Stay

Saturday Afternoon
19 August 2017


“Where have you been? I woke up this morning and you’d already left and I thought you’d forgotten and we’re supposed to be meeting Jeremy in a couple hours and…”

Liz chastising chatter met me the second I entered the door and I just sort of cringed. I’d been hoping to make it up to my room without Liz noticing especially at the late hour of the morning. She usually was out for lunch or at least busy working. Looking up I saw that Liz had stopped talking and was instead looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I knew what she was looking at, the oversized t-shirt and sweatpants that were draped across my frame several sizes too big. Her eyes darted to my unbrushed hair and slightly smeared makeup before she let out a slight scoff putting everything together.

“You didn’t come home last night did you?”

I could feel my cheeks heating up as I shook my head slightly. With Liz I didn’t know what to expect. But a smile just split her face.

“I see someone had a good time last night.”

The memory of warm bodies and rough hands on skin caused my face to flush even hotter. I just shook my head and tossed Liz the keys.

“I need to change.”

However, my escape attempt proved futile as Liz simple followed me up the stairs asking an incessant amount of questions. I didn’t really want to answer any of them. Usually I wouldn’t have slept with a guy that soon but for some reason he made me feel safe and loneliness does damage to my self-control.

“Can we just not talk about it?” I asked stepping into the shower Liz using the toilet as stool.

“But this is the most exciting thing to happen since you moved back.”

“So, my sexcapades are the most interesting piece of gossip you’ve gotten,” I said with a chuckle, “You need to get a life.”

“So who is he?” I heard slightly muffled by the water after a couple minutes.

Peeking around the curtain I just gave Liz a pointed glance, “That’s none of your business.”

“Okay, okay,” Liz acquiesced holding her hands up before her with a laugh, “Can you at least tell me if it was good?”
It was a question that made me pause. To tell the truth my gut was such a knot of emotions that I didn’t know how to answer her. The sex had been great physically, but there was something that made me deeply regret it. Harry had seemed like a great guy and I know that falling into bed with him likely just ruined it.
“I guess.” I shrugged before ducking back behind the shower curtain.

By the time I left the shower Liz had left and from the silence I knew she’d probably finally left on her errands. If I’d wanted to sneak back unnoticed I should have considered that Liz couldn’t have left until I brought her car back. Thankfully having the house to myself meant that I could lounge around in sweatpants and get caught up with my friends on social media.

It wasn’t until I opened Instagram that my incessant scrolling came to a screeching halt. 1 new follow request. That’s all it said and curiosity getting the better of me I clicked on the unfamiliar profile. It simply said Harry, with a blurry photo of a boy in a baseball cap. My teenage brain would have flipped a follow request from what I assumed was Harry Styles’ private account but I’d long gotten over my very brief obsession with pop culture.

Instead I wanted to throw my phone back across the room but my hand flickered over accept pressing it as more of an after thought than anything. I wasn’t naïve or clingy, he didn’t owe me anything for the night before and to tell the truth I hadn’t even expected the French toast and note I’d found that morning. But part of me, a part I tried not to listen to, was giddy as a schoolgirl.

“Oh my God the shops are bonkers.” Liz exclaimed interrupting me before I could do anything stupid.

“Need any help?” I offered eyeing her overladen arms.

Liz just laughed before making it across the landing to the kitchen. I could only hear thumping from the room below and just assumed that if I didn’t hear anything shatter I was safe to stay up in the living room. So when my phone beeped my hands instinctively went to check it.

harry.1468: hey I just wanted to send you the picture from last night in case you wanted a memento ;) . Thanks for a great evening x

Underneath the message was attached a picture that I barely remember taking. It must have been from when he was dragging me around the party under my many protests of heels. To tell the truth it was a decent picture albeit slightly comical, the two of us pretending to be melodramatic. I just didn’t know what to say. It was a thoughtful gesture but yet again one I hadn’t expected so carefully choosing my words I decided to actually respond.

heyitspipes: thanks :) it turned out pretty well your camera is good.
harry.1468: haha yeah glad you liked it, would you mind if I posted it?

The response was nearly immediate and I admit caught me a little off guard. I was usually a quick responder no matter the person but it was almost like he’d been waiting for my response. Pursing my lips I considered my options. His private Instagram appeared to be mostly his friends, family and apparently hook-ups so it probably wouldn’t get anywhere but you never knew with celebrities.

heyitspipes: yeah sure go ahead.

I knew it was something that I was probably going to eventually regret but I’ve always been slightly impulsive. There was also something about Harry that I trusted, and while it was slightly terrifying it was also kind of nice.

“Pipes we have to get ready for tonight. Jeremy is already breathing down my neck about it.” Liz called as she started to come up the stairs.

“Coming.” I stated swinging off of where I’d been lying across the couch.

Sparing another glance at my phone I swore under my breath at the photo that crossed across my screen.

@harry_styles great night, beautiful girl

Notes

So I'm an awful human being and updated this a lot later than I wanted. Gah school is just getting the better of me this year. Anyways, here is the next chapter I hope y'all like it.

-A

P.S. Can y'all believe it's almost Christmas? I spent today helping my boyfriend's family decorate for Christmas and it was like getting me very much in the holiday spirit. What are y'all's favourite holiday traditions?