CHAPTER XXVI. BOOM BOX
'What the hell?' I hear Harry's voice fill the outside air, the door slamming once again behind him, but I'm too scared to look up at him. 'What happened? Andy? What happened?'

I find the necessary strength in my legs and push myself up onto my feet. My stare eventually finds his but it isn't the usual butterfly-inducing eye contact, his eyes now seem darker than before.

'Why are you crying? Please talk to me, Andy. What happened?' He tries to move closer but I step back, pushing even harder into the harsh brick wall. His hand runs through his hair, his eyes wide and he appears panicked.

'Just admit it.' I squeak, my voice so much smaller than his. His grass-green eyes scan my face with desperation.

'Admit what? What are you talking about?'

'Admit that you killed Blake, and Nico.' I say, feeling my heart sink at my own words. He looks undeniably shocked, his hand running through his hair again and his eyes widen even more.

'Are you being serious?' He stands his ground.

'You killed them, didn't you?'

'I can't believe you right now. I told you to trust me.'

'Answer the question, Harry!' I almost scream, feeling my fists clench and my heartbeat boom through my ears. His mouth opens with distress.

'No! I didn't fucking kill them! I can't believe you're even thinking this shit!'

'Do you know who killed them?'

'I obviously don't! Do you think I'd be here if I did?'

'What?' Did he mean that without the investigation, he wouldn't want to be near me?

'Fuck, no. I didn't mean it like that. I meant in the investigation, I wouldn't be in the investigation if I knew.' He states and there's silence in the air. 'I can't believe this, I've told you to trust me so many times.'

'And I have! I have trusted you, Harry! But all the signs point to you!'

'I thought you cared for me.' His voice lowers and it quietly fills the air.

'Is that your ploy? Get me to care for you so when it's revealed that you're the killer, I'll just be fine with it? Well, you're wrong, Harry!'

'No! Are you kidding me? Do you think I'd tell everybody about this? That I'd get the freaking police involved if I was the killer? Please think about this!'

I suddenly feel like I can't breathe. 'I want to go home.'

He moves closer and I flinch, his eyes flash with upset before he moves back again.

'I love you.'

What?

'What?'

'I said I love you. I'd never hurt you, I care about you more than anybody else. But, you can't trust me. I don't know how else to prove my innocence.' He shakes his head, tears threatening to escape his eyes and I never thought I'd see Harry cry near Foundered High; where his tough-guy persona is usually shown. I don't know what to think anymore. 'Please, listen to me, Andy.'

He moves closer, much more swiftly this time, and his hands grab my arms. His touch is gentle as he presses me against the wall, his deeply affected eyes finding mine. I soon feel his fingers reach for my cheeks and caress the skin there. He loves me. Harry Styles loves me. But, he could still be the killer. How could I melt into him when I have so many suspicions? His face looks content that he had won me over but flashes with distress as I forcefully push him away.

'I'm going home.' I say, tears still spilling from my eyes, as I hurry away from him and towards the cab-rank near the school.

The whole ride home, I'm thinking about Harry, about how he could have manipulated me through this whole investigation. But would Harry truly kill somebody? I remember him telling me about his mother, about how she just took off one day and he needed to distract himself with parties. Maybe she was his motive to kill? He's always left alone at home, could he have grown insane from his own thoughts racing through his head?

Once I'm home, I dismiss my parents who are sat at the sofa and hurry upstairs straight to my room. True teen angst floods my veins as I slam the door, sliding against it to the floor. Tears soak the top hem of my dress as I sob and sob and sob.

'Someone should go up there and ask how she is.' I hear my father's panicked words from below.

'No, Jeff, she needs time alone. We'll see how she is tomorrow morning.' My mother replies softly and I'm thankful.

I soon find my bed, tearing my dress from my body and replacing it with a night dress. My knees are pulled up to my chin as I sit and think about Harry. The first thought that comes to me is how the knife was in his cupboard, his cupboard, and only his maid was with him in the home. His maid wouldn't be a murderer, surely not, that seemed like just a forced suspect in any murder mystery novel. Also, the maid wasn't there when Nico died; her shift was over. But why had Harry told me to call the police? Why would he want to risk his anonymity?

My head exhaustedly falls behind me to my pillow and although I can't breathe, although I can feel my heart breaking into tiny little pieces, sleep takes over; and a small part of me doesn't want to wake up.

Piano chords flood my ears when I awake, the daylight streaming through my room, and I grab the pillow from underneath my head; throwing it over my ear to block the noise. Were my parents listening to music downstairs? No, there wasn't a stereo downstairs. My eyes fully open and I take the pillow from my ear, peering around my room. Nothing was playing on my record player. Where the hell was the noise coming from?

