Bella's pov

"....so I have recently talked to the Psychiatrist, she says her condition is now far better than before.", said Harry.

Now, I was enlightened by the answer to why did Mrs Anne behave the way she does.

Harry told me she would be, hypersensitive to certain things because of her mental health that was disturbed, her relationship with Harry being the reason for that.

"And that is because she is staying with you?"

"Maybe..."

"Harry, I think before anything you need to accept certain things. The past is past, think about the future. I know it is not as easy to follow as said but just think about it. Agreed, she wronged you and did something you or no one of your age at that time, deserved but do you really want to revenge on her?"

"Of course not but I just can't pretend. Her staying here and everything is alright but not until she began to show her rights on me those rights that she disowned eleven years ago when she left me with...You know Bella even...dad didn't hurt me to the extent to which she did because I had hopes on her and she broke them."

"You know, Harry by experience I could tell that the most prominent reason why many relationships don't work is lack of communication. I did that and am still repenting. You still have time, just talk to her."

"I will try."

I was happy by how far we have come, where we could share anything and everything with each other and that was the most beautiful thing about this relation that we shared.

"So are the paps gone?" I asked him

"How would I know?"

"Check with your eagle vision." As I said that his beguiling laughter filled my ears.

"Yeah, they are gone."

"So let's go then."

"Would you be able to handle your mother?"

"About reaching home late today."

"You're good at dodging, now aren't you?" he taunted.

"Why do you say that?" I played with him, well versed in what he means.

"Well, we could play this game of yours some other day. However, if being crystal clear, I meant as you told me about that day, so how do you think she will react when she comes to know I am "American". Precisely speaking the type of guys, she asks you to keep distance from."

"Communicate," I answered him.

He gave me his giddy smirk.
_________________________________________

"See you soon." Harry dropped me off,

"See you tomorrow," I answered.

Witnessing his surprised look, I further explained,

"Tomorrow is a holiday and I thought of meeting Gemma."

"Okay then, I'll pick you up."

"Nah, you don't need to, I'll come by myself."

"Well, my experience says not to argue with you, so as you wish."
said, Harry,

"Good that you are learning." I mocked him then walked away.
_________________________________________
Next Morning

Finally, after nerving up myself, I decided to talk to her.

"Mother...." I called out.

"Hmm...", she replied barely lifting her head from her diary.

"Uh, you know what do I do when I'm upset?", I asked grabbing her utmost attention.

"Aa.", her reply was evidencing, she was certainly not expecting this.

"Leave it, uh, do you know how many friends I have?"

"Mhm, of course, Susan and there is this Stacey...", one could decipher the relief her voice laced when she was aware of the answer

"And?", my question further intensified her worried composture.

"Uh.."

"Yeah, right that's it. I don't have many friends. But do you know why?"

"A...", her incomplete replies were proving the fact that she was able to grasp the tension in the atmosphere that I was constantly creating for her.

"Because I suck at communication. Yeah, you know, I lack the skill to convey my emotions. It's not that I am like that, the thing is, I am a coward. I fear, that I will not be able to conduct myself well and that might hurt the people close to me. You know mother, I'm not like this, I can talk to strangers confidently, freely. It's just that, I am hesitant to express myself when certain relations are concerned. I fear I'll mess up.",
taking a small pause to exhale a sharp breath, I further continued, unperturbed by her flabbergasted contanence.

"...But I want to end it, mamma, just terminate it for once and for all. Mother, I want to talk to you freely without any fear. I want to tell you something."

"...Go..go ahead."
, she was keeping her reply short, maybe she was understanding the heaviness of the situation and was trying not to show her emotions via her replies.

I went towards her and sat beside her, looking straight I spoke,
"Mamma, What if I say, I like someone and he is not Italian?"

She lowered her gaze, I knew very well she was trying to hide those drips formed in her eyes,

"I understand mia figlia (my daughter), but I..."

"I know. Father told me. But I want you to understand mamma, that..."

