Adore You - Miley Cyrus 

"When you say you love me, know I love you more. And when you say you need me, know I need you more." 

HARRY

I tug on the thin fabric that hangs limply around my neck. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I attempt for the fifth time to tie it. Of course, I fail once again. Patience was no longer something I possessed. This was bullshit. 

"How do you tie this damn thing? I didn't know we were going to a damn Bat Mitzvah. Why do I need to wear a damn tie? I hate ties." I attempt to tie it once again but the thing knots. Annoyance growing inside of each time. Fed up, I throw the tie on top of the dresser. 

"Bloody hell." I grumble in defeat. 

"Do you frequent Bat Mitzvah's often?" Isabella laughs, walking over to where I stand. She turns me around. Her small hands pick up the satin black fabric, expertly placing it under the collar of my white shirt. 

"Funny." 

"There." Smiling widely, she tugs the ends to secure the knot and pats down the collar. "Handsome." 

Isabella wraps her hands around my forearms and places a soft kiss to my cheek. Smiling down at her, my lips meet her mouth, kissing her slowly. I pull back, moving my hands around to the base of her back. The fabric of her black lace dress tickles my hands. 

"Gorgeous girl." A light pink creeps into her pale cheeks. It was cute that she still got flustered whenever I complimented her. 

"Let's go downstairs." She wraps her hand around my wrist, pulling me gently towards the door. I straighten my tie and run my hands through my hair. 

Isabella's house was decorated once again all out for New Years Eve. Gold and black balloons lined the ceiling of their main sitting room. The far wall had oversized gold balloons in the shape of the upcoming year: 2015. 

Stuffy men and women in their finest clothes stood and sat all around. Crystal glasses filled of dark liquids were in the firm grasps of the men, whereas flutes of champagne were being held by the women. A low hum of jazz music rang throughout the home's surround sound system. 

The room was warm. Too warm. I pull my tie, loosening it up a bit. I felt suffocated just by standing in here. I felt like I had been sucked back into the world that I used to live in. A world of high class and rich bastards. People like Mark. People that I tried to avoid like the fucking plague. 

A small hand squeezes my arm. I look down only to be met with a warm smile. Isabella. The only reason why I would put up with all of this. The only reason why I am here in the first place. 

"You okay?" She looks up at me with worry in her eyes. 

I give her my best reassuring smile, taking her hand and giving it a little squeeze. "Couldn't be better." 

She looks at me but nods. "Okay." She replies hesitantly. Not buying what I said. She knew me too well. But then again, I also knew her too well. 

"Drinks." 

"This way." 

She links our hands together once again, pulling me out of the sitting room and towards the dining room. In the corner of the room sat a large liquor cabinet. Something I've had my watchful eye on since the moment I got here. 

Expertly, Isabella pours us two drinks. Gin for her and a scotch for myself. She hands me the glass. "Here you go." 

Grateful, I take the glass, giving her a kiss on the cheek in return. The moment the burning liquid touches my throat, all of the left over nerves I had pent up disperse. It was almost pathetic how much reliance I still had with alcohol. I wasn't as reliant on the shit like I was a year ago. Not since I've been with Isabella. She really doesn't realize the effect she has had on me. 

"Nat should be here somewhere." Isabella comments, taking a small sip from her glass. Her nose wrinkles in that adorable way that it does, whenever she takes her first sip of alcohol. "Let's go find her?"

Nodding slowly, I follow her out of the dining room and back towards the sitting room. She scans the room in search for her younger sister. The bubbly brunette's laugh could be heard from a mile away. I follow the sound to another room. "I think she's this way." 

I pull Izzy softly by the hand, leading her to the adjacent room. It seemed to be a television room. Three leather couches are placed in the shape of a semi circle. A theatre style television lined the walls. On one couch sat Natalia and her boyfriend. They were laughing and in conversation with another guy. He had been facing the other way, his dark hair being the only thing that could be seen. 

Isabella stops walking. Her hand squeezing mine faintly before she loosens her grip. I look over at her. She is biting her lip, her eyes looking over the people who sit in front of us. As if she could sense my staring, she snaps out of her weird trance. Her soft brown eyes meet mine. Her lips quirking up into a small smile. 

Her hand finds its way back into mine. We walk over towards the couches. As we do, I take another long sip from my drink. 

"There you guys are." Isabella laughs, taking a seat on the empty couch. I sit beside her, my arm instinctively wrapping around her body. "Ty, when did you get here?" 

