Song:
Two Lovers: Mary Wells
A.J.'s POV
I walked aimlessly down the street, I couldn't think straight. All I knew was that I needed to get as far away from this place as possible. I fought the tears that threatened to slip out of my eyes, I knew that if i let just one slip it would be a never ending story of tears. Aside from a few tears after reading a book or watching a movie, I hadn't really cried in so long and I wasn't about to end my streak for, Harry. But, the further I got down the street, the stronger my urge to cry grew.
"Hey, wait up," I heard a male voice calling from behind me.
I ignored it, I didn't want to stop, I just wanted to disappear. I quickened my pace, which was useless, because whoever was behind me did the same, catching up with me in a few strides. "Hey," I recognized the voice as, Stephen's. "Are you okay?" He asked as he turned me around, gently.
"I'm fine," I lied with a fake smile that I had mastered long ago. "I'm just tired and want to get home," Which was true, half true anyway.
"Planning on walking the entire way?" He questioned suspiciously.
He was right, my house had to be at least twenty minutes away from here, by car, but it if it weren't so cold and I had a decent pair of shoes, I wouldn't have minded running home. "I was just going to get some coffee or hot chocolate first," I lied, remembering there was a diner not far from here.
"Do you need a ride?"
"No, I'm fine," I lied once again. "I'll call a taxi when I'm ready."
"Nonsense, it's late, I'll take you home it's no problem," he insisted.
A small part of me knew I shouldn't, Harry clearly hated this man, but the rest of me overshadowed the doubt. Screw Harry. I was done with him, I didn't need to take him into consideration anymore, not that he had the same courtesy with me.
I followed him back to the building that I had just escaped, I felt a pang in my heart that was ever present, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. He opened the door to his car for me, allowing me to get in before he made his way to the driver's seat. This was irritating, I was more than capable to open my own door. I let it go. He was just being polite. He was just being polite. I repeated to myself, fighting the urge to lash out. I didn't understand why I was getting so angry, I never got like this when Harry opened my door. Ugh, Harry.
I quickly pushed any thoughts of him out of my mind, otherwise I was going to go insane.
We made the short trip to the diner, getting some hot chocolate before settling into a booth. We made small conversation, I instantly regretted lying to him. I should have just told him I wanted to go home. Under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed his company, he seemed like he was easy to talk to and get along with. I learned that he owned a couple of restaurants that my family frequented back in the states and that he was here expanding the business in England. When he asked what I did, I lied and told him I was a student, though I haven't been in a school setting in almost two years. Graduating early gave me enough time to earn multiple degrees before I had turned eighteen, but he didn't need to know that. Outside from my family and my two best friends who had put up with me while I went through the process of earning those degrees, no one but, Harry knew about all of this, well anything really. Although, Stephen was easy to talk to, he was no Harry.
"It's getting late," I mentioned as I looked at the clock on the wall in the small diner. "I should get home."
"It's barely midnight," he chuckled.
"Yeah, well I am an old lady when it comes to going to bed at a certain time," another lie. The truth was, I could stay up all night if I wanted to, I just didn't want to be here with him anymore. Everything about him reminded me of how completely opposite he was from Harry, which reminded me of, Harry, who I desperately wanted to forget. "Besides I have an exam that I have to study for this weekend and I'm already off to a bad start," I lied, again, which seemed to work this time.
"Well, let's get you home," he said with a wide smile as he stood up, leaving a tip on the table before we both made our way to the door. "We wouldn't want you to fail your exam."
The twenty-something minute drive back to my house was probably the longest drive I had ever experienced. Stephen was a nice man, but I kept comparing him to, Harry when I didn't want to be thinking about him.
"Thank you, for bringing me home, Stephen," I said as he pulled into my driveway. I really needed to learn to drive. There was a Range Rover parked in front of the house, I didn't think Chris would be back from the party so early.
"Don't mention it, at least I got to spend time with you," he said as he parked his car behind the Range Rover. "Without having someone to interrupt us," he slipped in casually, referring to Harry.
As angry as I was with, Harry, I felt annoyed with Stephen for saying anything bad about him. He had no right.
We got out of his car before Stephen walked me to my front door, which was unnecessary to say the least. But, I let it go, I wasn't in the mood to argue, I was tired and wanted the night to be over.
I was about to thank him when a silhouette of someone sitting on the front steps caught my eye. It didn't take long for me to realize, who it was. By the way my heart was already racing, without having a visual confirmation, I knew it was Harry.
