EDITED BY: _Rose
I flip my hair to one side and button my blouse up. I probably am overdressed for just a dinner but Niall said his friends were kind of rich and snobby, so I suppose they're gonna come in expensive suits and elegant ties. At least that's how I imagine rich people attending dinners. I gasp when the doorbell rings and rush downstairs. My skirt is a bit tight but not too much so I can at least breath, even if it embraces half of my stomach.
''Roy?'' I call and he pops out from the kitchen, his huge paws touching the floor in total silence. I escort him outside in the backyard and ask him to stay put as I go greeting my guest. Niall is totally stunning in his long sleeve flannel shirt with a nice jacket over it that shows up his few chest hair, his hair is skilfully styled, his jeans are tight and blue as the colour of his eyes now. I'm just glad I'm wearing my Vans, because otherwise I would have felt out of place. He fixes his sleeves so that now his forearms are on display and he offers me one. I grab my coat and follow him.
***
Once we get to Niall's house and he helps me out of the car, I take a moment to admire the beauty of this place. It's not as big as the Styles' residence but it has its charm, with the long columns that welcome you in the porch and the lights that give it a very romantic halo. For a moment, I really feel like a princess as he escorts me inside. We reach the living room and Niall stops by the door turning to look at me but my phone goes off and I have to excuse myself to answer.
''Hello?''
''Jade? It's Missus Alice, I just wanted to tell you, I'm expecting you tomorrow morning for re-assuming your own place. I won't tolerate any delay, so you better-'' I cut her off too confused.
''Missus Alice but you have fired me.'' I call her out and she puffs in frustration, I know she's annoyed by me.
''Believe me, I recall that perfectly fine. My memory still works.. but apparently there has been... a mistake, I suppose you could thank your friend for clearing that up to me. He has been really convincing.'' she ends, hanging up.
I throw my phone into my beg and try to process what has just happened. I stroll to where I left Niall and when I set foot in the huge room, four people are already sited. I only recognize the boy Niall waved at that day at the party with his short hair and very fit body. The other three remain unknown.
''I thought you were going to let us starve, Niall.'' The taller boy pads him on the back before giving him a bear hug that makes me wonder how in hell Niall manages not to disintegrate.
''That will never happen.'' he assures his friend and then points at me.
''This is Jade.'' I stick my hand out and the bear boy shakes it with such gentleness that I remain pleasantly surprised.
''Nice to meet you Jade. I'm Liam.'' he simply states and then winks at me before moving aside and let the dark, much shorter boy, getting closer.
''I'm Zayn.''
''Jade'' I answer back and let Niall taking me to the girls. God, I wish they would have stayed comfortable in their seats, since the second they stand up, I feel like a mouse surrounded by giraffes. Pretty ,beautiful ones too.
''Where's prince charming?'' Liam questions sitting finally down at the round table. I sit right next to Niall, in front of Liam and Zayn and their relative escorts.
''He had things to do, you know the lad. He's always running up his father's ass, no news.'' Niall dismisses the question by rubbing his hands together to call the waitress.
This is when the door opens and Harry comes in. Long hair pushed back in a very nice way, with curls falling on his shoulder; green eyes burning with strong emotions as they look up and instantly meet my own. He's so beautiful, so elegant and magnificent he seems a piece belonging to the endless collections of Greek statues adorning this house perimeter, instead of a living person. But my peaceful exploring of Harry's body is interrupted by the entrance of the last guest of the evening. And let me tell you, if I thought Harry was beautiful, she was on another level of perfection with her light brown hair and this sweet gaze that doesn't put you in embarrassment or let you feel less important. I remember thinking Karen was stunning, yet this girl is just the quintessential of an angel.
''You made it!'' Niall whistles throwing the napkin on the table and standing up.
''Could I ever miss Zayn's welcome-back reunion?'' He distractedly fires back. Niall doesn't notice the hardness in his eyes, he doesn't see how angry he is, but I do.
''Jade, come and meet Grace.'' Niall calls for me and I whiten not ready. Nevertheless, I force myself to contain my disappointment and just monotonously stick to the normal gestures.
''Hello.'' She smiles looking down at me. "Nice to meet you, I'm Grace, Grace Williams.''
''You're American?'' I point out not sure and she pleasantly nods.
''Yes, I am. Made and raised in the USA.''
Harry comes join us and I catch his gaze on me as he slowly encircles Grace's waist with his hand. He is killing me with just that simple gesture, declaiming the possession of that flawless girl clearly pointing out that I will never be at her level, not even if I try with everything I have. Yet that is not all, what Harry does next it's ten times worse. He catches my hand with his free arm and gives it one sharp shake before letting it fall back. He then turns to his Grace as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
''Shall we go take our places?'' He gently whispers and Grace licks her red lips as she lets Harry leading her.
