Isabella
Harry and I haven't talked much since the gala. I've seen him at dance when he drops off Ottie and we'll be cordial with each other, but he told me he's giving me time to cool off. I think he wants to have a conversation about what happened at some point before we get back to having sex.
That's the mature option anyways. Talking out problems instead of letting them fester. Granted, Chris never did that. Chris hated talking things out, but then again look where we ended up. It all boiled over until I left.
I don't want that to be the situation with Harry. Not even because of the money, but he's kind to me. He treats me with respect and puts up with my bullshit. Maybe it's because he's so much older and has more patience, whatever it is, I like having him around. He's stable and I think I need that in my life, especially right now.
A part of me wants to reach out and ask him if we're okay. I mean, he did drop off the morning after pill at the apartment like he promised. I just hate to think that he's mad at me. He didn't do anything wrong, he just wanted to get to know me and I closed up. It was just an instinct.
Kat and Brynn finally were able to take time out of their busy schedules to hang out. They wanted details about the gala and Kat especially wanted to know what is going on between Harry and I.
Sitting on the couches with some hot chocolate, we caught up on the last week and a half of each other's lives. It's hard to believe that it's already December, time just flies by.
Unfortunately, the conversation quickly turns back to me. Those two can't make a conversation stretch longer than five seconds. Between Brynn not telling me anything to do with Afterlife because of Chris and Kat saying that she doesn't have anything to really update about because she works a boring office job, apparently I'm the only one with an interesting life.
Who would've guessed?
"I don't have much of a life either." I joke with a sarcastic sigh.
They roll their eyes at me, and Brynn shoves my arm with a smile. "Oh please. Out of the three of us here, only one was plastered on the front page of every tabloid and newspaper."
I turn to Kat with a smile, "You were on the front page?" That earns me another playful shove. "Fine, fine. What do you want to know?"
"Was Ryan Reynolds there?" Brynn asks. Was he? I honestly have no clue who was actually at that event.
"No. At least, I didn't see him there. However your bestie Alessandro was there. He's so sweet, we talked so much."
"And what about Harry?" Kat asks, a light smirk on her lips.
"He was good. It was much better than that god awful golf event. We actually had a really nice night together." I shrug, taking a sip from my hot chocolate.
"So why have you been avoiding talking about him or that night like the plague?"
Biting my lip, I weigh my options. Lie or tell the truth. Tell them that I freaked out and he left before I wandered off into the city in the middle of a cold night. Clearly they know something is up between us and my hesitation to answer only proves them right.
With a shrug, I scratch my nail against the ceramic mug in my hand. "It was just a rough week. You know this time of the year is hard for me..."
Kat nods understandingly and Brynn puts her hand comfortingly on my knee. "Did he ask?"
Thank god I didn't have to say it. "In a way. But enough about that. He told me about his ex." I'll always take an opportunity to deflect and not talk about my feelings. The girls know that too, which is why they are more than happy to move on.
"Really? How did that come up?" Brynn asks, settling in for the gossip. Sure Harry and I aren't dating, but it's fun talking about exes and putting pieces together. It's not every day that you get a first hand account of how a rich CEO became a single father.
"We were at an event and someone brought her up and he shut it down super quick but I let my curiosity win and asked him about it after." Maybe I'll leave out the part that it was part of pillow talk after sex in our secret sex apartment.
Kat and Brynn are eager to hear what I've learned, both just as surprised as I was when I found out about Adriana stealing millions of dollars from him and abandoning their daughter when she was a little baby. Brynn had a colorful choice of words for her, but it was what we were all thinking.
I can't imagine going through nine months of pregnancy and giving birth just to abandon my child. Especially over something as stupid as money. All the money in the world doesn't even come close to being surrounded by family. To give up a family and the world's most amazing father just for his riches, it's just worthless to me. All the money in the world couldn't make me leave my own family.
Ottie has no idea what it's like to have a mom. I'm sure she has plenty of female figures in her life like Harry's sister or her nanny, but none of that even comes close to having a mom. The one woman in the world with the most magical kisses and who knows you down to your core. Not having a mom is the most devastating feeling in the world, yet I'm not even sure Ottilie knows that.
At least she has Harry. He really is the perfect father, especially for a rich guy. I think he makes up for the fact that she doesn't have a mom. It's just him and Ottie against the world.
Before I could spiral too far into the deep abyss of having no parents, I refocus on the conversation at hand. It shifts from Harry's ex wife to the gala since the girls want every little detail. Brynn was very disappointed to learn that President Joe Biden was in fact not in attendance. However Kat wanted all the details on what Bradley Cooper was wearing.
It's clear as I explain that this event went a lot better than the golf thing Harry dragged me to. Kat didn't hear the end of it for at least a week since it annoyed me so badly. But this time, I don't have much to complain about other than that rude lady that brought up Adriana.
Pulling out her phone, Kat decides to look up Harry online to see what people are saying about us. The red carpet pictures have been making their rounds in the news, and I'm sure they're all over social media. I try my best to avoid the online world, but the girls on the other hand love to send me articles whenever I'm mentioned. I've become their new favorite piece of pop culture.
"Woah..." She mumbles, becoming super interested in whatever's come up. Her brows furrow as she reads whatever is on her phone.
