Violet.
I let out a heavy breath when I noticed my shift ended in fifteen minutes. Me, Joey and Caroline were having a smoke break in the humid hot weather with the seven residents of the underage wing at Clarendale's.
The three newbies had come in at Monday, and two were still heavily struggling with their withdrawal. I had barely been able to strike up a conversation with them since they were so out of it all the time.
Overall, I felt like this was quite a good group, and so far I got along well with all of them and also with the colleagues.
I noticed Melissa walking by through the window, a deep frown etched in her forehead as she stared at some papers in her hand. Even she felt the need to wipe the sweat away from her forehead on this hot Friday afternoon.
I was about to finish my second week at Clarendale's, and even though the amount of new information still felt overwhelming, I felt like I started to settle here. Due to the extreme temperatures, we had been allowed to swim today whilst usually, that's solemnly reserved for the residents.
I had politely declined, still not feeling comfortable in a bathing suit in front of about ten strangers. I had dipped my feet in the water to cool down somehow, but kept my dress on and kept an eye on the kids at the same time.
Butterflies flew around my stomach upon realization that Harry of all people was about to pick me up from work today. He had been let out of Clarendale's early this morning, having finished his ten weeks here.
Yesterday during lunch, I had helped him pack up the last of his stuff, and Louis came for him this morning after I had started work already. The lunch breaks definitely felt more lonely, but at the same time I enjoyed the hour of alone time in a busy work day.
Harry had been vague when I had asked him what his plans were for his first free day. He told me he was going to get settled in at Louis' house and just catch up on some sleep and hang around with Louis and Eleanor at the house.
I took the last drag of my cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray, trying to keep my focus on the conversation I was having with one of the residents, a boy named Jesse. He was a sixteen year-old pot addict with a quirky sense of humour. I had quickly picked up on the fact that he was very energetic and loud, and asked quite a lot of attention from the social workers.
He was the Nellie of Clarendale's.
Harry and I had quite a busy weekend ahead of us. Tonight, I'd join him at Louis and Eleanor's house for dinner and then tomorrow we'd just hang out together.
Abby had convinced me to drag Harry along to Tease tomorrow night while she was working, so he could meet Dan and Max. I wasn't sure if Harry going out to a club on his second day out was such a good idea, but he had convinced me that he had his cravings under control and had no issue with alcohol.
On Sunday, we had organized a meeting with James, finally visiting him at Saint Mary's now that Harry was free again, and then in the afternoon we were all going to head down to the RSP for the barbecue thing with Ian.
The part I dreaded the most, was that we were supposed to be at the mansion on Sunday evening for a meeting.
I hadn't been to one months by now, and the thought of seeing Gabriel again gave me a shiver even though I was sweating up a storm. I was in no way looking forward to having to stare at his face for a full evening.
Harry had been mending the bond with him, and I knew I was going to have to do the same thing at some point. For Harry's sake.
After spending most of last weekend in Harry's bed in Clarendale's, I had hardly seen him this week besides our daily lunch dates. The weekend we had was spent between the sheets, taking naps, watching movies and having a lot of sex.
I had to convince him on Sunday to let me leave so I could go see Ian, and I basically had to untangle myself out of his grip to make it out of the door. Which he fucked me against first.
Ian had enjoyed himself tremendously, making fun of my hickeys. The jokes never got old to him, and neither did my reaction. The constant flushing of my cheeks seemed to spur him on even more, if possible.
"Have you got anything planned with Harry tonight?" Caroline asked me as we got our bags to leave for the day.
My colleagues were aware that I dated Harry, who was a former resident here.
"Not really, we're just going to go hang out with some friends. There's quite a few people he hasn't seen in a while so that'll be fun." I smiled as I answered her, while feeling my phone buzz in my pocket. My heart leaped in my throat when I saw that Harry had texted me, telling me he was here.
I almost ran out of the building, quickly greeting the colleagues from the evening shift and waving a goodbye to Melissa before I hurried through the corridors towards the front door.
