The morning light was shining through my curtains in the bedroom brightly, waking me up from my warm, sleepy slumber.
I had no idea what time it was, but I was guessing it was later than usual because I hadn't gotten to sleep until 4am this morning... yeah, it was that bloody late that I had eventually dropped off.
Stretching out and hearing my back crack nicely, I reached out to my beside table and searched for my phone, my fingers brushing against it slightly.
Grabbing it, I picked it up and rolled onto my back, flicking the screen to life when it read 12.40pm.
Shit.
"Fuck's sake," I mumbled, groaning loudly and unappreciatively at my body's most recent failure.
Don't get me wrong, I loved a lie-in as much as the next person, but this was slightly ridiculous.
Forcing myself up, I pulled on my pyjama shorts from the drawer and pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail.
Normally, I wasn't bothered about the way I looked in the mornings (or afternoons, in this case) but seeing as Harry was here, I didn't want to look like shit in front of him- especially when he had the bloody DNA that made him look insanely good at 2am in the God damn morning.
Exiting my room and heading towards the bathroom, I had a quick wash and brushed my teeth, making sure I looked at least half human before leaving again.
I didn't apply make-up or anything like that, it was far too early for me to be fussing around with that sort of shit, but as long as my complexion and my hair looked good, I didn't care.
Walking back to my room, I grabbed my phone and halted on the spot when I saw a brand-new text message from Dan on my screen.
"Heyyyy sugartits, hope you're missing me as much as I'm missing you. Last night with the lads was fuckin' amazing. Hope you had a good night? Listen, I won't be home for a few hours, I'm stayin' up Cardiff for a while, but I'll be home about 7pm alright? I'll call you later. I love you. xxx."
I stared at my phone in disbelief.
7 fucking pm?!
So not only did he fuck off to Cardiff and leave me alone after my chemo session for a night out with the lads, but he's also now not coming home until 7pm?!
Was he seriously taking the piss?
Ignoring the text, I simply shut the thread off and locked my phone back up, throwing it onto my bed.
Fuck you.
Pulling the duvet over to make my bed, I purposely left my phone on it and slipped my feet into my comfy slippers, exiting my bedroom quickly.
I was seething, absolutely livid that my own boyfriend couldn't even be bothered to come home a little earlier so he could at least spend some time with me.
I mean, I knew I wasn't letting him come to my sessions and everything, and I didn't expect him to stay at home waiting for me... but I couldn't help but think that Harry was right yesterday.
What was wrong with him to just wait for me occasionally?
He had a right to go out, of course he did, but it was like he was avoiding me... who spends all weekend away from their girlfriend, honestly?
"Morning."
I stopped dead in my tracks, momentarily forgetting that Harry was still actually here.
While I was stewing, I noticed that the pathetic attempt of a bed I tried to make for him last night on the settee had already been made and everything (the spare quilt I had and the pillow) had been folded and placed nicely in the corner.
Seriously, what type of guy was he?
"Or should I say, afternoon." he grinned at me, "You slept for ages, I trust you slept well after our little rendezvous?"
I barely smiled at him, in fact, I didn't really acknowledge him at all.
"Iz, what's wrong?" he immediately asked me, his upper body on his frame towering over me, his firm yet steady hands now settling on my forearms; "Izzy?"
The initial shock had worn off a little now, but I was now feeling emotional and slightly on edge.
"It's Dan."
"Is everything alright?" Harry quickly responded, "Do you need to be somewhere or-"
I laughed, actually, I snorted and shook my head in response, sticking my tongue out in my cheek.
"Izzy... what's wrong?" he asked gently, "I can see you're upset, but I can't help you if you don't tell me."
"He's not coming home." I broke through, feeling the intensity of my rage kicking through my veins and bloodstream; "The selfish fucker has been away all weekend with his mates, having the time of his life and he's not coming home until tonight."
It was after this, that I took the chance I had to look at Harry, and even though I was absolutely seething, it was his calming nature and influence that melted me out of my rage.
"What time will he be home?" he asked almost timidly, and I flicked my eyes up to his, absorbing how exceptionally green they were today.
I swear, they were the greenest pair of eyes I had ever seen before in my life.
"He said 7pm..." I mumbled, "But that's not the point here, the point is-"
"Do you want to hang with me for the day?" he cut across, completely halting me to a standstill; "I mean, why sit around here all day waiting when you could be out having fun?"
