Let Me Love You
Chapter 5
Riley’s POV:
I was finishing blow drying my hair after my shower when I heard Heath talking on the phone in the bedroom. I quietly tip toed over to the door and cracked it open to get a better listen.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there again this weekend. I’ll just tell her my boss needs me to stay to work on a new project, it worked like a charm last time.” I listened to him talk to this mystery person on the phone, wondering what he was talking about. His voice lowered, but I strained my ear out the door and caught him growling into the phone.
“You better be wearing that black teddy I got you for your birthday, babe. You know how much I love that on you, but how much more I love it when it’s on your bedroom floor.” My stomach dropped. This wasn’t happening. Maybe I just heard him wrong? No, Riley, you heard exactly what he said.
Now his late weekends in the city all made sense. I slid down the bathroom wall, ducking my head between my legs while I tried to even my breathing out. I was too much in shock to even cry. How could he do this to me? I loved him….and I thought he felt the same. My ears perked up when I heard him say goodbye, I scrambled up the wall and ran over to the mirror, trying to make myself look like I wasn’t just eavesdropping.
He walked in and I could finally feel the tears brimming on my lower eyelids. I wrung the power cord to my blow dryer in my hands as he washed his face in the sink next to me. Once he dried himself off, he glanced over at me, noticing my silence.
“What?” I took my tear filled gaze away from my hands to look at him.
“Who…who was that on the phone?” He kept a poker face while he crossed his huge forearms.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” I blinked a few times, allowing a few fat tears to roll down my cheeks. I started to feel myself becoming irritated as he lied straight to my face.
“But I t-think it is my business when I h-hear you c-calling someone baby that isn’t m-me..” His jaw tensed and his eyes grew wild with anger as I desperately fight the urge to start sobbing.
“Why the fuck were you eavesdropping on my conversation?!” I take a small step back as he uncrosses his arms and clenches his massive hands into fists by his side. Shit, Riley, why did you have to open your big mouth?!
“I-I didn’t m-mean to, I..” he didn’t let me finish before he wrapped his both hands tightly around my upper arms, shaking me violently. I let a small cry escape my lips as I stared at his eyes, dark with rage.
“How fucking DARE you accuse me of cheating, you filthy whore?!” He let his grip fall from my arms and I thought he was done until I felt an excruciatingly painful blow to the right side of my face where his hand had met my skin. I felt my brain hit the inside wall of my head as I screamed and fell to the cold tile floor.
Hot tears were streaming down my face as I brought a trembling hand up to gently caress my numb cheek. I looked up through glazed eyes and saw him glaring down at me, fists still clenched. He bent down and wrapped a large hand around my neck, squeezing tightly. I felt my air passage close as he brought my face inches from his.
“Next time you think of accusing me of anything like that, you’re going to face consequences worse than this.” After he spat his threat in my face, he threw me back down to the ground where I lay there, choking and gasping for air.
“I’m going out for the night. Don’t know when I’ll be back.” With that, he walked out of the bathroom. As soon as I heard the front door close, I curled into a ball on the floor and let my body convulse with loud sobs.
///
Once I had calmed down and was able to stand back up, I glanced nervously in the mirror to see the damage Heath had done to my sensitive skin. Huge red marks blazed on my biceps from where his hands had grasped around me. But the worst was the huge red mark forming on my cheek; I could tell that his slap had broken a few blood vessels and would start to form a pretty hefty bruise. I cursed when I saw a small mark a little darker than the rest of the bruise forming from where Heath’s ring on his finger made contact with my cheek. Thank goodness I was going to a pub tonight, assuming they’d have low lighting, and that I had heavy duty concealer so I could hide it the best I possibly could.
I put on my makeup, making sure to pay extra attention to my right cheek. It took me ten minutes longer to finish because the mark was still extremely sensitive and just brushing over it slightly sent shooting pains to my brain. I did the best I could to cover where the ring hit, but the dark mark was still pretty visible. I wrapped my hair in a high ponytail and created an edgier look by fishtail braiding it.
I went to my closet and got out my new skin-tight leather skirt and multicolored crop top. I finished the look off with my Marc Jacobs watch, a pair of gold platform pumps, a cross knuckle ring and a few spritzes of my favorite perfume by Juicy Couture.
I called the cab company closest to Heath’s flat and waited outside the front gate for the car to show. While I waited I looked back down at the text Harry had sent me earlier that day.
