HANNAH’S P.O.V.

“Can you keep a secret?”

The look on his face is something I’ve never seen before. He looks... nervous. Harry Sinclair doesn’t get nervous. He’s confident and self-assured 24/7.

“Yeah, I can keep a secret.”

He takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair, sitting back into the couch.

“I already have someone. Someone my parents don’t approve of. Your graduation. Yeah, they
found out that day and I kind of freaked out, so sorry again that you were the recipient of my rage.”

So, we’re really in the same boat.

“Well, who is it?”

“You know Louis Tomlinson’s cousin?”

I don’t know why he uses his last name as if he isn’t one of my best friends.

“Clara? Why wouldn’t they approve of her?”

“Well, it’s not Clara. It’s-it’s...”

He sits forward and rests his elbows on his knees. He rubs his eyes and looks back to me.

“It’s who, Harry? I’m not going to judge you.”

I lean forward and rest my hand on his. This is the most emotional moment we’ve ever had
together. His hand is shaking.

“It’s Clara’s...brother.”

It’s definitely shocking.

“Liam?”

“Yes, Liam,”

Harry’s face changes as soon as he says his name. His smile is contagious.

Liam and Clara Lexington live in the city. Louis’ cousins have it good. Even though they were raised the same way as us, they were raised in the city. That means, they get to do whatever they want. Surely, though, their parents still wouldn’t approve of Liam and Harry’s relationship.

“Say something, Hannah.”

“Oh, sorry! Umm-I’m just surprised is all!”

He looks terrified still, so I squeeze his hand gently. I feel closer to Harry now than I ever did when we dated.

“In a good way. I like Liam. I can already see he makes you really happy. And hey, I know from
experience how hard that is to do.”

He chuckles and looks immensely relieved.

“Maybe the problem was that you didn’t have a d-.”

“Hannah, dear! It’s so great to see you!”

Harry’s mother appears in the doorway and his eyes shift nervously again.

“Hello, Mrs. Sinclair. It’s good to see you as well.”

I stand and offer a quick hug, which she accepts all too eagerly.

“You know better than to call me that.”

“Right. Sorry, Maryann.”

She sits next to Harry and looks us both over.

“Well, Catherine is going to be so upset that she missed you! Did you two make up?”

I look at Harry and he is fumbling with his watch, looking at me pleadingly and I know I had to make a decision. There is no doubt in my mind what I should do. It won’t last forever, but Harry is the one person who can help me.

“Yes. Harry and I are dating again. Isn’t that right, sweetie?”

His eyes dart up to meet mine and I can tell he didn’t expect me to agree. Maryann claps her hands together and looks as though she might cry with joy. It disgusts me how happy she is just thinking that her son is no longer gay. I force a smile, which is easy when I see how thrilled Harry is by my choice. I feel empowered. I finally have some sparse control over my life.

“I am just SO pleased to hear that. Hannah, love, you are just such a lovely girl. You two are so perfect together.”

Maybe we do make a good team. Not in the way she means; but, in some sort of sick, twisted, deceiving way. I glance at Harry and his excitement has taken over his entire face. I may have known Harry for years, but I feel like I’m just now meeting him.

“Please stay for lunch; it would just be an honor.”

Hell no.

“Oh, I would love to! But, I promised my mother I would join her for lunch at the clubhouse.”

Her face lights up and I feel like I’ve made a huge mistake.

“The clubhouse? Why don’t Harry and I join you? It would be splendid! I haven’t seen your mother in ages.”

Great.

“Umm- Sure. Let me just call her.”

“Fantastic, I will go change.”

As soon as she is visibly walking up the stairs, Harry leans in to whosper to me.

“Thank you so much, Hannah. You don’t even know how much you’re doing.”

“I do expect some things in return.”

“Liam and I owe you so much. Anything you want; I promise.”

I grin and start to think of what I could possibly ask for.

“Can we start by going to the city next week?”

His lips curl into a grin and I can tell he’s pleased by my request.

“Absolutely.”

We both stand up and make our way to the foyer to await Mrs. Sinclair as I take out my phone
to call my mother.

“By the way, Hannah, this is going to be the worst lunch ever.”

“Oh, I know.”


_________


“...and then she wore this god-awful Fendi skirt with a clashing blouse; oh, Charlotte, you should have seen it.”

I roll my eyes and turn to Harry for some sort of distraction. He pretends to gag as our mothers talk badly about every woman on our street. I nearly spit some of my water back into my cup as I laugh. My mother shoots me a glare and I set it down calmly. I pick at the remnants of my salad and finally leave my fork on my plate. I can’t wait to go to Jessica’s after this. I need some one on one time with her.

