Harry's P.O.V.

I stood at my office window and watched as Abby's red car drove away.
cI could lie to myself and say it was a coincidence that I came to look out the window the same time she was leaving. But I knew her schedule. I knew her shift was over and pathetically I came here to watch her get in her car and leave. I had gotten very little sleep worrying that she would leave without a word after last night.
When I had walked into the clubhouse today and she’d come walking up to me calling me Mr. Styles and making sure she still had a job I was so damn relieved I hadn’t been able to properly apologize to her before she was walking off.
Then I’d decided it was for the best. No need for us to keep pretending there could be more to this. She was cutting me out and I needed to let her do it. For both our sakes. It was the best way to keep me from caving and begging her for something I couldn’t have.

The door opened behind me without a knock and I didn’t have to look to see who it was.
Only one person would walk into my office without a knock first.

“Hello, Dad,” I said without turning around to look at him. I’d idolized him from the time I was a kid. Now, a part of me hated him.

“Harry. I came to make sure plans were still firmly in place for tonight. Howard and Samantha will be here tonight. They’re planning on this announcement. Letting Howard Blackburn down isn’t something I intend to do.”

He knew I didn’t want this but here he was still reasserting the importance of it.

“Nothing’s changed.” Those two words went much deeper than I knew he took them. Nothing had changed. He was still controlling things. I still couldn’t stand the idea of being married to Amanda and he still didn’t give a shit.

“Good. Your mother is already planning the wedding with Samantha. They’ve been planning this wedding since the two of you were young. This isn’t just securing our future and the success of what your grandfather built; it is also making your mother very happy. She loves Amanda. This will all work out for the best. You’ll see. Left up to your own devices you would have never gotten married.” The amusement in his voice was lost on me. There was nothing humorous about the fact that both my parents expected me to sacrifice my happiness for theirs.

“At least someone is happy,” I said without emotion.

“When you’re married and sitting in your new office looking out over the eighteenth hole with the title of Vice President on your door, you’ll be happy too. Right now you’re just sulking like a child who isn’t getting his way. I know what you need to be successful and Amanda Blackburn is your answer.”

I couldn’t look at him. The rage burning a hole in my gut would no doubt be flashing in my eyes. My father’s footsteps moved away from me and the door closed behind him. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to forgive him for this. Or maybe it was me I would never be able to forgive. What man let another control his life? His future?

******

Amanda had almost circled the entire ballroom showing off the ring I’d placed on her finger in front of everyone over an hour ago. She was gushing with excitement and the entire room was buying it. You would think we were madly in love. I wasn’t that good of an actor. I preferred to stand over by the bar and drink shots of whiskey.

“She’s a looker. If you’re gonna get hitched at least you picked beauty and money. Surely that’s something. You look ready to murder anyone who gets close to you,” Louis said as he took up the spot beside me at the bar.
Amanda was beautiful in a cold classical way. She was elegant and refined and manipulative.

“Can’t be happy that I’ve become my dad’s fucking puppet,” I replied and heard the slur in my words. Maybe I’d had too much to drink.

“There’s that,” he agreed and picked up my whiskey and finished it off before I could.

“Probably need to cut yourself off.”

“Probably, but then I’d have to face this shit sober.”

Louis let out a sigh. “I wasn’t going to bring this up but what happened last night with Abby?”

I picked up my empty glass and shook it at the bartender.

“Nothing,” I lied.

Louis smirked. “That’s not what El said. Apparently your shirt was off and your pants were undone.”

Fuck. Of course El had to tell him the details.

“I met Abby a couple of weeks ago. We had a night- a really, really fantastic night. Then she walked back into my life and I lost my damn mind. That’s what happened.”

Louis let out a low whistle. “Shit.”

He had no idea. This was all shit- the marriage, my father, the job that should be mine without fucking strings. My life was shit.
Then there was Abby. Sweet, sexy fun Abby and I couldn’t touch her. She was off limits to me now.

“I don’t think I’m gonna ever forget the taste of her.” My drunken tongue was loose. It was a good thing Louis was the only one standing around to hear me.

“The job with your dad is worth all this?” Louis asked ignoring my statemant completely. I knew he was thinking I was a weak son of a bitch. I wasn’t strong enough to break free.

“I’m not Aiden. I can’t just leave it all behind. Unlike him I want this life. I want that job. It’s mine, dammit.”

Louis nodded and reached out to take the whiskey I’d just been served and was about to down.

“I said I was cutting you off. Let’s get you out of here for a few minutes. The cool night air might sober you up enough to go speak to guests and actually act like you want this job you’re willing to let control your life.”

