Embers pov
-
I sat next to Zayn in the backseat of the car, Louis sitting up front with Harry as they conversed. Harry was right, they were both super nice and funny. They acted as if they knew me as long as they knew Harry, I felt comfortable around them. Which isn't very normal for me.
"I like the ring" Zayn said from behind me, his northern accent intriguing me. I looked down to the ring on my left ring finger, a smile immediately appearing on my face as it shone in the small amount of light there was. "Thank you! Harry fixed it up a bit before he proposed, the whole thing was kind of a little bump though. A lot of crazy pictures were leaked and made everything seem like it wasn't."
I heard Zayn click his tongue, "Ah, yeah Harry told
me about it. Hated to hear it, people don't respect others privacy anymore." I chuckled a bit, "Yeah tell me about it"
Harry parked the car and walked outside, opening the door for me before I got the chance. I raised my eyebrow and smiled as i took his hand, stepping out of the car and into his arms. He kept his hand on my waist protectively as we walked into the busy bar, almost all the seat were full although it wasn't the most popular place in the city.
We found a small booth that wasn't occupied and slid in, the sounds of players at the pool table groaning and yelling as they played, loud music and chatter filling the room. A waitress dressed in a black and white uniform came up to us, "Hi! What can I get you folks to..." Her voice faded as she took a double glance at the boys, blinking a few times as if she thought she was dreaming.
"Oh- oh my." She muttered softly, her cheeks rushing bright red as she saw Zayn Louis and Harry, three of the five members of the old band One Direction. To be fair, if I was in the same position I would probably freak out too. "Wow oh my god, I know this is totally unprofessional but is there any way I could get a picture with you guys? My daughter is a huge fan"
I smiled as they did, watching them nod their head. I cleared my throat and slid out of the booth, Harry sending me a questionable look. "I can take it for you if you want" I offered but she shook her head, "Can you be in it too?" I frowned as I was a bit confused.
"Why would you want me in it?" It's not like I was part of the boy band, let alone a celebrity. "Because you're Harry's girlfriend right? My daughter talks about you all the time too"
This is getting weird, people... know about me?
I cleared my throat and sat back down as Harry squeezed my thigh, I don't know if I really wanted to be in this random lady's phone. Nevertheless, I smiled for the photo, leaning into Harry as the flash slightly blinded my eyes.
I could not do this every day. It made me feel like I was some sort of thing for others amusement, she wasn't even in the picture.
"Thank you guys so much, now what can I get you all to drink?" Harry ordered for me and the others ordered their drinks too, the waitress leaving us after a while. "That happens a lot wherever you go?" I ask after a seconds, seeing them look at me as if they weren't phased at all by what had happened.
"Yeah, but sometimes we don't take the pictures. Which of course makes us the bad guy" Louis scoffed, thanking the lady as she handed us our drinks.
"Really?" I ask in astonishment, not realizing people would have gotten mad if they had said no to a picture. "Yeah, but most are nice about it." Zayn replied.
The next hour consisted of slight banter as Harry talked to his friends, I could tell how happy he was to see them again. He always told me how he never really had time to be with them, mostly because all the rumors that would fill up the internet if they were seen together. Another thing that made me feel a bit sad for him, he couldn't really go or do anything without being under a microscope.
After a bit Louis suggested a friendly completion of pool, which Zayn and Harry gladly agreed to. They slid out of the booth as Harry looked at me and I shook my head, pushing him out playfully. "Go go, I'll wait out here, keep your seat warm." I winked, seeing him smile as he walked off to the pool table across the room, starting to play.
After 30 minutes they still weren't done, my patience wearing thin and I was starting to get bored. I looked around and stared at the bar, then my drink which was empty. I hopped off the booth and decided to get another drink as a way to pass the time, I was glad Harry was enjoying himself. That's all I ever want.
I leaned my arms against the wooden bar, catching the eye of the bartender who walked up to me. "Hiya miss, what can I get you?" I pursed my lips in thought, deciding on a "Vodka tonic, please." He nodded and poured me my drink, and I laid right away, not wanting an open tab.
