I Do

Chapter 20

   I allow that to soak in, shuddering slightly in disgust, but still feelings hopeful pounding at the bottom of my heart. Is it possible? Could they be over? Ar, sniffling furiously, gazes at me expectantly, and I realize she wants a response.

   "What are you going to do?" I wonder, sympathetically shaking my head. 

   Her eyes narrow into slits as she dabs at the thin dribble of snot beneath her nose. Ara jerks her head to face me and I recognize blazing anger and betrayal in her expression. Her face is cold, her lipsticked mouth in a flat line, her slim arms crossed firmly against her chest. "I have to end it." 

   It's an instant split reaction inside me- half my heart screams 'YES!', the other part trembles, on the verge of shattering. Not for me, but for Harry. A section of me pleads, 'Encourage her, encourage it'. But somehow, I can't. 

    I'd love Harry to be mine one day, to be held in his warm arms, to feel sparks shoot through my veins during a good-night kiss, to have him whisper the words, "I love you." I'd love to burst into laughter with him on our first date, for him to tuck a wisp of hair behind my ear, to feel his long fingers wound through mine. But not like this. 

   It takes no effort to conjure up the look on Harry's face if she broke things off between them. He'd be utterly devastated, his heart in pieces, his normally sparkling eyes dull with pain. He'd be broken. One day, maybe, I'll replace Arabella and become the only one he loves. Right now, though, he won't be able to bear losing his sunshine. 

   I breathe in shakily, mentally preparing myself for what I'm about to do. I've always been referred to as a people-pleaser, preferring to satisfy other people's needs over my own. And now, I'm about to sacrifice Harry's heart for mine. Maybe that's true love, though, not romantic dates or tender kisses or labels of boyfriend-girlfriend. Maybe it's just caring more about the other person than you care about yourself.

    "Arabella," I murmur earnestly. "I know you're hurt, right now. Anyone would be. But... you can't end it. Harry loves you more than life itself." The words physically hurt, and I wince just saying them, but it's right. It's true. 

   "If he loved me, he wouldn't have cheated," Ar snaps bitterly. She winds a strand of hair around her finger and raises her flawlessly waxed eyebrows. 

   "Unless he truly didn't mean to."

   "How can he not mean to?"

   I raise my brow, proving that her comment doesn't justify a response. With all the times she's cheated on innocent boys, she has absolutely no room to talk. "You need to think about forgiving him, Ara. You know as well as I do that it's easy to make mistakes."

   "He can't just get away with this," she spits out, looking on the verge of wailing once more. "It's not right. Why should I forgive him?"

   "How many times has he apologized?" 

   She sighs, flopping backwards onto the carpet. "Well, twelve, today." 

   The fact that he's begged for her forgiveness twelve times when she's deliberately ignoring him causes my stomach to plunge sadly. "See, Arabella? He adores you. Don't lose that," I urge her convincingly, a melancholy smile spreading across my face. My own heart is about to burst from the pressure but something inside me is warm, fuzzy, hopeful. I feel... good. 

-Arabella- *6 Days Later* 

   I smirk smugly down at the plain brown package resting on my doorstep and lug it inside to join the numerous other boxes I've received, all containing unbelievably valuable items. A shimmering diamond necklace, matching earrings, a gorgeous red leather purse, several fashionable dresses and endless bouquets of roses. Harry really took my 'If you love me, prove it' text to the extremes.

   I rip open my most recent package to expose a stunning Tiffany&Co bracelet, set with rubies and glistening in the dim light. My jaw drops and I clasp it around my arm, grinning delightedly. Really, having a wealthy boyfriend cheat on you is better than Christmas. 

   My stomach clenches furiously, remembering the horror that flooded me when I first discovered the news. The simple fact that he actually cheated on me makes my blood boil. Especially with a pathetic, slutty American who wasn't half as pretty as I am? Harry was unbelievably lucky to earn my affection in the first place, and he had to go put it all on the line.

   The fact is, I probably wouldn't have broken up with him anyways, even without these gifts. Let’s face it, One Direction has become unbelievably famous, and chances are that'll only increase. I mean, there are Twitter fan pages for me, simply because I'm dating him. I've spent more on clothes in the past two years of my relationship with Harry than I did for the first fifteen years of my life. I'm constantly invited to celebrity-level parties, and accompany him to places like the Brits. Sacrificing all of that would be the most foolish mistake of my life. And I don't make mistakes.

  Luckily, Hallie's my best friend. She, unlike all those idiot reporters, recognizes how much Harry cares about me, that it was just a misunderstanding, a screw-up on Harry's part. She, thank God, convinced me that it was best to stay with him.

   Because when I first saw the article, the blaring headline that stated, "HARRY STYLES' NEW LOVE INTEREST?", I wasn't considering how much I'd be losing. I wasn't considering that I depend entirely on Harry, that he supports me and loves me and lavishes me with everything I could possibly desire. I was simply furious. And I wanted to make him pay. Now, he has. And everything's practically back to normal.

   Gazing into the bathroom mirror, I brush a wisp of hair from my flawless cheek, beaming into the mirror. It's incredible to think that I transformed from a bawling, pitiful wreck in Hallie's bedroom back to my gorgeous, confident self in a matter of hours.

   'Arabella, darling, I hope you're doing okay. I miss you loads, and I can't wait to see you. Lots of love.' I smirk at Harry's most recent text, which is desperate for a response. Unfortunately, he hasn't quite earned it. I tuck the cell phone into my purse and slip my stunning new bracelet onto my slender wrist.

   I can't claim that I'm the perfect girlfriend, and God knows I could be more loving with Harry. Sometimes I slip up, sometimes I'm snappy, and on occasion I overreact. I can't even pretend to be completely innocent. But I'm not stupid enough to be caught cheating. And if Harry's willing to spend loads of money in order to convince me to forgive him, who's to blame? Him.

   With that simple, comforting thought in mind, I feel... good.

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So, not the most perfect chapter, I know. But awww, Hallie is such a sweetheart.

You guys don't understand how excited I am about the next few chapters. THEY'RE SO LONG AND DRAMATIC. So, if you're ready for long and dramatic, you know what to do. And if you don't know what to do, VOTE AND COMMENT. <3 Love you beautifuls!