Almost Lover (Harry Styles) - Book 1

Chapter 28: "We sort of have company."

He points out the walkway to the beach then the two houses, "The main house has 4 bedrooms and the annex has two, he points to the small house. Poppy thought maybe me and her should take the the annex..."

I raise an eyebrow at him as he blushes, "Yeah, that's probably a good I idea."

So I guess that means I will be staying in the large house until Zayn and Perrie and Louie and Eleanor come on Saturday. I sigh as I pull my bag out of the trunk.

Niall walks me up to the main house, carrying my bag. It isn't anything fancy inside, it just looks like a normal house any family would rent. That is what I love about these boys. They don't go big to impress, they go with what they know and love. I'm always amazed at how humble they all still are. Walking through the house, I drop my bag in one of the rooms that has a double bed in it.

Niall calls me back downstairs and I follow his voice into the sun room on the side of the house. It has amazing views. I see a few Adirondack chairs over the hill out in the yard and I instantly have the desire to grab a blanket and watch the sun go down.

We sit in the sun room talking, Niall explaining all there is to do around here. The beach, cycling, riding horses, shopping, we have a dock with a boat, you name it. He starts to go into lengthly detail of the food we must try in the area when we hear the front door open.

"If I don't get a proper hug and a snog in the next 2 minutes, I will be absolutely gutted!"

We both jump up as we hear Poppy yell through the house. I run towards the front door and we both scream as we see each other. She pulls me into a tight hug and we don't let go until we hear Niall clear this throat behind us.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a twist Love!" Poppy tells him, "I have more than a hug planned for you."

I'm surprised when he grabs her and kisses her passionately. I expected him to blush and be embarrassed like he usually is, but he's not. I feel a tinge of jealousy as I see them embrace, and I have to shake the thought of Harry out of my mind.

It's my turn to clear my throat when they start all out making out in front of me.

"Sorry!" Poppy pulls herself away from him, "We've been having to toss off to each other over the phone for far to long!"

"Oh God Poppy!" I groan, "I don't need to know that!"

We all laugh, and plant ourselves down on the couches in the living room to catch up. After countless hours of tour stories, Poppy telling us about the ever blossoming relationship between Finn and Olivia, and some really good take out we look at the clock and realize it's already 2am. Niall decides to retire for the night, leaving us to catch up on girl talk.

The second he is out the front door, Poppy jumps onto the couch next to me.

"Okay, so Niall is in bed waiting for me, but where is the hot piece of British arse that should be in your bed waiting for you.?"

"What?" I choke, spitting the drink I was just taking out of my mouth.

"Where is Harry?!" She asks.

"Not here."

"Yes, I see that. So where is the wanker?"

"With his family." I shrug my shoulders.

"Instead of here with you?"

"Poppy we aren't together." I bluntly state.

"Not yet." She mumbles.

"What?" I ask, not sure if I heard her correctly.

"What happened Ava?"

I groan, knowing I have to tell her everything or piss her off by telling her nothing at all. So I tell her.

I tell her everything. From the brunch with him before I left, almost kissing him in his hotel room, dancing at the club and almost going home with him, him telling me in the alleyway he would wait for me, to why he is so pissed at me right now.

Her mouth is on the floor in shock. I've never seen Poppy speechless before. She narrows her eyes at me and a worried expression takes over her face.

"I know about the club."

"What?" How in the world would she know that?

"Harry told me... He called me that night."

I shake my head, "I can't believe he did that!"

"He did because he really cares about you and he wanted to know how to make it right."

"And what did you tell him?"

She opens her mouth but then quickly closes it without speaking.

Then it dawns on me, "Oh my god, you told him to tell me that it was just a drunken mistake didn't you?"

"Ava..."

"No, you did didn't you? He wasn't drunk was he? So he just lied to me?!"

Poppy places a hand on my leg, trying to calm me down. "Yes, but only because he had to."

"Why in hell would would he HAVE to lie to me?!"

"Because if you had heard the truth you would have ran. I know it. You know it. You would have ran."

"And what is the truth!?" I am now so mad I'm shouting. Just another person in my life, lying to me about how they really feel.

"Ava.."

"Wow, you know I actually thought Harry was different." I shake my head.

"Harry is different Ava. He cares about you."

"Yeah he cares so much he lies to me about how he really feels and when he gets pissed at me he doesn't speak to me for days." I spit.

"Ava!" Poppy vigorously shakes her head, already knowing where I'm going with this. "He's nothing like..."

I stand up, I can feel the anger coursing through my veins. "Nothing like who Poppy?!" Because you know who that's sound exactly like?! Scott!"

The words barely make it out of my mouth before the front door flies open. Niall pokes his head in looking afraid for his life. He obviously heard the shouting and I'm now up on my feet, standing over Poppy enraged.

"Niall not now!" Poppy tries to shoo him away.

"Ummm, we sort of have company." He looks nervously back and forth between us.

The door swings open wider and in walks Luke and Calum from 5SOS. I met the whole group soon after the tour started. They are all really great guys. And Niall is obsessed with them.

But right now I'm not in the mood for any sort of company. I feel betrayed and I am pissed.

Poppy starts to tell them to give us a few minutes, but the door swings open again, this time with Aston and a tall pretty blonde walking through it. She smiles at us, looking at me in particular. Man she looks so familiar... Where have I seen her before?

My breath hitches in my throat.. I've seen pics of her on Harry's phone. Gemma. I look quickly around the room for any sort of escape, but I'm to late.

Harry walks right in behind them, his eyes locking with mine the second he sees me.

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