I stared at Harry for a second, analysing how serious he was being.
There was no joking, no humorous look spread across his face and his jawline was completely slacked tight.
His upper body strength was so hard as he held onto my arms, I wondered for a second if he was the type of guy that worked out regularly because the way he was holding me right now was unbelievable.
But to look at him, you would think that there was nothing there of him because he looked like a long, streaky, lanky piece of piss and not really that strong at all.
How to judge a book by it's cover, hm?
I mean, you'd take one look at Dan and you just knew he trained... He looked like fitness, but Harry was something else. His strength was literally covered and bubbling up beneath the surface of his skin... and it was a very attractive trait to have.
"You know something?" I said finally, "You're right. You're absolutely right."
Harry smiled slightly, the tension easing from me rapidly, our eyes locked on one another.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked him, as he simply shrugged his shoulders.
"This is your home," he said slowly with a smile, "You show me."
***
Hearing the click in the latch, I pushed the door forward and entered my flat, hearing the beep of a horn behind me.
I turned on the spot, smiling and waving at Harry and Liam, just as he gestured to call him whenever I needed too.
I smiled brightly one more time, before quickly closing the door and resting my head against the glass, feeling the emptiness invade inside of me.
He was gone.
We had a lovely day together, and Harry made sure to keep me focused and occupied on what we were doing instead of wondering what the hell Dan was doing until 7pm.
I had decided to take Harry into town, deeming it safer there, as I could take him into a couple of the shops and then onto mumbles pier where we could walk along the beach in peace.
It wasn't like the shops and beaches that he was used to in LA (he told me all about his home there) but hey, this was my home and I loved it.
Next, he treated me to dinner (which I cursed at him for, but of course, Harry didn't listen and just kept grinning at me) and then we spent the rest of the evening sitting on the rocks on the hill overlooking the sea water that was beneath us.
It was a perfect end to a perfect day, and to thank him for being so bloody perfect, I slipped him my phone number.
I knew, deep down, I was playing a dangerous game, but I just couldn't help myself.
Harry had paid more attention to me than my own boyfriend, and I trusted him... I felt safe and wanted, and more importantly, somehow loved.
Harry loved spending time with me, whereas my own boyfriend obviously didn't... so what the hell did that say?
Afterwards, we then picked up Liam and Phoebe, who were also out together, dropped her off home before the boys then drove me back to my flat.
It had all come to an end so suddenly, and now I was back to reality.
Of course, in response to me giving him my number, Harry gave me his number in return.
Naturally, he was wary of giving it out, but I promised on my parents' grave that I wasn't that type of person, and I wouldn't give it out to anybody.
He said he didn't think that I would, but I saw the hesitant look on his face, so I knew that it meant a lot to him to give him number to me.
I didn't take offence to it though; I just accepted the fact that it was because of who he was... And that he hardly trusted anyone because of the business he was in.
Everyone except me.
I grinned at the thought, my fingers lingering to the necklace dangling against the crevice of my breasts above my shirt.
Touching it, I felt the blush rise to my cheeks as I recalled noticing it in the window of the shop... and gushed to Harry at how cute it would be if I had someone to share it with.
Don't get me wrong, Phoebe was my best friend, she was everything that I wanted and more, but she didn't like stuff like this... she often called me a soppy twat over sentiments like this.
I swear she had an emotional package of a rhino sometimes.
So here I was, standing in my hallway sharing one half of a necklace that conveyed us as "best friends", whilst the other half was with a man who had done more for me than anyone else had in my life... and the feeling made me exceptionally, blissfully happy.
"Where the fuck have you been?!"
Turning to my side, I saw Dan almost marching towards me, his upper body half arched rather angrily.
"It's fucking 11pm, Isabelle!"
I rolled my eyes, "I know what time it is, Dan."
He stared at me, utterly beside himself.
"Is that all you have to say for yourself? I've been sat in here since 7pm waiting for you and you didn't have the common decency to wait for me?"
Immediately, my back shot up.
"How fucking dare you-" I spat, "You piss off out all weekend, you text me to say you're coming home at 7pm and you're pissed at me because I wasn't here? What do you expect me to do Dan, sit around here and wait for you like a good little girlfriend?!"
"Yes!" He roared at me, "So where were the hell were you, huh?!"
"Fuck you." I muttered, simply pushing past him, and carrying my one bag through to the front room.