I decided to stay and sit on one of the stools, not knowing whether I wanted another drink after this or how long Harry and his friends would take. I downed the drink pretty fast, ordering another one, then another. I was a little tipsy at this point and I decided that moving across the 10ft to our booth was not going to be an easy feat for me. So I decided to stay seated.
I swung my legs around a bit, leaning my head on my arm as I looked at all the different glasses of liquor on the shelves when I felt someone tap my shoulder.
My first reaction thought it was Harry, telling me he was done with the game or that he was ready to go home. So I turned around with a smile, ready to greet him with a kiss. My smile soon faded as I was faced with a middle aged man, rough stubble on his face and drunken eyes.
"Erm, hello" I said, my voice grown quiet as I grew shy. The man smiled brightly, his yellow teeth disgusting me. "Hey there, all alone?" he asked, not asking before he sat on the stool next to me.
I chuckled dryly, shaking my head. "No n- my fiancé is playing pool right now" I said, making sure I showed off my ring to the man.
"I don't see no fiancé" a new voice said behind me, making me whip around to see another man, his build bigger and more defined. Short blonde hair and a clean shaven face, but his eyes were dark and cold, making me shiver. "He's right over there" I said, pointing in no particular direction, they had basically blocked me off.
One was sitting to my right, the first man the other was standing behind me leaning against the counter which made me trapped.
"Is he?" The blonde one said in disbelief, smiling as he looked at my drink then the other man beside me. "Can I buy ya a drink?" He asked, and I shook my head no right away. "I'm okay, thank you though. I should really get going now-" I tried to hop off the stool when the big one grabbed my thigh, making my breath hitch and my heart skip a beat.
"Let go of me" I say, my voice sterner then before. They both chuckled at my poor attempt to get away, coming closer to me by the second.
"But we just got here, lovie" The nickname made me want to gag, his breath smelled like beer and cigarettes as he got closer. The one with the bigger build leaned towards me, pursing his lips as I grimaced my face in disgust, trying to move my head away from him.
His chapped lips almost touched mine and I squeezed my eyes shut preparing for the worst until I heard a loud grunt making me open my eyes.
They widened as soon as I realized what I saw, Louis had grabbed the mans shoulder and pulled him away from me, Harry turning him around and socking him the face, making him hit the ground. I froze up, watching as Zayn pulled the man up by the collar of his shirt.
He had a bloody nose, shaking his head and whispering apologies. The words they spoke were foggy as I watched Harry's eyes darken, a look on his face I had never seen before appear. He stared at the man next to me, walking to him, grabbing his arm harshly before he could get away.
He pulled him closer and bared his teeth, "What was your plan, you little shit? Hm?" The man shook his head furiously, trying to get out of Harry's grasp. "No no sir- we were just being friendly and-"
"Bullshit." Harry spit out, "You ever lay a finger on her again, and I'll fucking kill you. Do you understand?"
The words that had left Harry's mouth made my eyes widen, I had never heard him speak like this before. Ever.
The man nodded and Harry let him go, not before punching him in the face once, almost making hit the floor. Both of the men disappeared, I wasn't sure what happened to the bigger one, I wasn't paying attention.
All three of them came up to me, Harry first, grabbing my face and scanning over it to look for any injuries. "Oh my god Ember, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have ever left you alone. Fuck- I don't know what could've happened to you if I didn't-"
I shook my head and grabbed his hands, "Harry I'm okay. Relax." I kissed his knuckles that were probably going to have bruises on them the next day. He sighed in relief but I knew he didn't believe me, opening his mouth to say something before he got interrupted.
"Holy shit that was a rush, I need a cigarette" Louis sighed, making a small smile appear on my face. "You alright though, Love? They didn't touch you did they?" Louis asked and I shook my head, making him nod. "Good."
Zayn came up and rubbed my arm, "We should probably bring her back" He said, talking to Harry.
"Yeah we should"