Harry's P.O.V.

There were orders I needed to make that Juan, the head chef, had placed on my desk yesterday. Phone calls I needed to return and a fiancée determined to get me to decide on a date for our wedding. Was I doing any of those things? No. I was torturing myself instead.

Abby needed a bigger bikini top and Zayn who had arrived earlier was about to lose the use of both his hands. Grinding my teeth I tore my eyes off Zayn rubbing sunblock on Abby’s back and shoulders. He out of all people had managed to get her to go into the water with him. I had sat here and watched every agonizing second of it. Her squeals of laughter and Zayn’s need to keep touching her had jealousy raging through my veins.
I had no right to be jealous. We’d had hot sex. That was it. I knew nothing else about her.
But you wanted to. My subconsious reminded me.

I wanted to know where she was from. I wanted to know if she had brothers and sisters. Who gave her those blue eyes that I’d seen gazed over with pleasure? Did she like to dance? Where had she learned to sing like that? She’d completely blown me away at the Delamar event. There was so much I’d never get a chance to know.

“Your shoulders are looking pink. I’d have thought with your complexion that you’d be used to the sun.” Zayn said and I couldn’t keep my eyes from shifting back to look at her shoulders. He was right; they were pink.

I stood up and walked over to the rental stand.

“Give me an umbrella,” I told the young guy I’d hired only two weeks ago before the Summer Break rush hit.

“Yes sir,” he nodded, “you want me to go put it in the sand for you too sir?”

No. I wanted to do this myself. “I got it. Thanks.”

I took the umbrella. My eyes locked with Abby’s when I turned to walk back that way. She was watching me curiously. Zayn was saying something in her ear but she wasn’t paying attention to him. Her complete focus was on me.

“Move,” I ordered Zayn.

He started up at me confused but when he saw the umbrella he nodded moving to the side a bit before I shoved the pole of the umbrella into the sand and started the circular motion it took to get it to burrow deep enough so that it stood up and didn’t fly away.

“The umbrella isn’t gonna reach you from there,” El said with a smirk.

“Didn’t get it for me.”“Oh, you got it for me? How sweet but I’m working on a tan,” El replied thoroughly enjoying herself.

“Then move over. Abby’s shoulders are pink.” There I’d said it. She’d wanted me to admit it so I had. Let Abby think about that one for a minute.

“You got it for me?” Abby asked. I could hear the surprise in her voice and I didn’t look up at her until I had the umbrella secure.

“Yeah,” was my only response before I walked over and picked up my towel. It was time I left. She didn’t want me here and I shouldn’t be.

“Thank you,” she called out as I started to leave. I nodded without looking her way.

“You leaving?’ Louis asked.

“I have some work to do.”

“Don’t forget Friday night at the Sun Club,” El said grinning up at Louis who chuckled and shook his head.

It was Louis' birthday and El was determined to celebrate it with a night of partying at the only club in town. She’d rented out the place with a little help from Zayn who was friends with the owner. It was invite only.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I replied.


********


A night of drinking, dancing and karaoke was not something that interested Amanda. But at least I’d done my duty and invited her. She’d quickly said no and made up the excuse that she needed to fly to New York to get fitted for her wedding dress. That would take a few days so I was all for it.

El had gone all out on the decorations. Shot glasses had been glued to the back of a large piece of wood to spell out twenty-four. There was a small light in each shot glass so the effect was pretty damn cool. I spoke to a few people as I passed but I was scanning the room for Abby.

I was going to try and talk to her one more time tonight. Watching her laugh and talk to Niall and Zayn like they were old friends was about to kill me. I wanted that too. I knew she doesn't like either one of them in that way but they were getting to know her.
Zayn had said something about Abby wanting to learn to golf and I’d been instantly jealous that he knew something personal about her. Something I didn’t know.

“You know Harry, once you get engaged it’s expected for you to show up with your fiancée to events,” El said as she stopped in front of me and held out a shot of something that looked like whiskey.“She had to go to New York,” I replied and took the glass from her hand.

“Hmmm, interesting,”El drawled then walked away.

I downed the shot and set the glass on the bar. Abby came walking out of the ladies room and I took a minute to appreciate her tiny blue jean shorts and those boots I’d seen on her once before. I knew exactly how she looked in nothing but the boots. The black lacy top she was wearing was strapless and when she raised her arms even a little a small sliver of her stomach would show.

The girl sure knew how to dress to drive a man insane.

“Stop lusting, mate. You sealed your fate already,” Zayn said with a chuckle as he walked up to me.

“I’m not married yet,” I muttered and shot him an annoyed glare before looking back at Abby.

“No, but you will be. If you’d wanted Abby more than that job of yours you’d already have her. You made that choice and I’ve known you long enough to know you’re sticking with it.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” I frowned grabbing another shot and downing it seconds later.

Zayn crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me. “Really? How so?”

I didn’t want to explain how I felt about Abby. Not to him. This wasn’t his business.This thing that I had with Abby was different but just as impossible. I couldn't even explane it to myself.
Was it just lust? No it couldn't be. Abby is driving me crazy without her even knowing it.
And she probably never will.

"At the end it's your decision, Haz. I mean if she's really worth for you giving up your job, your dream then go and call off the wedding. She wont be waiting forever. Someday she's gonna move on and maybe find someone better" Zayn stated simply.

I don't know if he was refering to himself but I deeply hope he's not.
I wont let him get near Abby. If he would start something with her she would stay here in London and I don't know if I'm able to bear with it.

