*Harry’s POV*
I took the phone from Reagan but pulled her from the side of the car and coaxed her to at least get back in the passenger seat. She was scaring the hell out of me and if she didn’t calm down soon her attack would get out of control.

“Where’s your medicine?” She shook her head no and pointed to her phone again, but my main concern right now was her.

She could barely catch her breath and she was visibly shaking so I took it upon myself to go in her bag and look for her medicine, but of course they weren’t there when she needed them most. I grabbed her face with each of my hands, still holding on to her phone but trying to get her to focus on me. This is the worst I’ve seen her yet.

“Reagan I need you to try and calm down or I’m going to have to take you to hospital. Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Her eyes were overflowing with tears, but she had managed to shake her head no and calm herself to a minimal degree. Her breathing hitched and she hiccupped as she gasped for air, but her chest seemed to rise and fall at a slower rate than it was only moments ago. The tears seemed never ending and no matter how many times I wiped them away a new batch continued to spill. When breathing came easier to her, I took a step back and swiped the screen of her phone to re-open the message that had shaken her so deeply.

When my eyes skimmed across the screen, I had to reread the message twice before it sunk in.

“He ra- He raped you? He raped you...” The word left a bitter taste on my tongue and I could feel my eyes begin to water.

My heart felt as if it had been split in two and when I looked back at Reagan, the pain in my chest spread quickly throughout the rest of my body before I went numb.

---

*Reagan’s POV*
“He ra- He raped you? He raped you...”

Harry spoke lowly as if everything was falling into place in bits and pieces and the words made me wince. The word made me feel disgusting, worthless, and worst of all hopeless. I calmed myself as much as possible looking to Harry for strength but all I could see on his face was hurt. He began to pace back and forth on the sidewalk by his car and it wasn’t until then that I had realized how close we were to the university.

Harry took off his beanie and ran his fingers through his hair and as I watched him, I noticed how much quicker his chest began to rise and fall. His eyes failed to change to a darker shade, but there was something in them that reminded me of last night and how angry he was then. I didn’t think I would be able to form words, but when I did they came out a raspy sob. I didn’t sound like myself at all, but then again I don’t feel like myself either.

“Harry what do I do? What do I do now? It happened too long ago to tell anybody. What do I do?
I don’t know what to do.” H. stopped in his tracks and turned back to me before he wrapped me in his arms.

I tried to hold myself together and keep from falling apart, but when Harry’s voice cracked as he began to whisper to me how sorry he was in my ear I fell weak and broken against him once again. I held onto him tightly, sniveling and grasping for oxygen and even though he began to rub my back to try to sooth me as he’s done too many times before now, I could feel his body go rigid underneath mine.

“Come on, I’m taking you back home to my mum and then I’m going to make a stop.”

“No.” I pushed against his chest and away from him with what little strength I had. That would only make it worse.

“What do you mean no?!”

“No Harry, I have to go to work. I’ll be okay.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! I’m not taking you to work Reagan! You need to get help!”

Harry shouted at me causing me to tense up. He would usually try to calm his nerves to spare my own but right now he was fuming. I furiously wiped away the tears that continued to fall making my face feel raw and tenderized before I turned in the passenger seat to check my makeup in the visor mirror. I look a mess, but thankfully I brought my makeup bag with me.

“Then I’ll call a cab.” My voice wavered and it felt as if I were questioning my own motives.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?! A second ago you didn’t know what to do now you’re calling all of the shots and all of a sudden have all of the fucking answers? You’re not going to work!”

I could feel myself shaking but gathering my things out of his car was all I could do to keep from breaking down again. Harry’s brow knitted once more as I stepped out of the protection of his car with my messenger bag over my shoulder. I was prepared to walk past him to hail a cab, but was stopped in my tracks by his slight muscular frame in front of my own powerless one.

“Harry move, if you won’t take me to work then I can find my own way there.”

He ran a hand through his hair and looked out towards the street at his car and then slowly back to me. He must have just realized how short of a distance we have between us and the university. His eyes were still light green in color, but something about them now showed dissonantly so. His pupils seemed darker, but it had to have been the offset of the contrast between them and the color of his iris. He stood in place while his eyes looked me up and down and even though he was here physically I could tell that his thoughts were elsewhere. H. opened his mouth in order to no doubt protest my logic, but I cut off his rebuttal when I side stepped him seeing a cab approach the round-about close by. Harry grabbed my arm to stop me again and I feel like a volcano prior to eruption. I’m tired of being grabbed.

