The woman spat at her, only making Delilah's cries louder.
"What if we wanted to though?" I asked the woman. Her venomous eyes shot from the small girl in my arms to me.
"Excuse me?" She asked me narrowing her eyes.
"What if we wanted to take Delilah in?" I elaborated. The little girl looked up at me with curious eyes, and I gave her a soft smile. The woman was in deep thought, admiring her freshly manicured nails. She then sighed and pulled out a stack of papers, and dropped them in front of me creating a loud thud.
"These are the requirements you must meet to foster her. Call me when you ready so I may review your home. Until then, she must stay with in the custody of the state." The woman told me. She stood up, and ripped Delilah from my arms, and as they walked away, I saw I small hand wave bye to me. I blew her a small kiss, and then picked up the stack of papers.
I was going to do whatever it takes to be able to care for Delilah because I had finally found what beauty was meant for me to find on the beach...
And that beauty was named Delilah Grant, who in just a few hours stole my heart, faster than even Annabeth...
Notes
So here's an update, I apologize it took me so long. I've been on vacation... let me know your thoughts, and expectations. The story definitely took an interesting turn!!! I always appreciate comments!!!
All the love,
~JR
They have been reported by me and Allie Miller for stealing our stories... thank you all so much for you're support.... I've been writing on here for years now and I never thought this would happen to me... I'm going to start keeping an eye out for everyone's stories...
1/6/19