The Boy Next Door || Harry Styles

chapter six. {melanie}

Pouring myself a pint, I realized that I had to relax. If I could stay away from Harry for an hour, another two would go by like a breeze.

"Hey." My heart stopped and the drink in my hand tumbled to the floor. The golden liquid covered the floor, but that was the least of my worries. Shifting my gaze to the left, I took in his large smile, dimpled cheeks, and green eyes.

"H-hi." I stuttered. Quickly, I grabbed the closest rag and knelt down to clean up my mess. Honestly, I was just trying to keep my hands from shaking uncontrollably.

"I didn't know you were coming." Harry knelt down and picked up the fallen cup. I tried to look anywhere else than his green, dreamy eyes. If I was in his presence for another minute, I would probably be sucked into him again.

"Uh, yeah. I-I was just stopping by." I stood up and rinsed my hands in the sink. They were still shaking.

"No, stay!" Harry exclaimed. He poured us two shots of something and handed me the small glass.

"Here drink this and get comfortable." He continued and urged me by flashing a cheeky smile. I took one weary look at the shot and decided that one drink wouldn't hurt. The bitter liquid slid down the back of my throat and I could feel it warm my insides.

"I'll be back, I'm just gonna look for my friend. Don't leave, yeah?" His hand went up to squeeze my shoulder and a bolt of electricity shot through my veins. Or maybe it was the alcohol working, I was a lightweight, anyways. His warm fingertips brushed down my arm as he departed and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from falling apart.

Despite what he said, I had to get out of here and fast. It wouldn't take long for him to figure out who I was and the moment he did, all trust would be gone. I had no idea how he would react, but if the roles were switched, I would be furious.

I went around the back and saw Harry surrounded by people in the living room. He was laughing and I couldn't help but stare at him for awhile. He seemed so content and put together.

Discreetly, I made my way to the front door and before I could open it, Riley jumped to stop me.

"Mel! Where are you going?" He shouted my name so loud that I unintentionally glanced back to Harry to see if he heard. He couldn't have, it was so noisy.

"I just need to get some air, that's all." Riley frowned and grabbed my hand.

"Please don't leave. Let's go play games!" I really wasn't feeling it, but I didn't want to hurt Riley's feelings.

"I'll be in the back, alright. Come find me in an hour." Riley huffed in annoyance and walked away. I frowned, but I needed some time to think about how to approach Harry.

The backyard was filled with more bodies and it was just as loud as it was inside. The only evident place I could find peace and quiet without being found was the tree house. It seemed a bit unstable, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

As I climbed the rope ladder, a few of the steps were missing, but I was able to get into the house safely. Old bean bags covered in dirt and leaves lay strewn on the floor and an old notebook lay in the corner. Suddenly, I regretted coming up here all together. I didn't realize how many memories this place held.

I brushed off the rubbish from the bean bags and took a seat. A part of the ceiling had fallen off and the moon was clear in sight. It was a perfect place to come and just relax. I must have been in the tree for a long time because I began to drift. Before falling into unconsciousness, I heard shuffling at the bottom of the tree.

"Hey, you know it's not really safe up here." His curls popped up into view before his face did. Harry was everywhere.

"Mh, well." I shrugged, not really caring. There was no way I could avoid him now, we were both trapped up in the tree.