''Are you okay?'' Niall inquires and I wake up from my dream, not knowing if I truly am or not. I answer positively anyway. Grace takes the spot next to me and Harry the one at her right, immediately placing his hand over her thigh in a very intimate way. Another blow, another piece of heart shattered. The food comes soon and I am so grateful because I have no intention to talk with anyone, but apparently Grace is not on the same page. The thing is, how could you even hate such kind girl as she is?
''So Jade, it's Jade right? Where have you and Niall have met?'' She wonders implying, of course, that me and Niall are in a relationship. Harry is now blankly staring at his red wine glass, tracing the edges with his forefinger, looking distracted but I know that expression, he's listening even more attentively than usual.
''We met at a party.'' I politely explain and Niall leans in smiling at me before eyeing Grace.
''She was reading a book outside the house being the loner that she is.'' Niall sweetly bumps into my shoulder and I smirk at the adjective loner because that is exactly what I am.
''You read? How impressive!'' Harry booms from the other side and I slowly raise my eyebrow at him. Grace too turns to give him a confused look.
''Why?'' Zayn wonders. I almost forgot we are not alone here. ''She looks enough smart to enjoy the company of a book.''
''I don't know.. she didn't give me the same impression I suppose. No offence.'' he evilly grins at me and I grab the glass of water.
''Oh, none taken.'' I mumble falsely smiling.
''And what family are you from?'' Cara, the blond girl, asks and I almost spit in my plate. What does this mean? What family am I from? Harry catches the remark and answers for me, she just gave him the chance to humiliate me even more.
''Oh, she doesn't belong to any family of the ones we know. I doubt she does even know any of them.'' he utters a little quieter, not enough for me to miss it unfortunately.
''Excuse me?'' I blurt out too loud causing Harry to meet my gaze, challenging me to blow up the cover he has created for God knows what reason. Is he ashamed of me isn't he? This explains why he didn't ask me to come to this party, this explains why he didn't text once me since this morning.
''You're saying she's not rich?'' Cara raises an eyebrow in a very funny grimace and Harry ducks his head back in that way I hate because he thinks he's the superior one who is always right.
''Exactly, she's one of them...You know?'' Harry disrespectfully addressees poor people as them curling his nose in disgust. I feel so hurt by this, just like I did the first time we met. It's like everything we have been through has just been erased in that one look he gave me the second he set foot here.
''I don't see the problem Harry. There's something wrong about her not being wealthy?'' Niall hastily states expecting Harry to come back with some smart answer but he simply waves his head in superiority as the brat that he is and mumbles a '' Nothing, of course.'' even though you can clearly tell it bothers him till no end.
''Now I'm curious though..'' Zayn joins in, intertwining his fingers together. ''What type of work do you do? Excuse me the question but none of us work and I'm terribly interested.''
''Well, I am a maid.'' I say so that everyone can understand, feeling so uneasy as they all glare at me.
''A maid?'' Cara repeats '' You mean those girls who go up and down changing sheets and dusting the furniture?'' Harry giggles and takes a sip on his drink before replying.
''Oh, exactly. And also cleaning bathrooms.''
''But did you ever go to school?'' She digs deeper into the manner and I try my best not to look offended.
''Of course I did. I'm working to pay my college rent, actually.''
''College!'' Grace exclaims to help me, I suppose. ''I've always wanted to go there but my family had other plans for me so I suppose I never will. What college?'' She wonders with her blue eyes pointing direct into my soul.
"Oxford.''
'' Hold on, you have been admitted there?'' Zayn widens his eyes and Liam shakes his finger in approval.
'' Told you she was smart!'' He scolds the lads and Niall nonchalantly rests his arm around my chair.
''Just because someone is not born in prosperity, doesn't mean they have to stay poor or uneducated.'' Niall clarify and Kendall, Liam's date, agrees with her head.
''I've attended Harvard for a couple of years then got bored with it and just told my father to fuck off. I am not going to spend my evenings bent over a book I will never understand. But I admire people like you Jade, I truly do.''
I open my mouth to thank Kendall, although Harry stops me once again.
'' Why would you? We can have everything we want without working for it, isn't it cool?'' In that moment I want to vomit over his expensive boots and kick his ass for saying the exact thing everyone was expecting him to say. I know what he is doing; he is acting for his crowd. I also noticed that none of the guests find strange these type of comments coming from Harry's mouth, meaning he must use them very often, perhaps too much. Looking at him now, you would say I've let him fooled me completely. I mean, I remember the boy who got all his back burnt just to save one of those people he's assuring he disrespect with all his soul and I know that's the real him. Still it doesn't make me less angry at him for pointing out my flaws and making fun of them.
This is why I finally decide to fire back. No chance I'll let him make a fool out of me.