-Everly
His lips.
I can't stop thinking about them.
How they felt. How they tasted. How one simple kiss from them seemed to make my body come alive.
They were pink. And plump. And somehow fit together with mine like they were made to do just that.
Harry Styles was like a drug to me. I've taken my first hit and I'm already completely addicted. Unable to think of anything other him.
And those lips...
"Everly!"
I jump, startled as I'm pulled from my thoughts.
"Sorry." I smile weakly, sitting up straight in my chair.
"Is there something wrong? You've been off all day."
"No." I shake my head. "Just... have some finals coming up. My mind is a bit preoccupied I guess."
"I don't like your schooling interfering with our relationship. Would you like me to get you a tutor?" Carter asks, taking a sip from his drink.
"No, thank you. I'll do fine."
"Very well. Now, as I was saying, I need you to go to Styles gym tonight and drop something off. He'll be there training."
"Couldn't Bridgette drop it off?" I ask, knowing I shouldn't put myself in a position to be around Harry alone again.
No matter how much I'd like to be, it's far to dangerous. He's far to dangerous.
"No, I think Bridgette has proved she's not up to the task. Besides, you'll be dropping it off to Jackson Decker, not Styles." He pushes an envelope across the table to me.
"What's in it?" I tentatively pick it up.
"Instructions."
"What kind of..."
"Darling." He cuts me off, placing a hand over mine. "You know I don't like when you ask so many questions. Just deliver the envelope to Jackson tonight at 6 pm."
"Fine." I purse my lips in annoyance.
"Good girl." He grins, squeezing my hand. "All the others fail me Everly, but not you. Never you."
I nod, looking away from his stern gaze as he stands up. "I'll expect you back this evening. You'll stay the night."
"I can't. I need to prepare for finals." I lie, folding my hands in my lap to hide how they're shaking.
He stops next to my chair, towering over me. Making me feel small as he always does. Like I have no control.
"You'll stay the night." He repeats sternly, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I'll see you this evening."
He doesn't wait for me to respond, instead leaves me sitting in the middle of the restaurant.
Numerous eyes staring at me, having heard him order me around like a child. I take a long drink of my water before standing, a waiter suddenly appearing and pulling out my chair for me.
"Thank you." I give him a polite smile, trying to ignore the sympathetic look on his face.
"Of course Miss. Will there be anything else you need?"
"Could you call a taxi for me?"
"I can get one of Mr. Carter's cars for you if you'd like." He offers.
"No, just a taxi is fine."
"I would Miss, but I was instructed to escort you to one of his cars when you leave." He frowns nervously. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." I shake my head, placing the envelope Carter gave me into my bag.
No matter how much I'd like to ignore another one of his orders, I know it would only end in the waiter losing his job and Carter growing suspicious of me.
I've been nothing but the perfect girlfriend since we started dating. Doing exactly what he wants, when he wants it. And that can't change.
He has to trust me. Everything depends on it.
The drive back to my apartment seems to take forever, the typical traffic of downtown Manhattan being even worse then usual.
The afternoon spent finishing assignments due this week goes by even slower, my mind still to distracted to be able to focus properly.
There's to many other things occupying it. Who Patrick is, the man who Meredith was supposedly having an affair with.. What's in the envelope I'm supposed to be giving to Jackson.. And of course that d.amn kiss....
I finally pull myself up off the couch around five thirty, throwing some decent clothes on before snatching the envelope off the table and heading out the door.
I stare at it as I ride on the subway, turning it over in my hands a few times. I call tell there's money in it, the large stack making the package feel heavy in my hand. But there's also something else.. Something that feels like a small narrow box.
I fight the desire to just rip it open and find out exactly what's inside. I don't like not knowing Carter's entire plan, especially when I know it involves Harry. He's kept me out of the loop ever since he had Jackson take me to dinner, and I hate it.
But I can't open it. It's embossed with Carter's seal across the back, it would be obvious if I tampered with it. And I've no doubt Jackson would be more then happy to tell Carter I opened it.
The walk from the tunnel to the gym is only a few blocks. Enough for me to remember the middle aged woman who sits at the front desk. The one who I bribed and have no desire to run into again.
I breath a sigh of relief when I step through the double doors, finding an older man sitting behind the desk.
He looks me up and down questioningly as I step up to him. "Name?"
"Umm.. I'm here to see Jackson Decker?" I glance down the hallway, hoping I don't run into Harry.
"Your name." He grumbles, looking through his list.
"Everly." I lower my voice.
"What?"
"Everly." I say just a little louder.
"Your whole name."
"How many Everly's are on there?" I snap.
"You give your whole name or you don't get through. Rules are rules." He scowls at me, "Now, your whole name."
