JOVY'S POV
"SHIT!" I yell, dropping the hot saucer with a loud clang and clutching my hand to my chest.
"What happened?" Harry comes running in and sees the saucer on the floor and the injured me. "Ah, babe, come here."
I go over to him slowly, still holding my hand to my chest as the burn settles in stingingly on my palm.
"Let me see," Harry says gently, and I extend my hand toward him to let him look.
Harry frowns and lightly kisses the burn, sending tingles throughout my body.
"Better?" He asks, meeting my eyes.
I nod and, embarrassed, pick up the saucer and take it to the sink to set it in the cold soapy water.
"Why were you handling a hot saucer?" Harry asks, leaning on the counter next to me.
"I was attempting to make you breakfast, but that didn't turn out well," I chuckle a bit to dispuse the awkwardness.
He smiles and takes my hand, "No, it's okay. I'm not a very good cook either. Besides, I've already tasted your waffles! Those were awesome! The whole group thought so as well."
I roll my eyes. "Oh, yes you are! All the magazines and fangirl pages say you can cook decently!"
He raises his eyebrows and smirks at me.
"I-I mean... Niall!! Niall says so!" I say, hangning my head in shame.
Harry just laughs and tilts my head up. "Well, let's go ask him then, shall we?"
I giggle and place a kiss on his nose. "Sure. Let me get freshened up." I skip out of the kitchen and hit my wardrobe, smiling nuttily about the boy in my flat.