I started to follow him. Getting out of here sounded great.

“Where’s El?” I asked, looking around for his other half.

“She’s with Abby in the kitchen working. She didn’t want to come to this tonight and asked if I minded if she worked instead.”

Abby was in the kitchen? I paused outside the ballroom and looked down the hall toward the door that led to the kitchen. Abby was in there. I needed to apologize. Explain. Anything.

“I need to go find Abby. She needs to understand,” I said, turning to head for the kitchen.

Louis’ hand clamped down on my shoulder.

“No man. That’s a real bad idea. You’re engaged and Abby is your employee. Draw a line and stay behind it."

"I already drew the damn line when I put that ring on Amanda’s finger. I just want to explain it to her. She doesn’t understand.”

I’d fucked her then I’d told her I was getting engaged and she’d run off. I couldn’t keep picturing the look on her face. It was killing me.

“Do you think it’s gonna do any good? What will it accomplish? Leave the girl alone.”

He didn’t understand. I shook my head and walked to the kitchen.

“I think Aiden likes her. I think she’ll be the reason he comes home. He might not have thought it through when he sent her here but he had other reasons. He’s never let anyone live in his condo before. She’s different.” Louis words caused me to stop dead in my track.

My chest ached and my stomach felt as if it were being twisted.

Aiden likes Abby?

He was free to travel the world with her. He didn’t have responsibilities or goals in life. He just wanted to be. Just like Abby.I leaned against the wall and stared at the kitchen doors.
What good would explaining this bullshit do? Nothing. It was still the same. I wasn’t the man she was looking for. We wanted two different things out of life and amazing sex didn’t last forever.

The doors to the kitchen swung open and my event coordinator, Macy Kemp, came walking out with her hand firmly clasped around Abby’s wrist pulling her as she stalked toward me. I opened my mouth to tell her to let Abby go but Macy was already talking.

“The lead singer is allergic to shellfish. No one told me this, Harry. No one. I would have warned him off the dips and salads if I’d known.” Macy shook her head and cursed.

“He’s just left in an ambulance but the idiot will be fine. I’ve fixed it; so we should be good.” She began walking again and dragged Abby behind her. The panicked look on Abby’s face snapped me out of my confused tipsy state. I didn’t like seeing Abby upset and why the hell was Macy pulling on her like that?

“What are you doing with Abby?” I demanded.

Macy looked at Abby and then smiled at me.

“We needed a new lead singer. Band can’t play without one. I was in complete disaster mode when I walked in on this one singing in the bathroom while she was washing her hands. The girl can blow.”

Not a good choice of words. My slacks suddenly became tighter and Abby’s face flushed. I couldn’t look away from her.

“You’re singing?” I asked. She shrugged.

“Yes, she’s singing. What part of I heard her singing and I need a lead singer didn’t you understand? First, I’ve got to get her changed into something more appropriate. No time. Let your father know the band will start up in ten minutes.” Macy continued on her way and Abby followed quickly behind her.

“She’s singing at what is basically your engagement party,” Louis laughed from behind me. I’d forgotten he was standing there.

“It’s not my engagement party,” I growled.

“You just got engaged and the whole room is talking about your upcoming wedding. So it’s pretty damn close.”

“Shut up, Lou.”


Abby's P.O.V.

If there was any possible way I could get out of this without quitting I would. I had been singing all my life, in my house. But then that had been to escape my mother and my reality. Not in front of people. I loved to sing and the mirror and hairbrush had been my companions most of my life while I sang to my pretend audience. That had been fantasy.

I had never been sure my singing was even decent. My mother had loved to hear me sing but she had never been a good judge of anything.

I had opened my mouth to explain this to the lady who had introduced herself as “Macy Kemp, The Styles Club event coordinator” but she hadn’t let me say much. Instead, she informed the kitchen I was being used elsewhere and began dragging me behind her.

I had expected Harry to stop this insanity when he’d seen us but he hadn’t. He had appeared as confused as I felt but he hadn’t stopped this.

I looked down at the short, clingy, silver dress I was now wearing. The back was out and the neckline dipped low in the front. I felt bare. In more ways than one.

“They won’t be looking at you much. They are too busy in their little elitist herds. You just sing so they’ll have music and can dance if they want to,” Macy informed me as she shoved me up the steps toward the skeptical band members. I couldn’t say that I blamed them.

“You’re our replacement?” one asked with a hiss of annoyance in his voice.

“At least they’ll be looking at her body and won’t hear how bad we sound,” another grumbled and pulled his guitar strap over his head.

“What can you sing, sugar?” an older guy with a balding head asked.

