Enemies with Benefits (Harry Styles)

Chapter Twenty-Eight (Pt. 2)

But as soon as my mind's calmed down, my eyes are full of tears. I wonder why. I wonder why I have to cry for such a person who only hurt me and almost led me to death. And I don't want to waste my tears on it so I'm doing my best not to cry. But I can feel myself approaching the limit of what I can endure.

"You can cry, Athena. Just cry." Brad's gentle voice comes from my ear.

The tears I've been holding back spill down my face all at once. I'm still... hurt. "It'll be okay, It'll be okay," Brad keeps saying to me.

The second I feel Brad's lips against my own, a thousand different emotions run through my body. I place my hand on his cheek and feel his light stubble. He presses his lips to mine and a troubling tingle runs through my body. We stay like that for a few seconds, and then he backs away, breathless.

"Athena," he whispers.

I stare at him blankly, feeling guilty and embarrassed. "I'm sorry," I quickly say, moving my face away from his face.

Why did I do that? I'm only making myself confused.

"You kissed me because you're hurt," Brad tells me with a little smile.

I shake my head. "No," I say. "It was a mistake, Brad. So please don't take it personally. I just wanted someone with me." Then I feel the warmth growing from my chest and my body. He really does care about me.

"Go and get some sleep, Athena," he whispers in my ear. I nod and we both stand up.

He leads me into his bedroom because he refuses to let me sleep on the couch, and after I lay myself down on the bed, he walks out and lies down on the couch.

Thank you, Brad.

The kiss is still fresh in my head, and I'm trying to push it away.

Harry never kissed me like Brad did, a few minutes ago, since we had graduated from high school. I had been missing the soft side of him for a long time.

But now, thinking of what he's done to me, my heartaches. He never got home until midnight. He never kissed me the way he had done before. He never cuddled me in bed warmly the way I liked. He had never done a thing that makes me feel I was loved.

All the thoughts in my head are killing me right now. Tears are coming up from my eyes again.

Can someone tell me how I can not cry?

But I wonder how he is right now.

I know our last conversation went bad, and he might think he didn't want to talk to me anymore. But in my mind, I still had the hope he would become the sweet Harry I fell in love with.

"I miss you, Harry... But I kinda hate you now," I mumble, before I fall asleep.

・　　・　　・

"Hey, do you wanna do something fun with me? If you're interested?" Brad suggests. He probably wants to somehow cheer me up after feeling so gloomy, and I'm very grateful for that.

"Sure, but where are we going?"

"Out," he says.

"Out?"

"Yes, out. C'mon Athena, quickly get dressed." He smiles.

I go back to the room and choose an outfit for going out with Brad. I don't know what normal girls wear when they hang out with a guy friend so it takes time for me to decide what to wear, but finally, I pick a purple blouse with a denim skirt and put on white sneakers. Perfect.

I also start my makeup but very simply, lipsticks, eyeliner, and mascara.

"I'm ready!" I say, showing up in front of him, and he opens the door for me.

"After you, pretty girl." He gestures for me to walk out first.

We're not exactly sure where to go or where to eat, just wandering around the city. Brad offers me his hand to hold mine, so I take his hand and smile at him.

"It's been so long since the last time I got out."

He looks surprised as I say that. "Harry didn't take you out?"

"No," I say. "He was always busy with his work, and I always had to stay at home to take care of him getting tired."

I feel myself getting down when the topic is about Harry.

"I'm sorry, Athena," Brad says, kissing the back of the hand he's holding.

"It's alright, it's all over now."

We're still walking around. But suddenly he pulls out my hand and starts to run. "Brad? What happened?" I ask.

"C'mon Athena, I know a beautiful spot," he says, still running.

"Wait, you know I'm not good at running...!" I say, panting. I'm already tired, even though I haven't run for a minute yet.

"Here we are!" Brad yells.

I look straight, open my eyes, and see a huge water fountain being lit up. The fountain changes the flow of water many times, and at the same time, the color of the water changes as it is illuminated. And it repeats this process.

"Wow, I love this," I speak out with emotion.

"This place is famous for a couples spot," Brad says. "Shall we take a photograph?"

"Sure." He hangs up his phone as I say it. "Smile!" he says cheerfully and he takes a few pictures.

We're still here for a while. Since there is a famous spot, there are many couples around. It kind of makes me smile when I see friendly couples having fun, though I wish I could have a relationship like theirs, I'm happy for them. But that is the moment I find out the worst thing ever.

"Baby, you're so cute!" I hear a familiar voice, but not calling me.

I soon shift my gaze to where I hear the voice.

Bullshit.

It's him, my ex-boyfriend, who's just broken up with me a few hours ago. But I find out he's not here alone.

Who's that girl standing beside him?

They look close, very close. Maybe it is not too much to say that they're closer than Harry was with me before.

"Babe," he says. A moment after, he pulls the girl closer, leans to her, puts his hands on her cheeks, and kisses her lips.

The kiss looks deep.

They're staring at each other and seem happy.

Wow.

I thought you were better than this, Harry Styles.

He was never really home because he said he was busy with his work.

But now he's with another girl. Was he lying to me all the moment? Was he not busy with his work, but busy with that girl?

I don't have to know since when he's been close to her, maybe even when we were together, if that's so, that means he had been cheating on me, but I know my heart is being ripped out, and my tears are falling again.

Harry doesn't see us here, probably because he's busy with his own stuff.

You've moved on pretty easily, huh?

"Athena, don't see anything." Brad covers my eyes with his hands, but my tears are still falling, falling, falling.

I don't know how many times I've cried today. Too many times. I've cried so hard that I almost run out of tears.

"Let's go home," he says, and I nod.

・　　・　　・

"I'm sorry. I thought it would be great to go out to heal your feelings, but never thought..." Brad doesn't finish, but I can tell what he's trying to say.

"It's not your fault, don't be sorry."

I lean on Brad's shoulder. He places my hand on my cheek. "It'll be alright. Don't think too much or make yourself stressed even more. You're delicate."