Harry: Hey, Riley! I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight! Can’t wait to get to know you better! :) Xx
My heart fluttered as I re-read the simple text message. Now here’s a guy that was actually paying attention to me. Why couldn’t I be with someone like him? He probably didn’t even like me like that…I consider myself to be quite Plain Jane-esque and he seemed like the type of guy that would go after more exotic women.
Nevertheless, it still felt good to be noticed. I started to feel my throat tighten when I thought about the man who supposedly loved me. I didn’t even know what I was going to do about him; I knew what Heath was doing wasn’t right, but in my heart, I knew I still loved him. I’d just have to try harder to prove to him that I was someone worth being in love with, because I don’t know if I could ever leave him. My stomach tightened when I realized that I didn’t know if Heath would ever let me leave. I pictured what he might do to me if I ever tried to leave and it made me shudder so I quickly let it escape my mind.
The cab pulled up to the curb and I hopped inside, giving the driver Harry’s address. We drove towards London and I was surprised when we started getting into the known rich parts of town. Flats and houses started to expand and become more extravagant; I mean, who really needs five fountains in their front yard?
The cabbie slows down and halts in front of a gorgeous complex. I guess being the owner of a detail shop pays pretty well! I pay the driver and make my way towards the front entrance where I am greeted by a very nice doorman. He points me to the direction of the lifts and I walk over, my heels clicking on the white marble floor.
When the lift arrives, I wander in and press the button for the top floor. The lift doors open and I exit into a long white hallway, searching for room 1005. I find the number at the end of the hallway and lightly rap the bronze knocker mounted on the door.
I can hear light music playing in the background and a couple of muffled laughs and shouts. I fix my skirt as I listen to a deep voice yell “Coming!” followed by a pair of feet padding towards the entrance. The door swings open and I’m stunned by the figure standing in front of me.
Harry looks like a completely different person without his dirty powder blue work shirt on and a fresh face sans grease. His chocolate curls are styled into a high quiff, allowing for better viewing of his gorgeous facial features.
His long torso is fashioning a crisp white dress shirt with the top three buttons undone to reveal two matching swallow tattoos on his chest. A single silver chain with a cross lies flat against his exposed skin. His lean legs are covered by tight black jeans with a hole in the left knee and his black boots are tucked underneath the jean fabric.
I look into his dazzling green eyes and can tell that he’s also taking in my appearance. I nervously fumble with my clutch as I see his eyes trail down to my feet. He meets my gaze again and flashes me a brilliant smile, leaving me breathless.
“Riley, it’s nice to see you again! I’m really glad you could make it out tonight! Come in, won’t you?” He stands aside, arm motioning me to enter and I walk into his flat's living room. It’s absolutely stunning! It reminds me somewhat of Heath’s flat, but it feels so much more inviting and comfortable. I see the other guys sitting on some of the sofas and chairs, and I notice two girls with Louis and Zayn.
“You remember everyone from the shop of course.” I smile and wave hello as they all shout greetings at me. Harry walks me over to the brunette sitting next to Louis.
“Riley, this is Eleanor, Louis’ girlfriend. Eleanor, Riley is the new office assistant at the shop.” Eleanor rolls her eyes at Harry before reaching her hand out to me.
“Harry, I know who she is. You haven’t shut up about her since we got here. It’s very nice to finally meet you, Riley.” She smiles at me and I turn to Harry, his face turning bright pink as he glares at Eleanor. I giggle and shake Eleanor’s hand. He puts his hand over my shoulder blade and leads me over to the gorgeous blonde sitting next to Zayn.
“This is Perrie, Zayn’s girlfriend.” She stands up and gives me a big hug before stepping back and flashing me a huge grin.
“It’s so nice to meet you! I was thrilled when Zayn told me there was finally a girl working in the shop! Eleanor and I needed someone new to hang out with instead of all these boys and also ask to be a guinea pig for us.” I stare at her confusingly and look to Harry for an explanation.
“Eleanor and Perrie run their own professional hair and makeup business. They do mostly magazine work but are looking into weddings, correct?” Perrie nods her head excitingly.
“Yep! So if you ever need to look your best, you give us a call!” She winks before sitting down next to Zayn again. Harry walks off to the kitchen, calling back to me along the way.
“Would you like anything to drink? Beer? Wine? Something other than those two?” I laugh and sit down on a chair adjacent to Perrie and Zayn.
“Beer’s fine!”
“So how are you liking working at the shop so far?” Perrie shifts to look at me. I grab the bottle Harry has brought over to me and take a sip before answering her question.