I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t ask for this. I met each of their angry and annoyed glares with one of my own. I’d heard them earlier. They weren’t that good. Who did they think they were treating me like I was here to screw up their lives on purpose? If their lead singer had paid attention to his allergies this wouldn’t have happened.

I walked past each of them before turning to look at the one who had condescendingly asked me what I could sing.

“I can sing anything you throw at me,” I replied then walked out on stage like the diva I was not.

The familiar tune of Christina Perri " A thousand years,” began to play and I was equally relieved I knew the words and sick at my stomach because the popularity of the song was drawing attention from the guests. I had been hoping to be ignored.

I joined the piano with the first melancholy lyrics.

Instead of looking out at the ballroom, I locked eyes with the piano player of the group. The approval in his eyes flashed with excitement and relief as I sang each line.

Just as I had in my room growing up, I blocked out everything else around me and I got lost in the lyrics and the music. This had been my way of coping with the craziness of my life. I used it now to deal with the reality of my life.

We moved on to “Ain’t No Other Man”, the Christina Aguilera version. It got the room to wake up some with the fun tune. So far I had managed not to make eye contact with Harry although I knew exactly where he was standing. I could feel his eyes on me.

“Can you harmonize?” the lead guitar asked me.

I nodded and he looked back at the other members and nodded.

Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss” started up. (A/N:Listen to this while you read xoxo)

The guy on the piano sang the song with me. We had successfully made it to the bridge when I glanced out over the room to see Harry dancing with a tall elegant blonde. I knew I needed to look away. Seeing him and having an image of him with her on my brain would drive me crazy. But I couldn’t. She smiled up at him and talked as he looked over her shoulder at nothing really. He seemed cold. Nothing like the guy I’d been with.

This time he must have felt my eyes on him because he turned his head my way and our gazes met. Each word sounded like I was singing to him. I wasn’t. I couldn’t be. But it felt that way. As the song came to an end I tore my eyes off him and swore to myself I wouldn’t look his way again.

An hour later I’d conquered everything they’d thrown at me. Even the Bruno Mars songs. The pianist slapped me on the back and beamed at me as I walked off the stage.

“You killed it, sugar,” the balding bass player called out.

“Anytime you want to join us you’re welcome. Sure can’t sing duets with JJ,” the guitarist who sang with me said. I assumed JJ must be the lead singer.

I threw one last smile over my shoulder. I wasn’t sticking around. I needed to be alone. Watching Abby hold his fiancée had been difficult. She’d been beautiful and perfect. She’d looked safe in his arms. I understood how that felt. Something about being with Harry made you feel safe. I envied her.

********
Summer Break was in full swing in London and El hadn’t been exaggerating. This place was filled up with people. I worked five days a week and most days I worked two shifts. The money was good and I enjoyed working with everyone. Seeing Harry was easier now.

We managed to treat each other with polite indifference. It hurt sometimes when I thought he was watching me and I’d turn to look at him to find he hadn’t been looking my way after all. I wasn’t sure why I tortured myself with it. He shouldn’t be looking at me. He was engaged. My body, however, wanted him to look at me because it wasn’t aware just how off limits Harry was.

Today I was finally off work and so was El. We had a day on the beach planned. I was excited about spending the day in the sun. It was warmer now than when I’d arrived a couple of weeks ago. El wanted me to come to her appartment to go to the club's private beach because there would be fewer people. I’d invited Violet to join us after her lunch shift and El had mentioned inviting another cart girl named Carmen who got off later today too.

I glanced down at my last text as I pulled up to the place where El lived.

Eleanor : “Down at the beach. I have you a spot saved! xoxo”

I reached back and grabbed my beach bag then stepped out of the car. Looking up at the building in front of me I was in awe. This place was super elite. It was on club property and I knew after working here a couple of weeks that this place had to cost a fortune.
El’s cart girl paycheck didn’t even begin to cover the cost of this. Which meant either she got a deal because she worked there or Louis helped with the rent. Maybe a little of both.

I walked over to the boardwalk and then down to the warm sand. There were more people than I expected out here. I slipped my sunglasses on and then looked for El. I saw her when she stood up and began waving her arms in the air.

Smiling, I headed down to the two bright, colorful beach towels she had laid out. Then I noticed Louis on the other side of El as she sat back down. I looked around her and noticed another towel but it was empty although it had obviously been used.

“Glad you made it.” El beamed up at me.

“This towel is yours. Niall's got that one behind us. He’s out in the water.”

Niall. I could deal with Niall. I’d prefer Zayn but Niall would do fine. At least it wasn’t Harry. But then, I doubted he came out here to lay on the beach during work hours.