I quickly look up. My gaze following her line of vision. Sitting on the other couch was Ty. Her friend. The guy she almost fucking kissed. He was in fucking blue pants (who the hell wore blue dress pants) and a white shirt. His black tie looked like he had tied it himself, making me feel like an even bigger moron. He had dark hair and scruff lining his jaw. 

The guy looked like a real twat, if you asked me. 

I don't say anything as he looks at me. His lips quirking up into a knowing smile. "Hey, I'm Ty." He leans over and sticks his hand out to shake, in which I ignore. Instead, I take another sip from my glass, nodding in recognition. He pulls his hand back, rubbing it against his thigh. "You're Harry?"

"Yep." I reply, my eyes narrowing down at him. 

Izzy nudges me in the side. "Be nice." She hisses in my ear but I shake it off. Quite frankly, I was being nice. This was me being nice. Especially when I wanted to fucking tear this guys head off. 

"It's nice to finally meet you." He says smiling. 

"Hm." 

"Alright then," Natalia pipes up. Standing from her seat, she pulls her boyfriend up by the hand. "It's New Years Eve and this is a party. A lame party, but one none of the less. Let's go get better drinks and do something. Yeah?" 

"Let's do it." Isabella agrees, standing up herself. She pulls her dress down, straightening it up since it had risen from sitting.  

"I'm good with that." Ty also agrees, standing up as well.

Automatically, I stand up too. I wrap my arm around Isabella instinctively, pulling her closer to my side. She doesn't think anything of it as her body curves into my side. Her hand reaching over my waist and sitting on my hip. A smug smirk is plastered on my face as I look at Ty. He doesn't seem to notice. His eyes focusing on Isabella's eyes as she talks to him. 

I pull her closer to me. She doesn't notice my tightening grasp on her hip. I take another long sip from my glass. I needed to get a fucking refill and quick. 

We walk out and head back to the liquor cabinet. "I love you," I whisper in her ear. 

She giggles, smiling up at me. "I love you too, you big goof." 

We refill our drinks. I pour a gracious amount of scotch into my own. People roam in and out of rooms, the music getting more up beat as the time goes on. Closer and closer we reach midnight.  People become less stuffy with each passing second. As time goes on, my drink gets refilled. The burning feeling disappearing but being replaced with the numbing sensation I knew too well. 

My grip on Isabella's hip hasn't loosen. I keep her close to my side. I had no plans on letting her go anytime soon. Especially if I knew that this Ty guy was around. 

I wasn't threatened. Ha, I was far from that. I needed this kid to know that whatever he had felt for my girl had to go. He wasn't going to take her. He wasn't going to steal her away. Any plans that he might have to woo her away from me can go. I could see it in his eyes and from the way that he looks at Isabella; my Isabella.  

Eleven-thirty finally hits the clock, and I have finished my third glass of scotch. I knew that I wasn't yet drunk, but was definitely tipsy. Over the years, my tolerance for alcohol had grown stronger. Making it a lot more difficult to get me drunk. This didn't excuse the numbness from filtering into my nerves. That hadn't changed and I wasn't planning on letting it anytime soon. 

Isabella and I were sitting on a love-seat in the sitting room. Nat and Cory across from us and Ty leaning against the fireplace. I had lost interest in their conversation. My focus still being held by the unwanted company. 

"Ty, my boy. I didn't know you were here." Isabella's father's voice breaks me from my stare. His arm is slung around him in a way that made you believe he was the one dating a daughter, not Cory or I. The bile taste of bitterness seeps into my tongue. I drink it back down with a gulp of whiskey. 

"Yes sir. Would never miss the annual Maxwell New Years Eve party." He jokes. What a damn prick. 

"It's good to see that you are still friends with my daughter. She needs someone like you around." Mr. Maxwell says, taking an obvious jab at myself. Bloody hell... 

Anger grows within me. My heartbeat escalating with pure annoyance. The alcohol that runs through my system escalates my emotions. Sensing my frustration, Isabella's hand takes my own. She gives it a small squeeze. I ignore it. My focus still trained on the two men in front of me. 

"Thank you sir." He laughs lightly, taking a quick glance towards Isabella and I. 

"I thought you said your father didn't like Ty." The name tastes bitter on my tongue. I quietly speak the words to Isabella. Her attention focused on me, as it should be. 

"He doesn't really." 

"Then why is he acting like he's Jake Houseman meeting Robbie and I'm damn Patrick Swayze." I harshly whisper back. Her hand reaches for my jaw, her touch gentle. 

