Chapter Nineteen
Perrie’s P.O.V
I’m currently in the bakery, with Harry, after hours. Unfortunately we had the job of cleaning up all the messes the cooks (it was only Harry but he denies it whenever you ask) had made during the day. I didn’t really mind though. I was earning much needed money and it’s not like I had anywhere to go. And in all honesty, I was grateful for the shelter. Whatever storms or horrendous whether I have faced so far is nothing compared to now. The snow is thick and cold, ice covering the roads and the clouds leaving London in eternal darkness. I haven’t seen sunlight in days, meaning the small children’s playground, which is inconveniently made of metal, is so cold that even wearing all the clothes I own I’m still numb.
Sometimes I’m lucky and Zayn asks me to stay at his house, or Eleanor invites me for a girl’s night, but it’s not like I could ask them to stay. For one, it would be a huge inconvenience. Eleanor’s parents spend so much money on her education that they have nothing left for themselves. It’s gotten to the point that the apartment (if you can even call it that) is so small that Eleanor has to sleep on the couch. Two, I would never want to do that to Zayn’s family. I don’t know what I did to Doniya, but I regret it. She doesn’t hide her distaste for me and it won’t be long until the others think like her too. Especially if they knew the trash that Zayn was dating.
“Hey Perrie!” Harry stuck his head out from around the corner, face covered in flour and two straws sticking out his mouth. “I’m a walrus.” I started giggling a he made ‘roaring’ noises and pretended to be a dinosaur.
“Y-you’re an idiot.”
His expression turned to fake shock and hurt.
“I am offended that you think so low of me Edwards.” He said in an overly posh voice.
“Oh Styles, h-how ever might I repay you?”
He lunged out of the room, literally. Hands on hips, bending one knee and looking at me with wide eyes and pouty lips the whole time.
“H-harry what are you doing?”
He waltzed back in- what is wrong with this boy? - And held out a hand to me.
“We are going to…. Dance!” I noticed that he had turned on some god awful indie music, that only he could like.
“I-I’m not going t-to dance with you.”
“Why not?”
“I-I don’t know how.” I shyly admitted. He raised his eyebrows at me I a ‘You’ve got to be kidding?’ way, and scoffed.
“Everybody can dance Perrie.”
“W-well not me. Gosh, the last t-time I must have danced was before my m-mum died.”
Harry looked at me sympathetically and walked over to me. He pulled me into a hug, which I gladly returned.
“I guess I’ll just have to teach you then.”
The next hour and a half was spent dancing sporadically around the room, laughing and cleaning as we went. At one stage Harry threw a bucket of water over me, and as revenge I dunked his head in the sink full of dirty dishes. We went as far as trying to do the waltz, which he said I would definitely need for the big benefit I was going to with Zayn, which ended with us slipping over and landing in a puddle of bubbles.
***
As we were cleaning up the mess we had made cleaning up we began talking. We talked mostly about him, stuff to do with his mum, sister, mystery girlfriend and school.
“It’s hard to think this is our last year.” He said. We were finished now, everything spick and span. “It’s scary. I don’t think I’m ready to go yet.”
“D-do you have any idea w-what you want to do yet?” I asked. Harry sat next to me on the floor, twiddling his thumbs like a nervous five year old.
“I do. I don’t think I’ll get the grades for it though.”
“What is I-it?”
“It’s kind of silly. Like, no one would expect it from me.”
“W-who cares? We shouldn’t have to worry about what o-others think. But unfortunately that’s what we’re raised to do. E-even if we don’t realise it. So just tell me and I-I promise I won’t judge.”
Harry sent me a small smile, like he was grateful that I didn’t expect anything from him because of who he was.
“I want to be a paediatrician. I’ve always loved kids and looking after them, and I can’t think of anything better than helping them get better when their sick, you know? I’ve been studying so hard. Even with my new girlfriend, she just sits and watches me read textbooks, make notes and do homework. She’s really great. But what about you? What do you want to do?”
I hesitated. “I have no idea. I wanted to do something big, something important. The kind of thing that could change someone’s life, but I doubt that will ever happen.”
“Why?”
I felt tears in my eyes and laughed, trying to wipe them away. “I’m never going to go anywhere. I couldn’t afford it.”
“Perrie-”
“But it’s fine. I accepted it a-a long time ago.”
“Perrie-”
“I-I have to go.” I got up and started walking away from him. I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. I could easily say Harry was becoming one of my best friends, and I loved him for it, but this is something I just can’t talk about. To anyone.
I opened the door to the bakery and immediately shut it. With all the nonsense me and Harry had gotten up to I forgot about the weather. It was even worse than before. You could hardly see a metre in front of you due to how heavy the snow is, and from the looks it’s only going to come down harder.
Harry came up behind me and whistled as he looked out the window. “Shit. Who’s picking you up?” He questioned me.
“Um, n-no-one. I’m walking.” He looked at me incredulously.
“No way are you walking in this. I’ll drive you.”
“NO! Um, I mean, uh, t-that’s not necessary.”
“There is literally no way you can walk home in this.” Who said I was going home?
“It’s n-not that f-far. I’ll manage.”
I tried to walk out the door again but he had his hand firmly on the door, leaning into it, so that I couldn’t.
“Either you let me drive you, or we stay here all night. It’s your choice Perrie.” I saw the determined look on this face and knew that no matter how much I tried he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Okay, so I can both fess up to everything and admit he had nowhere to drive me too, or I call someone and ask to stay at theirs.
