Chapter Seven

As I begin to slowly open my eyes, I feel a heavy weight pressing on my stomach. I turn my head and am startled when I'm met with Harry's sleeping face. Yesterday starts to come back to me as my head starts to clear. He looks so peaceful and handsome. I'm glad that I was able to protect him yesterday. I spend a moment to really take Harry in, I don't get the opportunity to look at him like this often. I lightly trace the tattoos on his chest, starting with the butterfly. I pull my hand away quickly as he begins to stir. When he doesn't wake up, I impulsively lean forward and softly press my lips to his. I've been wanting to do that since I saw him again. I sigh sadly before carefully removing his arm from around me and sneaking out of his room and into my own.
After we all eat breakfast, I have to give Jackson the low down on yesterdays events. After I describe the details, I can't help but tell him my thoughts. “I don't think they want to kill Harry, I think they want to kidnap him.”
Jackson folds his hands, “Why do you think that?”
“If they wanted to kill him, why wouldn't they just use a gun right off the bat? I think they wanted to injure him with the knife and drag him somewhere, then probably hold him for ransom. You were right about me taking them off guard this way, it worked. If the man fired that quickly then he was definitely waiting on the other man's signal, which means he could have taken Harry or I out at any time.”
Jackson leans back in his chair, thinking over what I just told him. “But why would they only target Harry?” I shrug, “That's what I haven't been able to figure out.”
“I think you're right, Max. I've been having similar thoughts. Whoever is behind this, we know it's not a solo act now. Since they got away, they will try and find out everything they possibly can about you since you kicked ass. The good thing is, they don't even know your last name. So this is what we are going to do. Tonight the boys are going to a movie premier and you will join them. You'll be asked who you are, naturally, so this will be the perfect time to tell the world you are Liam's childhood friend and that you're name is Max Johnson. A different last name will throw them off your trail.” Jackson instructs.
“Okay. What exactly does the media know?” I ask.
He chuckles and types away on his laptop before spinning it around to me. “They think you and Harry are dating.” I chew on my lip as I read the articles about Harry and I apparently 'getting cozy' with each other at lunch. “That's ridiculous, we have barely been outside of this house together and already we're dating?” I slouch in my chair. “So they know nothing about the attack then?”
Jackson shakes his head, “Nope, thank God. That's the last thing Harry and the lads need. The best way to handle this situation is discreetly. You will dispel all rumors about you and Harry and simply say you're friends.”
“And you're sure it's a good idea for Harry to leave again so soon?” I ask worriedly. “Oh yeah. They won't attack there, it will be too busy. I'm sure of it.” He answers coolly. “Oh and don't tell Harry about our real suspicions.” I just nod.
“How's your arm?” he asks me. I shrug, “It's just a scratch, really. What time do we need to leave the house by?” I quickly change topics. “Four o'clock. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go fill the boys in.” We exit his office and join the boys in the living room. I can tell Harry is still a little freaked out about yesterday but he's doing a lot better after a good nights sleep. He actually talks to me know and we are becoming real friends. Not really wanting to stick around for Jackson to tell them the media thinks Harry and I are dating, I head up to my room.
~Harry's POV~