“I love it! The guys have been so welcoming and I really enjoy the work. It’s a completely different environment than my other job.” Harry quickly tells them I work at Club Maze. They all simultaneously ‘ahhhhhh’ and Eleanor pipes up to ask me a question.
“I heard about what Harry did to that drunk twat last week. Isn’t he the sweetest?” She batted her eyelashes at Harry, who was giving her another death glare which I giggled at before agreeing.
“It was very sweet of him to do.” He turned and gave me a sheepish grin and I blushed. Our little moment was gone as soon as Niall screamed out and jumped up on the couch.
“THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG!” He ran over to the stereo and turned the volume up quite loud before breaking out into a full dance routine. Louis, Liam and Zayn ended up joining him and began jumping up on tables and couches, yelling the lyrics to the rest of us.
Harry made his way over to me and pulled a chair up close to my armrest. He nudged my arm and gave me a huge grin.
“Sorry about these guys, they can get a little crazy at times.” I laughed as my gaze traveled back to the four boys running around the living room.
“Don’t apologize, I think it’s great. They’re so much fun. You guys all seem to be very close.” He nodded and told me about how they had all come to know each other. He then went on to ask me about myself and regular discussion topics like where I was from, how many siblings I had and my favorite type of music.
After we had talked for a while, I realized how similar we both were. I told Harry about my painting and he was so fascinated that he asked me question after question about what I enjoyed painting and who my favorite artists were. He said he was an avid fan of the art world, walking me around his flat to show me some of his collection and I was amazed at what great taste he had!
After we discussed art for a while and drank a few more beers, he told me he writes poetry and music lyrics in his spare time. It surprised me how someone who seemed so manly could be this passionate about things like poetry and collecting art. But as he kept talking, my original image of him faded away, welcoming this new Harry that I was becoming increasingly interested in.
Because everyone was having such a good time at the flat, we decided against going to the pub and stayed in, drinking whatever was in the fridge. I was almost thankful we weren’t leaving because my shoes were starting to get uncomfortable, so I kicked them off and tucked my feet underneath my bum. I started to feel myself getting slightly tipsy and I noticed Harry was as well because our conversations got a little deeper.
He started talking about his parent’s divorce when he was a child; I found out that his dad abused his mom and was sleeping with his secretary. I could tell that although he barely knew his father, it still upset him, so I placed my hand in his to calm him down.
After we were done with our deep conversation, I scanned my eyes around the room and found them stopping at the black baby grand piano nestled in a nook by his kitchen. I jumped up and padded over to it, sitting down on the cushioned bench. Harry strolled over, beer in hand, and sat next to me while I ogled the beautiful ivory keys in front of me.
I looked up at him with begging puppy dog eyes. “Would you play something for me? Pleeease?” I batted my eyelashes and I heard him sigh quietly before looking down at the keys. Everyone else had noticed that we left the room and started to walk towards us.
“Ahh, Haz is breaking out the old piano to woo a lady!” Louis chuckled and Harry yelled a ‘piss off’ in his general direction. They all filed around the piano, staring at Harry. I laughed when all of the boys started making the same puppy dog eyes I was doing before and Harry sighed loudly, putting his beer up on a coaster atop the piano.
“Alright! Fine. If everyone insists. But I must warn you, I haven’t played in quite some time.” He looked over at me and winked before warming his fingers up while playing a couple notes. He started off by playing a beautiful ten second melody and began to sing.
**This is “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones!**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqqPgA-yuuc
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I sat there and gawked at him as his deep, raspy voice flowed easily through each line of the song. His long, slender fingers carefully touched the keys, causing the tendons in his hands to twitch underneath his tanned skin. I looked up at his face and felt weak as I saw the muscle in his jaw tense and release as he concentrated on his fingers.
And I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come?
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
I didn’t realize my mouth had slightly opened until my lips started to dry up. I licked them and bit down on my lower lip as I watched his mouth speak the beautiful lyrics.
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
As he sang the last verse, he turned to look at me with his sparkling eyes and I about fell off the bench. We sat there silent for a few seconds as the last notes of the song echoed out of the piano. I heard someone clear their throat and I blinked quickly before staring down at my empty bottle.
“Well, looks like you still got it, Hazza!” Zayn spoke to break the silence. Harry looked up at him and blushingly smiled. Niall went on to ask who needed a refill and everyone began to walk back over to the living room, leaving Harry and I alone. I looked up at his perfect face and spoke quietly.
