"Welcome back!" The chorus of voices exclaimed, as I found myself in the middle of all our coworkers, in an empty pool yard. They were all grinning and laughing, warmly eyeing my strange expression.
"W-What?" I asked in confusion, taking aback by all the sudden hugs I'd been embraced into.
"We missed you!"
"I've only been gone for a d--"
"Welcome back, April!"
"I..." I stuttered, looking up at Daniel, questioning him with my eyes; he laughed.
"Are you trying…to say that...?" I murmured, my eyes widening slowly.
"Yes." he grinned ear to ear at my shocked expression, as I soon started to make the connections inside my head. My heart started beating faster, as he opened his mouth again, saying--
"Saying what?!" Liz exclaimed impatiently, making me chuckle.
"I was getting to that part." I rolled my eyes, laughing softly. "He told me that Mr. Royce had had another conference after I left, and that he was searching for me after that."
"So he hired you back?"
"I guess you can say tha--ouch!" I exclaimed, as I felt like Liz had brushed half of my hair off my head.
"Sorry." she muttered, untangling the golden locks of hair in her hand.
"Are you serious? But, why?" I squealed, as I felt a genuine smile starting to form on my lips.
"I sincerely don't know. Maybe he rethought the situation, and realized that he was a little too harsh. He came out again of the conference room, looking for you, but you had already left." Daniel shrugged, but it sounded like something was missing.
"Why would he hire me back when I destroyed the chance for a donation?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Oh, um, actually you didn't. The pool still got the money." Daniel smirked nonchalantly, but I stared at him with wide eyes.
“H-half a…?”
“Even more!” someone from the crowd exclaimed, as it seemed that people had fallen silent. Until then.
“Everybody put something!”
“Ask Prince Charming over there, I saw him giving the most!”
I blushed as I heard it, and apparently so did Daniel.
“So… it was all of you who made the donation? But, how?Even with everybody’s payment for a year, you still couldn’t…”
“April.” Daniel murmured sympathetically. “We just added our contribution to the original amount of the donation money, otherwise the chief wouldn’t have accepted it. We didn’t make the actual donation.”
“Then, WHO did it?” I exclaimed, starting to get a little annoyed. They were so confusing!
Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but another voice had come to our ears.
“I did.”
I stopped telling my story when I got up from the chair in front of my mirror, admiring the way Liz had straightened my hair. Such an amazing thing that whenever I asked that girl to help me with my hair style she always chose what fit best.
“Thanks.” I grinned at Liz’s impatient expression in the mirror, as I carefully ran my hands through the reddish locks of hair.
“Don’t try to change the subject. Tell me the rest!” she urged me, but I didn’t want to give up on my game so easily.
“Is this too much?” I asked innocently, gesturing towards the summery, blue dress I was wearing.
“No, it’s perfect. Now, who it was?” she continued, making me chuckle.
“You should’ve realized by now.” I giggled, looking back at the image of myself in the mirror. I was happy.
Some people turned their heads in the direction of the voice, but most of them already had their own little party, chatting and drinking some random juice. But they also lost their interest soon, as the only persons that remained staring at the door of the staff hut were Daniel and I. My smile faded.
Without any logical reason, I forced my melted feet towards the small hut, leaving Daniel behind. I was expecting to feel anger, pain or at least confusion, but all I knew at that moment was that I just wanted to get lost into that pair of blue eyes.
I stopped when there were about three metres between the person wearing a big hat that was nonchalantly supported next to the door, and I. We stayed in silence for what felt like an eternity before I found the courage to speak.
“You… um, what are you doing here?” I whispered, watching the guy taking his hat off, reaveling the curls that were never getting old. God, did I want to run my hand through those curls.
…What?
“So you don’t want me here?” he murmured, eyeing me closely.
I felt a lump forming in my throat, but I decided to avoid the subject.
“Did you.. do this?” I asked, gesturing towards the mini party behind me, but that was just a part of the question.
“If you mean this... party, then I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no. I just wanted to tell you the big news, but apparently he had other ideas.” He chuckled, shortly scowling at a person behind me. I didn’t even have to turn around to see that he was talking about Daniel. “If you’re talking about the donation, then yes, I made it.”
I had so many questions in mind!
“But… but…Why? How? And what about Mrs Je—“ I began, when he cut me off with a determined voice.
Both Liz and I jumped out of our skin when the doorbell rang downstairs. I looked at her, beginning to panic, as she came besides me and pushed me forward.
“He’s here.” She muttered, urging me out the door of my bedroom.
“Now? Like, right now? But... he said five o’clock, and there’s still minutes left! Oh God, I’m not ready, I’m not…” I started to stutter, as Liz ignored it and continued to drag me towards the front door.
When we finally got there, the doorbell rang again. I was on the edge of opening the door before Melanie decided that she loved answering people during her free time, when Liz slapped my hand.
“What the—“ I squealed.
“Language. Tell me, what did he say?” she snapped, whispering harshly, as I let a small smile form on my lips when I quietly remembered those moments.
“Will you go out with me?”
His question was so sudden that I was interrupted in the middle of my words, and my mouth remained open. I narrowed my eyes in confusion, feeling almost like laughing watching Harry’s terrified expression.
“E-Excuse.. I.. What?” was all I could mumble, as I was scared that my heart was racing so hard that it would ran out of my chest.