After Jackson returns to his office, the lads start talking about what he just told us. “Dating my bestie already, eh Hazza?” Liam snickers. I roll my eyes, “Apparently.” I listen to their conversation for a moment before deciding to go talk to Max. What she doesn't know is that I was awake while she was touching me this morning. I had woken up even before she had and pretended to be asleep when she woke. It took everything I had to keep my breathing, and my dick, under control as she traced my tattoos. I so desperately wanted to kiss her back but I knew it would only cause trouble. At least now I know she wants me as badly as I want her.
Max's bedroom door is open but I can see her in the bathroom. I start to walk towards her and she looks at me through the mirror. “Hey.” I greet.
“Hey.” She has just gotten out of the shower, her wet hair cascading down her back, soaking her tank top. She's doing her make-up. I move closer to her. “So, when did we start dating?” I tease. She smiles, “Ha-ha. I didn't realize how quickly rumors get started about you lads, the paps work fast.”
“Lads? Are you British now?” I chuckle at her. She starts putting her make-up away, “You guys are rubbing off on me, what can I say. I wish I was British, the accent alone is enough to make any girl excited.”
I raise an eyebrow at her words and she realizes what she just revealed. I can see the blush rise to her cute cheeks, “I mean...uhm...oh fuck it. It's no secret.” I laugh at her, “Good to know just what my accent can do to you, girlfriend.” She hits my arm playfully before starting on her hair.
“So, how are you today?” she asks timidly. I tense just at the thought of yesterday. “I'll be all right. What about you? How's your arm?” I step to the other side of her to look at the cut. It looks horribly deep, but it can't be that deep if she didn't need stitches. “It's fine, I'm fine. Not my first battle scar and certainly won't be the last, I'm sure.” I sigh at her words and softly run my finger around her cut. I wasn't doing it to flirt, but when I look into the mirror at Max she's biting her lip and staring at me. The sexual tension in this room is overwhelming. Before I end up kissing her, I stop touching her and clear my throat.
“So, what are you wearing to the premier?”
Her eyes grow wide, “Holy shit, I don't know! I don't have any fancy dresses like that! Fuck, I need to go shopping. And it's already noon!” Max quickly throws her hair into a bun and goes back into her room. She rips her tank top off, leaving her only in her bra, but I don't get to look long before she throws on another shirt she already had picked out. I've never seen her move this fast except for when she kicked ass the day before.
“Can I come with you?” My mouth blurts out without my brain's permission. She stops in her tracks to look at me. “You want to dress shop with me? Why?”
So I can be around you as much as possible.
“Who else is going to tell you if your butt looks big in a dress?” I tell her, flashing her my dimples. She giggles, “If it's okay with Jackson then I don't mind. We leave in ten minutes, so get ready.” I salute to her jokingly before going down to talk to Jackson.
“Hey, is it cool if I run to the store with Max? She needs a dress for tonight.” I ask him. “I'm afraid not, Harry. It's safer if you stay here until the premier.” He answers me. “Max keeps me safe just fine.” I argue. He sighs, “It may not seem like it, but yesterday is just as hard on Max as it is on you, if not harder. I want to give her a little time to recover before she gets back out there with you. Tell her she can take Niall.”
My blood is boiling by the end of his explanation. Why does it have to be Niall? I was about to argue some more before his phone starts to ring. I bury my protests and tell Niall to get ready. He's a little too excited about going dress shopping.