“Let me GO!” H.’s face hardened, confused and astonished by my outburst. It’s not his fault and I don’t want him for one second to think that it is, but I need this time.

“I need this Harry. I need to feel normal right now, please? I know you don’t understand but I need to go.” Tears began to well and stream down my face for the umpteenth time this morning. I wish I could explain myself better. I wish that I could tell him how I feel right now in this moment, but my words escape me.

“We can deal with it all when I get off, but please right now allow me to have these few hours of normalcy before I have to face it all.”

Harry’s eyes glazed over with tears and for a moment I thought that to be the reason his eyes seemed lighter than normal. He of course refused them to fall and looked back towards the street before nodding his head up and down in agreement.

Another taxi was quickly approaching and Harry waved it down. The car pulled up to the curb where we stood, slowly and H. opened the door for me with one hand as he dug his wallet out of his pocket with the other. I got in as he gave the cabbie my destination and then paid the man in advance for me. Before Harry closed the door he fiddled around with my phone before he handed it back to me and then grabbed my face with both of his large hands, wiping under both of my eyes with the pad of his thumbs. His touch was warm despite the chill of the autumn air around us his lack of coat today. His warmth quickly spread from my cheeks through my whole body as he kissed me slowly but chastely on the lips. I could feel myself pull away from his grasp and it pained me to see the look on his face when I did so. I didn’t mean to hurt him, but I can’t bear being touched in that way right now.

Harry closed the door and as the driver began to pull off and I could feel my anxieties stir deep in the pit of my stomach. I watched through the rearview window as Harry got back into his car, wishing that it was him that was taking me instead.

---

When I got to the university, the first stop made was to the ladies restroom. I fixed my foundation and ran my mascara through my eyelashes again and slapped on a fake ‘I’m alright’ look hoping to convince anyone on the outside looking in that I was just that. As I looked myself in the mirror I could have almost fooled myself. I had become accustomed to hiding my feelings to others when need be and if I could fool myself today and get out of my own head for these next eight hours, I would consider my summer-learned skill a gift.

The day was quiet but all the more hectic seeing as my work was doubled. Dr. Adams rapist assistant was gone. His desk was cleaned out, a hollow shell, but none the less a haunting reminder of the monster that I once considered a friend and at one point a target of my affection.

To say that I was distracted today would be an understatement. I don’t know how I had convinced myself that working would be a good idea seeing as everywhere I was; there was a reminder of Peyton not too far behind taunting me. Dr. Koch was quickly becoming annoyed with me and I tried to tread lightly around both he and Dr. Adams. Regardless to the repulsion I felt towards Peyton and how sick I felt when I had to walk past his desk, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that the boy new his shit backwards and forwards...Perhaps that’s what made you such an easy target for him to mind fuck...and literally fuck.

My subconscious caught me off guard and as I was bringing Dr. Koch his tea it slipped from my fingers onto his desk.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry Dr. Koch. I’ll clean it for you.”

“Don’t bother! May I have a word with you Miss Stoger?” He spoke harshly rising from his desk shaking off tea stained notes in hopes to salvage them.

When we stepped out into the hallway, he let me have it.

“Is there a reason that your head is so far up your ass today Miss stoger? Shall I send you home along with Peyton?”

“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop your tea and mess up your notes, that was my mistake, but you will not speak to me that way!”

“I’ll speak to you in whatever way I like! I’ve gone out on a limb and fired one of the best junior researchers that I could have on my team for you!" I wanted to scream in that moment and knock off the halo that Dr. Koch had so obviously placed over Peyton's head to show him for the demon that he really was. He raped me! I could hear myself say it in my head, but if it came out of my mouth it would have made it too real.

"The least that you could do is show me your gratitude by picking up the slack that has been created and work wholeheartedly the way you did your first day of being my intern. You’re smart Reagan and I know there’s a brain in there somewhere. Would you mind terribly to use it today?”

I rolled my eyes and went to walk back into the office holding in every vile comment that I’ve wanted to shoot back at him since the day I began interning for him when he asked me another question.

“Whose wedding is it that I’m allowing you time off for next week?”

“Anne Twist.”

“Who?”

“Harry Styles’ mother...Anne.”

