Infatuation // Harry Styles

Chapter 17

♡ chapter 17 ♡

        What other puns do you plan on torturing me with?" Harry asked, a small smirk threatening to etch across his features, but he was still hesitant to allow it.

        I licked my lips, grinning. "Well, now that you asked..." I began pulling them up on my phone.

        Harry slapped his palm to his head. "I shouldn't have even brought it up."

        "You know, Jacob made a good point, though. Since the puns didn't work, he said I should get attacked by a goose again."

        Hardly visible, yet I caught it, a smile pulled at his lips. "That's not a bad idea aside from the part that the goose could bite a finger off."

        "You laughed last time instead of being my knight in shining armor, didn't you?" 

        He pressed his lips together. "It was quite funny, Grace."

        I gave him a look. "All right, you go run up to a goose and let it chase you while I laugh my butt off and you cry for help."

        "I would, but you see..." Harry glanced over to me. "Jacob told me the other day I wasn't allowed to get my - and I quote - 'pretty face mangled'."

        "His been my friend since diapers and it's perfectly fine for me to get hurt, but God forbid if Harry Styles did," I said his name mockingly, but couldn't fight the smile off my face."

        He chuckled under his breath, as if trying to hide the fact that he was laughing.

        I stopped in my tracks, making him do the same as I turned to him. "You're still being hesitant," I said quietly. "Why?"

        He shifted, uncomfortable, and avoided eye contact. "It's been a while since anyone has seen me happy, Grace." His voice was hardly audible. "It's weird for me."

        I pursed my lips, mustering a smile. "Well, I feel honored that you're able to somewhat be happy in front of me."

        He rolled his eyes humorously. "If you want that ride, Walker, I suggest you hurry it up a bit."

        My eyebrows pinched together considering both of us were still standing in place, but then Harry turned and ran through the doors. I muttered under my breath about hating psychical exercise, but followed him anyways. Wherever this playful side of Harry was coming from, I really enjoyed it. I wasn't about to be lazy and let it go to waste. 

        "Harold, you know running is not my thing!" I shouted as I chased him, the parking lot near vacant by now. We had been walking around school absentmindedly just talking for nearly thirty minutes.

        I thought I heard him laugh up ahead of me, and that only gave me more motivation to catch up to him. My heart was pounding in my ears, legs already cramping, and I realized just how out of shape I truly was. The only thing keeping me from gaining weight is my lack of appetite. 

        Once I caught up to him, he stopped which caused my to nearly lose my balance. But spotting the grass covered in shade next to me, I didn't hesitate on flopping face first onto it, trying to catch my breath as I realized we had ran halfway around the school. 

        Exercise for the rest of the year? Check.

        Harry laughed a bit, reaching down to help me up but I refused. "Just leave me here to die."