"Everly Abbott."
"Now that wasn't so hard was it?"
"Am I on the list or not?" I tap my foot, annoyed this is taking so long.
I need to get in and out as quick as possible.
"You are. Decker's in room 12. Down the hallway and take two rights."
"Thank you."
He waves me off and I hurriedly make my way down the hallway. When I reach room 11, I slow my pace, peeking inside the small window on the door. I know this is the room Harry usually trains in.
"Thank god." I whisper to myself when I find it empty.
Explaining to Harry why I'm meeting Jackson, especially after all he told me about him, would only lead to me having to tell more lies.
I'm so sick of all the lies.
Pushing open the doors to room 12, I find Jackson standing next to a wooden bench, pulling his boxing gloves off.
"Well if it isn't the famous Everly Abbott." He grins at me as I make my way across the room to him.
I hold out the envelope to him, but he doesn't take it. "I don't even get a hello?"
"Just take it so I can go." I roll my eyes at him.
He chuckles at my obvious distaste for him, taking the envelope from my grasp. I immediately turn on my heel, but his hand grabs ahold of my arm before I'm able to take more then two steps.
"You're to stay here until I've read it."
"Why?" I pull my arm away from him.
"I'm supposed to give you something."
"Then give it to me."
"Very sassy." He smirks, "I quite like that."
"Just give it to me Jackson. I have somewhere I need to be."
"Don't know what it is yet. He said the instructions would be in here." He holds up the envelope.
"Open it then."
"You're not nearly polite as the first time we met." He remarks, tearing the package open. "Makes me wonder what exactly Styles told you about me."
I ignore his comment as he pulls out a stack of $1,000 bills, a grin overtaking his face as he thumbs through it. He then pulls out a small box, but chooses not to open it, instead pulling out a folded sheet of paper.
He begins reading from it, his eyes narrowing as they sweep over the page. He glances at me uncertainly before continuing to read.
"Have you read this?" He asks, folding the paper and sliding it back into the envelope along with the money and the box.
"No."
He nods, pursing his lips. "Alright then. Come on."
He begins to walk towards the back of the room, but my feet stay firmly planted where they are.
"I said come on." He looks over his shoulder, raising his voice.
I huff, slowly following him to the back of the room and through a doorway into a narrow hallway.
Soon we're standing inside a locker room, the same locker room I snuck into to break into Harry's phone.
I glance around anxiously as Jackson stops in front of a locker, opening it and placing the envelope and it contents on a shelf.
I stop behind him, waiting for him to retrieve whatever it is he's supposed to give me. But when he loudly slams his locker shut and turns around, his hands are empty.
My eyes narrow in distrust as his own darken.
"Did you forget it at home or something?" I ask.
"No." He steps towards me, causing me to step back.
"Then where is it?"
"Come to find out, there isn't an it." He answers, still moving towards me.
"Cut the s.hit Jackson. Just give it to me."
"Oh I will." He grins as my back hits the lockers behind me.
He reaches up, touching my cheek, but I quickly slap his hand away.
"Don't touch me." I raise my voice.
He chuckles, his hands resting on the lockers on each side of me, blocking me in. "You really p.issed him off didn't you?"
My heart begins to race as his eyes gaze down my body, "Who?"
He laughs, grabbing my hip abruptly and squeezing it harshly.
"I said don't touch me!" I grip his wrist, trying to get his hand off me.
"Oh Everly, I plan on doing so much more then just touching you."
I suck in a breath, bringing my hand up and punching him right in the throat. He steps backward, cursing as he rubs his neck and coughs.
I push past him but the back of my shirt is grabbed and I'm yanked back. His hands grip my shoulders tightly, shoving me backwards into a locker. My head smacks against the cool metal firmly, my vision going black for a few seconds.
"You shouldn't of f.ucking done that." He sneers, bringing me forward and slamming me back again.
I cry out in pain as my skull impacts with the locker for a second time. My hands are roughly taken in one of his, held together so I can't move them.
His free hand grips my neck before sliding down and pawing at my left breast.
"Stop!" I yell out, my body thrashing against his.
"Don't worry." He grins, his hand sliding even further down my torso and moving underneath my shirt. "You'll like it."
"Get the f.uck off me!" I bring my knee up but he blocks me, only laughing at my vain attempt to stop him.
"You are really f.ucking hot, you know that?" His lips move to my neck, "I can see why..."
His words are suddenly cut off as his body is yanked away from mine and slammed into the lockers across from me.
My knees buckle from under me as I hear a solid crack sound throughout the room... Harry's fist having broken Jackson's nose with the first hit.
But he doesn't stop, easily dodging Jackson's knuckles as they fly towards his face.