“Well, Maryann, it’s been a pleasure to have lunch with you and Harry. I’m so happy that these two lovebirds have worked things out.”

Harry and I both roll our eyes when they look away and give each other knowing looks.

“Me too, Charlotte. We shall have many more lunches like this now.”

“Looking forward to it.”

We all stand up and walk to the door and Harry appears at my side, holding out a hand for me to take. I accept it and we walk hand in hand to the stairs outside. Once we get to the car, Joe opens the door for me and I step in, rolling down the window once inside. Harry leans down to the window and our mothers watch from a few feet away.

“I owe you big time, Hannah.”

I smile and lean forward to whisper in his ear.

“Kiss me. They’re watching us.”

He pulls back and grins sarcastically, pecking me on the lips quickly and turning away from the car. I wave to him and his mother before mine appears at the door.

“Hannah, dear I’m so happy.”

“I know, mom.”

She kisses my forehead and smiles brightly.

“I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“Actually, I’m going to have Joe take me to Jessica’s house for the night. Is that okay?”

Just as I expected, she could care less what I do now that everything else appears to be running smoothly.

“Sure, have fun!”

She waves and turns to walk to her car. I sit in shock as Joe starts to drive away.

“Well, well. Looks like someone’s back with the idiot.”

I chuckle and lean forward to see him easier.

“It’s a long story, but it’s definitely better than before.”

He’s not smiling.

“Joe-“

“Hannah, it’s okay if you want to be with him, but I don’t think you do.”

“It’s not like that. We’re...not even really together. I can’t tell you everything, but Harry is going
to help me. Help me escape.”

His eyes shift between the mirror and the road and his face finally lightens a little.

“Well, that’s good. Just be careful.”

“I know. Thanks, Joe.”

I grip the necklace he gave me this morning and stare out the window as we drive to Jessica’s house. Once we pull into the driveway, I notice Louis’ car. She must have changed her mind about a girls’ night. Joe gets out of the car and opens my door for me.

“Well, call me whenever I should pick you up.”

“Alright, thanks. See you tomorrow.”

He smiles and I start to walk to the steps. I climb them and ring the intercom. Jessica answers after a while.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Hannah!”

“AHHH! Hannah’s here! You- Go get the door.”

Her voice is muffled and I don’t think she meant for me to hear her.

“Someone will be right there, Miss Kensington.”

I giggle as she hangs up and I wait, wondering what kind of shenanigans they’ve already been getting into. I hear the door unlock and expect Louis to be standing there, but instead, Niall is smiling excitedly, holding a red plastic cup in his hand.

“Hannah! Long time, no see.”

He’s definitely drunk or high... or something. He’s just definitely not sober. I’ll settle on drunk
and high.

“Hi, Niall. I didn’t know you and Louis would be here.”

He leans forward and is now inches away from my face. My eyes go wide and then close when I feel his breath down my neck. I gulp and wait for his touch, but he simply kisses my cheek and steps out of the way for me to walk inside. I shake away whatever feeling he just gave me and walk into the foyer as Jessica and Louis run up the stairs.

“Hey, guys!”

Louis wraps his arms around Jessica in the middle of the stairway and kisses her neck as she giggles.

“Sorry, Hannah! We’ll be back down in a while. Go swimming with Niall or something!”

She gives me no time to respond before she leads Louis the rest of the way up the steps. I turn to find Niall leaning his back against the wall patiently.

“So, Hannah, wanna go swimming?”

“I-I didn’t bring anything to swim in.”

He moves closer and stops a foot away from me. I can smell liquor on his breath; I’d say it’s vodka if I had to guess.

“Even if you did, I wouldn’t let you wear it.”

At first, his expression makes me nervous, but a smile soon plays across his face, putting me at ease.

“I’m just kidding. Your knickers are about the same thing.”

He’s right. I follow him out the back door and he turns to approach the bar while I start to
undress.

“What are you drinking today, ma’am?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

He turns to find the correct bottle of booze and I take that opportunity to pull my dress over my head. I fold it neatly and place it on the chair next to me. I kick my shoes off and stand there, looking back toward the bar. Niall is gaping at me, completely frozen with a bottle of vodka in his hand.

“It’s not gonna pour itself.”

