Desolation ~ Harry Styles AU

Chapter 23

Song for this chapter:
*Rooting For My Baby- Miley Cyrus

BRIANNA'S POV

"Baby, can you get me beer?" Tyler asks me, his eyes glued to the football game playing on the large flat screen TV in front of him.

"Sure." I say and untangle myself from his embrace, standing from my spot on the couch and making my way through his small apartment until I reach the refrigerator.

I open the heavy metal door and grab one of the beers off of the shelf. I turn the cold glass bottle in my hands, hoping that this is the last drink that Tyler will have for the night. He's already had two, and I know how he gets when he's drunk, it's not pretty.

"Brianna, I'd like my drink today, please..." I hear Tyler's voice call from the living room, and I flinch and the loud and unexpected sound.

I quickly close the door of the refrigerator and pad my way back over the where Tyler sits on the couch.

He reaches for the bottle that I'm holding and removes it from my grasp before popping the cap off and taking a sip.

I let out a soft sigh as I sit down beside him again and his toned arm rests itself on my shoulder as I lean my head on his chest and pull my knees to my stomach.

"You never told me about school today. You know the agreement we made, Brianna. I'm allowing you go to school, and in return you have to tell me what happened. How many times have we been over this, babe?" Tyler asks, his voice hinting at the irritation that he's clearly feeling.

"I'm sorry, I just forgot." I say and sit up, turning my body slightly to face him.

"Um, well nothing really happened today. At lunch I sat with Erica and Kayla-" I begin, only to be cut off my Tyler.

"What'd you eat?" He asks and I glance up at him, finding him already staring me down.

"I- um I just had an apple, I think." I tell him and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"You think? What, you can't remember what you ate for lunch?" Tyler patronizes me and I look down at my hands, beginning to pick at the already peeling skin around my nails, a nervous habit that I've developed.

"I had an apple." I correct myself and he takes another sip of his beer, sighing.

"What else happened?" He asks and I shrug.

"Um, Mr. Wagoner asked me to stay after class so that he could talk to me about my missing assignments, but that's really it. Today wasn't that interesting." I tell him, attempting to get a smile out of him, but I get the opposite.

"You were alone with him?" He questions and I look up at him, now regretting telling him about the netting with my teacher.

"I-" I begin, but cut myself short when Tyler springs up from the couch, knocking me off of him, and my heartbeat begins to accelerate.

"Really, Brianna? What the fuck?" He yells and I jump slightly at the volume of his voice.

"You can't just fucking go into a room alone with another guy! Do you know how dangerous that is? You don't know him, what if he hurt you? Or tried to take advantage of you?" He starts and I shake my head and stand up, taking his hand into mine to trying to calm him down.

"Tyler, it wasn't like that. He's my teacher, he just wanted to talk to me about my grades." I say, attempting to calm him down but he pushes me off of him, causing me to stumble back onto the couch and he begins to pace around the room.