Immediately, I thought of Harry, seeing the folded over quilt and pillow on the side.
I cursed myself, knowing that I should have put it away because now Dan knew that someone had stayed over... and he was going to be relentless in questioning me about it.
"Don't fucking walk away from me, Isabelle!"
I winced at him grabbing my arm, because it was the arm that was used for my chemo sessions and immediately, I cried out, pushing him back with all my might and strength with my other arm.
"You asshole, that's my fucking chemo arm!" I cried at him, gasping out loudly as the throbbing became a little more sensitive.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" he stammered, "Bells, I-"
"No, you don't fucking mean to do anything do you Dan?!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" He yelled back at me, "Excuse me for giving a shit about your welfare, then!"
"Giving a shit?!" I retorted, "You don't care about me, Dan! If you did, you wouldn't have pulled this stunt this weekend-"
"You KNEW I was going out, you SAID I could go-" he fought back, "Make up your fucking mind!"
"Yeah, and THEN I expected you to at least come home to me at a reasonable time so we could have our time together, but you didn't want to come home! So, guess what Dan, I didn't want to stay home alone either, so I went out."
"You went... out?"
I nodded.
"With who?"
I bit my lip for a second, knowing that I had made myself a gigantic hole that I was still digging myself into.
I didn't want to lie, but at the same time, I didn't want him to know about Harry either... he was my clarity, my saviour, and my sanity right now, and I wasn't going to let Dan take that away from me.
Not to mention he would absolutely flip if he knew I spent most of my weekend with another man, let alone had him here in my flat.
"Phoebe and some of the girls." I eventually responded, as his eyes lingered towards my chest.
I was fiddling with my necklace again.
"I suppose that explains that, then." He replied, gesturing towards my chest; "Look, baby, I'm sorry. I just got held up and-"
I didn't want to hear it, honestly, I didn't.
"Dan, leave it. I'm tired, exhausted and I just want my bed. We'll deal with this tomorrow." I said in a huff, leaving him standing there while I escaped to the bedroom.
I stripped out of my clothes instantly, pulling on my pyjamas and taking my brush to pull through my hair.
I was still relatively angry at Dan, but I couldn't face the matter anymore... so I simply went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and looked in the mirror.
It was there, that I finally smiled at myself, feeling the happiness ride through my veins as thoughts of Harry flooded my mind completely.
He made me feel alive, completely, and utterly alive.
We had a wonderful day together once again, and I was grateful to have him in my life.
Really, truly.
Turning the light out, I watched as Dan nervously and timidly got into bed, his mind obviously working overtime wondering if he was even welcome in here... but I wasn't that type of girlfriend.
I wasn't going to kick him out of the bed, never mind the bedroom.
Picking up my phone to set my alarm, I stalled silently when I saw an unknown number with a text displayed on my screen.
My heart dropped and started to beat incredibly fast, because even though I didn't know who the text was from, I knew who it was from deep down in my heart.
"Hey Izzy, it's me. Just checking in to make sure you're okay. Remember what I said earlier, anytime, anywhere, any place... I'll always be there for you. Thank you for a wonderful weekend, see you soon, I hope. Harry. xxx."
I grinned, so hard.
"Hey stranger... now that I've added your number, I will now know who you are. Thank you, Harry. Really, thank you... and thank you for saving me this weekend. I hope to see you soon too. Iz xxx."
"Are you coming to bed already or what?" Dan shot at me in a huff, yet just as I turned the light off, my phone vibrated against the table again; "Who is texting you at this time of night?"
"Phoebs." I said back shortly, picking it straight back up and reading Harry's response back.
Lie number two.
"You don't need to be saved, Iz. You just need to get out more and enjoy life... make the most of it out there. And you will, with me. Promise. xxx."
I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, honest to God.
"I look forward to it immensely Mr Styles... goodnight, sweet dreams. Safe travel back, please text me to let me know you got back safe. xxx."
"I will... goodnight, and I hope yours are sweeter than mine. Missing you already. xxx."
I bit my lip, hearing Dan huff beside me as I continued to text "Phoebe".
"Missing you too, Harry. xxx."
And with that, I quickly shut my phone off and put it back onto the table, hearing Dan mutter a "finally", before going off to sleep... but I, on the other hand, couldn't take my glare off the ceiling- or the permanent smile that Harry had securely planted on my face.