The Heist

Ch. 29

Ch. 29

The red dress clung to me for dear life as I attempted to go down the stairs. I felt constricted and anxious, but my face remained stoic. The bottom of the dress fanned out around my knees, giving me just enough space to move; I would’ve preferred leggings and a sweatshirt to this strapless number, but it wasn’t my choice.

“Ri Ri!” Gabby squealed running after me in her six-inch heels, "Ari wait!"

“What?” I groaned, not wanting another inch of makeup on my face. She narrowed her mascara soaked eyes at mine before brushing a few strands of hair over my left shoulder. Really? And she thought I was OCD?

“You look so pretty.” She whispered, no doubt impressed with her own work.

“Thanks…” I blushed, not ever sure how to take a compliment.

Gabby twined her arm through mine and giggled, “Ok, lets show you off to the boys.”

“They’ve seen the dress.” I rolled my eyes, reluctantly trudging towards the kitchen.

“But they haven’t seen the hair or makeup.” Gabby said bluntly, as if it were obvious.

I laughed but stopped breathing altogether when six pairs of eyes were staring at me… and my chest.

“Stop drooling, Liam.” Gabby teased, releasing my arm and plopping into a kitchen stool. I eyed her black leggings and rib-tanktop enviously. I wish we could’ve been in reverse roles.

“Damn.” Zayn was the first to get his shit together and remember how to speak.

But Harry cut him a look and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Breathe.” He reminded me, planting a kiss to my temple.

I smiled weakly and took a deep breath. He dropped his arm from my waist and instead held my hand as we always do.

“You look like an angel.” He murmured, taking in my full appearance. And of course right then I tripped, so he added with a laugh, “But with broken wings.”

“That’s very fitting.” I agreed with a hum.

Gabby’s eyes moved between the two of us and I could tell she would pelt me with questions about me and my best friend later, but for now, I enjoyed being led to the limousine out front by the boy I loved.

He gingerly lifted me up and slid me into the car. “I could’ve gotten in.” I frowned.

Harry laughed and sat in beside me, “I wanted to.”

The smile that now covered my face made me look like the Joker from Batman, so I turned my attention out the window, attempting to hide it from Harry. My eyes followed Gabby, Liam, Zayn, Matt, and Louis as they piled in one car. Then I watched Luke hop onto a motorcycle and zip away to get a helicopter.

Now, it was just me and Harry… and Nathan. I could see the sly smirk on Harry’s butler’s face as he pulled out of the driveway and started for the hotel. He had to be onto us. Harry’s lips turned into a sheepish grin and he slid the divider between us and Nathan shut. We were alone.

He unbuttoned his jacket and slipped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. As I sat there against his chest, my eyes absorbed his features. I studied him and realized how much he meant to me. It was the scariest thing to realize how much someone meant to me. When it hit me, I mean really hit me; all these thoughts and questions rushed through my head at once. A sad emotion even started to creep out on me slowly inch by inch as I started to wonder: “What if things don’t work out?” How am I possibly going to live without him?

Someone that was once a stranger now is the only person I know like the back of my hand. Someone I once had no emotions for, now has the power to break my heart. Someone I used to never hang out with now owns most of my time. Someone I never thought I’d love like this now owns my entire heart. Someone I once lived without, I now wish to hold onto forever. And so I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my face in the crook of his neck.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, genuinely concerned with what was upsetting me.

“Nothing.” I said. He cut his eyes to me as if saying, “Don’t even try that.” So, I blurted out the truth, “I don’t want to ruin this- us.”

His face fell. I refused to look him in the eyes, too ashamed that I might start freaking out. We weren’t technically an ‘us’ yet, and I had no idea how Harry would react to me saying that so I covered my face and listened to his slow breathing.

“Ari…” His voice was soft. I kept my face hidden.

“Ari, look at me.” He laughed, trying to tug my arms away. I shook my head and kept my eyes shut. I didn’t want him to laugh in my face for overreacting. He sighed and unbuckled me, forcing me into his lap.

“Nothing’s going to ruin us.” He whispered, hugging me closely. Hearing this- hearing him agree that there was an ‘us’ I allowed him to see my face.

His bright smile let me know that there would not be any laughing in my face.

“But-”

“No.” He interrupted me with a whisper.

“What if-”

“No.”

“Har-”

His lips found mine. Pulling all the worries out of my head and throwing them away. I knew Harry worshipped my father followed by James Bond and that his toothbrush was white because he needed to see how clean it was at all times. That he wouldn't bother to button his shirts correctly but always made his bed. That when he slept he curled into himself and that his eyes were the color of the lily pads, and I knew he had no problem eating meat but would subtly leave the room if animals started to kill one another on the Discovery Channel. I knew one hundred little things about Harry Styles but when he kissed me in the back of the limo, I couldn't remember my own name.

“Nothing can ruin this,” He murmured against my lips. I nodded and swallowed back the tears, somehow earning myself another kiss from him.

I heard Nathan cough up ahead, warning us that the divider would be coming down any moment.

“One sec, Nathan.” Harry said calmly, his face stoic and his eyes on mine.

“I’m ok.” I smiled weakly; in all honesty I was more scared about our relationship than the heist.

“You sure?” Harry raised a suspicious eyebrow, trying to see past my mask.

“Positive.” I laughed, now it was my turn to shut him up. I planted a kiss to his lips, a small one, an innocent one. But Harry was not having that. His arm was like steel around my waist as his lips heated against mine. I shut my eyes and wove my fingers through his much too long curls, holding him to me. We moved our lips in sync as if they were dancing to some silent song. He lay against the leather seat, pulling me on top of him. I heard another awkward Nathan cough, but my mind was much too preoccupied to register. He was hot on me, unable to escape my desperate grip. I wanted him to stay here with me, no heist, no interruptions, just us.

I felt Harry try to pull away, but I refused to let him. My hands tightened around his neck and I wrapped my legs around him.

“Ari-“ Harry groaned, forcing himself away from me. I jutted out my lip and glared at him.

“As much as I love making out with you, which I totally do,” He grinned planting a kiss to my forehead, “We got to go.” Right on cue Nathan lowered the divider and handed us our masks for the masquerade. With a deep breath I put on the black lacey number and looked at Harry in his red one. We matched perfectly and for some reason that made me giddy. Harry grinned before offering me his arm; together we followed the trickle of masked guests into the French hotel