“That was beautiful, Harry. Your voice is incredible.” I could tell the compliment made him blush and he took a swig of his beer, trying to get rid of the flushed color on his face.
“Thanks. I’m okay I guess.” We sat there silent for a couple seconds before he leaned in close to my ear; so close that I could feel his hot breath on my neck, giving me chills as he spoke.
“I’m really glad you came over tonight.” He leaned back and his green orbs melted my heart as they watched mine. I could feel my stomach flip as he grinned; his precious dimple deepening at the movement.
“I-I am too.” I saw a flash of nerves wash over his face before he brought his hand up to caress my right cheek. I had completely forgotten about the incident earlier and winced as his soft touch glided over the sensitive mark. His eyes went wide and I turned my face away from him to hide my pained expression.
“Riley…turn your face.” I could hear his voice getting deep with concern. I silently cursed myself for wincing and slowly brought my face up again to look at him. He brought his hands up to my jaw line and slowly turned my face so he could get a good look at my right cheek. I heard his breath hitch as he saw right through the pound of concealer.
“Oh…Riley..” His warm touch left my face as his hands fell to his lap. I looked into his distressed stare and I had to fight back the tears I felt welling up in my eyes. I dropped my head slightly and shook it before giving him an explanation.
“I fell in the bathroom earlier..” I could even finish before I heard him hiss something at me.
“Cut the bullshit. I know he did this to you. Why are you still with him? After what I had just told you about my mom…I can’t stand seeing someone so perfect settle with such a monster.” My mouth had dropped open and I stared at him as he looked at his clenched hands.
“Y-you don’t know him like I do. He loves me.” He scoffed at my response and closed his eyes.
“I know exactly who he is. And it kills me that he gets to hold your heart in his repulsive hands.” He stared up at me and I was shocked to see that his eyes were starting to water. “You deserve to be with someone who adores you and would never EVER lay a hand on you. Because they know how amazing you truly are and would thank God every fucking day for being given the opportunity to be yours.”
He reached his hand to embrace the non-bruised side of my face before he spoke. “And if you give me a chance, I could be that someone.” And before I could say another word, Harry closed the space in between our faces and placed the most delicate kiss on my lips. My heart sunk to my stomach as I melted into his kiss.
He pulled back, eyes closed, and sighed. Our foreheads were resting against each other as he spoke. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I met you.”
I was stunned. I couldn’t even comprehend what had happened. I knew I had just cheated on Heath by not pushing Harry away, but a huge part of me didn’t want the kiss to end. I didn’t know if it was because of the slight buzz I had, but that huge part of me took over as I reached out with my hands, placing them on both sides of his face and kissing his plump lips again.
We moved so perfectly together and I felt like I was on cloud nine. As I pulled away this time, I could feel my heart racing at a life threatening speed. We stared at each other for a while before he spoke.
“I really really like you Riley.” I couldn’t contain my smile as I heard his raspy voice speak my name.
But, like a rollercoaster, my up had finally turned into a down as I realized what I had done. I still loved Heath and I couldn’t give up on him this fast. I stood up from the piano bench and stared down at him.
“I-I’m so sorry. I don’t think I can do this. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I walked swiftly to the living room where my shoes were lying next to the chair and I quickly put them on. I waved goodbye to everyone and I rushed to the front door, accidentally slamming it on my way out.
I pressed the lift button almost a hundred times before it finally got to my floor. As I walked in I could feel the tears starting to fall down my cheeks. I looked up right before the doors closed to see Harry running down the hallway after me. He didn’t make it in time and the lift doors closed, leaving me to sob silently on my way down.
What had I just done?
I was finishing blow drying my hair after my shower when I heard Heath talking on the phone in the bedroom. I quietly tip toed over to the door and cracked it open to get a better listen.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there again this weekend. I’ll just tell her my boss needs me to stay to work on a new project, it worked like a charm last time.” I listened to him talk to this mystery person on the phone, wondering what he was talking about. His voice lowered, but I strained my ear out the door and caught him growling into the phone.
“You better be wearing that black teddy I got you for your birthday, babe. You know how much I love that on you, but how much more I love it when it’s on your bedroom floor.” My stomach dropped. This wasn’t happening. Maybe I just heard him wrong? No, Riley, you heard exactly what he said.