“Harry Styles,” Dr. Koch scoffed “the fact that you still talk to him makes me rethink my earlier comment about your intelligence.” His last comment was all I needed to jump willingly over the edge of my control. I’ve had enough for the day and I could feel myself become emotionally beaten. Harry has been my only rock throughout everything that has gone on and the last thing I want or need to hear today is someone belittle him.

“I don’t get it Dr. Koch. How can a cold pompous bastard like you have gotten so far in this profession? You’re nothing like Dr. Baker and you never will be anywhere near as great! It bewilders me how someone sweet, and compassionate, and non-prying like her could give rise to a complete and utter asshole like you! You know nothing about Harry. Don’t comment on him or our relationship again.”

Dr. Koch smiled and chuckled at my outrage before he spoke making me more flustered and upset than I already was.

“You’ve been holding that in for a while I can tell. I know more about your Styles than you would think Reagan. How do you think he ended up in Maudsley and not behind bars somewhere in London?! I was his forensic psychologist! I testified for him when he was on trial! Dr. Baker knew that I was better than her in that retrospect and obviously it showed because I was the one who helped his lawyer win that case with a plea for mental disorder. Elizabeth was great at what she did at one point in time, but her compassion as you put it, has made her judgment lax. That boy was sick and he still is as far as I’m concerned. Do you even know why he was at Maudsley in the first place?”

“Yes! He told me about his stepdad and what happened! He’s not sick. He’s not! Regardless to what you saw or what he was when you knew him he’s changed now! He’s different.”

“Is he now? Why is that? Do you think he’s suddenly cured because of you? There is no cure for what he has! It can only be tamed and I’m sure two years in Maudsley has done nothing but merely corner it. Tell me Reagan, when you look at him, are there dark circles around his eyes? When is the last time that Harry has slept all the way through the night?”

I was ready for a smart quip, but his last question caught me off guard. How could he possibly know that Harry doesn’t rest well?

“No answer? Ah, but you know so much about him and after all he’s different and cured. From my understanding on him, the understanding that you lack, he didn’t sleep much before he killed his stepfather either. Does that sound cured to you? The boy’s temper and disorder isn’t one to be taken lightly and it sure as fuck showed when the paramedics had to come inside of his stepfather’s house and collect the body! You’re so blinded by love and your emotions that you refuse to look at the obvious and if you stay that way you’ll make the same mistakes Dr. Baker has!”

“It was self-defense!” I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes threatening to spill out of anger and frustration with the day. I’m mentally worn. I should have listened to Harry and went back home. Today is too much for me to handle and I know I’ll break before the day is over.

“It could have been avoided if he never went there!”

It wasn’t until I felt a tear drop fall onto my chest and stream down my neck onto my chest that I knew that I was crying. Just as I opened my mouth to speak and offer up my own resignation to this so called internship did my phone vibrate against my hip.

“Go ahead and answer it!” Dr. Koch shouted at me and when I raised the phone to discover the unknown number across the screen I automatically felt my stomach drop down to my knees. Something isn’t right.

“Hello.”

“Reagan?” I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Harry’s deep husky voice and it calmed me even when Dr. Koch’s accusations danced in the back of my mind.

“Harry, you-”

“Reagan I need you to listen to me I don’t have long! Can you post bail for me at the police station?!”

"The police station Harry...What did you do?" Dr. Koch raised a condescending eyebrow at me and I wish that I hadn't answered the phone in front of him.

"You wouldn't go get help so I handled it..."

Notes

HI LOVES AND HELLO NEW AND FAITHFUL SUBSCRIBERS!!! Before I begin THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BEAUTIFUL COMMENTS AND THE VOTES YOU ALL TRULY MAKE MY DAY SO MUCH BETTER!!! Update for you all because I love you so much!!! This is the last chapter before the sequel what did you think? I'm really worried about this one (nervous like) so please please please load me up with comments about what you think! It ends in a cliff hanger. I'm horrible I know you all want to know what happens between H and Peyton, but THAT WILL ALL BE IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ITP 3! I can't believe I will be doing an ITP 3 btw I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH ( did I say that already?) !! YOU'RE AMAZING! If you're all eager to know what goes down between Harry and Peyton be sure to show me some love! Continue to subscribe to this story if you're reading and haven't done so already and please continue to vote! LOVE YOU ALL FOR READING AND I CANT SAY IT ENOUGH!! ~Xx

PS: One of my loves Chey has a story out of her own titled "My Drunk Little White Lies" Be sure to go give it a read and vote and subscribe to that as well ;D