Jailen
Waking up in my own apartment didn't feel as good as I thought it would.
My chest still felt heavy as I rolled over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. I rubbed over my face and sighed, frowning when the roughness of the ace bandage scratched my cheek. My phone dinged on my nightstand but I ignored it, already knowing it was Harry.
He'd been texting me all night. I didn't know what the messages said because I didn't want to read them. I didn't want to talk to him right now. Or any time soon actually. I don't know what his problem was, nor did I care. Or at least that's what I convinced myself. Mainly because I didn't have the energy to figure it out and every time I did try to figure it out, the weight in my chest only got heavier. Were my feelings hurt? No, of course not. Why would my feelings be hurt over a man I'd known all of, what, four days? I'm fine.
"Perfectly fine," I mumbled to myself as I pulled the blankets off of me and got up from the bed.
I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator, shaking my head when I realized I still hadn't gone grocery shopping. That's how all of this shit started. All because I needed fucking groceries. Groceries I still hadn't purchased.
Wait a minute...
I sat my water bottle down on the counter and raced out of the kitchen. I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand and unlocked it, swiping away all of the notifications with Harry's name, and opening my banking app. I shifted nervously on my feet as my phone buffered and my knees nearly went weak at the five digits that showed on my screen.
$15,000 transferred from Harry Styles 2d ago
I dropped my hands to my sides and breathed out a chuckle. I was in disbelief, I'd forgotten all about the point of this arrangement. Never in my life had I seen this much money. Not in my own account. It made me nervous. It made me excited.
I moved quickly. I got dressed and was out the door in record time. The weather was nice today and even though I now had the funds to call an Uber, I decided to walk. The grocery store wasn't that far from where I lived, at least not far enough to be considered out of range.
It didn't take me long to enter the blocks where the strip of shops was. Of course, it was crowded here, I should've expected that. I paused in front of one of the stores, the mannequins in the window catching my attention. I hummed. I suppose a little shopping wouldn't hurt, right? My phone dinged in my purse again and I rolled my eyes as I blindly reached into my purse and put it on silent before making my way into the store.
The worker greeted me and I smiled in return. I could feel myself becoming anxious. I hated shopping. After a while, I became claustrophobic and sweaty and irritable. Especially when nothing looked right on my body but I was determined today. I was leaving out of here with something, even if it was small.
I wandered around the shop for a moment, just taking in everything and I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't look at any prices.
I started off with a few shirts, oversized, cropped, and a couple of tanks. Then I passed a rack of jewelry and I settled on a few sets of rings. I saw a necklace with the letter H on it and my throat tightened for a brief second, and as if on cue, my phone vibrated again. Still, I ignored it and continued about. I grabbed a pair of jeans and two pairs of leggings before I stopped and looked at the items piling in my hands. This was enough. I had to carry this stuff back home.
I made my way to the register and sat the items on the counter.
"Find everything you needed today?" The cashier asked, scanning the items and tossing the hangers behind her.
I nodded and grabbed my wallet out of my purse, "I did, thank you."
I didn't bother looking at the price when she was finished and my hands shook as I inserted my card into the machine. I entered my pin. Four numbers, loading circle, declined.
I frowned and breathed out a chuckle, "Let me just-" I took the card from the machine and inserted it again. Same thing, four numbers, loading circle, declined. This couldn't be right. I glanced up at the cashier and rolled my lips into my mouth, "Give me one second."
"It says your account was... frozen?" She said, confused as she glanced at the screen of her computer.
"That's not- what do you mean?" I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows. I pulled my phone from my purse and quickly opened my banking app. But I'd been logged out of my account. I typed in my username and my password, only for a small box to appear on my screen telling me that my account had been frozen.
My face heated in embarrassment. Of course, this would be my luck. I finally had the money to shop and now my account was fucked. I sent the cashier an apologetic smile and began gathering the items so I could assist her in putting them back, but when I backed away, I bumped into someone.