He continues to punch him, again and again. In the face, the ribs, whenever he can land a solid hit. Knocking him onto the ground and standing over him.
Catching a view of Jackson's bloodied face I scramble to me feet.
"Harry!" I grip his shoulders, trying to pull him off Jackson, but he continues to hit him.
"Harry stop! You're going to kill him!"
My mouth falls open in shock as the words roll across my tongue. You're going to kill him.
This is exactly what Carter wants. He wants Harry to hate Jackson. He needs Harry to hate Jackson.
This was all set up. The envelope. Me coming here. Jackson attacking me.
I shake my head as tears roll down my cheeks.
He wanted Harry to see it. He planned this.
"Styles!"
A deep voice booms through the room seconds before I'm pulled off Harry.
A large older man grabs Harry by the shoulders, yanking him away from Jackson.
"What the f.uck is going on?!" The older man yells, shoving Harry back against the lockers.
Harry doesn't answer him, his face red with anger, his shoulders heaving up and down quickly.
Jackson begins to pull himself off the floor, wiping the blood off his face with his forearm.
"Someone talk!"
"He..." I speak up, my voice shaky. "Jackson, he attacked me."
"Who are you?" The older man raises an eyebrow at me.
"I..."
"Nothing happened Coach." Jackson stands up. "Styles and I were just having a bit of fun weren't we?"
Harry lunges at him again, but is held back.
"You think getting your a.ss kicked is fun?" The older man scoffs. "You are a f.ucking idiot aren't you?"
"He..." I open my mouth, but am abruptly cut off.
"You." The older man points at me. "Are not supposed to be back here. Get out. Now."
"No." Harry finally speaks, his eyes locking with mine.
"Out!" The man barks.
I flinch at his harsh tone, snatching my bag up off the floor and hurrying outside.
"Everly!"
I hear my name being called but I keep moving,
rushing down the hallway and out into the gym. My hand barely touches the door handle when my arm is softly grabbed.
I stop, letting my body be turned around. My eyes meeting two concerned green ones.
"Are you alright?"
I take a breath, nodding my head as he tenderly cups my cheeks.
"I need to hear it Everly." He looks back and forth between my eyes, "You alright?"
"Yes. I... I'm fine."
"He hurt you?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Did he touch you? Did he.. f.uck." Harry shakes his head, his jaw tensing. "Tell me, right now. Did he touch you?"
"He didn't." I assure him. "Not like that. I'm fine."
Harry drops his hands from my face, them balling into fists at his sides. "Stop saying that.. he just f.ucking..."
"I am.. I.." My voice wavers.
"You're not.. You're.. Jesus Everly, you're shaking." He takes my hands, holding them in the warmth of his own.
"You're going to get in trouble. Was that your coach? He.."
"Don't worry about that. I'll talk to him."
"They won't kick you out of the gym?"
"Not a chance." He smiles softly. "Let me see you home."
"I'm not going home." I shake my head lightly, tears pricking my eyes. "I'm going to Carter's.."
My voice fades off as panic washes over me. I'm supposed to go back to Carter's. I'm supposed to spend the night with him. The man who just had Jackson try to force himself on me.
"Why were you back there with him?"
"What?"
"In the locker room, why were you alone with him?" He frowns, searching my eyes for an answer.
"I was just dropping something off to him."
"From Carter?"
"Does it matter?" I ask quietly.
"Would like to know who's responsible for this, so yes, would say it matters a fair bit."
"Your knuckles." I look down, seeing the cuts spread across his skin, blood covering the surface of them. "You need to get some ice on them."
"Going to take your avoidance of answering me as a yes." He sighs. "Everly.."
I pull my hands from his, taking a step back. "Thank you for what you did."
"Don't.. Don't do that. Don't push me away."
"I'm not."
"You are. Stop this."
"I can't. You don't think I wish I could?" I shake my head in disbelief. "For one second just do what I actually want, instead of what I have to do?"
"Why do you have to be with him?" Harry narrows his eyes in thought. "Does he have something on you?"
I exhale, it almost sounding like a laugh. "Carter has something on everyone."
"He's forcing you to be with him? Who the f.uck does something like that?"
"Aiden Carter."
"I can help you, if you'd just tell me what the h.ell is going on."
"I can't. I need to go." I glance at the oversized clock hanging on the wall, knowing Carter will be calling me soon.
I turn away from him, pushing through the doors and stepping into the main hallway.
"Everly.." Harry calls after me, making me glance back over my shoulder. "You know you can trust me."
I nod, a frown overtaking my face as I choose my next words carefully.
"I know Harry. But you shouldn't trust me."
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Another longggggg chapter! Please vote and comment, It'd make me super happy! Love you guys!