I could hear my heart beating in my ears when I smiled at Eliza, the receptionist, before swinging the large doors open. My breath got knocked out of my lungs immediately, and not just from the intense heat that hit me.
Harry stood on the parking lot, casually leaning against his car. He wore an Arctic Monkeys T-shirt with black jeans and his usual boots, even though it was a thousand degrees. He was scrolling on his phone, his brow furrowed as usual and a pair of sunglasses sitting low on the bridge of his nose.
What caught me off guard, was that he got a haircut. Gone were his long curls, gone was the manbun. It looked short and sleek, a bit longer at the top but definitely tamed.
It was as if time stood still when he lifted his head and his eyes landed on me, his mouth curling up in the perfect half smirk before he took the glasses off of his face and tucked them in the neckline of his T-shirt.
I had missed the silver rings on his fingers more than I cared to admit.
"Oh my God." I murmured under my breath while I stood frozen on the marble steps, falling head over heels for this man all over again. Harry grinned widely, ushering for me to come to him, which I did.
My legs felt a bit wobbly as I walked over, and he scooped me up in his arms immediately whilst I smiled against his lips in a messy kiss, "Hey."
"Can't believe I'm back at this bloody place only hours after leaving it." He joked once he put me back down.
I almost hadn't heard him as I was too mesmerized by his insanely good looks. This man would always manage to make me swoon.
"Do you like my new hair?" He asked with a dimpled grin, running one hand through it. I curled my lips inside my mouth and nodded slowly, "Yes. I think I just had a tiny orgasm."
Harry threw his head back in a loud laugh, shaking his head to himself, "I'll give you a big one tonight."
I rolled my eyes at his cheekiness and got in the car with him, letting out a relieved sigh when I felt the coolness of the vehicle.
Harry's eyes lingered on my exposed legs, as I had once again opted for a dress today. It was yet another T-shirt dress, in light blue this time. They felt modest enough to still work in, while they were airy and breezy for these hot temperatures.
We chatted a little bit throughout the car ride, and Harry was still rather short and mysterious when I asked him what he had been up to today. Instead, he asked for a ridiculous amount of details about my work day while I suspected he could imagine listening to nicer things than me talking about a rehab facility as he had just been in one for three months.
"Missed me at lunch?" He asked as he continued driving.
Ironically, there was an Arctic Monkeys song playing on the radio, and Harry's fingertips drummed along to it on the steering wheel as he silently hummed to the melody and kept his eyes on the road. I had to tear my eyes away from him as I was literally about to jump him.
I cleared my throat, "Yeah, little bit. I was glad to have you there for my first few days." I admitted and Harry nodded, "You're still going to see me every day, just not there."
"Where are we going?" I frowned as I noticed we were nowhere near Louis and Eleanor's house.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd realize," Harry teased, "But it's a surprise."
"I hate surprises." I groaned and he laughed, "I know. But I think you'll like this one."
I cocked up an eyebrow in curiosity as I intently watched the roads he took, recognizing it as Abby's neighbourhood, "Are you driving me to Abby's?" I frowned.
Harry tutted me, "Curious girl. Told you it's a surprise."
I grumbled under my breath, which seemed to amuse Harry even more.
I was confused out of my mind when he pulled up at a house I had never seen before. We were in a more suburban area, walking distance from Abby's house. It was a nice house, and there were no other cars in the driveway so I had no idea who actually lived here.
"Harry?" I asked when he opened his door and got out of the car, before jogging over to my side and opening the door for me. My brows were still creased in confusion, "Who are we visiting? Maybe I should go home and change first, I've been sweating all day."
He cleared his throat and pointed to the house, "We're not visiting. I bought this house. It's mine."
I was glad I was still sitting in the car seat and not standing on my legs, because I sure as fuck would've sunk through them. My jaw fell to the floor as my eyes widened, and before I could say anything, Harry let out a breath, "Well, ours. Or mine. Whatever you want."
My head whipped to the side to see his face so fast, it could've given me whiplash, "Ours?!" I asked in a squeaky, shrill voice.
