Chapter Six
~One week later~

Shopping with Perrie was actually really fun. She's a cool chick and really nice, we have become pretty good friends. The boys and I get along better than I thought we would. Honestly I figured they would be complete assholes but they are pretty down to earth.
Liam and I tease each other all the time, people would probably think we hated each other if they just listened to us talk. I can tell he is the 'dad' of the group. Niall can always put a smile on my face and he harmlessly flirts with me as well, probably a little more than he should. Zayn and I are probably the closest out of everyone, he is such a good person and would do anything for his family. We are comfortable enough with each other that we can cuddle and not feel awkward because we both know neither of us are interested. Besides, I could never do that to Perrie. Louis is a cool dude, he is a really good friend to Harry.
Ah yes, Harry Styles. To be frank, it is extremely hard to look at him everyday and not be reminded of our night together. He walks around the house without a shirt on the majority of the time, making his V lines visible. Those alone get me going. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be to resist him, but he seems to be doing just fine resisting me. I desperately want to kiss those soft lips of his, to run my hands through his hair and feel his strong arms around me. It's brutal, but I have to deal with it. We haven't spent that much alone time together, and when we are alone it's a little awkward. We don't really talk or even sit next to each other. I thought we could at least be friends but I guess not. Maybe it's better this way, I'll just end up wanting him more.
Since I have been here, I have done some research on the lads. I find Harry's past the least surprising. Womanizer, likes dating older women, heart breaker. It sucks that I'm one of the girls that fell for his charm and now I have to suffer everyday for it. I'm making Harry seem like an asshole, and that's not completely true. I think he's an ass for doing what he does to women, however he is a nice person. I remember how sweet he was the night I met him.
One Direction still has a couple of months left before they go on tour, so until then things shouldn't be too bad in terms of crazy stalker fans or people with other intentions. I finished my training in the basic everyday things like going out to dinner and such. The hardest thing is to try to act like you aren't a bodyguard, but still be a bodyguard. It's difficult to not get caught up in the conversation or in the moment. If I do, I could miss a very important detail that could result in a bad ending. The only thing I haven't done yet is protect Harry by myself. Today, I will accomplish that.
Harry says he needs to run some errands, so of course I must join him. Harry says he can usually be in one place for about 20 to 30 minutes before someone recognizes him and he needs to get out of there. Just in case, instead of a normal driver, another bodyguard of the boys will be driving so they can be near if need be since it's my first time.
A big perk of the job is that I don't have to dress in uniforms, I can dress like I usually would. It's excruciatingly hot out today, so I decide to wear this.
I'm not a big fan of shirts like this, but it is hotter than usual today and it's a cute shirt. Bounding down the stairs, I follow the boys' voices into the living room. I sit next to Zayn and they all stop talking at once, their eyes glued to me. “Wow, you look...fit.” Louis says first. I try to stop my cheeks from changing colors, “Thanks Lou. I don't normally wear these kinds of tops, but it's unbearable outside.”
“You should wear them more often,” Niall winks at me. I roll my eyes at him. Zayn wraps his arms around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him in a half hug. “You really do look great. I think the paparazzi is going to be more interested in you than Harry.” I scoff and look at Harry, who's still staring at me. The look in his eyes gives me tingles and speeds up my heart. “Like that will ever happen.” I say.
“Hey Max, can you come here for a moment?” Jackson yells at me from the kitchen. I stand, “I'm ready to go when you are Harry.” The boys whistle and cat call as I walk away from them, making me smile. “Sup Jackson?” I ask as I enter the kitchen.

~Harry's POV~
Damn. I thought as Max entered the living room. It should be illegal to look that good. I usually don't see this much skin from her, but I'm not complaining. That belly shirt is doing things to me, and apparently I'm not the only one since the rest of the lads stopped talking as well. Louis compliments her first and I can feel myself tense. Niall blatantly flirts with her all the time. I think when Max flirts back she's just messing around, but Niall would definitely get it on with her if she gave him the chance. I smirk at the fact that I have already slept with her. When Zayn wraps his arm around her, my jaw tightens and I can feel myself starting to get worked up. I don't want anyone to touch her like that except for me.
When Max goes to see what Jackson wants, the lads whistle at her, but I remain quiet. “Damn, she is insanely hot.” Niall says when Max is out of ear shot. They all agree with him, even though they all have girlfriends besides Niall. “You don't agree Harry?” Liam asks me. I just shrug. Of course I agree, I'm not an idiot. “It doesn't seem like you like her much.” Zayn says. “Seems like you like her too much.” I snap at him. They all look at me with surprised looks, I usually don't snap at people like that so they are waiting for an explanation. Too bad they will never get one because just then Max returns. She looks more tense now, I wonder what her and Jackson discussed.
“Are you ready to go, Harry?” She asks me. I nod and walk past her and the lads without saying a word. I'll be honest, it's not easy living with someone after you have already shagged and aren't allowed to do it again. I think Max regrets our night together and that saddens me because I want more. So much more. I'm not saying I want to commit, I want friends with benefits.