He shakes himself out of his daze and continues to make my drink, looking up at me every few seconds, thinking I don’t notice. I cross my arms nervously around my waist and wait for him to finish at the bar. He mixes my drink and tops his off before moving toward me. He hands me my drink and looks me up and down again.

“Hot tub?”

I nod in agreement.

“Hot tub.”

I follow him to the other side of the lanai, and once we approach, I stand with my hands on my
hips.

“What are you looking at me like that for?”

“I don’t think it’s quite fair that I’m in my underwear and you’re in Louis’ swim trunks.”

He returns my sassy expression and I can’t help but laugh.

“Fine. I’ll strip to my boxers.”

He hands me his cold cup and I watch him carefully as he reaches back and pulls his shirt over his head. I suck in a sharp breath of air as he reveals his bare chest. He’s not large, but he’s defined. I feel the urge to walk over and press my body against his. I just want to feel him; I want him to touch my-

“Hey, eyes up here.”

My eyes shift to meet his and I feel my face grow hot and red as he tugs at his shorts. I hold his
gaze as the drop to the floor and he steps out of them. Without breaking eye contact, I hand him his drink and walk closer to him. Just before I reach him, I turn abruptly and step slowly into the scalding water.

“Jesus, it’s hot.”

He mumbles something under his breath and steps in beside me, submersing his legs
completely while I still only have my feet in. I feel awkward because now he has a full view of my near-naked body while I can hardly see his perfect chest. I take a deep breath and walk down the rest of the stairs, trying to ignore the burning heat. I nonchalantly wade to the other side and sit on the step there. Niall joins me, resting his arm behind my head, but not touching me. It’s tortuous. I take a sip of my drink, only now realizing how strong it is.

“So, Hannah. Tell me about yourself. We didn’t really talk much last night.”

I nearly choke on the potent vodka as it burns my throat, but I talk through it.

“Well, I don’t know. There isn’t much to tell.”

“There’s always something to tell. You just don’t tell it very often, so it seems unimportant.”

He’s right. It’s even more like that in Old Westbury than anywhere else. We live our lives to make false appearances. To impress other people.

“Then, let me think about it. Tell me about you while I do.”

I want to test the waters. Let’s see how far he takes his story before I bore him with mine.

“Hmm, I’m from Mullingar, Ireland. Had an alright childhood. Was never real close with me dad.
My mum and I were as close as anyone in my family; besides Greg and I. He’s my older brother. We were pretty close growing up. Our parents had issues like anyone else’s, but mum was a strict Catholic, so she just sucked it up. Dad was always an alcoholic. I can’t remember a sober moment with him. He used to bring shit home for Greg and I after a bad night ‘cos he felt bad. He never hurt us or anything, though. Mum got sick when I was fifteen and I think it scared dad a lot. He started abusing prescription drugs and kept drinking. It got bad, but he was the least of our worries at the time. Mum died a year later from cancer. I was devastated. Greg was engaged, so even though he was upset, he had a life apart from our family. They were just all I had. Still are, really. I’m sorry, I’m probably boring you to tears. I can stop.”

“No, please. Continue. I’m sorry about your mom, by the way.”

He nods. I can’t believe everything he’s been through. I feel like I shouldn’t even tell my story,
because it’ll only make me look like a brat.

“Thanks. Well, basically dad went completely ballistic after she died. He did a lot of weird shit. Started off talking to her at night like she was there. Then, he started to ask us when she was coming home. Finally got him to a doctor and he was diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia. When Greg moved out and got married, he offered to let me live with them. I was only sixteen, but I was really better off with my brother than my father. Dad got worse and worse. He started to really scare me. He thought everyone was out to get him; including me. One time, he caught the house on fire and didn’t even realize it; or maybe he didn’t care. I don’t know. But, he’s in an institution now back in Ireland. In a small town like the one we lived in, it was just awkward from then on. Greg, Allison, that’s his wife, and I decided to come here and we’ve been here ever since. So, about two years now.”

“Wow-“

“I’m sorry. I probably could have held back on the detail; I just... never talk about it. Feels kind of good.”

I don’t know exactly what to say, so I just watch his expression. I see his eye twitch and he blinks rapidly and shakes it off.

“I’m really sorry. How’s your dad now?”

“Oh, the same. We hear from the doctor every other week or so. He thinks the nurses are trying to kill him, so he refuses medication. He still talks to mum, and even though he hasn’t gotten any better, maybe it’s okay for him to think she’s still there. I mean, if he’s going to be locked away in there, he might as well have some company.”

He chuckles and I admire his attitude about it all.