Harry slowly nodded, his lips curled inside his mouth. He looked nervous as he scratched the back of his neck and held his hand out to help me out of the car, "Come on, let me show you the inside."
I let him lead me to the front door, still too baffled to really say something. I saw the exterior of the house, and it looked like something out of a Disney movie.
It was a cottage.
We walked through the overgrown front garden, up to the large wooden door. It was a brick house, but it was so overgrown there were more plants than bricks. The house was mostly in the shadows, surrounded by trees and even a fence to close of the premises.
Harry took a key out of his pocket and opened the front door, and we were met with a hallway. My eyes were glued to the dark, hardwood floors that creaked under Harry's footsteps. But more so, my eyes widened at the sight that this house was fully furnished and decorated.
It looked like someone had been living here for ages.
"D-Didn't you say you just got this?" I asked with a small voice as I slowly took a few steps into the hallway.
"What do you think I've been doing all day, petal?" Harry coyly answered, but I could tell by his face that he was still nervous for my reaction.
I saw some of his coats hanging on the rack, as well as a few pairs of his shoes. I recognized the carpet from his old apartment, and Harry gently took hold of my hand as he led me further into the house.
"Um, this would be the room where we... cook things. Where I cook things." He gestured to the kitchen. The cabinets were a dark green and had old, golden knobs on them. The whole vibe of the house was old, yet cosy.
It reminded me of my childhood home.
"And this would be the room where we eat the things that we cook." Harry stumbled over his words slightly as he showed me the dining room, that than lead into the living room.
My eyes darted over Harry's familiar couches, seeing his furniture from his apartment or stuff that was at the mansion with us. The walls were littered with paintings from him, and photographs of us and our friends.
"The fireplace is out of use, so don't have to worry about that." He quickly added, pointing to the old fireplace in the living room. The corner of my mouth twitched up into a tiny smile, and I liked the fact that he remembered my fear of fire.
After a few silent minutes, Harry took hold of my shoulders, "Can you please say something?"
He had a pleading look in his eyes and I drew a sharp breath, "I... I'm stunned. I'm not sure what to say."
"Do you like it?"
I quickly nodded, "I love it. I love this style of house. It's exactly like m-"
"Your childhood home." Harry cut me off and my eyes widened as I frowned, "How'd you know?"
"I've been keeping this from you." He started as he sat down on the couch and motioned for me to sit next to him, "But I've been talking with Abby lately."
"What? Really?" I was shocked at this piece of information. As far as I knew, Abby bloody hated Harry's guts right now. I hadn't heard her say a positive word about him in months, and she had explained in detail how she would serve him his own testicles to eat, multiple times.
"Yeah," He nodded, "I had this idea about a house for us. And I wanted her help because she knows you so well. I needed her to make this plan work. I've heard you talk about your childhood a few times, enough to know that you loved the way you grew up. I wanted a house in that same style, a house that you would like and feel at home in."
I listened, completely baffled.
Harry continued, "She knew this house was for sale and toured it and videochatted me, showing me everything in detail and giving her opinion. I had to trust her, and I closed the deal without having actually seen it myself. And for the past few days, she and Louis and Liam have been moving my stuff here. And today... She moved your stuff here."
My eyes widened even more, "My stuff is here? Everything that was at Abby's?"
"Yes." Harry nodded, "She put your clothes in the closet and all your personal items all throughout the house. I... I know we said we'd live together after I got out, but if you're unsure or if you think it's too soon, we'll just move everything back." He quickly spoke.
I couldn't stop my mouth from widening in a bright smile, shaking my head, "No, I'm... Wow, I don't know what to say. I can't believe you did this for me. You... You bought me a house?"
Harry chuckled, relaxing a bit at my reaction, "I bought us a house. Wanted you to feel at home. I know my apartment or the mansion never did that for you."
I reached my hand out to take hold of his, not breaking eye contact, "I appreciate the sentiment, Harry, but I told you before... Home is wherever you are."
He mirrored my beaming smile, squeezing my hand back and letting out a deep breath, finally fully relaxed, "Can I show you the rest?"