~Max's POV~
Sitting in the car with Harry was awkward. He was on his phone the whole time as I looked out the window. I keep sneaking peaks at Harry because he's wearing shorts and a white t-shirt, his abs and muscles filling it out perfectly. His hair is messily pulled back with a bandana. He looks so sexy it pisses me off that I can't touch him. It became extremely uncomfortable when we meet eyes while I'm peeking at him. We both look away quickly, my face reddening, I'm sure. I'm glad I wore this shirt now, though, because Harry hasn't been able to stop looking at me. It's nice to know I can make him squirm like he does to me.
We go to about four stores on this strip and are walking down the street with our shades on. We haven't spoken a word to each other, but I know Harry is having trouble concentrating on shopping when I'm around. I'm loving my effect on him. I spot a vintage store up ahead, “Harry, can we go into this store?” I ask him as we near it. He just shrugs as an answer. I don't know why he insists on barely even talking to me. I thought we had an agreement when we went on that run together and cleared the air. I guess he just doesn't want to be friends.
I buy a couple things and as we exit the store Harry asks me, “Want to get lunch?”
“Sure. Where at?” I'm hoping he knows our surroundings better than I do. “You like Italian?” I nod at him and he leads the way to an Italian restaurant. He must be a regular here because he is quite friendly with the hostess. She gives us a table in the back where it's more private. The shade feels nice on my hot skin. We have run into a couple of fans on the street so far, but other than that it's been fairly normal.
After we order, Harry is once again sitting there on his phone ignoring me. Fed up with his behavior, I decide to just ask him what his problem is. “Harry?”
“Hmm?” he replies without looking away from his phone.
“Why do you hate me?”
His head snaps up to look at me. “I don't hate you.”
“Then why don't you talk to me?”
“I thought you didn't want to mix business with pleasure.” He replies with a hint of a smirk.
“I told you I wanted to be friends, but you pretend like I don't even exist. If you don't want to be friends then just tell me so I can stop wasting my energy.” I tell him frankly. He just stares at me a minute. He seems to be debating on something in his mind but settles on a decision. “You're right, I've been a jerk to you. But I have good reason.”
I raise an eyebrow, “Oh? Do tell.” He bites his lip, turning me on without even trying. “It's hard seeing you everyday and keeping my hands off you.” He tells me bluntly. Wasn't expecting that. I gulp, “If I can do it so can you.”
“You're better to look at than I am.”
I laugh at him, “You're funny, and a liar.”
“Am not.”
“Oh shut up, Harry.” I say with a laugh and Harry laughs as well. Finally, the tension is broken! “So can we please be friends now?” I ask him. He scowls, “Seems like you're pretty friendly with Zayn already.” I raise an eyebrow, “Are you jealous, Mr. Styles?” His cheeks burn red, “No, of course not. I just think you two are a little too friendly with each other.”
“Zayn is taken and I would never do that to Perrie. Besides, if I were to cross that line with any of you guys, it would be you.” Harry crosses his arms and leans forward on the table flirtatiously. “And why is that?”
I lean forward as well, “Because I already know your good in bed.” He was going to reply but the waitress came with our food, ending our flirt fest. We probably shouldn't even flirt, but it's just part of Harry's personality. Okay, maybe mine too. We smile at each other before thanking the waitress and digging into our food.
Harry and I are walking back to the car after our meal. We talked almost the whole time, conversation easy now. I desperately wanted to hold his hand, but resisted. “So uhh, what did Jackson say to you before we left?” Harry asks me randomly.
“Just some tips on what to do today.” I reply. He accepts the answer and I let out a quiet breath of relief. Jackson had really pulled me aside to tell me that more death threats are coming in for Harry. He seems to think that it's all by the same person. He told me to be on high alert today as the threats are getting creepier. We reach the car, but the doors are locked and Jim, the bodyguard wasn't in the drivers seat. I dial his number and he picks up on the second ring. “Hey Jim, we're at the car. Where are you?”
“Sorry! I really had to use the bathroom. I'm on my way back now. Sit tight.”
“Its okay, see you in a minute.”
I end the call and inform Harry of the situation. We're leaning against the car chatting when we hear a noise in an alley nearby. Harry and I exchange looks before we inch closer, wanting to know what is going on. When we don't hear anything for a moment, we brush it off and turn back around. Just as we were about to walk away, we hear a loud crash. I want to check out the alley but I can't leave Harry here alone and I certainly can't take him with me.
However, he begins to walk down the alley on his own accord. I stop him, “Harry, you don't know what's over there.”
“Neither do you. It could be a harmless animal digging through trash for all we know. Aren't you curious?” Harry convinces me. I sigh before we walk towards the ruckus we heard. As we get closer, I start to get a bad feeling. We round the garbage bin but find nothing. That's odd.
