Lust, Lies, and Forbidden Ties ✵ h.s.

✵ fourteen ✵

"I do like him. We are going out tomorrow night, and I—"

"Harry's clearly trying to get you to do something with him. No man buys someone a ten-thousand-dollar dress without wanting something in return," Niall told me, raising his hands when I glared at him. "I'm just saying."

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the box off the table in a rush, giving all of them a dirty look before walking to my bedroom. We wouldn't even be having this conversation if Harry hadn't stopped by and made himself comfortable in my home. Shutting my door, I opened the box quickly, gasping softly at the dress that was inside. It was covered in a sparkly material at the top, but when I pulled it out of the box entirely, the lower half of the dress was a simple, plainer material. I could tell the cut on the top was low, and I found myself rather worried that this would not look good on me. Lying the dress on the bed, I was thankful I had shoes that matched, setting them at the base of my bed, just beneath the dress.

It didn't take long to head to the bathroom, deciding that I needed to take a quick shower. However, quick turned into thirty minutes, and it was because I decided to shave, realizing I hadn't in a couple of days, and not wanting to look out of place at this event. After that, I headed back to my room, shutting the door, and then working on drying my hair almost immediately. It was followed by turning on my straightener, leaving me to put on a pair of light pink lace underwear. I wasn't sure how see through this dress was, so I decided to play it safe, managing to put on the gown easily. Zipping it up in the back, I was glad I didn't need the boys' help, which left me to put on my shoes. Although, I quickly came to realize that there was a slit in the right side, the hole showing most of my leg. Rolling my eyes at this man, I thought that it would be enough for me to not wear a bra, but now I had to be worried about the world seeing my underwear also.

Deciding that there wasn't much I could do, I hurried over to my vanity, working on my makeup while my straightener finished heating up. By the time I was finished, it was almost seven-thirty, and I found myself grabbing a small purse, putting my phone, cards, and keys I would need inside prior to exiting my room.

"Good lord," Louis scoffed. "Who are you?"

"Do I look that bad?" I asked, becoming extremely nervous. "He's going to be here and I look bad?"

"No," Liam quickly stated, smacking Louis' arm harshly. "He just means you look so good we barely recognize you."

"Oh," I stated. "Okay, good."

They all nodded, and I managed to drink a glass of water before Harry arrived. I had heard the knock, and I tried to make my way to the door, but Niall reached it first. My cheeks were burning, and I set my cup down, quickly walking toward Harry. He smirked at me, dark eyes obviously scanning over my body. I glanced back at Liam and Louis who were still sitting on the sofa, Niall continuing to stand near the door. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I was surprised when he held his hand out to me, my fingers grasping his hand carefully.

"Goodbye, boys," I stated. "Don't get too rowdy while I'm gone."

"Don't get too rowdy at the thing," Niall told me, winking. "If you know what I mean."

"God, I hate all of you," I complained.

They just laughed, and I shut the door behind me, not bothering to lock it with my key. The boys could definitely do that. Harry and I walked over to the elevator, and I let go of his hand, uncertain as to how I had managed to get myself into this. Then again, I had been the one to volunteer myself for the position, so it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise to me. Once the elevator arrived, we stepped onto it, my cheeks still burning as Harry glanced over me again, his eyes focused on me easily.