I'll Give All My Secrets Away

I deflated immediately as her arms wrapped around my body tightly. She murmured soothing words to me that I couldn’t quite hear over the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. I looked down at her blonde hair that was so messy it partially covered her face but I could just about see her face screwed up probably in fear… was she afraid of me?

I let out a shaky breath and deliberately kept my eyes away from the blood covered vermin a few feet from us being dragged out of the club by a couple of security guards along with his moronic friends. I almost felt sick with guilt- I should have seen it sooner… I’d been watching her all night and the one moment I look away, this happens… I’m such an idiot for not being more careful.

‘Let’s get out of here…’ I whispered into her hair, ‘Is there somewhere I can take you?’

Allie nodded softly and took my hand leading me across the club towards the back rooms. She squeezed my fingers and tugged me through the corridors and up a staircase to where an apartment door was. She pushed the door open shakily and stumbled into a living room.
It was very small with simple furniture; a brown sofa covered in cushions, a small TV, a table with a couple of chairs round it… I could see two doors leading off one of the walls- I could see a kitchen through one of the doors and I could guess that her bedroom was through the other.

‘Do you want a drink or something?’ Her voice was husky as she asked me.

I shook my head and sighed as I saw her mess with her hair, her eyes frantic… I gently took hold of her hand again and brought her to her sofa where I lifted her body on top of mine as I lay down amongst the cushions.

After a few tense moments, she snuggled down into my body; her head buried into my chest and her legs intertwined with mine. I gently stroked her back and traced patterns onto her silky t-shirt. I felt her shiver slightly and swallowed harshly trying to control my growing desire. She gently moved her hand to lie flat on my chest.

‘You should lock you front door…’ I scolded her quietly, remembering her lack of security.

‘Yeah, I probably should.’ She replied her brow furrowing slightly in thought.

The silence engulfed us again and we stayed tangled on the sofa comfortably wrapped up in each other’s arms. Allie and Harry… Harry and Allie… It sounded kind of nice…

‘I’m sorry I was a bitch to you earlier.’ She mumbled clearly not used to apologising.

‘I kind of deserved it.’ I chuckled. ‘I wasn’t a ray of sunshine myself…’

She giggled softly against me before going silent again thoughtfully.‘Thank you.’ She finally whispered against my chest.

‘You’re welcome.’ I replied tightening my arms around her.

I watched the clock click by minute by minute until I heard a soft sigh come from Allie, I glanced down at her face only to see that she’d fallen asleep. I leant over carefully and grabbed a thick rug hanging over the back of the sofa tucking it around us. Listening to her heavy breathing was almost hypnotic and I softly felt my eyes slip shut as I joined her in peaceful unconsciousness.

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Sunlight’s a bitch.

I fought the light and held on tighter to sleep but eventually I had to give in to the inevitable morning. I rolled my eyes open and looked around the unfamiliar apartment. Oh shit, management is going to kill me! I’d promised that I’d lay off the awkward walk of shame photos! Wait! I’m wearing clothes… Allie!

I threw the covers off my body and sat bolt upright searching the apartment for her but she wasn’t there.

‘Allie?’ I called but there was no answer. She’d left? Really? Wow, so this is what it was like to be walked out on after a night of… well, just cuddling… shit, we only cuddled! The boys are going dine of that joke for months!

‘Hey, sleeping beauty, when did you wake up?’ A smirking voice sounded from behind me.

I turned around to see her standing by her bathroom door only in a towel, no make-up on and her soaking wet hair knotted up in a bun on top of her head.

I stood there gormlessly stuttering incoherently as I took her in: from her tanned long legs barely hidden by her tiny strip off turquoise towel all the way up to her large breasts that spilled slightly over the top of it. ‘A-a… T-the… I-I t-t-thought y-y-you… had…’

Allie’s face was contorted as she tried to control her laughter but a couple of cute little giggles spilled between her lips making me smiled despite myself. ‘Put your eyes back in your head, Romeo.’

I grinned after her as she wandered into her bedroom to get changed when she finally shut the door, I exhaled sharply. God, this girl was going to be the death of me…

After about fifteen minutes, she strolled back out of her bedroom and into the kitchen where I was filling a saucepan with some French toast.

‘Wow! Harry Styles in my kitchen!’ She mocked me clutching her heart melodramatically. ‘I might faint! Catch me, Harry, catch me!’

She slumped against my side, I laughed and bumped her hip with mine getting her to stand up right again. ‘Uh huh huh! Mean people aren’t allowed any French toast so I’d check that attitude if I were you!’

She raised her hands in mock surrender and smirked at me, ‘I’m sorry! I’m done taking the piss, I promise! Pleeeeaaaassseee let me have some of that French toast, oh amazing chef Styles!’

‘That’s better.’ I chuckled back. She helped me serve it up onto plates and quickly set the table before grabbing the ketchup and sitting down at her little table to eat.

‘Oh my god! This is really good!’ She exclaimed staring at her plate in amazement.