"Lo so! Lo so! Mirabella.", she retorted
(I know! I know! Mirabella)

"I know, but my heart won't understand! How am I suppose to convince my heart that now mia figlia, my daughter Mirabella, is grown up? How am I supposed to convince my stubborn heart that you are not so naive like me and not every boy is like him?"

"Oh! mamma just trust me! I will take care of myself, believe me, I won't let you down in any way!"

"I trust you, Bella. And I have no doubt that you are capable. But this world could get really nasty sometimes.
And roses could only bloom in a suitable environment, unhealthy dirt and contamination, cause them harm and ultimately withers them."
_________________________________________

After reading my essays , Harry closed the book then shifting his gaze towards me, he spoke in a purring voice,

"So, these are about me?"

His initiated question sounded more so a remark he made, coercing me to look at him, wide-eyed.

"No! They aren't!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, "sometimes, small mistakes could cause you the biggest regrets in life
for instance not hearing someone out, when the person wanted to explain you something, that moment you don't realise but when that small incident becomes the reason for your miserable, regretful life, you repel it. Maybe just giving him a few more minutes could have changed everything.", tell me this has nothing to do with when, I didn't receive your calls after you asked me to leave, the day when I told you, that I am Harry Styles?"

He just quoted, from one of my essays, easily proving what I said was not absolutely true, and I could say nothing other than to look here and there trying to avoid any kind of eye contact at the moment.

When I finally looked at him with a sly smile playing on my lips, that my lie was caught and he probably came to know, I had feelings for him from the very beginning. I had butterflies fluttering in my stomach, the moment I was met with the most heartwarming and beaming smile he could ever put, one could clearly see how happy he was when the smile was able to glisten those emerald eyes.

He swiftly came to me and held me in his embrace.
The moment was of pure bliss, all I could sense was positivity not an ounce of negative energy penanced the moment.

I was simply the happiest girl just because I got to share that space with him.

Nearly half an hour ago, I didn't expect Harry to come to fetch me as I had told him yesterday that I would come on my own but Harry being Harry wanted to come to increase my problems....

Half an hour ago

Bits by bits I was coming across the mistakes I made in the past that I failed to decipher that time but was faced with their consequences and I simultaneously started to accept those as a part of my life.

However, now when I was turning the pages of my life, not literally rectifying but accepting my mistakes. I realised how beautiful my life is and always was, but it was me who created a dark cloud and continued to live within that without even trying to look beyond.

Nevertheless, now when I was relishing those plot holes and accepting them, the cloud of darkness was deceding and the luminescence rays of hope and revival were seen.

For instance, after father, mother proved to be such a person striking me with the same question, "Did I ever know her?", we were living under the same roof for nineteen years now and yet we had so much more to explore!

After that talk, we were sitting together sharing experiences and just talking.
I told her about Harry, not every detail, of course, but I told her what I feel for him, how he was with me and how he would always make me smile.

It wouldn't be wrong if said that I was in a way clearing up his image in front of her before they first meet but the point to be noted was, nothing I told her was a lie or made up. I also told her about some of his annoying, sorta bad habits and made sure to not picture him as some sort of saint.

She was very patiently listening to me, sometimes nodding her head in agreement but one could tell by her gleaming, full of interest eyes, how much invested she was in this conversation that was a breather for me.

Our heads turned in sync when the bell's music filled our eardrums.

"Let me check," I said

As the door creaked open, leaving me bowled over witnessing the stout and lean figure standing in front of me, putting on his "signature" bandana and hoodie.

Wide-eyed, I am not sure if I thought even once before closing the door back or rather banging it on his face!

"Who is there?"

Deja vu surrounded me at that moment, the time when Charles was standing on my doorstep with Gemma replayed in my mind. The moment when mother asked me the same question, I was frightened to answer truthfully but not anymore, I was not afraid of answering her rather was just not sure if this was the right moment to introduce Harry to mother when I just now actually "communicated" with her.

