In the middle of the night when the wolves come out, headed straight for your heart like a bullet in the dark. One by one, I gotta take them down. We can't run and hide, ain't goin' down without a fight.
Wolves - One Direction
*Note: Italicized portions are flashbacks.*
HARRY
It was a scene I had become all to familiar with. The subtle pounding in my head was something I had felt too many times before. A slow tump... thump... thump... that led me to believe that I was truly closer to my end.
The duvet felt exceptionally heavy on my body. It laid across me like a dead weight, my aching limbs held captive underneath it. The thump... thump... thump... of my head continued as I slowly stretched my arms over my head. I turned my body to its side very slowly and buried my head deeper into the pillow.
The lingering scent of Isabella remained on the cotton pillowcases. Her familiar, and much loved rose scent that I had grown increasingly obsessed with over time.
Izzy had left earlier that morning for work. She woke me with a brief kiss on the lips and told me she'd see me later that evening. If I was still alive by then.
Her work schedule having no care that it was a Saturday and her needy boyfriend would much rather have her withering underneath me all day, then sit alone waiting for her return. Insensitive twats.
Memories of last night flooded back. Dinner with Josie and her friends, then pints with Liam at a local pub. I didn't want to go, a fact that I had made very clear with Izzy before we left.
-
"Do we really need to do this?"
"Yes."
"I'd much rather stay in my bed and eat you instead," I smirked cheekily in response. She gasped, her eyes widened in shock.
Slapping my arm, Izzy tisked. "You're such a perv. You do know that, right?"
"I'm just bein' honest, baby," I shrugged in response. "I mean it though - do we really need to go to this dinner? I don't know these people."
"You know Josie and Liam," she countered.
"Doesn't mean I want to spend an evening with them and their friends."
She crossed her arms against her chest, rolling her eyes at me, "You like Josie and Liam."
I walked towards her, wrapping my arms around her small waist and pulling her into me. I leaned my head into her neck, my breath hitting her ear. "Yes, but I quite like you more." I bit down on her lobe gently, pulling it against my teeth. She hissed under the contact, a sound I grew fucking addicted to.
"Harry, come on. We don't go out very often with other people. It's nice," her voice caught in her throat as I sucked on the soft skin bellow her ear.
"I don't like people. Just you."
Again, she shivered at my words. I loved the way I could affect her with only my words and touch. It drove me fucking mad, in the best way possible. I don't know when I became one of those wankers who were clingy to their girls, but I was one of them. Every day I kick myself for leaving her almost a year ago. I don't know what the hell was going on in my mind to logically believe I made the right decision, because quite frankly, I was a complete moron.
This girl... fuck... this girl is everything that I need to survive. There's no way I'm letting her go. Not that I now know what it's like to not have her in my life, I'm not going to subject myself to that torture again. So maybe I was a bit clingy, and a whiny, and fucking selfish - but I didn't care. I wanted to keep her all to myself. I'm making up for lost time.
I kissed along her jawline. My lips left long kisses, sucking and nipping my way down her neck and towards her collarbones. She sighed and moaned - two sounds that I could never grow tired of. I felt myself grow hard in my jeans. My desire to take her against her kitchen counter becoming more and more extrusive.
Jutting my hips forward, I grind my hips against hers. Instinctively, her hands cling to my arms. Her fingernails digging into the flesh. I was never one to get turned on by pain, but that was changing. I only needed her more.
"Harry -" her voice was small, as she tries to speak up. I silence her with my mouth, kissing her with more passion and dominance. My tongue seeks refuge in her mouth, dancing along its confines. I don't know where the strength comes from, but she manages to push me off of her.
Her mouth is swollen and red, and doing nothing for my already prominent hard-on. I watch as her chest moves up and down quickly as she catches her breath. "We can't do this now. We have to go to Josie's. I'm not backing out of this."
"Baby-"
She sticks her hand out to stop me. "No. I already made a promise to them and we're not breaking it. You can tell your hormones to chill out," flustered, she stands her ground.
"Alright, alright," I laughed, moving my hands in front of me in mock defeat. "But so help me God, I will not hesitate to take you when we get back. I plan on keeping my head between your legs all night long."
Izzy's cheeks flushed red. "You're filthy, you know that," the question stuttered out of her lips. Her expression shocked, even though my mouth was nothing new.
My smirk widened. "Some things never change, baby."
-
She had been anything but pleased with my crude remarks. Empty threats of no sex for a week were thrown around but I knew she wouldn't be able to hold up her end of it. I knew her body better than I knew my own. The way that she craved me... the way goosebumps coated her arms in a thin layer whenever I would merely graze a finger along her skin... told me loud enough that she wouldn't be able to stay away. I knew that I couldn't stay away from her - not now... not now that I have her back.
The throbbing of my hungover body continued. I knew that I had to get up and hydrate my body before I became an even weaker mess in these discarded sheets.
"One step at a time, mate..." I said to myself, pep talking my feet to move. I didn't want to. I loathed the thought of having to face the daylight. My room was coated in a dark abyss - my hungover safe haven. But my stomach started to rumble, and my vision was blurry, and I knew I needed to get up.