“Enough about me, Hannah. Have you figured out your story yet?”

I’ve been listening to him so intently that I haven’t thought of anything to say. Since he was so honest, though, I should be too.

“I guess so. I don’t think I can top yours, though.”

“It is pretty high up there on the crazy scale.”

We both giggle and I think of where to start.

“Well, I’ve lived here... forever. In the same house. My parents always seemed moderately happy my whole life, but dad was gone a lot on business. Well, that’s what he said, at least. In light of recent events, I don’t know what to think of my childhood anymore. I had a brother. Younger brother. He- well, he died when he was eight. I don’t even think anyone around here even remembers him and that just kills me. Maybe they just pretend to forget. It’s all about appearances here. Max was such a happy kid. He loved playing outside and he used to ride his bike around the neighborhood. One day, he rode to the end of the street and this cab driver wasn’t paying attention. It killed him instantly.”

I try my best to explain the situation without crying, so I avoid any detail.

“I was ten, so its been eight years now. Ever since then, my parents grew apart more and more, until I hardly saw them speak to each other. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when they sat me down and told me they were divorcing. Dad’s going to France to live with some woman I’ve never heard of and my mom and me are stuck here. It’s...weird.”

“Wow, so this is recent.”

“Yeah, they told me the day before my birthday and both forgot I turned eighteen yesterday. Dad left today, I think.”

I feel tears surface and realize that its the first time I’ve really talked about my dad leaving. I start to cry softly and Niall sets his drink down, taking mine and setting it behind us as well. He pulls me toward him with the arm that is resting behind me and I lay my head on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. At least I have both of my parents; I feel selfish-“

“Shhh. It’s okay, Hannah. You’re allowed to be upset about anything you want.”

I take a deep breath and choke back more tears, resting my palm on his chest, the other one behind me in the water. He starts to rub my back and continues to hug me. I consider crying some more so he doesn’t ever let go, but I don’t. I’m not sure know why, but I feel so comfortable with him. His fingers trail down my back and I feel goosebumps rise all over my body, despite being surrounded by steaming hot water. I move my hand down his chest and rest it on his hip as I lift my head from his shoulder and look at him. His eyes meet mine and I see his pupils grow larger, the black overtaking the surrounding crystal blue. He moistens his lips and I can see his chest rise and fall quicker than before as his eyes shift between my eyes and my mouth.

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

It’s as if he’s asking me if he can, but in a more alluring and demanding way. I try to lie to myself and think that I can’t let this happen, but this is exactly the sort of thing I need to do! I need to give in to my impulses. I stand up and move in front of him, leaning between his legs against the step, which scrapes my knees a little. I rest my hands on his shoulders and his hands move down my slick body to my waist, pulling me closer. I stop when my face is centimeters from his and whisper daringly.

“Then, kiss me.”

Instantly, he pushes his lips into mine, softly moving against them tediously. He keeps his tongue at bay at first, simply interlocking our lips perfectly. I press my chest into his and lift my body up, placing one knee on either side of his hips. He moves his hips up a little to reposition himself and I can feel his bulge rub against my core momentarily. I don’t know why, but a small whimper escapes my lips. If I knew it was coming, I would have stopped it. I pull back from the kiss and open my mouth to apologize. He doesn’t allow me, pulling me back to him and kissing me more fervently. He pushes my body down so that I am sitting on his lap. The concrete is still scraping my knees, but its better than before. His member grows harder against me and I smile against his lips. While my lips are parted, his tongue darts in and lightly tickles the roof of my mouth. My stomach tingles as he reaches behind me to unhook my bra, letting it fall between us in the water. I press my bare chest against his, savoring every move he makes as he trails his hands down my back and slipping them into my panties. He squeezes my bottom and I gasp as he pushes my hips into his.

“Woah! Go Niall!”

Louis.

“Go away, Lou!”

I rest my head on Niall’s shoulder to hide my shame as Louis chuckles in excitement.

“Okay, okay! I gotta go tell Jess!”

He runs off and I reluctantly look at Niall again.

“Perhaps we should take this somewhere a bit more private.”

My lips curl into an involuntary smile and I nod.

“I know just the place.”

Notes

Well, I'm sorry if you read any of my stories, because I've take forever to update, but I promise it'll pick back up this week! This weekend was just crazy. <3 Thank you for being patient and I hope you liked this chapter. Please COMMENT! ILYSM

What did you think of Harry's secret? Do you think his and Hannah's plan will work? What about Niall's backstory? xx