"Of course." I grinned, getting back up to my feet.
"So, it's a really old house that has quite a bit of land." Harry opened a side door that lead to the patio and the garden, and I squinted my eyes against the bright sunlight to see some grass fields.
Harry pointed to some land, "All of that's ours. We have room for... um, horses and sheep and goats. And chickens. Just like you had when you were a kid. There's also a pool, it's a bit more in the back."
"We're going to have animals?!" I squealed, almost jumping on the spot, "Oh my God, this is fucking fantastic."
Harry smiled at my enthusiasm and nodded, "Yeah, we'll get animals."
"The house isn't massive. It's got three bedrooms, so we could turn one into an office and then have a spare one. And it's got one bathroom and then a separate toilet downstairs, so nothing too fancy."
A three bedroom house. Nothing too fancy.
Harry showed me around the house some more, and I saw his bedding on the bed, along with my clothes in the drawers and some of my personal items on the nightstand. Pictures of me and Abby were hung up on the walls and there were a few more of Harry's paintings scattered around the house.
"Do you have room for a studio?" I asked.
Harry slowly nodded, "There's two sheds outside. I thought we could keep one for like the animal's food, and it could be where we keep the lawnmower and all. And then I'd turn the other one into a studio. But it needs a bit of renovating. It's nice, that way the whole house doesn't smell like paint."
I softly smiled at the idea of Harry mowing our lawn and tending to the garden and the animals.
"I can't believe you did this." I sighed while shaking my head, "This is such a nice house."
"I'm glad you like it, have been so nervous the past few days." He admitted and I chuckled, curling my arms around his neck as I hugged him.
I pressed a few kisses to his lips, but wasn't sure how on earth I could ever express my gratitude to him for something like this. I knew Harry was loaded and that money would never be an issue for him. He could easily buy ten of these houses and still not get money issues, but the thought that I could never ever do anything as nice for him as this... was frustrating.
"So Abby is okay with me moving out? You two made up then?" I asked as we sat down on the edge of the bed in the guest room.
"Yeah, it took her a while to answer my calls. Eventually she did, and she yelled at me for like fifteen minutes before I got the chance to speak."
I palmed my forehead, "Oh my God."
"But she listened to me and we talked for a bit, and she agreed to help me. She was convinced you'd like it, so I guess this is her way of saying she forgives me." Harry spoke.
I nodded, "I guess so."
"She really loves you." He added in a murmur, his hand reaching up to rest on my shoulder as he gently squeezed it. A small smile tugged on my lips as I nodded once more, "She does. This is... this is amazing."
I could feel myself getting emotional over the fact that my two favourite people worked together for a surprise this big for me. Abby obviously knew what my childhood home had looked like, since we had been friends forever.
This house was right up my ally, and it made me feel warm and cosy and I instantly felt like I belonged here, with Harry next to me.
"So," He cleared his throat as he shifted on the mattress, "I guess I'm formally asking you if you'd move in with me."
I cocked up an eyebrow as I bit my lip, "Is that so?" I teased.
"Mhm, that is... if you want to live with me."
"Well, what are some qualities that would make you a good roommate?"
Harry smirked, "Let me see... I'd cook every day, since you're shit at it. And the rule in this house is that we have sex at least once a day, so..."
"Insulting my cooking skills, are you?"
"There's one thing you're good at when it comes to cooking."
I rolled my eyes as I realized we had had this conversation once before, "Let me guess, desert served up on the counter?" I joked.
Harry slowly shook his head, "Nope. Pussy for breakfast, right here in this bed."
I let out a laugh as I shoved Harry's shoulder, making him fall backwards on the bed as he snickered. I wasted no time in climbing on top of him and his hands rested on my thighs.
"Yes." I let out a breath, "I'll move in with you, you idiot."
"Good, been making a mental list of all the places we need to christen."
***
"Are you nervous to see Abby?" I asked as Harry and I had our hands linked together, walking up to Tease.
Harry frowned, "Why? We made up, didn't we?"
"Have you seen her in the flesh since?"