"Dirty Dancing references?" She smirks lightly.

"Isabella," I warn. 

"That explains why you call me baby all the time." She says, her lips pursed thoughtfully. 

"No jokes." I warn her once again. 

She giggles. "You do look hot in a leather jacket. But do you dance? We never really tried that..." 

"Stop." I tell her sternly, but my lips fail me as they quirk up into a smirk. 

She raises her hands up in defeat, a grin spread across her lips. "Honestly, I don't know what he's doing. But please - don't let it bother you, okay?" Her hands grabs mine and gives it a soft squeeze. "You're on edge."

"I want your parents to like me." I admit. 

The small leftover smile that had been playing at her lips, grows into a knowing grin. "You do?" 

"Yeah." I grunt in reply. Not once since Sarah's death have I wanted to impress parents. But with Isabella, I wanted her parents to love me. I wanted 

Mr. Maxwell's chubby fingers are wrapped around a glass filled with some brown liquid, the other holding three cigars. "Ah," he sighs, leaning back against the fireplace. "I have here, the best cigars money can buy." 

Isabella squeezes my hand. She looks at me knowingly. "Here's your chance to wow him." 

 "Cory." He calls out. 

Cory looks up from his conversation with Natalia. "Yes sir?" He mumbles awkwardly. 

"Come here, my boy." Scrambling, Cory get's up from the couch and walks towards the group of men. I lean back against the couch. Eyes narrowing on the old man with the three cigars. 

"A new year is approaching and what better way to celebrate it with a Cuban and two great young men." He gives Cory and Ty a cigar, lighting them each. I scoff, taking another drink of scotch. Of fucking course. My grip grows tighter as my drunken emotions rise. 

"Ty - how's working at the firm?" 

Ty looks at us nervously, but avoids my eye contact. He knows that I'm pissed. If he knows better, he better speak the fuck up. Tell Isabella's dad that he's not the boyfriend and that I am. That he gives me the damn cigar and get's lost. 

"It's good, sir. I'm enjoying it. We're working with museums and publishing companies. I enjoy it a lot." The weasel answers the question. His attention remaining on the cigar in his hand.

"That's good to hear. This is what my daughter needs. A good man, with a steady job. A future. Not a waiter job." 

"Don't-" Isabella warns me. Her grip on my hand tightening. "Ignore it. It doesn't matter to me, okay? I love you for who you are, not your job." She pleas. 

My esteem keeps getting hit with each approving look Mr. Maxwell gives Ty. Each knowing remark being made, and degrading remark towards my life, grows my frustration. My demons begin to wake up. Their own belittling words and remarks speaking loud enough for me to hear. My self esteem shrinks more and more. 

He was right. I wasn't good enough for Isabella. I already  knew that. God, did I know that. I know what she needs; who she needs. I was looking right at him, as he laughs with my girlfriend's father. Becoming buddy-buddy. 

Frustrated, I stand up. Isabella's grip on my hand loosens, and her hand falls to her lap. I ignore the looks that I get as I walk out of the room and back towards the liquor cabinet. Grabbing the half-empty bottle of scotch, I don't bother to pour it into my cup. Instead, I take it with me and walk out the room and to the back door. 

The cold air bites my cheeks. The alcohol makes the cold weather bearable. Not caring that it was snowing, I lean against the railing. I look out into the city. It was busy out. The upper east side was light up. Everyone enjoying the last minutes of the year. Anticipation running throughout the city for the new year. A new year. A fresh start. 

Noise breaks out into the house. Sounds of cheers and laughter flutters out the window, disappearing into the clear night sky. The bottle in my hand becomes empty. The burning liquid now running in my system. My vision starts to blur and my hands shake. Sobriety was long forgotten. No longer was I a little tipsy. I was a mixture of alcohol and emotional defeat. A deadly combination. 

Isabella deserved the best. She deserved diamonds and the best flowers money could buy. She deserved a home with reliable heat. A bed with Egyptian cotton and eighty pillows. She deserved to be taken care of. She needed a man that could do that. She didn't need a fucked up loser with no ambitions and no future. 

As much as I need her, she needed someone better. Someone with more of a future. Someone that could take care of her. Treat her like the queen that she was. She needs someone like him. 

Anger rushes through me and in an instinct, the glass bottle that was once in my hand, becomes a shattered mess against balcony floor.  

"Fuck this." Stumbling, I walk through the open door. I loose my balance but quickly catch it. My hand gripping the nearest table. 