“Oh no, I didn’t want to make it sound like that, umm, did I really say that? I…” He sighed finally, as I started stepping towards him.
“Harry…”
“Let’s try this again.” He laughed nervously, making me tilt my head in confusion. “I want you to meet the boys.”
“But…I already met them. Multiple times.” I murmured, still not getting his point. Harry also shifted closer to me, as we where now almost face to face, and whispered…
“He just asked me to come and hang out with him and the boys.” I finally shrugged for Liz, that wouldn’t let me go without an answer.
“And then what did you do?”
“I went to meet the chief and the day started like nothing happened.” I responded again, summing everything up with honesty. Apparently, I really got my job back.
“Okay, then. You’re free to go.” Liz eventually smiled to me, as I reached for the door handle with trembling hands.
And there he was.
“I want it to be official, at our home.” He smirked, as I looked up at him with big, curious eyes.
“But, I…”
“Today, five o’clock. I’ll come and get you.” Harry said nonchalantly, but he bent until he was at the level of my ear and whispered softly, making me shiver, “It’s the perfect chance to get your answers, you know.”
He began to move away from me, when I stopped him.
The same smile I missed, the same amazing, messy curls, the same carefree attitude he was wearing instantly sent me a feeling of relief. A small smile started to appear on my face.
“Hey.” I breathed, looking up at the boy casually wearing a white shirt and brown jeans.
“You’re beautiful” he said back to me without any warning, giving me a look that made me feel a little embarrassed about what I did yesterday when he was going to leave. I blushed a little, but I instantly forgot about my feelings when my eyes met again the greenish-blue irises I had been craving to get lost into.
“Thanks.” I murmured, looking down.
“Alright, I get it. Now can you please start acting all lovey-dovey somewhere else? Preferably before you wake the monster up?” Liz interrupted, gesturing towards the house.
“The monster?” Harry asked in confusion.
“Melanie.” I said to him, but he still didn’t seem to understand. “My guest.”
“Oh.”
“Have fun kids!” Liz giggled, urging both me and Harry out of the door, waving to us with a mischievous smirk. I quickly turned my head to her, pulling my tongue out, and continued walking besides Harry.
We walked in silence, going past my house, and then past the closest neighbours' ones. Surely, we were drifting away from my home as the silence between us was as awkward as always. In my head, it was the complete opposite; thousands of feelings were taking control over me, tons of questions were running through my mind. I coudln't dare to risk a glance up at him, so I just eventually muttered,
"So... where are we going?"
"Haven't I told you before?" he laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Not that, smartass. Where exactly is your house?"
"I'd say, not far from here. Why, do you have a problem with the walking?" Harry smirked, then stung one of my ribs with his finger. "Maybe you should practice it more."
My mouth hung in disbelief, letting out a surprised shriek when I understood what he meant.
"I'm not fat!" I exclaimed, jumping away from him.
"Sure you aren't." he giggled, as I scowled at him. I proceeded to slap him playfully, but I didn't get the chance to touch his arm. His body disappeared, as I suddenly felt my feet lifted off the ground.
"Hey, put me down!" I squealed, desperately hanging on Harry's shoulders as I somehow ended up on his back.
"I can't, it's too funny to annoy you." he laughed, but I started widening my eyes, looking around.
"Harry, people are watching us." I whispered harshly, but he didn't let me go.
"God gave them eyes to use them, right?" he said back to me, as he continued to walk on our road. I just rolled my eyes at his response, realizing that is was useless fighting him.
"You're so going to get a backache." I murmured mischievously, as his back shook several times as he laughed.
And his laugh continued to play in my head over and over again, memorizing its every sound. People's weird or amused stares, or even the fact that he could be easily recognised without any disguise stopped being important to me. I just let him carry me, as my walls of defence were finally breaking down. My heart took the control over my emotions, my memories, my brain, my everything, and all I could see or think about at that moment was him. Harry Edward Styles. It was like, I could finally see that funny, completely normal boy hidden under the "stuffed, conceited celebrity" mask. And I had to admit that he truly was an amazing person.
But was it enough for the feelings threatening to erupt inside me?
At some point, he put me down on my feet gently, but I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed. That moment...
He began to shift away from me, when I stopped him. I grabbed his arm, and placing myself in front of him, I wrapped shyly my arms around his neck , closing my eyes tightly. His body tensed at first, until he eventually embraced my body with his arms. I soon stepped back, watching his confused eyes with a small smile.
"Thank you." I mumbled.
Harry probably didn't understand that moment, but I did. After feeling like loosing him again, I needed to convince myself of one thing; that what I felt wasn't just lust, that what he felt wasn't just a game. And withing that hug, I felt... everything.
"April?" Harry murmured, snapping me back to reality.
"Huh?" I muttered, still not very aware of how close he was to me. He bent once more to meet my eyes, and gave me a genuine smile.
"You're not fat. You're perfect." he breathed, and I blinked quickly for a few times. My cheeks reddened.
Maybe...just maybe, not all my questions were still unanswered.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Oh, yeah.
Not doing any homework only to finish my late update. F*ck yeah ^^
Sooo, yes, you guessed it right. School loves eating me and my free time. but I' won't let myself eaten so easily, no matter how tasty I may be. But there you go! The 31th chapter on my wattpad 6 months anniversary! :) *sniff* I feel so old.
Happy October!
*Slexie forever <3*
~Lilly~