"Yeah, she helped me decorate the house. I told you this." He seemed confused and I quickly nodded, "You're right, I'm sorry, everything's a bit jumbled from when you showed me the house. And she didn't kick you in the balls?"
"No, she didn't kick me in the balls." Harry chuckled, "I mean, she wasn't too excited to see me and was glaring at me throughout most of the day, but nothing more than that."
"And you're okay going to a club tonight?"
Harry's head turned sideways and his eyes dropped over my figure, "If it means seeing you dressed like this all night, then fuck yeah, I'm ready."
I rolled my eyes with a small smile, tugging slightly on the dress I was wearing. Abby insisted I dressed up to go to Tease tonight. Any other time I'd been there, I was either passing by after work or simply wore jeans and a shirt.
Tonight, I was wearing a dress. It was one of Abby's, because it was something I would never pick out for myself.
It was a red, linen minidress that only had a strap on one shoulder. It covered the burn scar pretty well, whilst leaving my other shoulder exposed. I paired it with my scale pendant, but couldn't help but wear my white Nike's rather than the pair of high heels Abby had asked me to wear.
I had been on the phone with her this morning, thanking her thoroughly for helping Harry with the house, and thanking her for being on board with our relationship once more.
Harry and I had spent yesterday evening in the house, discovering all its little quirks and nooks while getting settled there. We went for lunch at Louis and Eleanor's house today, and they had organized a little surprise for Harry, inviting all of his friends.
He had spent the afternoon catching up with Zayn, Liam and Niall while I watched him and felt my heart swell at how proud and happy I was these days.
It almost felt like something was going to fuck it up.
"Hi, name's Violet, we're on the list for Abby?" I smiled at the bouncer, who scanned the list in his hand before nodding and opening the door, "Come on in."
I tightly gripped Harry's hand, and his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when he saw the club. On a Saturday night, it was rather busy here.
People with collars and handcuffs on passed us by, dark make-up on their eyes and leather garments on their bodies. It was unconventional, yet I had never felt unsafe or preyed on here. It was as if people just didn't really care, and it was a nice change from all the other bars I usually went to.
Harry had decided to re-open the Mayfair in a few weeks. Liam was scouting new bartenders and staff while they were working on rebranding it together. In the meantime, it was still used as an office for meetings. Harry hadn't gone back to work yet, but he would pick up a few tasks around the mansion starting Monday, easing back into it.
"Vi!!" Abby's squealy voice grabbed my attention as she ran from around the bar to jump in my arms. The air got knocked out of me and I giggled as I hugged her back, not freaking out anymore about her hands being around me.
"Oh my God, thank you so much for the house, it's incredible, I love it so much." I spilled mindlessly as we were still engulfed.
She pulled back with a wide grin, "You're welcome. And you look fucking hot, by the way."
"Thanks." I snickered.
"Hi." She nodded at Harry, who had an amused look on his face, "Hi Abby."
"You guys want a drink? Harry, maybe a soda?"
He shook his head, "Nope, I'm drinking alcohol tonight."
I smiled sheepishly at Abby, who had a rather shocked look on her face, "Really?"
I nodded too, "Yeah, he's allowed."
"Beer for me, please." Harry smirked and I held up my finger, "For me too."
"Elliott!" Abby shouted to the boy behind the bar, "Two beers!"
I noticed how hard Harry tried to not look at Abby's half exposed body, and I cocked up an eyebrow when he cleared his throat as if he didn't really know where to put his eyes down. Most women here were pretty naked, and I knew he was doing everything in his power to make me comfortable and not look at another woman.
Once we were seated on the barstools with a beer in our hands, he looked more uncomfortable than ever. I leaned in to speak in his ear, "Harry, you can look at other people."
He shook his head, "I don't want to."
"I know. But you kind of look like you're having a stroke."
He rolled his eyes and glared, "Hey."
I shrugged in defence, "Sorry! But I don't mind if you look at someone else. I trust you."
Harry didn't say anything, but his hand closed around my throat and he pulled me into him, pushing his lips on mine in a soft, lingering kiss, "You're the fucking best person I've ever met." He sighed.