I don't remember how we got home last night. The only memory of last night's shenanigans being the three pints I had consumed, whilst shouting at a television in a dingy Brooklyn pub. Liam had been alright company. His hatred for the opposing team matched my own.
-
One hour and forty minutes. One hour and forty-one minutes. One hour and forty-two minutes... The more I counted the time, the longer it seemed to go by.
It was a scene all too familiar to one I had seen all to frequently back in London. We were all sat outside, around a long table, with the Brooklyn lights in the horizon. Outdoor lights hang above us - ones that looked like something from a Christmas catalogue. Izzy was sat beside me, a glass of wine in her hand. I was already nursing my second whiskey for the night.
The noise that fluttered around us was a chaotic harmony of loud chatter and jazz music. Some guy was sat in front of us, recounting a fascinating tale of some bird he had been dating not too long ago. I could care less, if I was being honest.
Liam was sat on my other side, his own hand preoccupied by a glass of Jack. I stole a quick glance over my shoulder to see the same look that was most likely plastered over my own. A look of boredom and indifference. Izzy giggled beside me. She seemed to have found this story fascinating. I want to kill this guy.
"Mate," Liam's hushed voice whispered beside me, his knee knocking against my own. I looked over at him, bored.
"Yeah..."
"I think there's a Manchester game goin' on. There's a pub down the road. Do you think they'll notice if we left?" The idea seemed promising, and to be honest, tempting as hell. But I knew that if I left, Izzy would have my head.
"I don't know mate." I looked over at Izzy, but she was now talking intently to Josie about some new purse that had just come out.
"M'gonna be fucking honest with you. If I have to hear that wanker go on about some other bird he tried to fuck, student or not, I'm going to bash my head in." Liam retorted anxiously, eyes widened as he motioned subtly to Conner.
I weighed my options. Everyone that was sat around this table were all from the University, minus Liam and I. Whilst everyone else was indulging themselves in God knows what conversation, we were sat here doing nothing, while a perfectly good football match was on. But the pink lace bra... Fuck.
"Babe," I nudged Izzy softly with my elbow. She turned her head, smiling as I caught her in a mid-laugh. She hummed, her hand falling to my thigh. "Will you kill me if Liam and I snuck out to see a football match?"
"Football is on?" She asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Manchester."
"Oh."
She looked at Josie. She was shaking her head, a knowing smirk on her lips. "You two idiots can't even sit through a dinner?" she joked.
"Yes mom," I sarcastically quipped back. This only caused another laugh to sound from both Izzy and Josie.
"Go. It's fine," she waved off. "But please don't be too late. I would still like to make good on my earlier promise."
I smirked. "You know I will, baby." I whispered in her ear.
-
I pushed the heavy duvet with as much might I could muster. Begrudgingly, I shuffled my feet against the cold hardwood floors. I couldn't be bothered to find socks, or clothes for that matter, and walked out of the bedroom in my black boxer briefs.
The flat wasn't quiet, signaling that Stevie was still home. The sounds of her namesake, Stevie Nicks, can be heard throughout the flat. My feet shuffled through the hallway towards the kitchen. She was stood at the counter, her hand moving quickly as she whisked something together. Her voice cracked as she sang along to Edge of Seventeen, a song she has reminded me time and time again was the reason for her conception and name.
"Look who it is," Her voice broke through the room, causing my shoulders to tense up. Her voice felt like nails on a blackboard, with this pounding headache.
I acknowledged her with a grunt. "You're awfully chipper this morning," I mumbled to her. She chuckled. Standing on her toes, she picked two mugs from the top shelf. "Thanks."
"Why of course, young one. It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. I also have a date tonight - it's all very exciting in the land of Stevie Styles," she rushed through the sentence, her voice dripping with excitement.
"That's... good."
She scoffed, a smirk gracing her lips. "Yes. It's all very good," she sarcastically responded and rolled her eyes. "Alright. You go and put on some joggers and I'll fix you a cuppa. Alright?"
"Aye aye captain," I grumbled. But before I walked back to my room, I took a long swig of water and two Advil's.
I scrambled through the piles of clothes that found a home on the floor near my bed. It was underneath a pair of light grey joggers that something caught my eye. It was thin. A light pink with lace detailing and white bows at the base of the straps. Leaning back on my heels, I thought about the night I tore this little number off of Izzy's body. It had been the same night I met Liam and Josie.
-
The night went well, considering my lack of social skills. We went to an art gallery that was boring as fuck, but Iz loved it. She also looked beautiful night in her low cut green dress that did fucking wonders to her eyes. As corny as it sounds, she was the best looking piece of artwork there. Fuck - when did I become this way?
Liam was decent. More so than anyone else that I've met over the past bit. There's also the fact that he's not involved in any local drug gangs... so, that's a step up from my normal crowd. He also doesn't have his eyes set on Izzy, which again, is great. We talked mostly debated over American football. He didn't seem to understand that it's not a shitty comparison to English football.
"Are you going to at least smile?" Izzy's voice brought me back to the present, her teasing voice turning my frown slightly upside down. We were sat at a red booth, waiting for Liam and Josie to come back with our orders of burgers and chips.