"Whatever Zayn, you know how important this is to me. If I had a choice I would never marry that Monster. I mean yeah she's a good fuck but.." not as good as Abby. I thought but I couldn't tell him that. " but she's a heartless bitch"


We stood in silence and both watched Abby. When her eyes finally turned and met mine, I decided to make my move. We were talking tonight. I wasn’t letting her blow me off again.
Not this time.


Abby's P.O.V.

I shouldn’t have looked at him so long but I hadn’t been able to keep pretending he wasn’t staring at me. In a weak moment I met his steady gaze and saw the sadness in his eyes. He had secrets hidden inside. I knew what that felt like. The stupid part of me wanted to reach out and help him.

Luckily the smart rational part of me knew that he was walking this way and I needed to move. He would want to explain again. I didn’t need his explanation. I understood. Tonight was about having fun with new people. Not me running off to find a dark hole to hide in if my memories started to hunt me again.

I only made it two steps before his large hand wrapped around my upper arm. “Please, Abby. Don’t. I just want to talk.”

Again with the sadness. It was even in his voice. He was hurting somehow. I was hurt for so long all alone. I could easily tell when someone was sad. I was drawn to it in some strange way.

“What do you want, Harry?” I asked without looking at him.

“To talk. I just want to talk.”

He wanted to talk. Fine. We could talk if it would give him some closure. Maybe ease that sadness in his eyes that haunted me.

“Okay. But we talk in here.” Being alone with him wasn’t going to happen.

“Fair enough,” he replied.

I finally turned around and stared up at him. He really was beautiful. Sometimes it was easy to ignore. But up close when he was completely focused on me it was harder. His messy curls were slightly up into a quiff which made him look even older than he is.
I’d seen those beautiful green eyes glowing with passion. I knew what his mouth tasted like and I had heard his cries of pleasure. I never would again, but those memories were hard to forget.

“Come sit with me,” he said, gently pulling my arm toward an empty table in the corner.

I took the seat across from him putting the safety of the small cocktail table between us. He had something he wanted to say and the sooner he said it the sooner I could get away from him.

“What is it you want to talk to me about?” I asked.

Harry ran his thumb over his bottom lip thoughtfully and I jerked my eyes away from his face. I didn’t want to look at those lips and remember.

“About the other night. I was trying to be honest with you, and I screwed it up. I shouldn’t have let you leave without explaining everything to you.”

I knew that this was the only thing we had to talk about. It still didn’t ease the pain that came with it. I had been so open and free with him. And no, he hadn’t been honest.“If you had been honest you wouldn’t have had sex with me before telling me you were about to get engaged. I didn’t even know you were in a relationship. You just should have told me Harry! If you would have told me you were getting married I would have never slept with you in the first place! Were you with her back when we… the night we… met?” I could feel my anger build up again.

He rested both his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

“No. I wasn’t. It isn’t a real relationship, Abby. Not like you think it is. It’s a business deal. Her father’s company with my father’s. We aren’t exclusive… or we weren’t until I gave her the ring.”

A business transaction? What?

“I don’t understand,” I finally replied.

Harry let out a soft bitter laugh.

“You wouldn’t because it’s screwed up. My grandfather built the Styles Club. It’s been successful down here but it isn’t in the big leagues. The Blackburn name being joined with the Styles name would open doors for my father… and me, that couldn’t be opened before.”

Blackburn? Where had I heard that before? “Your fiancée is a Blackburn?” I asked, trying to understand what he was telling me.

“Yeah, she is the only successor to the Blackburn name. Her father and mine see this as a winning solution for them both. I will one day control not only Styles but the Blackburn empire as well.”

Wow. So, people really did marry for reasons as shallow as this. Is that why he seemed sad?

“Does she make you happy?” I asked, watching his face for any sign of an answer instead of listening to just his words.

“No. But she wants this arrangement as well,” he replied. The regret etched in his face hurt my heart. I didn’t like that he’d had sex with me without telling me all this but I still didn’t want him to be so sad. We only got one life and that was it. I knew that better than most. I’d lost the first part of my life locked away. He would lose the last part in a very similar situation. His heart would be locked away. Unused.

“This is what you want?” I finally asked.

He didn’t reply right away. Instead he stared at me intensely. My heart picked up its pace and I realized it always would around Harry. He had connected with it and I couldn’t stop that. I had tried.

“Yes, and no. I want what I’ve grown up knowing would be mine. I want to take my rightful place in my family’s business. I’ve worked hard for this. But… I don’t want Amanda.”

His eyes said more than they should. I dropped my gaze and stared at my hands resting in my lap. I had a decision to make. I could continue to push Harry away or I could forgive him. I could be his friend. Nothing more. He’d given me a job when I needed one. I would leave soon. The day would come when I left anyway. Until then, maybe I could share memories and moments with Harry. We could find the happiness in life together. New experiences. His last taste of freedom and my first taste.

Lifting my eyes, I met his steady gaze. He was waiting on something from me.

“Can we be friends? Even after everything else? We could just start over,” I suggested.

The muscles in Harry’s neck moved as he swallowed. I wondered if I’d read him wrong. If he had just been needing closure and nothing more. But his eyes said something different.

“I’d like that.”

Smiling, I reached my hand out toward him. “Hello, I’m Abby Mitchell.”

A crooked grin touched Harry's perfect face and he slipped his hand into mine.

“Harry Styles. It’s a pleasure to meet you Abby.”His warm touch caused me to shiver and I pulled my hand away and stood up.

“I’m going to get a drink. Save me a dance tonight.”

He nodded. “Without a doubt.”

Notes

Double update today! xoxo

Keep Voting lovelieees !

abii <3