It had been a month since I started hanging out with Harry. Since I met him there hasn't been a night we didn't hang out. I was really starting to develop feelings for him, but I didn't know if he felt the same way. Tonight we are doing something different. Every once in a while Harry will invite me to dinner, but he asked if I would go to a business dinner with him... as his date.

Him asking me that should have been some kind of indication that he had feelings for me too, right? Well, I don't wanna risk that kind of embarrassment so I won't say anything until the words Matilda, I like you. I want you to be my girlfriend come out of his mouth.

I don't even know if I can date him, so maybe it's for the best. After what happened the last time, I don't know if I'm ready.

I heard a soft knock on my hotel room door and took one last look at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a long blue, satin dress. My brown hair was curled, I had half of it in a floral hair clip and the rest was down. I did a light brown eyeshadow look so it didn't take away from the dress, and it made my eyes stand out. No eyeliner, just mascara. I had short, black heels on. As well as my sunflower necklace, I never take it off.

"Wow!" Harry said when I opened the door. The moment he looked at me he was smiling, his beautiful smile that I've adored since the moment I met him.

"You look really nice, Harry!" I said after a few seconds, trying to make the silence disappear. We had decided to match with our colors, so he wore a navy blue suit with a black undershirt and black shoes. He looked extremely handsome.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Matilda!" He replied. He grabbed my hand and softly placed a kiss before leading me out.

We got off the elevator in the lobby and saw Ms. Hefflin typing on her computer. "Good afternoon! Don't you both look lovely this evening!" She said as we approached the front desk.

"Thank you, Ms. Hefflin!" I replied, smiling at her.

"Thank you, we're about to go to dinner with my managers!" Harry said, never losing his smile.

"Have fun, don't stay out too late!" She replied as we headed for the door. I could tell she almost thought of Harry as her son, she seemed very motherly around him. I really liked that she was that way.

We got into the backseats of a black SUV and made our way to the restaurant. I had never been chauffeured around like this, I wasn't sure if I really liked it, it made me feel like someone was being forced to do my everyday activities for me so I didn't have to.

"Matilda." Harry whispered in my ear. He grabbed my hand that had been sitting on my thigh, "Have I told you that you're beautiful?"

"I believe you mentioned it when we were at my hotel room." I replied. I smiled and wrapped my hand around his, then rested my head on his shoulder.

"No, I mean just in general! You always look gorgeous, you don't have to get all dressed to be gorgeous. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, sunflower." He replied. Still using the nickname that I secretly loved.

"You're gonna make me cry, Harry." I told him. I couldn't say anything else, it felt like I lost my capability to speak.

"Oh, sunflower, no need to cry. I just want you to know my feelings." He replied.

"Harry," I said quietly.

"Yes?" He asked. He seemed worried, "don't feel like you have to like me back just cause I have feelings for you."

"I really like you." I responded.

"You do?" He asked, he looked relieved.

"Yes! I just wasn't sure if you did or not." I told him, not moving my head off his shoulder.

He was about to say something when the door on his side of the car opened to let us out. He whispered that we'd talk about it more at the hotel and got out, then reached his hand to help me out.

We walked in and Harry informed the lady at the front desk that we had people waiting for us and she showed us to our table where five other people were already seated.

"Matilda, this is Jeff, Daniel, Molly, Baz, and Mitch. Everyone, this is Matilda!" He said, pointing to each person as he went through his introductions. Each gave me a wave as he introduced me.

"Nice to meet you, Matilda!" Mitch said, shaking my hand as I sat down next to him.

"Harry has told us a lot about you!" Molly said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you all as well!" I responded, smiling back.

We all placed our drink order and Daniel, Harry's tour manager, started discussing cities he has been in contact with for his upcoming tour. When Molly, the creative director for the tour, started asking what Harry envisioned for the color scheme.

They kept talking about the tour and small aspects that needed to be decided after we ordered food. The restaurant was very expensive so I ordered the least expensive thing I could find on the menu. Hopefully Harry wouldn't try to pay for me. Even though I had an amazing job, I had to pay for my hotel room. That was taking a lot of my money, so it made it hard to save it, thus why I still ride my bike as opposed to a car.

The entire dinner I thought about whether or not I should talk to Harry about my family. Are me and him going to even date? Or is his tour going to come between that? But most important was figuring out if I was ready to be honest with Harry tonight or not.

"So, Matilda, you're coming on tour with us, right?" Molly asked, after taking a sip of her drink.