Now his late weekends in the city all made sense. I slid down the bathroom wall, ducking my head between my legs while I tried to even my breathing out. I was too much in shock to even cry. How could he do this to me? I loved him….and I thought he felt the same. My ears perked up when I heard him say goodbye, I scrambled up the wall and ran over to the mirror, trying to make myself look like I wasn’t just eavesdropping.
He walked in and I could finally feel the tears brimming on my lower eyelids. I wrung the power cord to my blow dryer in my hands as he washed his face in the sink next to me. Once he dried himself off, he glanced over at me, noticing my silence.
“What?” I took my tear filled gaze away from my hands to look at him.
“Who…who was that on the phone?” He kept a poker face while he crossed his huge forearms.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” I blinked a few times, allowing a few fat tears to roll down my cheeks. I started to feel myself becoming irritated as he lied straight to my face.
“But I t-think it is my business when I h-hear you c-calling someone baby that isn’t m-me..” His jaw tensed and his eyes grew wild with anger as I desperately fight the urge to start sobbing.
“Why the fuck were you eavesdropping on my conversation?!” I take a small step back as he uncrosses his arms and clenches his massive hands into fists by his side. Shit, Riley, why did you have to open your big mouth?!
“I-I didn’t m-mean to, I..” he didn’t let me finish before he wrapped his both hands tightly around my upper arms, shaking me violently. I let a small cry escape my lips as I stared at his eyes, dark with rage.
“How fucking DARE you accuse me of cheating, you filthy whore?!” He let his grip fall from my arms and I thought he was done until I felt an excruciatingly painful blow to the right side of my face where his hand had met my skin. I felt my brain hit the inside wall of my head as I screamed and fell to the cold tile floor.
Hot tears were streaming down my face as I brought a trembling hand up to gently caress my numb cheek. I looked up through glazed eyes and saw him glaring down at me, fists still clenched. He bent down and wrapped a large hand around my neck, squeezing tightly. I felt my air passage close as he brought my face inches from his.
“Next time you think of accusing me of anything like that, you’re going to face consequences worse than this.” After he spat his threat in my face, he threw me back down to the ground where I lay there, choking and gasping for air.
“I’m going out for the night. Don’t know when I’ll be back.” With that, he walked out of the bathroom. As soon as I heard the front door close, I curled into a ball on the floor and let my body convulse with loud sobs.
///
Once I had calmed down and was able to stand back up, I glanced nervously in the mirror to see the damage Heath had done to my sensitive skin. Huge red marks blazed on my biceps from where his hands had grasped around me. But the worst was the huge red mark forming on my cheek; I could tell that his slap had broken a few blood vessels and would start to form a pretty hefty bruise. I cursed when I saw a small mark a little darker than the rest of the bruise forming from where Heath’s ring on his finger made contact with my cheek. Thank goodness I was going to a pub tonight, assuming they’d have low lighting, and that I had heavy duty concealer so I could hide it the best I possibly could.
I put on my makeup, making sure to pay extra attention to my right cheek. It took me ten minutes longer to finish because the mark was still extremely sensitive and just brushing over it slightly sent shooting pains to my brain. I did the best I could to cover where the ring hit, but the dark mark was still pretty visible. I wrapped my hair in a high ponytail and created an edgier look by fishtail braiding it.
I went to my closet and got out my new skin-tight leather skirt and multicolored crop top. I finished the look off with my Marc Jacobs watch, a pair of gold platform pumps, a cross knuckle ring and a few spritzes of my favorite perfume by Juicy Couture.
I called the cab company closest to Heath’s flat and waited outside the front gate for the car to show. While I waited I looked back down at the text Harry had sent me earlier that day.
Harry: Hey, Riley! I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight! Can’t wait to get to know you better! :) Xx
My heart fluttered as I re-read the simple text message. Now here’s a guy that was actually paying attention to me. Why couldn’t I be with someone like him? He probably didn’t even like me like that…I consider myself to be quite Plain Jane-esque and he seemed like the type of guy that would go after more exotic women.
Nevertheless, it still felt good to be noticed. I started to feel my throat tighten when I thought about the man who supposedly loved me. I didn’t even know what I was going to do about him; I knew what Heath was doing wasn’t right, but in my heart, I knew I still loved him. I’d just have to try harder to prove to him that I was someone worth being in love with, because I don’t know if I could ever leave him. My stomach tightened when I realized that I didn’t know if Heath would ever let me leave. I pictured what he might do to me if I ever tried to leave and it made me shudder so I quickly let it escape my mind.