Would she think it was all planned out and I had just told her all that to prepare her to meet Harry?

"Uh, not again! This overthinking." I screamed within myself.

At last, after giving out a deep sigh, I opened my mouth to answer,

"Mother, Harry is here."

"Oh!" She mumbled not at all expecting to meet him so soon.

Current time

However, I was pleased that their encounter was quite smooth, with Harry constantly grovelling mother while she being impressed by him.

The point to be noted is, Harry told her that he was a singer and of course, her reaction was quite calm like her daughter, well, that was enough for making me laugh, witnessing the, "Not again!" face he made when mother questioned what he did.

As if my happiness was not already exceeding boundaries that now Harry was rewarding me with the warmest hug, making me melt under his embrace.

The timely withdrawal of his warmth, cause me to shudder for a moment.

"I can't tell you how happy I am!" He exclaimed, making my heart blossom that didn't help me to stop the finest curve my lips could form.
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Harry's pov

Her twinkling smile was what I live for, every time she would show me her finest beam accompanied with the shine in her eyes, I would get filled with the epitome of relief and content.

Unintentionally, my eyes found their way to the open cupboard behind Bella, I could see my jacket, jutting out.
I reminisced yesterday's moment when she came out, wearing my jacket over her petite figure it appeared so huge but couldn't argue it perfectly complimented her body.

"What happened? What are you looking at?" She asked,

"My jacket.", I replied thoughtlessly.

"Hun?" She asked again not quite understanding what I meant by all of a sudden mentioning about that.

"Uh, nothing you just took my jacket, yesterday, right? So umm."
I blurted out as if words were directly leaving my mouth without receiving any brain impulse!

What did I mean by, "you took my jacket"!?
As if she snatched it for me! Why would I say that!?

"Harry?"

Oh, yeah, now how am I supposed to answer her!?

"You want your jacket back?" She asked as if it was a question against her will.

She was pertubed!
Because of my stupidity.

"No!"
Really no!?
What if she wanted to give it back? I couldn't force her!

"Umm, I mean if you want to, you can."
I answered this time after a bit of thinking.

"Oh!" She seemed quite unsettled.

"Yeah, but I don't have it with me right now." She answered after a bit of silent analysis.

Fortuitously, I goggled at her.

Doesn't she know it was in her cupboard?

"I sent it for the laundry." She quickly covered up, observing my leered state.

Was Bella lying to me?
I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Really?" I asked her for reassurance.

"Yeah, I just remembered." She answered in the midst of her giggles.

"Okay." My smile couldn't cease and only increase more at her determined efforts to lie.

The thing to be famed was that she was doing that for my jacket?

This thought invited erapt emotions within me.

"Alright then, I'll wait for you outside, kay?"

"Yeah, sure.", came her reply.

I left her room, my smile still reluctant to leave my physiognomy.
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Bella's pov

The second, Harry vacate my room, the breath I kept holding peacefully, escaped out.

"God!", I sighed.

Wow, this was my first lie to Harry and for what? For his jacket?

Seriously, Bella!?

I know, it was not right of me to decent him in such a way. But I was not ready to give him his jacket back!

Call it childish or anything but I didn't want to let go of that.

I really don't know what was happening to me but I felt so connected with him and anything related to him, that giving it was like giving a piece of me!

I swayed back to take some essential things when my eyes fell on the miscreant jacket protruding out, very well visible to me and anyone looking towards it!

Great!
Harry saw it, that's why he was asking again and again if the jacket was really not here?

And I foolishly continued to lie to him emerging as a halfwit!
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Harry's pov

Her figure appeared coming out of the three-story house, slaying in the boat neck top and faded jeans, her locks enhancing her admirable looks.

I was busy commending her attire when the brown jacket in her hand came to view.

"Hey." She addressed me, standing in front.

"Here, this is your um...your jacket." She spoke, extending her hands offering me to take the jacket.

"Laundry?" I found myself questioning her, my voice lining witticism.

