Dissimulation (Harry Styles)

Chapter 2

Delilah's POV

It was late evening and the clouds above my head were dense and opaque. I was dreading this meeting with Niall. As much as I wanted to believe that he had good intentions, everything seemed too vague for my liking. I stood motionless in his driveway, fearing the events yet to come. Niall's house was - different. It was gargantuan. The outside was entirely vintage face brick and it had an oversized, ebony French door at the entrance with numerous arched windows all around the exterior. I attempted to peek inside through the windows as I hesitantly trudged up the driveway, but they were all tinted to the point where it was impossible to catch a glimpse of what was on the inside. The whole place had a shroud of mystery that both terrified and excited me. But I was still sceptical. There was no way that Niall lived here by himself.

As I rang the doorbell, I felt a sudden tremor go through my body. I told myself that it was just the chill in the air, but I already knew that my nerves were getting the better of me. After several minutes of waiting, there was still no answer at the door. I took the liberty of knocking on the door this time and just as my knuckles hit the ebony, white oak wood - the door began to creak open. My heart began to beat erratically inside of my chest as I reluctantly poked my head around the edge of the door and past the doorframe. There was nobody in sight, the door was left unlocked.

"Niall?" I called out, taking a few steps further inside of the mysterious space.

There was no answer. My feet instinctively dragged me further inside of the house and I found myself gaping at the unusual decor. Everything was rich hardwood and antique designs. I glanced over to my left and saw a living area illuminated by sunlight streaming in through the windows. There was no boxes or signs of unpacking anywhere to be seen. It definitely did not resemble a house that had just been moved into. Unexpectedly, the front door creaked from behind me. My body immediately jerked around, facing the door. The door was shut and there was still nobody in sight.

"Niall...?" I called out again, my voice barely a murmur.

Still no response. My heart was beginning to beat even more frantically than before and I felt a faint amount of sweat building up in the palms of my hands. If Niall was playing some sort of a sick joke on me, I didn't find it very amusing. My first instinct was to check my surroundings, he could have been hiding somewhere or watching me from afar. I hastily spun my body around, only to be overshadowed by a figure - much taller than I was.

My heart immediately stopped as I looked up at the tall silhouette's face - instantly greeted by two pools of deep, alluring emerald. His dazzling face was friendly, inviting, with a slight smirk on his flawless lips. My chest felt constricted and my lungs were burning. His dark, dishevelled mahogany curls swept across his forehead, untidily curling around his ears. He was tall and lean, but still incredibly toned. He was clothed in black skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. From beneath the thin material coating his upper body, I caught a glimpse of several tattoos sprawled out across his torso. His gaze on me was intense, captivating. I had to say something, but my voice was entrapped deep in the back of my throat.

"Hello," He greeted, his voice smooth like velvet. "I'm Harry, a friend of Niall."

"I-I'm sorry for barging in," I stammered, my words rushed. "The door was open."

The devilish smirk on his lips seemed to grow wider as if he was amused, his eyes frantically inspecting my face. I blushed profusely, his intense gaze still holding me captive.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Niall will be here any second,"

The tone in his voice changed. It was much deeper, huskier. But still held my entire being captive. He definitely wasn't from Covington either. However, his accent differentiated from Niall's.