The cab pulled up to the curb and I hopped inside, giving the driver Harry’s address. We drove towards London and I was surprised when we started getting into the known rich parts of town. Flats and houses started to expand and become more extravagant; I mean, who really needs five fountains in their front yard?
The cabbie slows down and halts in front of a gorgeous complex. I guess being the owner of a detail shop pays pretty well! I pay the driver and make my way towards the front entrance where I am greeted by a very nice doorman. He points me to the direction of the lifts and I walk over, my heels clicking on the white marble floor.
When the lift arrives, I wander in and press the button for the top floor. The lift doors open and I exit into a long white hallway, searching for room 1005. I find the number at the end of the hallway and lightly rap the bronze knocker mounted on the door.
I can hear light music playing in the background and a couple of muffled laughs and shouts. I fix my skirt as I listen to a deep voice yell “Coming!” followed by a pair of feet padding towards the entrance. The door swings open and I’m stunned by the figure standing in front of me.
Harry looks like a completely different person without his dirty powder blue work shirt on and a fresh face sans grease. His chocolate curls are styled into a high quiff, allowing for better viewing of his gorgeous facial features.
His long torso is fashioning a crisp white dress shirt with the top three buttons undone to reveal two matching swallow tattoos on his chest. A single silver chain with a cross lies flat against his exposed skin. His lean legs are covered by tight black jeans with a hole in the left knee and his black boots are tucked underneath the jean fabric.
I look into his dazzling green eyes and can tell that he’s also taking in my appearance. I nervously fumble with my clutch as I see his eyes trail down to my feet. He meets my gaze again and flashes me a brilliant smile, leaving me breathless.
“Riley, it’s nice to see you again! I’m really glad you could make it out tonight! Come in, won’t you?” He stands aside, arm motioning me to enter and I walk into his flat's living room. It’s absolutely stunning! It reminds me somewhat of Heath’s flat, but it feels so much more inviting and comfortable. I see the other guys sitting on some of the sofas and chairs, and I notice two girls with Louis and Zayn.
“You remember everyone from the shop of course.” I smile and wave hello as they all shout greetings at me. Harry walks me over to the brunette sitting next to Louis.
“Riley, this is Eleanor, Louis’ girlfriend. Eleanor, Riley is the new office assistant at the shop.” Eleanor rolls her eyes at Harry before reaching her hand out to me.
“Harry, I know who she is. You haven’t shut up about her since we got here. It’s very nice to finally meet you, Riley.” She smiles at me and I turn to Harry, his face turning bright pink as he glares at Eleanor. I giggle and shake Eleanor’s hand. He puts his hand over my shoulder blade and leads me over to the gorgeous blonde sitting next to Zayn.
“This is Perrie, Zayn’s girlfriend.” She stands up and gives me a big hug before stepping back and flashing me a huge grin.
“It’s so nice to meet you! I was thrilled when Zayn told me there was finally a girl working in the shop! Eleanor and I needed someone new to hang out with instead of all these boys and also ask to be a guinea pig for us.” I stare at her confusingly and look to Harry for an explanation.
“Eleanor and Perrie run their own professional hair and makeup business. They do mostly magazine work but are looking into weddings, correct?” Perrie nods her head excitingly.
“Yep! So if you ever need to look your best, you give us a call!” She winks before sitting down next to Zayn again. Harry walks off to the kitchen, calling back to me along the way.
“Would you like anything to drink? Beer? Wine? Something other than those two?” I laugh and sit down on a chair adjacent to Perrie and Zayn.
“Beer’s fine!”
“So how are you liking working at the shop so far?” Perrie shifts to look at me. I grab the bottle Harry has brought over to me and take a sip before answering her question.
“I love it! The guys have been so welcoming and I really enjoy the work. It’s a completely different environment than my other job.” Harry quickly tells them I work at Club Maze. They all simultaneously ‘ahhhhhh’ and Eleanor pipes up to ask me a question.
“I heard about what Harry did to that drunk twat last week. Isn’t he the sweetest?” She batted her eyelashes at Harry, who was giving her another death glare which I giggled at before agreeing.
“It was very sweet of him to do.” He turned and gave me a sheepish grin and I blushed. Our little moment was gone as soon as Niall screamed out and jumped up on the couch.
“THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG!” He ran over to the stereo and turned the volume up quite loud before breaking out into a full dance routine. Louis, Liam and Zayn ended up joining him and began jumping up on tables and couches, yelling the lyrics to the rest of us.