“Thanks for inviting me,” I told her as I put my bag down and dug out my sunblock.

I’d already put one coating on before I left the apartment but this sun was intense. I felt the need to put more on now that I was out here.

“Don’t thank me yet. I hadn’t been expecting Niall to join us. You may be wishing you hadn’t come. I’m hoping he leaves you alone.”

I smiled, thinking that Niall rarely left any female alone. Pulling off my cover-up I folded it and put it in my bag. I sank down onto the fluffy pink and yellow towel El had brought for me to lay on.

“I’ve never swam in the ocean before,” I said as I rubbed the lotion into my skin and watched the people out in the water.

“I thought it might still be too cold but they seem to be enjoying it.”

El let out a small laugh. “The water is freezing but perfect for this weather. A lot of people like it that way. If you’ve never done it, then go test it out.”

That was something I wanted to do. It was a part of living that I wanted to experience. I also wanted to surf but even with my inexperience I was pretty sure it required a lot more wave power to surf. Those waves weren’t very high.

“Go on out there and try it. Don’t let me stop you,” El urged.

I smiled over at her and stood back up to walk the short distance to the water’s edge.

The first splash of water to cover my feet was shockingly cold. I managed to stifle my squeal and force myself to stand there. My feet slowly sank into the wet sand and after a minute or so the water wasn’t so cold. I eased in further and had to stop again once the water crashed across my tighs.

“It’s easier if you just go all in and get the initial shock over with,” the familiar deep raspy voice said from behind me.

I guess Harry did make it down to the beach on occasion. I glanced over my shoulder to look at him. I was glad for the safety of my sunglasses.

“Is that so?” I asked.

He was standing on the shore wearing a pair of white board shorts and no shirt. His already dark skin looked even more sun kissed against the white shorts. That was unfair- to every female on this beach. He needed to wear more clothes.

“The only way to do it. You keep easing in and you will never make it out there.”

Why was he talking to me today? He’d acted as if I didn’t exist since the night in the room when he’d told me he was getting engaged. Why now? I looked back out at the water and tried not to think about the way his abs glistened in the sun thanks to tanning oil. He was an engaged man now. Dirty thoughts of him were prohibited.

“You want me to go with you?” he asked and his voice was closer. Jerking my gaze back around I saw him taking several more steps in my direction. What was he doing?

“Probably not a good idea. I’ll do this alone,” I managed to choke out.

“You ever been in the ocean?” he asked as his arm brushed my shoulder. He was too close now.

“No,” I hissed, wishing he’d back away. Far, far away.

I heard Harry's swift intake of breath and I glanced up at him. His eyes were on my body. Even though he had on dark sunglasses I could feel his heated gaze on me. Not good. Really, not good.

“Damn, baby. Where’s the rest of your swimsuit?”

The rest of my swimsuit? I turned my attention to my body to make sure it was properly covered. What did he mean? I wasn’t missing anything.

“This is called a bikini, ever heard of that?,” I replied sarcastically.

Woods’ head lowered and his mouth was too close to my ear. “That top is barely covering you up,” he whispered.

Annoyed, I glared at him. “If you don’t like it, then don’t look,” I replied and started moving out deeper into the water. Getting distance from him was more important than adjusting to the cool temperature.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I fucking love it. That’s the problem.”

I stopped moving. Why would he say that? Did he not care what he was doing to me?

“You can’t say things like that to me. It’s wrong,” I replied angrily.

Harry moved toward me again and I waited. This was a confrontation he wanted to have. I was going to let him have it.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t. But would you rather I lied? I’ve done a lot of things to you Abby but I haven’t lied. I don’t want to lie to you. I could tell you that I don’t care about you or that I don’t want you but that would be a lie. You want the truth? Because the truth is all I can think about is being with you again. I try not to look at you because all I can think about is hauling you off to the first closet I can find and kissing every inch of your body.” He was breathing hard and his jaw was working back and forth.

Why? If he wanted me like that then why was he engaged to someone else? Shaking my head, I crossed my arms over my chest protectively.

“I don’t understand you.”

He smirked and shook his head.

“No one does. But I’d like to explain it to you. Please. Just go have a drink with me. I need you to understand this.”

His tactic was different but he was the same. He wanted me for an amusement. Someone to entertain him for a moment and then he’d find another. I wasn’t that girl. I shook my head and started to leave the water. I wanted the safety of the beach.

“You won’t even let me explain?” he called out.
I looked back at him.

“The ring on her finger is the only explanation I will ever need.”

Notes

Vote , Comment and Subscribe!!

But most of all VOTE

I love you guys, your comments make me so happy! And they make me wanna update even more!

abii xoxo