"Uhh...." She trailed off and after a long pause, spoke again, "Yeah, laundry, of course, uh...gu...gue...guess, I forgot."

"Yeah, and you know it was in my cupboard only," she spoke then adding a light humourless chuckle to lighten up.

"I'm sorry, so yeah, here, take your.....your jacket. I'm sure you like it a lot."

"Of course, I do like it," I said taking it from her,

"But, not so much either, you may keep it," I spoke replacing it in her hands.

She portrayed a delighted expression, shocked for sure but happy by getting it back.

She mouthed thank you and register me with a peck on my cheek leaving me elated, for I certainly didn't expect that but gladly accepted it though.

"I'll be right back." And with that she went inside, probably to keep the jacket back.

I waited for her, the stagnant smile not once leaving my countenance.
------------------------------------------------------------

A Few Days Later

Bella's pov

Gia's treatment was going on, although not pacing from the meagrant speed.
Gemma, on the other hand, was quite healthy physically but emotionally, one could not tell where she stand.
She was such a strong girl, one could be easily fooled by the veritable smile she would constantly wear veiling her true emotions.

Many times, she would convince me too into believing that she was perfectly fine, often I would be deceived by her authentic charming aura that her true melancholy would go unnoticed by me.

However, when condense my concern for her, I could perceive, how broken she was from inside and how difficult it was for her to arrange all those broken pieces and put on an act, of being "fine".

Apart from these obvious things the major subject, I detected was, Charles.
How we would act when Gemma was around.
How he would always, restrain himself from indulging into any kind of conversation with Gemma or that includes her.

Not only him, Gemma too was behaving, bizarre in front of him.
They would not converse like earlier.
They would not joke or flirt with each other how they used to. Charles wouldn't even call out her name!

It was bothering me what was wrong with them?

By God's grace, today I got ahold of Charles, when Harry had gone to drop Hero to some camp and Gemma was out for a walk with Mrs Anne.

"I just don't want to disturb her." He replied, quite skeptically to my simple question.

"Why do you think that? You know how your cheesy comments used to flatter Gemma, and she would always laugh on them."

"Used to. Before her ragged breakup. Now she has so much to deal with, I don't want to cause her any trouble emotionally, by my obnoxious remarks, just that." He shrugged and was about to leave when I held his hand to stop him.

"No, Mr you ain't going nowhere. So please, sit."

Giving a heavy sigh, he accepted defeat and sat on the chair beside mine.

"Yo! Miss."
He mocked, my tone, that I let go, unbothered.

"You know Charles and I know too there is definitely something more to this. But even if this is the reason you are distancing yourself from Gemma, that I highly doubt is true. Nonetheless, you must know talking to you, Gemma would feel cheerful and happy and that would certainly help her come out of the egony. You know she always laughs to anything you say. So it will only help her in a way."

"That's what I don't want! I don't want her to just laugh at anything I say!" He rotorted, simultaneously clearing up my doubts.

When he realised he was not supposed to say that, he glued her mouth and kept starting at the ground.

"Hey, Charles come on. You know you can tell me anything. I will just keep it to myself. And if I say this, you'll say I tell this all the time but I'm saying it again anyways, Communication is the key."

He sighed, then opened his mouth to speak,

"I don't want her to laugh at everything I say, taking it as mere joke! I know I had made that image that she doesn't take everything I say seriously and yes, I do say some ignorant and stupid stuff, to lighten up her mood and to hear her laugh. But not everything I say is to be taken for granted. It hurts when I say something really serious and she laughs it of..."

"Serious, as in?"

"Bella!" He whined, not wanting to answer truthfully, of course

"Charles!" I demanded.

"I know, you know it already, I love her Bella!" He confessed.
_________________________________________

AN

A new pair to ship, wohoo!
Lol.
So what do you think of Charles and Gemma?
Yay!
Or
No!

What do you think will be Gemma's reaction to this?
Do comment and let me know who is trying out my dedicated work each and every read, votes and comments are appreciated!

Happy reading
Xoxo