"What?" I ask, scooting over to get a better look at her phone.
"Look at the first article." She points with her nail at a headline that makes my stomach nearly fall out of my ass.
Soon to be billionaire Harry Styles honored at gala and debuts new girlfriend.
"Billionaire?!" Oh fuck.
"Did you know, Iz?"
I shake my head rapidly, grabbing the phone out of her hand to click into the article. That has to be a typo. He's only told me he's a millionaire. The further down I read, the more I realize that this isn't a lie or a dream. Harry's really about to become a billionaire. Soon.
"It says his company has just merged with another big company and that he's set to make millions off the deal which will officially push him over to billionaire status." I could throw up.
When he told me he was a millionaire I thought maybe he meant like ten million or at most one hundred million. Not nine hundred and ninety nine million.
"A fucking billionaire. My best friend is fucking a billionaire! Oh Iz, you have to get pregnant."
I look at Brynn with wide eyes. Thank god I took that Plan B because there's no way in hell I'm having a billionaire's kid. "I'm not getting pregnant! And need I remind you of the last woman who tried to get access to his money?"
"Yeah, she stole millions and he let her."
"Brynn, she's not having a child to get access to his money. He'd make her sign shit anyways, there's no way he'd leave himself vulnerable like that again." Kat thankfully is on my side with this one.
"Okay so now what? He's gonna be a billionaire probably by the end of the month and he didn't tell you?"
"Well I don't make a habit of asking him his financial status. I just thought he was a rich guy, maybe a couple million but like, not a billion!"
"Do you think he was keeping it from you on purpose? I mean, I don't think you close on a major deal and then not tell your girlfriend that you're gonna be a billionaire. This article is from a few days ago and he clearly knows his merger went through."
"Maybe he thinks you know already. I mean you look up his name and it's everywhere."
My head spins at how insane this situation is. But of course Harry wouldn't tell me that he's gonna be a billionaire. I get paid bi-monthly and our arrangement is only supposed to last like four more months. But it's not like I can just tell that to the girls, then I'd really be breaking our contract.
I'm actually fucking a billionaire.
"I mean we aren't even that serious yet. I don't expect him to tell me stuff like that, especially after how his last relationship ended. He's probably really guarded when it comes to his finances and I don't blame him." Thank god I can use his crazy ex wife as a scapegoat right now.
"You should ask him about it though. Maybe he was just waiting for everything to be definite? Maybe he doesn't count his money until it's in his bank account." Kat does her best to be the voice of reason.
But to make matters worse, Harry finally decides to call me. As the girls continue to talk about Harry's newfound financial status, I build up the courage to actually answer the phone. I think my life is a joke.
"Guys, guys!" I yell over them. "Shut up! It's him!" They immediately quiet down so I can pick up the phone.
"Hey." I hope he can't tell we were just talking about him. That would be really embarrassing. Does he have my phone bugged?
"Hey... How've you been?" He sounds tired, but also as if he's being extra cautious around me.
"Um, okay, I guess... How about you? I feel like we haven't talked in a while..."
He sighs, "I'm sorry it's been so quiet on my end, work has been kicking my ass. I've barely had time to spend with Ottilie. I think you've seen her more than I have this week."
Yeah, I know. You're busy becoming a billionaire. "Oh, no problem. I get it... Is everything okay at work?"
"Everything's fine. It's just been back to back meetings that run so late. But listen, I just wanted to call because this upcoming week I don't think that I'll be able to get to the apartment, I'm gonna be working late and Mel's gonna be dropping Ottie off at the studio. I just wanted you to hear it from me beforehand."
"Oh. O-okay. Yeah, that's okay..." It's hard to hide the disappointment in my voice. I shouldn't have freaked out on him like that. I should've just opened up. Now he's just avoiding me. Sending his daughter's nanny to drop her off at the studio so he can avoid me as much as possible.
"But, I was hoping you had the eleventh free to go out? I'm getting about two weeks off starting then and I want to make up for all this time. Whatever you want to do, I'm completely free by then."
Well I wasn't expecting that. "Yeah, that sounds good, I'm definitely free. I guess I'll let you know where we can go or something."
"Awesome! I'm looking forward to it. I'll be in touch with you and I'm gonna try my very best to get Ottie to dance by myself on Wednesday. I really just want to see you and talk in person and check in." I can hear the slight smile in his voice and can almost picture him relaxing behind his big desk.
"Yeah, of course. Don't sweat it though, if you can't make it then we can talk on the eleventh."
"Of course. I'll text you later tonight, alright?"
"I'm sure you will. Talk to you later, H."
When the phone call ends, Brynn and Kat look at me expectantly. Both look slightly disappointed that we weren't all lovey-dovey on the phone and they can't even hide it. Harry's just a serious guy. Plus, you know, we aren't actually in a relationship.
Brynn doesn't hold back. "You two have been dating for like two months now and that is how you talk on the phone? It's like you just met yesterday!"
"Brynn!" Kat chastises her, eyes wide in shock that she just went there like that.
"We were both thinking it!" She defends herself, looking to me for an answer.
Oh I'm weaving myself a dangerous web right now. One that is going to be very hard to climb out of when this contract is over. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.
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