Stephen, however, didn't know who it was. He stepped in front of me, in an attempt to protect me, which, again, was rather annoying. I was more than capable of doing so myself, if I needed to. But, this was Harry.
"It's fine," I mumbled, pushing Stephen out of my way. "It's just, Harry," I said, looking back at the dark figure that was still sitting.
"So you leave me to go be with him?" Harry's low voice questioned.
"She left with no way of getting home," Stephen answered for me, further growing my annoyance. "I simply made sure she made it home safely," he said with a grin, which was for his benefit.
"Last time I checked, it didn't take an hour and a half to get here," Harry said as he stood from his spot from the stairs, getting in Stephen's face, for the third time this week. Which I realized was becoming a routine whenever they were around each other.
"Harry, don't start," I warned as I made my way passed the both of them, unlocking my front door. "If you guys want to fight, go do it somewhere else, I'm tired and I don't feel like playing referee to the two of you."
"I'm not leaving," Harry's voice spoke from behind me, low and full of anger.
"She obviously doesn't want you here," I heard Stephen's voice chime in.
"Stephen, I can speak for myself," I finally snapped at him, he had irritated me enough for one night. "But, he's right Harry, I don't want you here," I turned to face them both. "So, please, leave," I begged, quietly.
I stood there, watching the both of them, neither one of them backing away from each other. I had half a mind to walk away, to let them go at it, but I couldn't. "Stephen please, go."
"I'm not going anywhere until he leaves, he's clearly not right."
"Stephen, I can handle myself, besides, Harry won't hurt me," I turned to face Harry, who was still looking at Stephen with murderous eyes. "Not physically, anyway," I added before pushing him away from Stephen, slightly. His eyes came down to meet mine, his hardened eyes softening and turning to hurt at my words.
"I'm sorry," Harry, whispered.
"Than please, leave," I begged, barely a whisper.
I had momentarily forgot that Stephen was there, until I heard him clear his throat. "I'll be fine Stephen," I promised.
His blue eyes met mine, searching my eyes until he finally gave in. "Call me," he said. "If anything happens, I'll be here," he promised.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine," I assured him. I didn't even have his number, but I didn't tell him that. I didn't really want it.
He watched me for what seemed like an eternity before he took my word and left. I waited until he had left my driveway before I found the courage to turn around and face, Harry. His eyes were dark, a mixture of anger and hurt. It hurt me to see him this way, I didn't understand why, if he had hurt me. Not the other way around.
"Did you sleep with him?" He asked, his voice low and unrecognizable.
"What?" I asked. How dare he, even if I had slept with anyone else, he had no right to question me about it. Let alone be angry or hurt after what he did.
He put his hands on my elbows, gripping them tightly as he pulled me firmly against his body. "You heard me," he spoke, barely moving his lips, his eyes flickering between mine. "Did you fuck him?" He asked, again with a change of words. I watched as his eyes grew darker, his grip getting stronger.
"Harry, let go of me," I asked as gently as I could. "You're hurting me," I complained.
"Answer me," he yelled, causing me to flinch away slightly, not out of fear, but because I was surprised by his sudden change in behavior. "You are my girlfriend, now tell me," he demanded.
I lifted my arms before smacking his hands away from my before pushing him away from me, an easy defensive move that my brother had taught me many years ago. A defensive move that up until this very day, I hadn't had to use on anyone else other than, Theo. This was the very thing I was trying to avoid, having to defend myself from anyone else.
Anger replaced every other indescribable feeling I had been feeling up until this point. In this moment, I hated Harry. My breathing became sharp, uneven. Before I knew what I was doing, my hand flew up, having a mind of it's own, colliding with Harry's cheek.
His hand went up up to massage his cheek, his eyes piercing into mine. "I warned you, not to, ever, touch me like that again," I answered his unasked question. "I did not, sleep with Stephen, or..."
"Than why did you take so long to get home?" He interrupted me.
"That's none of damn business," I stepped back as he stepped closer.
"Of course it is, you're my girlfriend," he tried to reason.
"Girlfriend?" I scoffed. "I wasn't your girlfriend, when you had three girls all over you," I watched him furiously run his fingers through his disheveled locks.
"I'm sorry, Katarina. Please, please forgive me," he begged. "I just need to know if you slept with him or not."
I watched him for a minute too long, my conviction slipping away as I watched his green eyes sadden. But before I could let myself fall for his sad eyes, I walked passed him, through my front door, closing it behind me. I knew that not knowing would irritate him more than if he found out I had slept with someone else.