"I actually hadn't gotten a chance to discuss that yet." Harry told her.

"Well, we would love to have you join us! We have extra space and I need another girl there to help me deal with these shitheads!" Molly said to me.

"We have extra space?" Mitch asked her.

"Yes, I made extra space for one of the acts that was originally going to open for Harry, but they fell through. The original band was, I believe, six members. This one is two members and they insisted they take their own bus because they didn't want to be in Harry's way. So, yes, we have plenty of extra space if you would like to join, Matilda!" Daniel said, smiling at me.

It made me happy that they all liked me already and that they wanted me to join them on a year long tour, but I wasn't sure if I could since I needed to work. The check came and I insisted that I could pay.

"Please, it has been an honor to have you here with us tonight. It's on me!" Jeff replied, smiling at me.

"Thank you!' I responded, I wasn't used to people paying for me at restaurants and when they did it made me feel awkward.

Harry and I got back into the SUV and were heading to the hotel, he never let go of my hand. It was a silent car ride, but it felt nice. We got out and made our way up to his hotel room. I sat on his couch when we walked in, looking out the window to see the city again.

"So, back to our conversation." Harry said as he sat behind me. I felt his lips softly touch the back of my neck, it felt different. The best kind of different.

"Harry, I need to tell you something." I said, turning to face him.

He seemed confused when his eyes locked with mine. "Okay, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now, but I want to tell you about my past." I told him. He shifted a little bit and grabbed my hand. "When I was growing up my parents argued a lot. They started, I think, when I was five, at least that's the earliest I remember. My mother would tell me every day growing up that if I didn't pass a test or finish all my homework I wouldn't be able to eat dinner. On weekends, she would only let me leave my room if it was spotless."

"Matilda," He said, but I didn't let him continue. I knew he was going to tell me that I didn't have to tell him, but if he said that I knew I would stop.

"My father would abuse me and my mother, but it was mostly me. When I got home from school my mother was still at work and he would have already started drinking. He would hit me in front of anyone, he didn't care, because he would tell them if they'd say anything they would regret it. It got to the point I wouldn't invite anyone over, I mean, I didn't have any friends to invite anyways. Then they wanted me to date this guy that was their friend's kid. I started hanging out with him and eventually we started dating. I would spend the night at his house because I didn't want him to see me getting abused. He got really drunk and ended up being just like my father. He threatened to kill me that night. I ended up getting out and when I got to my house my mother was lying on the floor, she had blood all over her face from where my father punched her. I had no idea what to do, the only thing I thought of was going to my neighbors. I was 17 at the time and when I got there she let me in and I sat on the couch, shaking. She asked what had happened and I couldn't tell her. I turned 18 a few weeks later and moved into a hotel room, they kicked me out. I had the same luck for the past four years until I got here. I walked in, tears running down my face. That's why I'm here, I haven't told Ms. Hefflin yet, but she told me I was welcome here for as long as I need." I said, pausing.

"Matilda, that's not normal. No parent should treat their child like that, have you talked to anyone?" He asked, I shook my head no, "Do you know where they are now?"

"I have no idea. When I left my neighbors house I changed my last name so they couldn't find me. I got it changed on all my bank information, too. I don't think either of them cared enough to look in the first place, but I just wanted to be safe." I told him.

"Is that why you don't know about your siblings?" He asked, I could see it sinking in.

"Correct."

"Have you ever talked to anyone about any of the three of them?" He asked.

"No, you're the first person I've ever opened up to." I responded, looking down at my hands.

"I don't know how to deal with something like this, Matilda. You should go to someone that's an expert in this field." He told me, I could tell he was stressing. More than he should be.

"Harry, I told you because it's only fair that you know. I really do like you, but it's not fair that you don't know my past." I replied, I could see in his eyes that he didn't understand why I acted like everything was perfectly fine.

"I really like you too, sunflower." He replied, smiling for the first time since we got in his room.

"I have one request." I said quietly.

"And that would be?" He asked, at the same volume.

"Can we please take this easy? I don't want to rush anything because I haven't been in a relationship since that one, and I don't know if I can just jump into one." I explained, my hands shaking.

"We can take this as slow as you need, if you ever feel like something is moving too fast than what makes you comfortable, tell me." He said, kissing my forehead.

"You really are amazing, Harry." I told him, smiling.

"You're more amazing, Matilda." He replied.

We stayed on the couch all night. I had my head laying against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, he had his arm draped around my shoulders. It was the most comfortable I had ever felt.