"Right back at you." I smiled with heated cheeks. His eyelid dropped down in a wink, and I swore the ground disappeared beneath my feet at how hard I was swooning right now.
No matter how long we were together, I still had that crush on Harry that made me weak in the knees whenever I looked at him.
"You must be Harry." I recognized Dan's voice from next to us, and saw him approaching us with a wide smile.
Harry cleared his throat and nodded, "Yeah, I'm Harry."
"I'm Dan, Abby's boyfriend." He extended his hand and Harry shook it, looking a little uncomfortable for God knows what reason.
"Nice to meet you. So, this place is yours?"
"Yes, it's mine." Dan nodded, glancing around the bar, "I heard you own a bar too?"
"Mhm," Harry nodded, "It's more North, it's called the Mayfair. But it's been closed for a bit, been working on rebranding it."
"Ah, yes, I've been there a few times. Do you have any idea what to do with it yet?"
Harry shrugged, "Not sure, been brainstorming." He took a sip of his beer, "Kind of want to do something... different. Not be like a mainstream bar, there's thousands of them in London already."
"Yeah," Dan nodded knowingly, "That's what I wanted with this club too. Bit of a risk, but eventually there's always a crowd for everything. If you want, I could help brainstorm a bit? Had a lot ideas for this place and not everything worked out, but it might work for you."
Harry raised his brows, "Um – really? I mean, yeah, sure." His face lit up a bit as he nodded, "Thanks."
I smiled at the interaction, taking a large sip of my drink before I felt a hand on my lower back. I turned around on the bar stool swiftly, seeing Max standing behind me. He shot me a smile, "Hey."
"Hi!" I grinned before turning around and putting my hand on Harry's shoulder, "Harry, this is Max. Max, Harry." I introduced the two of them.
Harry got up to his feet to shake Max' hands, "So... You're the guy who asked out my girlfriend?"
Oh shit.
"Harry." I whacked his shoulder, but he seemed unfazed, not taking his eyes off of Max, who curled his lips inside his mouth and slowly nodded, "Yeah. Sorry about that, I didn't know she was seeing someone."
They were still holding hands, and the tension around the room grew thick. Dan raised his brows at me, feeling the awkwardness and I rolled my eyes at Harry's behaviour. He could get so protective at times, and seemingly also jealous, while having no reason to.
"Glad to finally meet you," Max added, "Violet has told me a lot about you, mentioned you were getting out of Clarendale's yesterday."
"Mentioned?" Dan piped up before letting out a breath, "Hasn't bloody shut up about it for days."
"Hey!" I whacked his shoulder this time and Dan snickered, shaking his head. The small joke lightened the heavy air in the room. Harry and Max finally released each other's hands.
"Yes, got out yesterday morning." Harry slowly nodded. It was almost comical to see how awkward he was around men. He always had such a way with women, but it had occurred to me that Harry didn't actually know that many people.
All of his friends were in the gang, but outside of that, he didn't really have a large circle. I never really introduced him to people since Abby has always been my only friend basically.
"Well, good to see you back on your feet," Max spoke sincerely and I could tell Harry didn't really know what to do with this genuine kindness. He was always used to people using him for business or drugs, and most of his interactions involved work or the gang.
He didn't often just... let go for a night.
"And I know someone's very happy to see you here." Max teased, nudging his shoulder into mine. I rolled my eyes again, "Why is everyone acting like I was crying in a corner about Harry every time I've been here?"
The tension settled a bit, and Harry sat back down on his barstool, finishing up his beer and ordering another one. We had decided that I'd be the one driving us home tonight, that I'd be the one staying sober while he enjoyed himself.
Harry wasn't really one to get piss drunk any way. He handled his alcohol quite good, and the only side effect it had on him was that he got very touchy to an almost inappropriate level. He wasn't an emotional drunk, he wasn't an aggressive drunk.
I noticed Max doing tequila shots next to me and I raised my brows, "Rough week?"
He slowly nodded, "Actually, yes. Got sacked yesterday."