Walking through the kitchen, I make my way through the happy crowds of people. They are oblivious to my inebriated actions. My blurred vision has become a damn hindrance. I don't know where I'm going. My feet have grown a mind of their own. 

"Harry!" Her usual light voice has become frantic. Her usual calm eyes have morphed into worry. "I've been looking for you. Where did you go?" I stumble into her side.

"You're drunk." She obviously states. 

"Nothing get's passed you." I shake the distressed look in her eyes as I push past her. 

"Where are you going?" She calls out. Her hand reaches out for my arm, but I shake it off. "Harry!" 

"What do you want?" I snap, stopping in my tracks. She cowers at my demanding tone. The level of my voice growing louder, making her step back. 

"What's wrong?" She commands more than asks. 

"Nothing." I lie bitterly. 

"I know you well enough to know when you're lying. So again, what the hell is wrong with you?" She speaks up, her voice demanding. Her hand grips my forearm tightly. 

"You're not my mum. Get off my back." I walk past her, stumbling into the living room. 

As soon as I enter the room, I make eye contact with Ty. My feet begin to move before my clouded mind can catch up. He looks at me surprised. His vision breaking past me and worry etched into his features. 

"Harry." 

"How long have you been in love with my girlfriend?" I growl, belligerent. 

His hazel eyes widen in disbelief. "Excuse me?" 

"You fucking heard me." I seethe, "How long have you been in love with my girlfriend?" My voice booms over the music. People's conversations stopping, and their voices quieting. 

"Calm down." He urges but this only heightens my anger even more. 

"Don't tell me to calm down." He raises his hands in defeat and takes a step back. His innocent act not fooling me, not fooling anyone around us. He wanted my girl and he was doing a shitty job at hiding it. 

"I don't like Izzy. I don't know where you got that idea from, but I don't have any feelings for her." He lies.

"Bullshit." 

"Listen, I know how much she loves you. I'm not going to do anything to make her change that." He tells me calmly, but it does shit to already heightened anger and drunken mind. I grab his sleeve in my tight grip. He looks at me with widen eyes and glances towards Isabella. 

"Harry please. Don't do this." She pleas. I look over my shoulder. The colour in her cheeks have drained, but my grip on his sleeve doesn't waiver. 

"Come on man. I don't know what you're thinking, but I want nothing to do with Izzy in that way." 

"What went on between you two." I demand, suddenly needing to know everything. Everything that has gone on between them. My demons not silencing until I know. 

"Not here, Harry. Please. Not now." Isabella begs. 

"Here is perfect." 

"You're embarrassing her. You're embarrassing yourself." Ty says calmly, his eyes searching over the hushed groups of people. I didn't care though. I needed to know and I needed to know now. 

"Tell me," I growl. 

"Fine." Ty sighs, annoyance in his tone. "You want to know so bad? I fucked your girl. There. Happy? Every damn day before she moved to England, she was in my bed." 

"Ty." Isabella cries. "Please. Not you too. Not here, please." 

"Do you love her?" He looks away. "I said, do you love her?"  

"Every day since." He admits, sorrow in his eyes. He gives Isabella an apologetic look, but that's all I needed to hear before my fist meets his jaw. 

Gasps fill the room. Whispers floating throughout the groups of party attendants. I ignore Isabella's cries. My drunken mind steering me out of the living room and towards her bedroom. I grab my bag, throwing everything that I brought. I take off the dress shoes, throwing them into the duffle bag. My jacket is the last thing I grab before I am walking back down the steps. 

"Harry, please. Stop!" Isabella cries out for me. She rushes through the crowd, making her way towards me. 

"Sweetheart, no." Her mom calls out, pulling her towards her side. She shakes her mother off, rushing towards me. 

"Where are you going?" She asks, her hazel eyes brimmed with tears. 

"I can't be here." I say, slipping my boots on. 

"What?" She frantically asks, her eyes widening and the colour in her cheeks completely drained. "It's New Years, where are you going to go?"

"I can't do this. Be here. I'm going home." 

"No. Stop." She hastily pushes past me, her body pressed up against the wooden door. 

"Move Isabella."  

"No." She cries, her shaky hand holding tight to the door handle. "You're not leaving. We need to talk about this. I need to talk to you about this." 

"There's nothing to say." I laugh darkly. The bitter taste of bile rising up my throat. 

"Yes there is!" She desperately pleads. Her bottom lip trembling. "Don't leave me. Please, don't go." 

