Ours [harry styles] ✓

Only Love Can Hurt Like This

(Paloma Faith - Only Love Can Hurt Like This is THE perfect song for this chapter so please give it a listen. It sums up exactly how Harry and Marnie feel about one another and I can't stop listening to it haha! It is quite literally the soundtrack to this story!)

*HARRY'S POV *

I read the label on my beer bottle for what felt like the tenth time. Anything that would take my mind off Marnie I would happily do repeatedly. It made me sick to the stomach to think of her with another guy. I should have been the one on a date with her, not some sad prick posting about himself online because he couldn't find anyone in the real world.  Marnie deserved better than that. Much better. Deep down I also knew she deserved better than someone insulting her in her own flat. Sometimes it really amazed me how pathetic I was capable of being.

After dropping Nola with my mother for the weekend I'd decided that alcohol was the only way to cope with this. I'd ended up in mine and Marnie's bar. It was as if I'd been drawn to it, unable to stay away from anything that was connected to her. I was supposed to be catching up with mates, but my solemn mood had resulted in them abandoning me at the bar in favour of pursuing a group of ladies on a hen night in the back corner. Somehow I didn't mind though. Not only did I not blame them, but it felt wrong being here without her. This was our bar after all, despite all the drama that had come with it. It was ours.

I let the bottle fall from my grasp and thud onto the bar top. Coming here was a stupid idea. A mistake. Deciding it was time to leave, I swivelled on my stool, doing a double take when a familiar face caught my eye. Marnie's face. Her long, dark hair was unmissable despite being in a room full of people and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Of all the places she could have gone for her date it had to be here. If that wasn't proof enough that we were meant to be together then I didn't know what was. The bloke accompanying her had his back to me, but he was leant forward on his stool, so much so that he was almost blocking her from my view as well. I noted how Marnie took sips of her drink while her eyes darted around the room frantically. She looked uncomfortable. I couldn't help the smug smirk that stretched across my face. In a selfish way it made me happy that her date wasn't going to plan. My eyes swept over his outfit, a deep line forming between my eyebrows when I spotted his combination of a checked shirt and skinny jeans. I pulled my eyes away from him and looked down at my own outfit.

"Dude stole my style." I huffed aloud, pulling the beer bottle back to my lips. So not only was Marnie going on dates in our bar, but she was also dating my clones. I watched as he wobbled on the stool in front of her, his fingers curling around the half empty pint glass beside him. It was accompanied by two empty ones and I suddenly understood the cause of Marnie's concern. The overprotective and irrational side of me pondered over whether to intercept in case things became out of control, however Marnie had made it quite clear that she didn't need me any more and therefore I didn't think cutting in was going to win me any favours. 

Instead I continued to observe, carefully watching every move the two of them made. Not once did Marnie make eye contact with him while he wobbled around and guzzled his drink in front of her. Her determined gaze sweeping over the room made me wonder if she was looking for someone in particular and a part of me tingled at the prospect of it being me. I couldn't think of anybody else that would possibly be here at the same time as her, unless Elenore had come along to chaperone of course. The guy leant forward again and Marnie lowered her head to his level as if listening to something he had to say. Her coke suddenly exploded from her mouth, spraying her date and causing him to recoil dramatically. Marnie's hands flew up to cover her lips, the amusement clear as the corners twitched upwards. I wanted to laugh with her, but my eyes narrowed and I found myself desperately wanting to know what he'd said to provoke such a reaction. In the next second she had slid off her stool and disappeared into the mass of people.