"What? You lost your job?! Why?"
"Mhm." He downed another shot, face scrunching up when the alcohol hit him, "They gave my class to another guy. He's the principle's nephew. I was the last one to join the team, so I'm the first one to go. It sucks, right before summer break. Most positions around the city have been filled by now."
I slowly nodded, "That really sucks, I'm so sorry. I'll... I'll keep my eye out for anything."
Max shrugged, "Not sure if I want to be a teacher anymore. Maybe I'll do something completely different."
An idea popped into my brain, "Do you want to work at Clarendale's?"
I noticed Harry's hand on my thigh stiffening, his nails digging into my skin but I ignored him. Max raised his brows, "At Clarendale's?"
"Yes. They're still looking for people to join the team in the underage wing."
Max scratched the back of his neck, "But I've got no experience in that field. I don't even have a degree in social work."
I shrugged, "Melissa doesn't care about that. She cares if you're good with the kids and have a passion for it. I could always recommend you."
"You'd do that?" He asked.
"Sure." I smiled, "You're always saying how interested you are in what I do. Why not try?"
Max diverted his eyes away from me to look at Harry, "Your girlfriend's an angel, you know that?"
Harry had a clenched jaw, as he forced an 'mhm' in agreement. His hand tight around his drink as he shot me daggers with his eyes.
Max walked away to go tell Dan, slightly stumbling over his feet as the alcohol clearly already hit him.
"What are you doing? He's going to be working with you?" Harry hissed as he leaned in to talk in my ear.
"Yes. Well, maybe. It's not a big deal."
"Violet, the guy is drooling over you and you just gave him the chance to see you for eight hours a day!" Harry exclaimed and I rolled my eyes, "He's not drooling! He's just a friend and I'm helping him out with a job, like I'd do for anyone in that situation."
He huffed, "Yeah right."
I narrowed my eyes at him, putting my drink down on the bar, "Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?"
"It's him I don't trust."
"That doesn't matter. If you trust me, that should be enough." I retorted, "I'd never cheat on you."
"He could persuade you." Harry shrugged and I had to bite my tongue hard to not throw his own infidelity back in his face. But that wasn't fair, and we both knew it.
"Yeah, cause I'm just that easy, aren't I? Going around fucking every guy who smiles at me?" I deadpanned. I got up to my feet and straightened out my dress, "You're behaving like an asshole. You can sulk here on this barstool like a five year-old, I don't care. I have never given you a reason to be insecure, I never even so much as look at other men. Now I'm going to have fun with my friend because I'm sick of your shit. Come find me when your tantrum is over."
I knew I had hit a sensitive nerve with the age comments, and Harry's eyes grew twice their size and darkened instantly at my outburst. As I turned around, he took hold of my wrist but I yanked it out of his grip without so much as looking at him. He didn't attempt to stop me as I walked away.
It showed me he didn't really want to stop me, since my strength was no match for his if he actually put all his force behind it. It showed me he knew deep down that I was right.
"Tequila please." I muttered to Elliott, the bartender, as I took place next to Abby. She had changed out of her work outfit and instead put on a leather miniskirt and a lace bodice, accentuating all her curves.
She cocked up an eyebrow and darted her eyes between me and a glaring Harry on the barstool, "Thought you weren't going to drink since you're driving?"
"Well, it's going to be a long night and I'm pissed off." I sighed, toppling back my shot and letting it run down my throat.
"What happened?"
"Harry's being a jealous prick for no reason." I sneered, feeling anger bubble up inside of me because of the fucking audacity of his accusations.
I knew Abby was thinking the same thing as me, but we were both too polite to say it out loud. When it came to trust and cheating, it was an argument that Harry would never win.
"Shit, look." Abby nudged her head to Harry and I turned around to see him, finishing his beer in two large sips before getting up to his feet and approaching Max. He leaned in and said something in his ear, and Max nodded before the two of them got engulfed in a conversation.
Dan left them alone to talk and I cocked up an eyebrow when I saw Harry's glaring and Max' defensive hands.
Oh boy.