The Wrong Woman

It didn’t take long for me to feel like shit about the way I had treated Felicity.
In the matter of one day, I had managed to screw up everything with not only her, but Maddie as well.

But the truth was her comment about “us” and the look on her face as she said it irked me.
I had never really been friends with a girl I considered just a fuck buddy. And while I liked Felicity, I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea. Our relationship was going nowhere. There were times I even had to remind myself of that.

I took a deep breath as I waited for Zayn to pick me up. As I sat at the kerb, I couldn’t help but turn over the scene in my head. All Felicity had said was the word ‘us’.

Okay, so maybe I had overreacted. Maybe what I had said was more about me than her. Maybe I was the one who needed a reminder.

Zayn pulled up in front of me and I settled into the front seat.

“So what are we doing again?”

“I told you. Picking up my car.” I said throwing him an impatient look. Zayn was turning a corner when it suddenly hit me. “Shit! I didn’t deliver the package.”

“What package?”

“Campbell’s box.” I said. “I’ve been delivering stuff for him.”

I closed my eyes hoping I could squeeze in a nap but it seemed like Zayn was in the mood for conversation.

“How’s Maddie?”

“Dunno.” I said with my eyes still closed.

“Hey, what happened to that older chick you were seeing?”

I paused for a few moments, not knowing how to answer.

“Dunno… “

“There’s not much you do know.” Zayn smirked.

“Doesn’t look like it, does it?”

“Hey, don’t you think it’s funny how you’re dating a sixteen year old and screwing around with a woman old enough to be your Mother?”

“Fuck off.” I shoved him. “She’s not old enough to be my Mother.”

Zayn chuckled to himself as he kept driving and I sulked for a while.

“You’re not telling your sister about any of this, are you?” I suddenly asked.

I knew his sister was friends with Maddie and the last thing I needed was her blabbing all my secrets.

“Nah.” He replied. “I’m not that stupid.”

I pretended to stifle a laugh and copped a punch to the shoulder in return, so I decided to keep my mouth shut until we got to my car.

“Feel like a drink?” Zayn asked once we arrived.

“Nah… I’ve gotta deliver this box.” I gestured to the package in the backseat of my car.

“What is it?”

“Dunno.” I shrugged.

“Wait. So you’re delivering packages and you don’t know what’s in them?”

“Uh… yeah...I guess.”

Zayn raised his eyebrows at me and then shook his head. What was that look for? I didn’t have the energy to question him. Instead, I unlocked my car and with a last wave at Zayn, I began to drive toward the address on the parcel on my front seat. I looked at the innocent looking box and just shrugged. A job was a job. And to be honest… after what had happened between me, Felicity and Maddie in the last twenty four hours, I wasn’t sure I still had one.

X

I rang Maddie the next morning. I knew she was at school, but I couldn’t help but call. Luckily she was on her morning break, so she answered.

“Hey Maddie.” I said quietly.

“Hi.” She said hesitantly.

“Can you talk?”

“Not for long. The bell is about to ring.”

I took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Can we meet up after school then?”

She paused for a moment and I waited nervously before she answered.

“Okay.”

A simple answer, but said so softly I could not figure out if she was mad or not.

“Listen. I’m still mad.” I said. “But I don’t want to fight.”

“Neither do I.”

“Okay, then I’ll meet you after school. Maybe we can go somewhere and talk.”

An awkward silence followed before we eventually hung up. It felt like I was losing her… and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I spent the day thinking about it… thinking about what I really wanted. And it was hard to figure out what it was.

Maddie met me at the park like we used to do all the time and we sat down on a bench.

“I need to go to work soon.” I said when the silence got too much.

“I have to be home by four.” Maddie replied.

I looked over to see her staring down at her hands.

“Listen, you know how I feel about all this tutoring stuff…” I finally said after taking a deep breath.

“Yeah… and you know I can’t get out of it.” Maddie replied.

“You swear to God nothing is happening between you… and him?” I asked. I couldn’t even say his name.

“Nothing is happening. Well, except for boring Math.”

We both laughed and I pulled her closer to me. She lifted her head and my mouth descended onto her lips and it felt nice to hold her in my arms. My hands crept up her thigh as we kissed and I couldn’t help but let my tongue dart into her mouth.

“I missed this.” I murmured.

“So have I.” She said before returning to the kiss.

We kissed and talked and by the time we were ready to go, we had made up. One down, one more to go, I couldn’t help but think to myself as I strolled into work twenty minutes late. Felicity confronted me at my desk, fixing me with an icy stare.

“Listen up.” She said firmly. “The way you spoke to me the other day… well that’s not on.”

I tried to stifle a laugh at how serious she looked, which seemed to make her angrier.

“Do you understand me?” She asked.

“Yes Miss.” I said, thinking she sounded like a school teacher.

“This isn’t funny, Harry.”

“I’m not laughing.” I said, but I couldn’t help but smile. I was over it and I wanted her to get over it. The last thing I wanted to do was fight. “I’m sorry, okay? I was an asshole. I just got carried away… I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Felicity glared at me for a moment before her face softened.

“Don’t do it again, okay?” She said before pursing her lips. “What we’re doing is… it’s just so wrong Harry.”

“Yeah yeah.” I said. I sat down on my chair and looked up at her with what must have been a cheeky smile.

“You don’t take anything seriously, do you?” She asked.

“We’re having fun…” I said. “Aren’t we? It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“What if we get found out?” She asked crossing her arms.

“We’re not gonna get found out. You’re not going to say anything are you?”

“No.”

“Well then, neither am I.” I said as if all our problems were solved.

“I still don’t like the way you spoke to me.” She said pointedly.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me. She instantly pulled away but I held on.

“I’m sorry, okay? I won’t do it again. I promise.” I smiled up at her.

Felicity huffed before disentangling herself from my grasp and walking off. It took the rest of the afternoon to soften her up and by the end of my shift I finally got her smiling.

“I’m coming up to the house after work.” I told her.

“Well, have fun then.” She shot back and I made a face at her. I was planning on surprising Maddie, maybe taking her out for a drive or something; that’s if I could get past her Dad. I trudged up the stairs to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door swung open to reveal Maddie in her little shorts and tank top. She looked surprised to see me as I leaned in for a kiss.

“I wanted to take up where we left off.” I whispered. I walked past her and into the house only to hear footsteps approaching. Campbell’s voice boomed and I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Louis Tomlinson stroll into the living room. He smiled slowly, unable to disguise the amusement on his face. I glanced at a nervous looking Maddie before Campbell’s voice made me jump.

“Louis, why don’t you join us for dinner?”

“That would be great.” Louis responded, his eyes never leaving mine.

Notes

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