Oh, I can't fight this feeling any longer.

And yet, I'm still afraid to let it flow.

What started out this friendship has grown stronger.

I only wish I had the strength to let it show.

I stand from my bed, trying to follow the muted noise but to no avail. I feel a gust of cool air come from my window and begin to wonder if it's a neighbour outside. My hands grip the ends of the curtains, pushing them out of the way of the window and realise my it is slightly open. I must have left it that way last night.

And I can't fight this feeling anymore.

I've forgotten what I started fighting for.

My eyes widen as I notice Harry's car parked outside; was the music coming from there? Why was he doing this? Confusion still played in my mind as I scanned the houses and roads nearby, hoping that nobody could hear it too.

Suddenly, I notice Harry, not inside his car, but stood near it. His arms were held high above his head, holding a huge box. It becomes clear that in his hands is a boom box. Harry was stood outside, playing music loudly. But it wasn't just music, it was a love song. I watch him as his eyes finally find me, gazing at me as though I was a god above him. My hand grabs the latches of my window, pushing them further and opening them wider. The music floods even louder into my room.

And it always seems that I'm following you, girl.

'Cause you take me to the places

That alone, I'd never find.

I can't contain my excitement as I push my feet into fluffy slippers and stumble down the staircase. Harry was confessing his love, in front of people, in public, for me. Nobody had done something like this before. Yeah, I'd seen others have these romantic moments. But, I never felt lucky enough. It was like something from a movie. My parents were stood at the front window, both their eyebrows raised as I entered the living room. I found their faces and beamed as I opened the front door, trailing out into the icy outdoors with only a thin material over my skin. The music was so much louder out here, I dreaded to think what my neighbours thought of this; especially so early in the morning. But I didn't care. Harry loved me.

My feet eventually reach his and he places the boom box down onto the top of his car.

I've forgotten what I've started fighting for.

It's time to bring this ship into the shore

And throw away the oars, forever.

'Harry, what are you-'

'Andy, hear me out.' He instantly instructs, his perfect face showing desperation and his crimson lips in a straight line. 'I met you in high school, I thought you were like the other girls, so I didn't try hard with you at first. When you stood up for yourself, even in English class over that 1985 book -'

'1984.' I can't help correcting him with a giggle.

'Alright, alright.' His dimple pops out in full force and I want to peck it with my lips. 'What I'm saying is that you didn't care about me being this rich-asshole, you stood your ground and I didn't realise that I needed that. You are what I needed, what I always needed. I never just wanted you, I needed you; with every fibre of my being. But I didn't feel worthy of your love; you were always better than me, you were special and I wasn't. I was just some abandoned kid. Look, I know this is the worse speech I've ever made...'

I shake my head, but there's a smug smirk on my face. My eyes notice neighbours from across the street opening their front door and peering out at us, others looking from their windows. Cars pass and I realise again that I'm only in a nightgown. Harry was still in his suit, but without a jacket this time, his dress shirt open a few buttons from the collar and his long sleeves rolled to his elbows.

'...But I love you. There, I said it, I love you. I know I'm 18 and I have my whole life ahead of me. But, I don't want that life if you aren't in it - with me. I just hope you feel the same way, I've had sleepless nights over it. I hope you can forgive me for how I acted at the beginning of us, if I could take back how rude I was - I would. But I would never ever hurt you and you need to understand that. You are so much more than this investigation, I wouldn't take anything back, because I wouldn't have known you. No matter how fucked up our situation is; I found you and that's all that matters. I love you. I love you so much. I can't stop saying it.'

He chuckles, his face flashing between nervousness and passion. 'I don't think you've said it enough.' I giggle and his hand flies up to my face, holding my cheek. His feet step closer to me, his body merely centimetres from mine and my heart races.

'I love you.' He repeats.

'I love you too.' I say and his eyes literally close, as though something had physically hit him. With urgency, he pulls me to him and wraps his arms tightly around me. His contact causes all bitter shivers to disappear from my body, my arms latch around his neck; scared to let him go. He instantly crashes his lips against mine, and the spark it ignites is bigger than ever. My body and mind seem to slow dance in pleasure as his tongue swipes across my bottom lip, and our kiss grows deeper and deeper. It's unlike me to have forgotten about the people observing us, but this whole situation was unlike me anyway. The amount I had changed since meeting Harry was insane; but it was always a good change.

How could I ever have suspected him? When this had affected him just as much as me? Harry loves me. He loves me. I can't help the grin that stretches across my lips as we kiss, and I hope it stays there forever.

(Double update because I haven't updated in so long. All the love. X)