Harry made his way over to me and pulled a chair up close to my armrest. He nudged my arm and gave me a huge grin.
“Sorry about these guys, they can get a little crazy at times.” I laughed as my gaze traveled back to the four boys running around the living room.
“Don’t apologize, I think it’s great. They’re so much fun. You guys all seem to be very close.” He nodded and told me about how they had all come to know each other. He then went on to ask me about myself and regular discussion topics like where I was from, how many siblings I had and my favorite type of music.
After we had talked for a while, I realized how similar we both were. I told Harry about my painting and he was so fascinated that he asked me question after question about what I enjoyed painting and who my favorite artists were. He said he was an avid fan of the art world, walking me around his flat to show me some of his collection and I was amazed at what great taste he had!
After we discussed art for a while and drank a few more beers, he told me he writes poetry and music lyrics in his spare time. It surprised me how someone who seemed so manly could be this passionate about things like poetry and collecting art. But as he kept talking, my original image of him faded away, welcoming this new Harry that I was becoming increasingly interested in.
Because everyone was having such a good time at the flat, we decided against going to the pub and stayed in, drinking whatever was in the fridge. I was almost thankful we weren’t leaving because my shoes were starting to get uncomfortable, so I kicked them off and tucked my feet underneath my bum. I started to feel myself getting slightly tipsy and I noticed Harry was as well because our conversations got a little deeper.
He started talking about his parent’s divorce when he was a child; I found out that his dad abused his mom and was sleeping with his secretary. I could tell that although he barely knew his father, it still upset him, so I placed my hand in his to calm him down.
After we were done with our deep conversation, I scanned my eyes around the room and found them stopping at the black baby grand piano nestled in a nook by his kitchen. I jumped up and padded over to it, sitting down on the cushioned bench. Harry strolled over, beer in hand, and sat next to me while I ogled the beautiful ivory keys in front of me.
I looked up at him with begging puppy dog eyes. “Would you play something for me? Pleeease?” I batted my eyelashes and I heard him sigh quietly before looking down at the keys. Everyone else had noticed that we left the room and started to walk towards us.
“Ahh, Haz is breaking out the old piano to woo a lady!” Louis chuckled and Harry yelled a ‘piss off’ in his general direction. They all filed around the piano, staring at Harry. I laughed when all of the boys started making the same puppy dog eyes I was doing before and Harry sighed loudly, putting his beer up on a coaster atop the piano.
“Alright! Fine. If everyone insists. But I must warn you, I haven’t played in quite some time.” He looked over at me and winked before warming his fingers up while playing a couple notes. He started off by playing a beautiful ten second melody and began to sing.
**This is “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones!**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqqPgA-yuuc
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I sat there and gawked at him as his deep, raspy voice flowed easily through each line of the song. His long, slender fingers carefully touched the keys, causing the tendons in his hands to twitch underneath his tanned skin. I looked up at his face and felt weak as I saw the muscle in his jaw tense and release as he concentrated on his fingers.
And I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come?
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
I didn’t realize my mouth had slightly opened until my lips started to dry up. I licked them and bit down on my lower lip as I watched his mouth speak the beautiful lyrics.
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
As he sang the last verse, he turned to look at me with his sparkling eyes and I about fell off the bench. We sat there silent for a few seconds as the last notes of the song echoed out of the piano. I heard someone clear their throat and I blinked quickly before staring down at my empty bottle.
“Well, looks like you still got it, Hazza!” Zayn spoke to break the silence. Harry looked up at him and blushingly smiled. Niall went on to ask who needed a refill and everyone began to walk back over to the living room, leaving Harry and I alone. I looked up at his perfect face and spoke quietly.
“That was beautiful, Harry. Your voice is incredible.” I could tell the compliment made him blush and he took a swig of his beer, trying to get rid of the flushed color on his face.
“Thanks. I’m okay I guess.” We sat there silent for a couple seconds before he leaned in close to my ear; so close that I could feel his hot breath on my neck, giving me chills as he spoke.
“I’m really glad you came over tonight.” He leaned back and his green orbs melted my heart as they watched mine. I could feel my stomach flip as he grinned; his precious dimple deepening at the movement.
“I-I am too.” I saw a flash of nerves wash over his face before he brought his hand up to caress my right cheek. I had completely forgotten about the incident earlier and winced as his soft touch glided over the sensitive mark. His eyes went wide and I turned my face away from him to hide my pained expression.
