CHAPTER 22
I wake up the next morning with a massive hangover, which is unsurprising but still hurts like hell. I throw off my covers and stumble into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and a couple aspirin. After taking the pills I search the apartment for Rose, and smile a little to myself when I discover she's no where to be found. She must have stayed the night at Edward's.
My grandmother really did end up getting more action than me last night.
I scowl and plop back onto the couch, crossing my legs over each other. Though my memory of last night is slightly blurred, I remember me and Harry's conversation in the limo before he dropped me off, even though what happened before that is questionable. The only thing from last night that's perfectly clear in my mind is that Harry is scared.
Harry is scared to kiss me again, not only because I'm his assistant, but because Harry is scared of relationships. Harry is scared is having something beyond a hook-up.
Harry is scared of falling in love.
I pull up my laptop and pull up Google, my cursor blinking impatiently in the search bar. It's ridiculous, what I'm about to type in, but I do it anyways. My fingers click against the keys until my question appears on the screen.
How do you make a man fall in love with you?
I hesitate but finally press the search button. I chew nervously on my bottom lip until the results pop up. Most of them are blogs, written by forty year old women with a little too much self confidence. I frown at most of their suggestions, which include seduction and other things like that. But I don't want to seduce Harry. All he needs is a little persuasion.
Persuasion...
It's like a light bulb goes off over my head. At the very moment the word persuasion pops into my head, I see an ad for custom subliminal message CDs. At first I'm confused at what exactly a custom subliminal message CD is, but when I click on the link I'm greeted with a description.
All I have to do is give the company a list of messages I want to encode inside the background of the CD, and the company would send me a recording of relaxing ocean sounds that masked my hidden message. It's only $29.99 plus shipping and handling.
It's wrong, it's so wrong for me to be doing this. But I find myself clicking the next button anyways, the cursor waiting for me to start entering my messages. I take in a breath and begin typing.
If I'm in a relationship I'll be happier.
Leah is the best girl in the world, and she makes me feel great.
I pause my typing. What the hell. If I'm going to do this, I might as well go all out.
I'll be really happy if I'm with Leah.
I want to make love to Leah and spend every day and night with her.
I want to marry Leah Evans.
I hesitate for a full minute as I stare at the sentences I just typed, considering the ethics of brainwashing Harry into getting over his fear of being in a relationship with me. My better instincts are screaming at me to cancel my order and shut down my laptop, but I sit and study the screen instead.
I know a lot about hypnosis. My minor in college was psychology, after all. No amount of hypnosis can make someone do something that is morally repulsive to them. So it wouldn't be that terrible to use subconscious messages to push Harry to realize that there's no harm in us being together. And if he doesn't feel the same way, then the CD will have no effect on him. It won't hurt to try, right?
Before I can change my mind, I click the "complete order" button and even add express overnight shipping to my purchase so that I can give the CD to Harry on Monday.
I finally close my laptop and lean back onto the couch, trying not to think about what I'm planning to do. Louis's words from last night are on repeat in my head. Make him crave what he's determined to resist.
I pull myself off the couch and into the shower, determined to go out and buy some new outfits for work that will make Harry drool all over his paperwork. I have no idea what happened to the timid little Leah that showed up to Styles Enterprises that first day, with her heart broken and her clothes too baggy. But in all honesty, I'm kind of glad she's gone.
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After spending half a week's pay on some new clothes that will certainly catch Harry's attention, I decide to pack up Rose's stuff and bring it back to her house. I'm certain her floors are finished by now, and I have no idea when she's getting back from Edward's house.
I quickly throw her suitcase into the back of my car and drive over to her house, which is only around twenty minutes away from my apartment. I pull up to her driveway and use the key she gave me to unlock the front door, lugging her suitcase behind me. As I lock the door behind me I hear a sniffle and look up curiously.
"Hello? Is someone here?"
Nobody answers, but I hear more sniffling so I drop the suitcase and decide to investigate. As I wander into the living room, I spot my grandmother sitting on the couch, wiping quickly at her cheeks.
"Grandma? Are you crying?"
"Of course not," she says quickly. "Why would I be?"
I have no idea but I know that she's lying to me when I peer into her big blue eyes, so much like my own, and notice they are red and puffy. Frowning, I take a seat next to her on the couch. "Did you not have a good time with Edward?"
"No, no." She waved her hands miserably. "He took me to a Yankees game. We sat right behind home plate."
"Okay..." I'm not sure how exactly this reduced her to tears, because I know my grandmother loves baseball probably more than she loves me. Her shoulders shudder as she lets out a fresh round of tears and I rub comforting circles into her back. "Did Edward hurt you?"
"No! He was a complete gentleman."
"Then why are you so upset?"
"Edward asked me to m-marry him," Rose blubbers before bursting into tears.
I sigh and pull her into my arms. Edward certainly moved thing along quickly, didn't he? "He's been alone a lot of years, Grandma. Harry told me that you're the first woman Edward's had any interest in since his wife died. I know that you've known him for a short time but evidently he thinks he's found what he's been looking for all these years."
"We've known each other for two days!" she cries. "And I really doubt he believes that."
"Grandma, stop crying. This is ridiculous. So what if he's rushing things a little? Just tell him you need more time!" I say. I pull back so that I can see her face, wincing a little at the mess of mascara on her cheeks.
She sniffles. "Leah, losing your grandfather nearly killed me. I just can't go through watching someone I love die again."
"So you do care about Edward?" I can't help but grin, even though I know it's completely inappropriate given the situation.
Rose rolls her eyes and looks down at her hands, which are folded neatly in her lap. "I know it's silly to feel this way after only two dates."
"No it's not," I sigh and pull her in for another hug. "Sometimes you just know." I try not to think of Harry as I speak the last sentence.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Rose sits up suddenly, wiping her eyes, which I'm relieved to see are now dry. She tries to get up off the couch but I reach out and grab her arm, pulling her back down.
"Not so fast. We're not done talking."
"I don't even like him. He just smells like your grandpa, that's all," she denies. "We have nothing in common."
"Are you kidding me?" I laugh at her words. "What about baseball? You both love baseball, and the same music, and last night you guys were dancing together like-"
"Enough." Rose stops me before I can go on any further, and she's smiling a little again. But her smile fades as she says, "I just don't fit into Edward's world."
"What do you mean?"
"Leah, Edward's house -no, scratch that- Edward's mansion has a garage that's bigger than my entire house. When I took my dishes into the kitchen after breakfast this morning the maids looked at me like I had lost my mind. People like me just don't end up with people like Edward."
I let out an exasperated breath. What woman in her right mind would have a problem with living a life of luxury? That's right, my grandmother. "Give the guy credit for knowing what he wants."
At least Edward, unlike his grandson, isn't afraid of commitment. He met Rose forty-eight hours ago and he already asked her to marry him. Harry, on the other hand, has known me for months and won't even kiss me again.
Though hopefully my CD will fix that issue...
I sigh and lean back into the couch so Rose and I are in similar positions, both of us looking up at the ceiling fan. I watch its circular motion, the blades moving as quickly as the thoughts in my head.
My grandmother and I sigh at the same time.
Who knew the Styles men could cause this much distress?
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A/N: I just won free tickets to warped tour and idek what that is
enjoy the chapter tho(;
dedication: slypydog