One. || h.s.

Eighteen.

...

"So, what exactly happened?" Niall asks, setting his fork down on his now empty plate.

"Can we please talk about something else," I mumble, standing up and collecting all of our plates, bringing them to the kitchen and putting them in the dishwasher.

I'd rather not relive the same conversation I had with Harry only hours ago.  I didn't end up telling him what happened and he didn't pry when I got back, but I know it is coming.  I still have to decide whether letting him know what Jessica did is something I want.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he says, raising his hands innocently.  "What do you want to talk about then?" He leans back on the sofa and folds his hands behind his head.

"How about your date?" Harry chimes in, a mischievous grin crossing his face as his eyes connect with mine.

Niall looks at him and then back at me, his eyes wide with interest.  I take my seat back on the sofa beside him and roll my eyes.  Of course Harry has to bring it up, he was so adamant about me not going that he'll hold it against me for the rest of my life, using it to annoy me and make me wish I would have never gone so next time I will listen to him.  As much as he has changed his old habits are still the same, and it's safe to say that I know all of his tricks.

"Date? With who?" Niall asks, nudging me with his arm.  He's currently sat between Harry and I so he can't see the smug smile on his pink lips or the amusement in his green eyes.

"It was nothing big, we just went for a quick lunch," I clarify.

"With Zayn," Harry answer for me and I shoot him a look.

"I knew it!" Niall exclaims throwing his hands in the air.  "I called that the day you two met, did I not?"

"Wait, you're okay with this?" Harry asks, his eyebrows furrowed.  Clearly this isn't going how he had planned which was to get Niall to agree with him.  Now it's my turn to smile smugly.

"Yeah, Zayn's a great lad," Niall shrugs.

"Yeah, sure, but..." he trails off, fumbling over his words.  He opens and shuts his mouth a few times but says nothing.

"But what, Harry?" I ask, leaning over Niall, my tone a bit harsh.  "What is so wrong with me going out on a date?  It's really none of your business and you don't have any input in what I do, so drop it."

I watch as Harry's face falls and his eyes soften.  He leans back into the couch, turning his head away from me and scratches his chin.  I don't know what his problem is but it is starting to get on my nerves.

"Okay," Niall says slowly, gripping my shoulder and pushing me back.  "Maybe we should go pick up your stuff."

"Yes, lets do that," Harry mutters and gets up from the sofa immediately.

Niall turns to me, his blue eyes full of questions but I simply shrug.  I have absolutely no answers for him despite how much I wish I did.  Harry's behavior has always been a mystery to me, the way it can change instantly.  I feel as if I'll never understand why he is this way and I also feel as if I will always wish I could understand.

Harry leaves the apartment before Niall and I even have our shoes on.  He is going to get his car from the underground parking and pull it around the front of the building.

"Hey," Niall grips my arm lightly before I leave the apartment after Harry.  "What's going on with you two?" His voice is soft to ensure Harry won't hear and his icy eyes are full of curiosity and confusion.

The fact that there is anything going on with us worries me.  None of this was meant to happen, I was never supposed to end up close to Harry again.  I should have never agreed to buy a place in this building, I should have asked Niall if we could have checked out more places.  As for my job at Parker, I should have embraced those few days when Harry was avoiding me instead of worrying about it.  I spend all day with him and now I'll be forced to spend the evenings with him too.  It's all a little too close for me, but I'm stuck with nowhere else to go.