~Just before four o'clock~
“Max! Are you almost ready?” Liam calls up the stairs. “Coming!” she yells back. We're all dressed up and waiting on the only girl in the house. I haven't seen her since she came home laughing her ass off with Niall. He's not that funny. As Max finally is coming down the stairs, I find myself speechless at how gorgeous she looks. She locks eyes with me from the top of the stairs and never lets them go as she descends.
“Bloody hell,” Louis says, his eyes traveling all over Max's body as are the rest of the guys. Niall looks triumphant as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. Max notices the rest of the lads' stares and her cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. “Are you sure about the dress, Niall? I feel...exposed.” Max asks him, her arms trying to cover herself up more.
“You look perfect, love.” He reassures her.
“And you don't look like a bodyguard, so good job.” Jackson says. “Okay, let's move out!” They all start to walk out the door, leaving Max and I the last ones to exit. Max stumbles and I grab her to steady her. She laughs, “Watch me fall on my face tonight because of these stupid shoes Niall made me buy.”
“Just hold onto me or one of the guys and you'll be fine.” I offer her my arm to hold on to and she loops hers through mine. “Is my dress really okay? Niall picked it out. I'm not sure how I feel about it.” she asks me. I look at her seriously, “You look gorgeous, Max.” She smiles and blushes, biting her lip in embarrassment. Damn she's sexy.
It takes about half an hour to get to the premiere, of course we have to walk the red carpet when we get there first. Everyone is talking amongst themselves, not paying any attention to Max and I so I start a quiet conversation between us. “Are you nervous?” I ask her.
She nods her head, “Who wouldn't be? I'm going to be in the company of how many celebrities tonight?”
“Just treat them like you treated me when we first met.” I tell her. She gives me an 'oh really' look. I chuckle, “Not like that. I meant treat them like normal people, everything will be fine.” She just nods. I can tell she's still psyching herself out but before I can say another word, Jackson speaks up. “We're almost there. Max, you have tonight off so just enjoy yourself. As for the rest of you, behave.”
Max seems to have loosened up at the fact she doesn't have to work this premiere. Jackson was right, she is under more stress than I thought she was. When we arrive, Jackson tells Max to stay close to Liam while on the carpet, it will be easier to address questions regarding their friendship.
“Just remember to breathe,” I tell Max before we step out of the limo and into the flashing cameras. That was my biggest thing in the beginning. I'm pretty comfortable going to these things now, but I do still get a little nervous. The very first interviewer I speak to asks about Max and I. “Tell me, Harry. Who is this Max person and is it true you two are dating?”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Instead I smile, “Max is Liam's childhood friend and is staying with us for a while. And no, we are not dating.” They usually only have time for a couple of questions before we need to move on so the conversation ends there. I search for Max as I walk to the next reporter. I find her with her arm through Liam's, smiling and talking to an interviewer. I really hope she doesn't trip. I don't know how girls can walk in heels, honestly.
“Hello Harry! You're looking quite handsome tonight.” Another reporter compliments me. She's probably about ten years older than I am, but she's fit. I smirk at her, “Thank you.”
“I'm just going to get straight to the point here, Harry. Are you and this Max woman dating?”
“No, we aren't dating.”
I can tell she's happy about that, she's practically undressing me with her eyes. “Why not? She's pretty, no?”
“She's beautiful, however we are just friends.”
“Do you want to be more than that?”
“I don't know her well enough to know yet. But if I do, you'll be the first to know.” I tell her and wink. I'm being sarcastic, of course, but she doesn't catch on. All of the questions are probably going to be about Max, great.
I'm finished talking to the interviewers so now I just stand here while they take pictures of me. It's awkward but you get used to it. I can tell Max is extremely uncomfortable standing there by herself while getting her picture taken, so I walk to join her.
“How's it going?” I ask her. She has a smile on her face but she lets out a large, aggravated sigh. “My feet are already killing me, I've almost fallen twice already, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.” I laugh and wrap an arm around her waist. The cameras go wild then, but I don't care. They are gonna think whatever they want about Max and I anyway so might as well give them something to talk about.
After a moment, I lead Max off the red carpet and into the building where we can finally have a break from so many cameras. While there are still many in here, it's not as overwhelming. She lets out a deep breath. “That was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Were all your questions about me?”
I nod, “They were.” She rolls her eyes, “One asked me ship name I liked for us better, Marry or Hax.” I laugh, “What did you say?” She flashes me that beautiful smile of hers, “I said if we were a couple, which we're not, I would choose Hax.”
“I would choose that too.” I tell her. She smiles at me. “I'm having a really good time though, despite my complaining.”
“Good. Do you want to go to the after party?”
“Will there be cameras?”
“There isn't supposed to be but they sneak in, so yes and no.”
She debates for a moment before responding, “Yeah, we can go. But I'm counting on you to keep me on my feet when I start drinking.”
“I'll do my best, but no promises.” I tell her truthfully, giving her a cheeky smile. We take our seats and a waiter brings over champagne. Even though I'm not 21, nobody ever says anything about me drinking. Max and I nearly down the whole thing we're so thirsty. I'm sure we will both get drunk tonight.
“My sister would love this.” Max says, looking around. “You have a sister?” I ask her.
“Yeah. Her name is Cassie.” She gets a sad look in her eyes.
“You should invite her to the house sometime and we can go to something like this.” She grins at me, “Really? She'd love that.” I nod, “Of course.” Her grin falters, “If she doesn't hate me.”
“Why would she hate you?” Finally I'm learning something about this girl. She hesitates before answering, “Let's just say I put my family through hell.” I was about to question her further but then all the lads sit down. She gives me a small smile, knowing that our conversation is over. I lean down to whisper in her ear, “Well you turned out to be a good person and that's all that matters.” She blushes, “Thanks Harry.” I smile at her.

There is nothing I want more than to kiss and do unspeakable things to Max and it's driving me insane that I can't even hold her hand. For once, I wish the rumors about my love life were true.

Notes

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