‘Well, thanks for the vote of confidence!’ I laughed at her, ‘Why would you think it’d be bad?’

‘I don’t know… I can just imagine that you live in hotels most of the time and so you don’t cook there which means you kind of get out of the habit, you know what I mean?’ She explained slightly embarrassed at her statement.

‘Yeah, I do I guess.’ I admitted, ‘The other guys hardly cook unless you count making cereal or spaghetti but I like to do it. It’s nice to do something for yourself be in control of something for yourself.’

‘You really are normal, aren’t you?’ She said leaning towards me subconsciously.

‘I’d like to think so.’ I replied, ‘But my job’s definitely abnormal which is why everyone is obsessed with the idea that we must have changed but… truthfully, we haven’t we’ve grown up a bit sure but we’re still the same guys. Money doesn’t have to change you if you make a conscious effort not to let it.’

Allie nodded truly interested in what I had to say which made me smile happily- Usually people were only interested in what Harry the Popstar had to say but she made me feel like she was interested in what the Real Harry thought of everything.

‘So what about you?’ I asked her shovelling up more toast into my mouth. ‘How’d you end up here?’

‘Well I’ve known Darren for my whole life. He was best friends with my dad and when he died he practically raised. At the age of thirteen, he’d taught me to mix drinks, identify the best brands of liquor and keep a handle on drunken customers. When I turned seventeen, he got arrested for the first time which was a surprise seeing as he’d been breaking the law for most of his life. He was tried and found guilty of assault. He took the punishment, did the time and then came back to me. I’d run the bar for two years by then and he came back, we ran it together for about a year.’

‘Why’d you stop?’

‘Because of an ex.’ she said smiling sadly. ‘He got a job up north and I followed him there.’
‘So why are you back now?’ I questioned her watching her face drop down to look at her food.

‘It’s textbook really… he cheated with his personal trainer…’ She shook her head and chuckled darkly. ‘Walking in on them fucking in my bathroom wasn’t the best moment of my life, I can tell you that.’

‘Shit.’ I exhaled in shock.

‘Yeah.’ She murmured.

I looked carefully at the girl in front of my and felt truly and royally pissed off at the universe to be honest. Here was a beautiful, smart, sophiscated and compassionate girl who had been dealt the worst hand life could of given her- no parents, limited money, a criminal guardian, douchebag ex-boyfriends and creeps eying her up left right and centre…
And there was me- living the high life of money, girls, fame and music without a care in the world but did I deserve it? Looking at the two people sitting in this dingy apartment, I knew that out of the two of us, I would give it all to Allie if I could.

No, no, no, no! No! Do something, Harry! I panicked internally as she stood up to clear away the table. I had no intention of letting her go just yet. I felt different since I met her as cheesy as it sounded and I wanted to keep that feeling for as long as possible.

‘Allie?’ I said urgently hurrying into the kitchen after her.

‘Harry?’ She replied raising her head to meet my eyes.

‘Come to the beach!’ I exclaimed out of nowhere.

She laughed and then stopped when she saw I was serious. ‘Ok, kind of… a bit … random… why should I go to the beach when it’s raining?’

Nice, Harry. Pick the one place no person in their right mind would go in the rain.

‘Because… because… it’s tradition!’ I said loudly despite my brain willing my mouth to stop.

‘Tradition?’ She asked confused. ‘How is that a tradition?’

‘Me and the boys started it…’ I stammered trying to make sense of my lie, ‘And the girls go now and we go swimming in the sea… and watch scary movies at our beach-house…’

‘In the rain.’ She finished for me.

‘Yes.’ I confirmed calmly.

YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!!! I internally screamed at myself.

‘Alright, well I’m not working tonight so I guess it would be fun to get out and meet some new people…’ She concluded.

‘Yes, absolutely right. You need to keep those social skills… good.’ I stuttered.

YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR SOCIAL SKILLS GOOD???? ARE YOU FUCKING MAD??? THAT WASN’T EVEN GRAMMATICALLY RIGHT!!!!!!

She giggled sweetly and said grinning, ‘Ok! Let’s go!’

Oh shit.

I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD GO DOWN BADLY!!

‘Uhhmm, yeeeaaahh.’ I drew out. ‘Well, I need to go get changed and get my car. I’ll pick up some of the others and meet you back here outside the bar in like an hour and a half?’

‘Sounds good.’ She smiled at me and gave me a short but tight hug leaving me slightly dazed. ‘See you in a bit, Harry.’

‘Bye, Allie.’ I smiled in return grabbing my jacket and hurrying out of the front door.

As soon as I was in the street, I grabbed my phone from my pocket- 13 missed calls and 9 text messages all from the guys I ditched last night.

I clicked the dial back and heard an immediate, ‘Harry, where the hell were you last night?! We were freaking out, mate!’

‘I’m sorry and I promise I’ll explain everything later.’ I cut him off, ‘but Zayn, I need a favour.’

Notes