"I got it," Harry's voice sounded in my ears and he reached past me to insert his card into the machine. The familiar smell of his cologne made me shiver and I held my breath as he put his other hand on my waist. I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder and he smiled down at me, "Hi, sweetie."
I narrowed my eyes at him, realization washing over me. I inhaled deeply through my nostrils and closed my eyes. I shrugged his hand off of me and stepped aside, folding my arms across my chest as the cashier bagged my items. He stared at me as he leaned his elbow on the counter, an unreadable expression on his face behind that smug smirk.
The machine beeped, signaling for him to take his card out but he didn't. He kept his eyes on me, the tension rising as he bit his tongue and the machine beeped repeatedly. I reached past him and snatched the card from the reader, glaring at him as the cashier sat the bags on the counter.
"Thank you," I mumbled to her before walking towards the exit. He paid, he can carry the shit.
I pushed through the door, a little too hard because the glass shook against the hinges but I didn't care as I made my way down the street. I could hear Harry chuckle behind me as he exited the store.
"Jailen, come here!" He called out to me but I kept walking. He cursed and then there were footsteps. He ran towards me and I sped up, but he was quicker. He grabbed my arm and I shrugged him off of me, "Jailen cut it out!"
I slapped his hand away when he grabbed me again but this only pissed him off more. He grabbed the back of my shirt and my shoulder before he spun me around and shoved me into the nearest wall.
"Why would you fucking lock my account, Harry?" I yelled, glaring up at him.
"Because you didn't answer your fucking phone, Jailen. Why were you ignoring me?" He yelled back, catching the attention of a few of the people passing by.
I pushed at his chest, my back stinging from being pushed against the concrete wall, "I didn't want to talk to you! You don't know how to take a fucking hint?"
He frowned and even behind his glasses, if looks could kill, I'd be dead, "You don't get to ignore me, Jailen. When I call, you answer. That's how this shit works."
"Fuck you!" I tried to push past him but he grabbed me and held me in place, even when I hit his chest, "Let me go!"
"You're causing a goddamn scene," He mumbled and wrapped his hand around my arm. He yanked me away from the wall and dragged me in the opposite direction which I was walking towards. I fought against his hold but that only made him squeeze me tighter.
He walked quickly, ignoring everyone who stopped and stared as he practically carried me to the car. He opened the passenger door and sat me in the seat. I put my foot out against the door to keep him from closing it and he glared at me, grabbing the back of my knee and trying to put my foot back into the car. I pushed his hand off of me and he huffed, "Move your fucking foot before I break it, Jai!"
I shrunk a little due to his tone and he used the opportunity to put my foot into the car before he slammed the door shut and walked around to get in the driver's seat. He sped away from the curb, not bothering to put his seatbelt on. He ran multiple stop signs which earned a few frustrated honks from the cars he cut off.
I huffed, the anger that was radiating off the both of us making the car unbearable. I turned in my seat and glared at him, watching as his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, "Take me home."
"Shut up, Jailen." He murmured.
"Harry!" I yelled, leaning closer to him, "Take. Me. Home! Now!"
The car screeched to a stop and I put my hand out of the dashboard to catch myself from flying forward.
He got out of the car and walked around to my side. He pulled open the door harshly, "Get the fuck out the car." He didn't give me a chance to respond before he was grabbing me and pulling me out of the seat. I fought against him still until he slammed the door shut and pushed me against the car, "What the fuck is your problem?"
"Right now? It's you!" I repeated his words from yesterday, my throat burning as I held back the tears threatening to spill.
He tilted his head back, "That's what this is about? Grow up, Jailen."
"You don't get to give me the cold shoulder and expect me to come running when you call. Who the hell do you think you are?" I swallowed harshly, feeling betrayed by myself as the back of my eyes burned. I looked around, noticing we were standing in front of my apartment building.
He didn't say anything for a few seconds, his chest heaving roughly, "Get upstairs, Jai. Let's talk."