Chapter 9

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Taylor:

I frown as I listen to Harry's pathetic attempt to fix things with Kendall. I unhook my immense hoop earrings and press my ear up against the smooth, wooden door of Harry's closet. I scrunch up my face whenever Kendall's irritating, nagging wail echoes it's way up the stairs. Harry's gentler voice comes next, and I can tell that he's trying to calm her down. Is he... telling her to leave?!

Sitting back on a pile of coats, I wonder to myself why he isn't making any effort to make Kendall feel better and to come up with a good explanation for her. I mean, even if she is occasionally clingy and annoying and loud and needy and arrogant and fussy and vain, she still deserves to have the best and be happy. Everyone does.

I listen, and my heart only sinks deeper when I hear Harry trick Kendall into going outside, then slamming the door in her face. Hurt flashes through me; hurt for Kendall.

Despite the fact that Harry doesn't even like her, and neither do I, she's still worthy of being treated well. A creak interrupts my thoughts as the closet door swings open and I find myself looking up at Harry, grinning widely and holding his hand out to me.

"Ok, Tay. I got rid of her. Now where were we?"

His voice sounds sickly and hoarse, but I ignore that, and he seems surprised when I don't laugh and jump into his arms and kiss him lovingly. Instead I look at him with my eyebrows raised and my arms crossed. Stepping out of the closet, I stand right in front of Harry, and immediately he starts giggling.

"What is it?"

I demand through gritted teeth. Between wheezes and gasps, Harry manages to laugh out a few words.

"You've... there's... a coat hanger...in your hair!"

I set my jaw and yank the coat hanger out my hair, then cast it onto the hard ground with all my might. The sound is alarmingly loud as it hits the floor. Instantly, Harry's childish grin melts away and is replaced with wide-eyed terror, and he takes a few cautious steps back.

"Whoa, babe, what's the matter? I got rid of Kendall, didn't I?"

Closing my eyes, I take a seat on the edge of Harry's ridiculously soft bed.

"Oh come on, Harry. Don't you just feel awful for Kendall?"

"Uh no- why would you?"

"Why do you think?"

"Well, I don't know. That's why I asked..."

Standing up, I roll my eyes as hard as I can.

"Harry, she came all this way to find you and speak to you-"

"-Well, I didn't ask her to,"

"That's. My. Point. She came all the way on her own, without you even asking her to, just because she wanted to see if you were okay, and-"

"-I thought we were going to be spending today together! Did you really want Kendall here ruining it?!"

Harry raises his voice now, despite his sore throat, so I raise mine higher.

"No, of course, I don't WANT her here, it's just-"

"-Then stop yelling at me for doing what you apparently wanted!"

The rude interrupting only makes me angrier.

"That's NOT what I want! What I want is for you to run out that front door, get in your car, and drive until you catch up to her. Then you're going to make her feel okay about this, give her a reason you abandoned her at the awards, break up with her gently, and make sure she leaves happy!"

"One second you hate her and the next you want me to make her happy?!"

"Yes! I may not particularly like her, but she deserves happiness!"

"But-"

"-STOP IT HARRY! You should have treated her better, and THAT is the bottom line! Even if you hate her, you still need to take other people's feelings more into consideration!"

When I say this- well, not so much say, more 'screamed into his face'- Harry's eyes soften and he looks at me, an unrecognisable look plastered on his face.

"Hate her? Taylor, I don't hate Kendall. I don't hate her at all. She's still my girlfriend, and I've loved her for a long time, and I still do. I love Kendall, okay? I really do. She's just been getting on my nerves-"

Harry saying this feels like a huge slap in the face. Sitting back down again, I think about that, hoping he's got the sense to notice his mistake too. But of course he doesn't, and the realisation of what's really happening sinks in.

Harry and Kendall are in love, and she drove, alone, hours to find him, just to see him, speak to him, and check he's okay. He only saved me from the award show because he felt he had to, and he would much rather be with Kendall than me and I'm the only reason she isn't happy and he isn't with her right now. He loves her, and always has...

Meanwhile, what is my own boyfriend doing? Probably lounging on my couch, not even having noticed I'm not there, watching the latest football match. My heart freezes over and I stand up and look over at Harry, who is been staring at me, confused and obviously not feeling guilty at all.

"Oh, yeah? Well, if you love Kendall so much, why are you with me right now?"

"...Oh, no, you know that's not what I-"

"-No, no, it's perfectly fine. I mean, she is your girlfriend, of course you love each other. And I'll have you know that my boyfriend is also very worried about me. I think I have, like, um, like, loads of texts from him,"

"I don't believe that for a second!"

My cheeks turn a deep poppy red and I clench my fists.

"Well, it's true! He loves me!"

"Calvin? Calvin doesn't love anyone."

Oh god. He's right. My voice trembles as I try to fight back.

"Shut up, Harry! You don't know what you're talking about! He is very loving!"

"We both know that's not true! He's heartless and rude. Just read, like, any of his tweets!"

He sees right through everything, I think. My heart is pounding, not anymore because I'm angry, but just because it's all true.

"You know what? I don't want to stand here and listen to you falsely accuse and disrespect my boyfriend. I'm done."

I glare at Harry. He's breathing rapidly and his eyes are narrowed. Without another word, I turn on my heel and march out the room, kicking a lamp down as I do so. Realizing I have nowhere to go, I am forced to lock myself in the bathroom. Not quite the dramatic exit I was hoping for, but I still catch Harry's face in the mirror, and it looks as if he's finally noticing, a little too late maybe, that he's said something wrong.

I sit down heavily on the edge of the massive bathtub, and break down into tears.

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