"Bye, Isabella." Brushing past her, I open the door. The woman I adore calls out for me, her cries vibrating through the thick walls. I don't look back as I walk out of the house. 

- 

Two Days Later 

I stare across the room and against the blank white wall. A beer is in my hand, but remains untouched. It has been a few days since I've seen or heard from Isabella. Not once calling her to talk. My phone remaining silent since coming back to London. 

Every day, I have regretted what I did. I ruined everything. I ruined my relationship with Isabella. There was no way in hell she'll want to stay with me after the scene I pulled. Her parents hated me; that I knew for sure. How could they like a man who pulls a stunt like that in their own home. 

I was a fucking disgrace. 

I didn't deserve her. After all of that, I definitely didn't deserve her. I didn't deserve anyone for that matter. 

There's a loud knock at the front door, breaking me from my thoughts. Grumbling to myself, I stand up from the couch. I didn't know who the hell that could be. It was most likely Ben or Jaz, here to yell at me. They had been over frequently, trying to get through the door, only to be ignored. 

I look through the peep-hole, but it's not Ben or Jaz on the other side. 

I open the door. "Uh. Hi." 

Dylan stands at my doorstep. He nervously runs his hand through his hair. Looking at me dumbly. I was confused, not knowing why he was here or how he knew where I lived. 

"Hello." He greets me back. An anxious smile on his lips. 

"How did you-?"

"Can  we talk?" He interrupts me. I give him a once over, but I hesitantly open the door wide enough for him to step in.  

I nod towards the couch in which he walks over and takes a seat. "Do you want a beer or something?" I lamely ask, not knowing the proper protocol for guests. Guests that I didn't even know. 

"Uh, no. It's alright. Thank you though." Nodding, I take a seat on the adjacent couch. I stare at the man in front of me. Awkward tension filling the small room. An endless amount of questions swimming in my mind. "Happy New Year, by the way." 

"Yeah. You too." I reply, rubbing my knees anxiously. "Are you going to tell me how you found my flat?" 

"Right." Dylan sits up, his hands firmly placed on his knees. "Your mum."

"My mum?" My brows furrow in confusion. None of this made sense. 

"How do you know my mum?" 

"There's a lot of things that you don't know. Things that I need to explain." He tells me, his green eyes watching me carefully. Thoughtfully.  

"No shit." 

He begins to chuckle, shaking his head slowly. "I need you to listen alright?"

"All ears." 

"Alright." He sits up straighter. His eyes watching me cautiously, as his mouth begins to open.

But it's the next four words that leave his mouth that completely catch me off guard. More than him knowing my mum and more than him being here in my flat. 

"Harry," He begins slowly. His eye contact not faltering once. "Harry, I'm your dad." 

-

End. 

A/N: Vote + Comment 

Holy Crap! Adore is done. It's over. What the heck?! I know, I know. Please don't kill me. Please don't send death threats. I understand that I left you on the biggest cliff hanger ever, but that only means you'll have to add Mint to your libraries and wait patiently for me to come back. I didn't want to leave you on a cliffhanger. I promise you, I didn't. But I've been wanting, waiting, to reveal Harry's dad to you all and it only seemed right to do it this way. A lot of stuff has gone down, I get that. Isabella's internship-extension offer, their massive fight, Harry's dad showing up. But that just means a lot to read in the SEQUEL. Right? Right. 

I also wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. When I first started writing, I didn't think it would receive the attention that it has. With Winter Air, I only now reached 600K reads. Going into this, I thought I'd get 300K reads max. Not over 6M. Each and every one of you who took the time to read this book, comment and vote mean more to me than you will ever realize. This story is my child. My dysfunctional, all over the place child, but my baby nonetheless. I hope that you will stick with me as I venture off to write Stay (my Niall AU story) and will be patient as I plan out Mint (Adore's Sequel). 

On the side (or above if you're on a mobile/tablet), I posted a Q+A video. Please go and give it a watch. I answered some of your questions. If you have any more that you want to ask, leave them in the comments in the video or go over to my ask.fm! 

Again, I love you all so much. Thank you for being amazing! I will be taking a 1-2 week break before I start posting Stay. I want to have a good chunk of the first few chapters written before I start posting. I will also be publishing the prologue to Mint after I post this chapter, so please go over and add it to your libraries. 

Once again, I love you all! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. 

EDIT: SEQUEL IS OUT NOW. PLEASE GO READ: MINT