"We're back!" Harry yells, shutting the front door behind us.
"Where were YOU TWO?!" Louis shouts, making kissy noises at Harry and I.
I blush and roll my eyes. "Oh please, Louis! We watched Spongebob until we crashed on my couch!"
Louis squints at me and looks to Harry.
"Is that true, Styles?" Louis says to him. Haryy nods and smiles.
"Well, you know Harry would never deny getting laid, so we'll buy your Spongebob story, missy. ONLY THIS TIME THOUGH!" Louis shouts the last part, bursting my ear drums and making me laugh.
"Oh hey Jovy Harry can I borrow you for a minute Jovy it'll only take a second please?" Niall says quickly as he enters the room from the kitchen.
"Uhh sure, Ni!" I say, tentatively making my way toward the kitchen.
"Actually, let's talk outside," Niall says, grabbing my arm and leading me out the back door onto the balcony and around the corner a bit so the rest can't see or hear us.
"Jeez, Ni, what's going on?" I ask, rubbing my arm where he'd grabbed me.
"Sorry if I hurt you, Jo, but this is important." Niall looks at me like I'm a lost puppy.
"What?" I say again, searching his bright blue eyes that almost match mine.
"Kyle told me how you and her met," He says quietly.
My heart stops for a moment, then beats eratically. "She did now, did she?" I say as I feel the color drain from my face.
Niall nods and wraps me into a hug. "I'm sorry, Jovy. You deserve so much better than that jerk. So does Kyle. I literally feel like my hearts been ripped out thinking about someone hurting such wonderful people."
I smile. I love how Niall feels wholly with his heart and isn't afraid to tell a person that.
"Thanks, Ni," I say, pulling back and placing a kiss on his cheek lightly.
"I know I've only known you for a couple days, but it seems like longer. Like you're meant to be with us. The group I mean. You just fit in so well here." Niall smiles and offers me his arm. "Shall we?"
I smile back and take his arm. "We shall."
He leads me back to the door, but before he opens it, I ask, "Who's gonna tell Harry?"
"I think you should do that. He deserves to hear it from you first," Niall answers and opens the door, letting me back inside.
The living room is emtpy except for Harry and Kyle, who are chatting about cats. Typical Kyle, she loves cats. I'm glad Harry does too or his ears would have fallen off five minutes ago.
"Hey, what's going on?" Harry asks, looking from me to Niall.
I look at Niall and he nods his head. I look to Kyle and she does the same.
"Alright come with me," I say, taking Harry's hand and leading him into his bedroom.
I shut the door and go to sit on the bed, patting the space next to me for him to sit. He sits next to me and takes my hand, flashing me a warm smile.
"Listen, Harry. I know how easily you can get angry, but I need you to keep your cool during this story for me, okay? This was about a year and a half ago, so it's far in the past, but I believe you have the right to know this, to maybe be an explaination if I'm ever...difficult in the future." Harry frowns, but nods and squeezes my hand.
"Anything," Harry says.
I take a deep breath and look at our clasped hands. "Right after the accident that killed my parents, I met Tanner Smith, the boy who lived downstairs from me who lost his father in the same accident. We became instant friends. We spent a ton of time together. Eventually, he kissed me after taking me to dinner and a movie and we started dating. Everything was perfect. Or so I'd thought. Supposedly, Tanner had random 'football practices.' They were never at a set time on a set day, just scattered and random throughout the week. However I didn't question it. I kissed him goodbye and wished him luck before every 'practice.' One day, I called his friend, Nick, and asked when their practice was over so I could surprise Tanner with dinner from his favorite restaurant at the field, but Nick denied that there was a practice. So I went on a walk, trying to clear my head and get a hold of Tanner, who was not answering his phone or any of my messages. I was about to give up and head home when I saw him, running out of the movie theatre, holding another girls hand. Then he kissed her cheek while she laughed--" My voice cracked a bit and Harry wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
I took another deep breath and continued. "She had a wonderful laugh, so I understood why he'd gone to her. She was beautiful, and still is. I ran over there and screamed at him for cheating. He played the typical, 'it's not what it looks like!' card and the girl, redhead, dropped his hand and asked him if I was also his girlfriend. He shamefully said yes and I started to cry. . ."
FLASHBACK:
"Are you serious?!" I yelled at Tanner, tears streaming down my cheeks as the red head girl came and wrapped her arm around my shoulders for comfort. I allowed her to stay there, for he cheated her too, and she understood.
"I'm sorry, Jovy!" Tanner said, reaching for me.
"BULLSHIT!" I yelled, cringing away. "We dated for a year, Tanner, A YEAR. I thought we were in love! Evidently not. And now you had to drag this poor girl into it. I don't know anything about her yet and I know she deserves much better than you!"
"So does she!" The redhead said. "Jovy seems like a lovely girl. You are not worthy of such grace as she has given you this past year. You and I started 'dating', or I suppose, 'cheating,' four months ago-- FOUR MONTHS. That's four months of lies to both of us!"
I gasped and glared at Tanner. "Four months you lied to me? After all I did was love you?!"
He just stared at us, mouth wide open like a pathetic fish.
"Get out of here, Tanner, and don't come back," The redhead said, hugging me tighter as if to protect me.
"But Kyle, I--"
"GO AWAY!" I yelled and he cringed and ran.
"Are you going to be okay, sweetie?" The redhead-- Kyle-- asked, looking at me with concern.
I nodded, but then shook my head, "Not today," I said.
Kyle nodded and asked, "Can I see your phone? I'll program my number in so we can trash him whenever you're feeling angry enough."
I smiled weakly and handed her my phone. She entered her number and shot herself a text.
"There, now we both have someone to call," She smiled, but I could see the marks the silent tears made on her face. I realized that she was just as hurt as me, if not more. Her whole relationship had been a lie. At least I had eight or so months of truth. She was fed lies the whole time.
"You want to come over?" I asked and she looks at me with delighted surprise. "I can make us dinner. And you can borrow some pjs if you want to spend the night."
She smiles and nods, taking my hand. "Lead the way!"
I smile and we start toward my apartment.
"Won't your parents wonder why you're bringing a strange girl home at nine at night?" She smirks.
I smile weakly and answer. "They aren't home, so we don't have to worry, they haven't been for quite some time. It's just me and my brother now."
"I don't understand," She says worriedly.
"I'll explain it all after dinner," I say as we continue to walk toward home.
PRESENT:
". . .So Kyle came over and we talked about my parents and trashed Tanner the whole night. She is a wonderful girl. Fate has a funny way of handing people their closest friends." I laugh weakly and try to read Harry's expression as I feel weak, involuntary tears roll down my cheeks.

HARRY'S POV
When Jovy finishes her story, I am too shocked to react. Thinking that someone would do that to two wonderful girls is so much to take in. I try to control my anger.
I realize Jovy is looking at me, and she has tears running down her cheeks.
She laughs weakly and says, "I sound like a charity case."
I shake my head and wipe away her tears.
"You aren't a charity case. You're a strong girl who happens to have bad circumstances. But you met me! And the lads and the girls! They all love you and Kyle. I think things are going to be better from here on out for you. At least as long as I have something to do with it," I say, heroically.
She smiles and lightly kisses me. "Thank you, Harry."
I smile and take both her hands. "Come on," I say, pulling her up and wrapping my arm around her waist. "Let's go bother Horan into making us some lunch, yeah?"
She giggles and nods, and I lead her out into the living room to see Niall and Kyle, snuggled on the couch.
"Food!" Jovy yelled, and both Kyle and Niall shoot up and yell, "WHAT WHERE?!"
Jovy and I laugh and she says, "Nowhere yet! Go make us something, Chef Horan, before we die of starvation."
Niall frowns and sulks into the kitchen. "That was a cruel joke," He mumbles, setting off a round of laughter from the rest of us.

Notes

Sorry it took so long to update! Hope this extremely long chapter makes up for it! Vote and comment and subscribe! I love you all!! xx

With Love,
lifeisabook