As humiliating as it is, I have to choose the latter.
“Okay Harry. I’ll let you drive me. But can I use your phone first? I just need to make a call to someone.” He smiled happily at my decision and handed over his iPhone. I smiled back gratefully, before walking off into the back room so that Harry couldn’t hear me. I dialled the number I had made sure to memorize and called, hoping he would pick up.
“Hello?” A groggy voice answered after a few rings.
“Hey Z-Zayn, it’s-”
“Perrie?”
“Yeah. Did I w-wake you up?”
“Little bit.” He laughed huskily. “What’s up babe?” I tried (and failed) not to blush at the nickname.
“I was w-wondering if I could stay over at your house tonight? I’ve lost my k-keys an-”
“You’re outside in this whether?! Holy shit Perrie; I’m coming to get you right now.” I could hear fumbling from the phone line, meaning he had probably gotten out of bed.
“No Zayn, its fine. I already h-have a ride. I just needed to make sure I could come o-over.”
“Do you really? Because you have a habit of lying about this kind of thing and you just end up walking everywhere.”
“I really do. I was being d-dropped off by Harry after work when I realised, so h-he offered.”
“Harry?”
“Uh huh.”
“Good. Yeah, good. Good lad.” His tired mumbling was admittedly cute.
“S-so is it alright?”
“Of course baby! You can come here anytime you like, ever. And if you need anything and can’t get to me just call Mum okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“T-Thank you.” I whispered.
“No problem. I’ll wait up for you okay? I love you.”
“I love you too.” I heard a click then repetitive beeps, signalling he had hung up. I walked back out to Harry, to see him right in front of the door that I had gone through to talk to Zayn.
“You lied to him? Why?” He asked straight away.
“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about H-Harry.”
“Yes you do.” He scowled. “Why can’t I take you home?”
“Just take me to Zayn’s.”
“Perrie.” He said in a warning tone.
“Harry.” I said jokingly. “It’s late, we’re both tired. Either you can drive to Zayn’s o-or I can walk. I honestly d-don’t mind. But either w-way I’m sick of t-talking and just really want to g-go home.”
His shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed at me. “Alright Perrie. Alright.”
***
I thanked Harry as I got out of his car, heading straight to the Malik’s door. It opened before I even had a chance to knock, with Zayn pulling me inside.
“Hey Baby.” He mumbled into my hair.
“H-Hey Zayn.” He kissed both my cheeks then cradled them in his hands.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yes. I don’t k-know why you always ask me that.” I chuckled.
“Because I love you.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. “C’mon, let’s go to bed. Mum was up when you called so there’s no need to tell anyone you’re here.”
“S-sure.”
We headed towards the stairs, Zayn’s arm never leaving my waist. I rested my head in his shoulder, exhausted from the day’s events. First an excruciating night outdoors without any sleep, then school -which I will admit has become more bearable in recent times, but still a living hell, or not, because I know what living with hell is like and it’s worse- then straight to work at the bakery with Harry.
We entered Zayn’s room and he immediately through me some of his clothes, I went to go into his connecting bathroom, but his arm snaked around me again and pulled my back to his chest.
“You don’t have to hide you know? I think you’re beautiful.”
“Zayn. I-I’m not changing in front o-of you.”
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.” I blushed at the memory. We hadn’t had sex, because I still wasn’t ready, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t have, you know, needs.
“That’s okay Love. Just wanted to let you know that that was an option.” He pecked my neck and nuzzled his nose into my shoulder.
I wiggled away from him and stumbled into the bathroom, face bright red. I could hear him laughing at my embarrassment, but not in a mean way. I changed quickly and came back out, jumping onto his large bed. He was already under the covers waiting for me and as soon as I joined him he pulled me close to his chest.
“Eleanor called earlier.” He yawned. “She said this weekend she’s taking you out to go shopping for the benefit.”
“She c-called you looking for me? T-that’s kind of funny.” I slightly giggled, my tiredness making me slightly out of it.
“Yeah. Do you need anything for it?”
“L-like what?”
“Money.”
I snuggled further into him and smiled. “I-I’m not taking y-your money.”
“It’s not like it would affect me at all. I’d even let you pay me back.”
“No you w-wouldn’t.”
“Please? I just don’t want you to feel like anything less than perfect because you can’t get exactly what you want.”
“It’s f-fine. If I have El to help me I c-could turn up wearing a p-potato sack and still make it look fabulous.” I joked.
“Alright.” He agreed uncertainly.
“I love you.” I said.
He pulled me back slightly so that he could see my face and absolutely beamed. “You didn’t stutter.” He whispered proudly. I simply nodded and closed my eyes, welcoming sleep. I couldn’t imagine anything better than right now. Wrapped safely in the arms of the person I love, who against all sense of reason seems to love me back.
“I love you too.”
A/N
Hello!
So I'm gonna give you a hint and say something goes down at that benefit O_O
The comps still going! Harry's girlfriend, name, personality, looks, and any other detail you want :)
I'm not gonna lie, I have picked my favourites from the ones I've already had, but that doesn't mean you should stop! You can enter as many times as you like!
And I've also decided to edit this whooole fic, because it's no secret that it has been spectacularly awful. But I'll still update, and I'll do the edit, hopefully, all at the same time. And because I happen to love you all very much, I'm going to add in extra bits too! Like deleted scenes :) But nothing that would change the overall plot of the story.
Ok well... BYE THEN!
P.s dedicated to Senipezz, because you are one of my favourite people on wattpad :)