BEAUTIFULLY UNFINISHED novel Chapter 8

SEVEN

"I'm not going. That's final." I say.

"Oh come on Miranda. Don't be a baby! Maybe fate has led you back to him."

"Well fate is definitely wrong about this."

"No. It's not."

I arched an eyebrow at Vivian who was busy looking for my outfit to wear tonight. "Really. After seven years? And why on earth would that be?" I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's time you need to tell him the truth? That he got you pregnant? That he's the father to Ben?"

"Shhh, Ben might hear you."

She sighs. "Miranda, I'm your friend for better or for worst."

I smile at her.

"But what and why are you so afraid? Ben needs a dad." She states. "He needs a father's love. And I'm not saying you can't give it to him but it's different when a man is around." She adds.

"Okay I know that Vivian. I'm fully aware of that. Im sad that Ben can't feel the love of a father. I'm sad that my own son doesn't have a dad that he can call his own. And no matter how I show him that I love him, it still won't be enough. But I'm just scared for Ben. I don't want him to feel neglected at a young age."

"Oh come on the resemblance is beyond the word obvious."

"Still, Im not going tonight."

She throws me a shirt and luckily I ducked. "You're a party-poop." She whines.

"I don't want to have dinner with him. I don't want to get any form of attachment from him." I say.

"What attachment? It's just dinner."

"Exactly! I don't want to see him again. I've been scarred all my life for what happened to me and it makes me sad cos I can't change it." My voice cracks

Vivian walks to me and rubs my back.

"But Ben is the most beautiful thing that happened to me.... I just.." I exhale heavily. "I feel so disgusted of myself when I think about that night."

"Disgusted? Harry Styles fucked you that night. That's not something disgusting dear." she says to me.

I rolled my eyes at her. "And I still don't remember anything from that night too and seeing Harry again just makes that scar bleed once more."

"Hey. All Im saying is, you need to give it a chance. Maybe fate has led you back to Harry so you two can start any form of closure."

I got quiet.

"Come on. It's just dinner. And Arthur thinks you should go too." She adds.

I sigh.

"Miranda come on. He's reaching out to you. And remember he wrote it on the letter that he's expecting you. So you need to go." She urges me.

"How about Ben?"

"I'll babysit him for you. Now go get change. It's almost eight."

I stand in front of Alfonso's. I gaze at my watch, it was already 7:57PM. My heart is beating hard against my chest while I take a hold on my clutch. I take a deep breath in and started marching my way inside. The waiter opened the door for me and my eyes began searching for Harry.

Found him.

He wore an all black three-piece suit this time with no tie. I started walking closer to his table and when he noticed me walking closer to him, he smiles and stands on his feet. He's a huge person and he's really pretty damn tall.

"Hi." He greets.

"Hi." I say, almost sounded like a whisper. I smiled back at him.

He pulled a seat for me and I thanked him for it. I sat right across him and he begins to sit down too.

"I'm glad you came." He says.

I smiled sheepishly.

"Did you receive the chocolates?" He asked.

I nod. "Thanks for that Mr. Styles."

"Call me Harry. Waiter!" He motioned his hand.

Harry begins to order for us. He would ask what I want to have for dinner but I would tell him that I'd love to eat anything he'll order. The foods were served fast too, and we began to eat silently. I wasn't really the person who knows how to start a conversation with men. If he was Chris I could talk to him about anything. But he's Harry Styles. I can't breathe that he's sharing a table with me since other people were glancing over us.

"How's Mrs. Anne?" I tried to make a conversation with him.

"She's doing good. Gemma arrived right on time when I need to go back to England." he says.

I forked my steak. "Will she be out any time sooner? I failed on talking to her doctor. Sorry."

He nods before taking drink from his glass of wine. "It's okay. I've talked to the doctor, he said mum will be out in a few days."

"That's great news."

Is it hot in here or are my inner thighs sweating like a pig for no reason?

"Mum told me I need to tell you how thankful she was that you stayed up for her." He tells me.

"It wasn't a big deal. That's what I do."

He smiles.

"And how did I end up sleeping on the couch?" I asked.

"Well you were rocking your head back and forth on that chair. So I carried you." He says so casually.

I gulped. Almost choking on my water. I feel my cheeks blushing at the thought of Harry carrying me.

"Thank you." I say.

"No need for that. I looked for you this morning, I bought you breakfast too but Nurse Lettie told me you already left. I asked her for your address so I could send you a gift."

My heart wants to fly out from my ribs. Breathe Miranda. Breathe. But I can't stop myself from falling in love of what I just heard coming from his mouth. Harry really is the nicest and most thoughtful guy a girl could have.

"I'm thankful you came. I thought you were going to be busy tonight." He adds.

I smiled back. "It's my day-off today so I have time."

He smiles.

"You say that you're going back to England?" I asked.

"Yeah. For work."