Harry shrugs, “Oh well.” He begins walking back to the car, but I'm on the lookout for suspicious activity. If I wasn't paying attention, I would have missed the small movement of someone hiding in an almost invisible corridor. As Harry neared the mysterious person, I instantly knew that they were not our friend. I yank Harry back by his shirt just in time for him to miss the swipe of a blade that would have cut him deeply across the chest. The person in the ski mask was obviously deterred by my actions and debated on whether to try and go through me to get to Harry or to let it go.
The stranger lunged at me, probably thinking he could over take me considering my height. I dodge it and punch him in the face but jump back as he swings his knife to stab me in the stomach. He was starting to get angry, that's good. When you get angry you get sloppy. He lunges at me again and I'm able to kick him in the stomach. I thought it would be enough of a distraction to pry the knife out of his hands, but I was wrong. He grabs my hand to try and get the upper hand, trying to stab me in the process. If all else fails, go for the crotch. Kicking him where the sun don't shine resulted in him falling to his knees, but not before he managed to slice my arm open. I kick the knife away from him and am about to punch the man to unconsciousness when he suddenly yells out, “Help!”
I look around for another person but find nobody. A gun goes off and the bullet just nearly misses my head. I immediately grab Harry's hand and we run down the alley as we are getting shot at. Thankfully Jim is back at the car and the doors are unlocked. We jump in and I yell at Jim to go. He's startled but doesn't hesitate to rip away from the curb. Breathing heavily, I look through the back window to see if anyone is following us. When I think it's clear, I turn to look at Harry.
“Harry, are you okay?” I ask him, looking him up and down for any wounds. I think he's in shock. I take his face in my hands to make him look at me. “Harry?” He looks at me for a moment before hugging me tight. He's scared. I hug him back as Jim starts asking us questions. I tell him what happened and he's shocked that someone was actually shooting at us.
Harry pulls away from the hug to look at me with worried eyes, “You're hurt!” I look at my arm, completely forgetting I'm bleeding. It doesn't even hurt. Yet. My adrenaline is still going strong. “You are? Should we go to the hospital?” Jim asks me while flicking his eyes back and forth from me in the rear view mirror and the road. Harry says yes while I say no. He gives me a hard look. “I'm fine, we can bandage it up at the house. It doesn't need stitches.” I tell him and Jim. Harry didn't like that, but he doesn't protest further.
When we get back to the house, I ask Jim for a moment alone with Harry before we go inside and get bombarded by the others. “Are you okay, Harry?”
“Physically or mentally?” he replies.
“Both.”
He looks at me, his eyes still terrified, his hands shaking. “How are you so calm? We were just shot at.” I take his hands in mine to try and calm him down. “I've had training. Did you happen to see who was shooting at us?” He shakes his head no, “I just know he was on a rooftop. Why would someone want to kill me? It's okay if they don't like my music but they don't have to kill me for it.”
“I honestly don't know, Harry. They're psychos. What matters is that you're okay.” I tell him truthfully. “You almost died for me today, Max.” He looks at me guiltily.
“It's part of the job, Styles. But I'm fine, for the most part.”
“I don't want you to die for me.” He tells me.
“I don't want to die either, but I will do whatever it takes to protect you so stop feeling guilty about it. Right now.” I tell him sternly. He takes deep breaths to try and calm himself down. After a minute, he's ready to go inside.
Later that night, I find myself not being able to sleep. I really did almost die today. I was strong earlier for Harry, but now it's sinking in. This is real life, not the Academy. I'm replaying the scene over and over in my head, there's something off here. Before I could put my finger on what it is, though, I receive a text. It's almost midnight and I'm pretty sure everyone is sleeping. The boys flipped out when they found out what happened and wouldn't leave Harry alone.
The text is from Harry, 'Are you sleeping?'
'No.'
'Come to my room?'
I know he is probably too scared to sleep and wants some company, so I decide to do as he requested. I wouldn't mind some company either. I knock on the door softly so I wouldn't wake anyone before opening the door and sticking my head in. Harry is sitting up in his bed shirtless, waiting for me. I step in and close the door. I climb into bed with him but remain sitting like he is. When Harry doesn't say anything, I go against my better judgment and take his hand in mine and squeeze it.

He squeezes it back but won't look at me when he asks, “Will you sleep with me tonight?” Knowing he doesn't mean anything sexual and is just looking for the comfort, I oblige. He turns the light off, making it pitch black in his room. I hate pitch black. I'm afraid of the dark unless there is some type of night light in the room. Out of my own fear, I cuddle up to Harry. He wraps his arms tightly around me, being careful of my wound. Being cuddled up to Harry's naked chest gives me butterflies in my stomach, but I ignore them. Once I feel Harry's breathing slow into a nice rhythm and I can tell he's sleeping, I allow myself to fall asleep thinking about why someone would want to hurt someone as perfect as Harry.

Notes

Hello everyone! Hope you liked the chapter.
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