“Riley…turn your face.” I could hear his voice getting deep with concern. I silently cursed myself for wincing and slowly brought my face up again to look at him. He brought his hands up to my jaw line and slowly turned my face so he could get a good look at my right cheek. I heard his breath hitch as he saw right through the pound of concealer.
“Oh…Riley..” His warm touch left my face as his hands fell to his lap. I looked into his distressed stare and I had to fight back the tears I felt welling up in my eyes. I dropped my head slightly and shook it before giving him an explanation.
“I fell in the bathroom earlier..” I could even finish before I heard him hiss something at me.
“Cut the bullshit. I know he did this to you. Why are you still with him? After what I had just told you about my mom…I can’t stand seeing someone so perfect settle with such a monster.” My mouth had dropped open and I stared at him as he looked at his clenched hands.
“Y-you don’t know him like I do. He loves me.” He scoffed at my response and closed his eyes.
“I know exactly who he is. And it kills me that he gets to hold your heart in his repulsive hands.” He stared up at me and I was shocked to see that his eyes were starting to water. “You deserve to be with someone who adores you and would never EVER lay a hand on you. Because they know how amazing you truly are and would thank God every fucking day for being given the opportunity to be yours.”
He reached his hand to embrace the non-bruised side of my face before he spoke. “And if you give me a chance, I could be that someone.” And before I could say another word, Harry closed the space in between our faces and placed the most delicate kiss on my lips. My heart sunk to my stomach as I melted into his kiss.
He pulled back, eyes closed, and sighed. Our foreheads were resting against each other as he spoke. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I met you.”
I was stunned. I couldn’t even comprehend what had happened. I knew I had just cheated on Heath by not pushing Harry away, but a huge part of me didn’t want the kiss to end. I didn’t know if it was because of the slight buzz I had, but that huge part of me took over as I reached out with my hands, placing them on both sides of his face and kissing his plump lips again.
We moved so perfectly together and I felt like I was on cloud nine. As I pulled away this time, I could feel my heart racing at a life threatening speed. We stared at each other for a while before he spoke.
“I really really like you Riley.” I couldn’t contain my smile as I heard his raspy voice speak my name.
But, like a rollercoaster, my up had finally turned into a down as I realized what I had done. I still loved Heath and I couldn’t give up on him this fast. I stood up from the piano bench and stared down at him.
“I-I’m so sorry. I don’t think I can do this. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I walked swiftly to the living room where my shoes were lying next to the chair and I quickly put them on. I waved goodbye to everyone and I rushed to the front door, accidentally slamming it on my way out.
I pressed the lift button almost a hundred times before it finally got to my floor. As I walked in I could feel the tears starting to fall down my cheeks. I looked up right before the doors closed to see Harry running down the hallway after me. He didn’t make it in time and the lift doors closed, leaving me to sob silently on my way down.
What had I just done?
Notes
***Real quick, I just wanted to tell you that this story is based off of the song Let Me Love You by Mario. GREAT SONG. You guys should all listen to it and read the lyrics to understand what I'm talking about!!!***This update was SO LONG! I apologize, but I got so into writing it that I couldn't stop! It's probably my new favorite update so far lol! What did everyone think? I know Heath's scene with Riley was a little intense..I apologize. But I think it added to the story.
What do you think Riley is going to do about Heath's affair? Do you think she'll bring it up again? Why do you think she's giving Heath excuses for his horrible behavior?
What about Harry and Riley's moment in his apartment? Riley seemed to really start liking Harry, but she pulled away after thinking about Heath? Do you think she actually likes Harry but is scared to admit it because of what would happen with Heath?
Send me your opinions!
Also, if you didn't see my update before, I'm starting a new thing where you, my readers, send in your stories for me to read and I feature a few in my new updates! I have two writers for this update!
First, is Calista, or CaliGurl714! She's AWESOME. I always love reading her lovely comments! Her story is called I Don't Bite! I already am obsessed. She's a really great writer! PLEASE go and check her out! Subscribe and vote if you like her work, which I know you all will :)
Second, is the writer BadGirlsDon'tDie! What an absolute sweetheart. Her story is called A Love That Consumes You. I love that each one of her updates has a quote to coincide! Check her story out, subscribe and vote!
If you don't see your name in here yet, don't worry! I'll get you in the next one! :)
LOVE YOU BABES! :)
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-Natalie Xx
Awwww thank you!! I was so excited to write this chapter because it had a bunch of cuteness in it :) so glad you liked it!! :) xx
12/8/13