Sooner or Later (Feat. 1D and 5SOS)

13. Little White Lies

Harry flinched when the ball suddenly landed beside him. "What the ...?" He looked toward the bushes then and saw them rustling with life. "Is there someone with you?" he asked Emma as he continued to stare at the trembling bush.

"Nope," Emma quickly answered. "Just me."

"Hmm."

Shrugging it off, Harry turned his attention back to Emma and smiled. "Can you sit up?" he asked, and then he carefully helped her rise to a sitting position. When he noticed all the dirt and grass stuck to the back of her shirt, he brushed away the debris with his hands. "I'm really sorry, Emma. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emma started to say, but then she caught herself and realized she was making a huge mistake. If she said she was completely all right, then Harry would leave. He would go back to playing with his friends and forget about Emma entirely. She couldn't let that happen, not yet anyway. She needed more time to make a good, lasting impression.

"It's just," Emma went on, drawing out her words for effect, "my ankle hurts a little. I think I may have rolled it when I fell."

"Oh? Lemme see. Is it the right one?"

Before Emma was ready for it, she felt Harry's soft hands on her bare leg, starting at her calf and then slowly working their way down to her ankle. His fingertips grazed across her flesh ever so gently, making Emma's heart race. It was a harmless gesture, really, but in Emma's hormonal teen mind, it was more erotic than the scenes in all those adult films she wasn't supposed to be watching.

A quiet moan escaped her lips.

"Oh, did I hit a tender spot?" Harry asked, looking up at Emma with perfectly innocent eyes. If only he knew the sexual torture he was putting her through.

"Yeah," Emma said, trying to compose herself. "Very tender."

He frowned. "You know, it doesn't look swollen ... Can you stand?"

After standing up himself, Harry offered Emma his hands as support. Slowly and awkwardly, she staggered to her feet and then collapsed against his chest. She stole a moment to breathe in his scent. Even his sweat smelled amazing.

"That was pretty good," he said. "Think you can walk?"

"I can try."

"Okay, we'll take it slow." Then he turned toward his friends and said, "You guys go ahead without me. I'm gonna stay with her for a while."

Emma had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. Mission accomplished!

Louis came forward and picked up his soccer ball. "Works for me. You were dragging our team down anyway. Come on, guys, let's get back to the game. I'll take you both on single-handedly."

While his friends returned to the field, Harry helped Emma along as she limped up the dirt trail that snaked through the entire park. She didn't really know how to do a convincing limp. Honestly, she felt a bit like a pirate with a peg leg, but if it kept Harry by her side, it was well worth the discomfort.

"You sure you can manage like that?" Harry asked after a while.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Slow and steady wins the race, right?"

"That's true, ... but, you know, I could carry you if you want."

Emma's eyes widened. "Carry me?"

"Yeah, sure." He stepped in front of her then and crouched low enough for Emma to climb onto his back. "Giddy up."

Oh my god, Emma thought as she stared at his back, Harry Styles is offering me a piggyback ride. This is really happening.

"Is there a problem?" he asked when Emma failed to move.