"If I fucking have to," I grumbled
She released a giggle. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her hands dangling at the nape. "There's the sour puss I know and love. Please try and be some what of a happy camper."
"I am happy. M'just tired," It wasn't entirely false. I was enjoying it somewhat, but I was ready to get home.
"Just think of the little pink lace bra that's under this t-shirt," she winked.
I groaned and tightened my grip around her waist. I pulled her in closer. "Tease..."
"You love me," she winked.
Shaking my head, I kissed her forehead. "Remind me why, again?" I jokingly replied, only to earn a slap on the shoulder.
"Mean." Her full lips pouted, making them incredibly inviting. I took the opportunity - seized the day... carpe diem and all that shit, and kissed her. Hard. She squealed, pushing at my shoulders. I smirked against her mouth and pushed my lips harder against her own.
"Get a room," I broke my lips away from Izzy's, forgetting that we were in public. Her cheeks were painted crimson.
"Hey guys," she tried to laugh it off but the slight tremble in her voice gave her embarrassment away.
"It's okay, sweetie. I would have done the same to my hot British ass over here," she winked at Liam. With a shake of his head and a smirk, he placed our trays down, taking a seat in front of us.
-
After pulling up my joggers and putting on a white t-shirt, I shuffled my way out of the bedroom and back towards the kitchen. Stevie had the tea already set. I gave her a grateful nod and took a seat at the kitchen table.
As we ate breakfast, or more so brunch, Stevie told me about how excited she was for her date tonight. It was the first one that she's been on in quite some time. I didn't care, but I nodded my head and listened anyways.
It was after twelve by the time we were finished. I offered to help clean up, but was quickly sent to rest. That was another thing I appreciated about living here. She was cool and didn't care to clean up if I was feeling shitty. And today, I felt like fucking shit.
The moment my head hit the throw pillows of the couch, I felt my body relax. It slowly morphed against the contorts of the sofa. The aches of my muscles eased as my body rested. It felt good to sit and do nothing. It had soon become a rare activity since I moved to New York. The moment I came here, I became wrapped up in writing and Izzy. The latter taking up more time than the first.
A few hours later, a loud knock sounded from the front door. It was getting close to six in the evening, and Izzy was supposed to get here. I walked over to the door, her knocking not ceasing.
"Holy shit woman, calm down." I teased as I opened the door.
I was surprised, to say the least, with who stood on the other side. Franklin Maxwell, in a dark suit and eyes that could kill, stood tall and stiff on the other side of the threshold. His dark eyes stared at me. Frown lines deepened as he glanced over me.
"What the hell are you doing here," Instantly my amused mood dropped, the words seething out of my mouth before I had a chance to think. He didn't look startled by my hostile greeting.
"Styles," His low voice was gruff. He remained stoic on the other side of me. His heavy cologne that oozed wealth and greed met my nostrils in a burning haze. "May I come in?"
"And why the hell would I let you into my flat?" I scoffed in response.
"Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," he warned with a tight voice.
I looked at him with bewilderment. Who did this prick think he is? "I have nothing to say to you, Franklin."
He folded his arms across his chest, as he pushed his way past my door. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as he walked further into the flat. Thankfully, Stevie wasn't here. She had left already for her date - an early dinner and movie, meaning she wouldn't be home for hours. It was Izzy showing up that I was worried about.
"I have some things that I would like to discuss with you -"
"What the hell could you possibly need to discuss?"
A sinister smile spread across his lips as he lowly chuckled. "Well - imagine my surprise when I learn that you have not only been in contact with my daughter, but have now moved to New York. I thought I had made myself incredibly clear when I told you to stay away from her. I don't care about how your heart feels... or any of that love bullshit. I want you and Isabella to no longer be in contact. Have I made myself clear?"
His gaze was heavy as he stared at me. Not once did he back away. I held my ground, my anger building inside of me. I could feel the rage overpower my composure. But with a deep breath, I took a step forward.
"I'm going to only say this once, so you better listen up," I keep my voice steady and calm, a distinct contrast to the heavy thumping of my heart. "You cannot control Isabella nor can you control myself. She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions and choices. You cannot come into my fucking home and tell me to not be with her. I love her - more than you will ever understand or ever be capable of feeling. I am not staying away from her."
His face grew red, his brows furrowed in distaste. I watched as he curled his fists together. His chest rose as he took a breath, exhaling it slowly through his nose. "You listen to me, boy. You do not know who you are dealing with. I will not hesitate to send you to prison if you even think about continuing this relationship. I will take serious action if need be. This is your only warning."
"I'd like to see you try," I shot back.
We held one another's eye contact for a few seconds too long. The longer I stared into his eyes, the more angry I began to feel.
"I hope I've made myself clear, Styles." He repeated himself once more.
"Leave," I said to him with as much power and control I could force. "Now."
With another glance, Franklin Maxwell turned around and left the flat. The door slamming shut on his way out.
I felt my shoulders slump, the breath I had been holding exhaled slowly. What the fuck am I going to do?
-