Chapter 24: Harry (Noah's POV)
"Your turn," I smirked, sipping my drink.
"Okay, what do you wanna know?" she asked, leaning forward, pressing her elbows into the table.
"You were with him on and off for two years, right?" I asked. She nodded in response. "I don't believe you when you say it fizzled out," I said hesitantly, "Is that really what happened?"
Her smile faltered and she shifted in her seat, putting her hands in her lap. "You don't think I told you the truth?" she asked.
"That's not what I'm saying, I just don't think it only fizzled out. I could be wrong but you tell me," I shrugged.
"Why do you think it didn't just fizzle out?" She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Because if someone likes you, they can't really stop. That's what I think," I answered.
"It didn't just fizzle out, I told you there was more to it."
"You told me you never really liked him enough. You don't have to tell me, Bella. Just tell me you don't want to," I explained.
"I just don't like talking about it. You told me about your last relationship, it's only fair if I tell you about mine. And anyway, this whole conversation was my idea. Kind of regretting it right now, but okay," she chuckled. "Hmm, you're right. It didn't just fizzle out. He just um- he-" she sighed, "He wasn't very nice to me."
"No?"
"Mm-mm," she shook her head, "A little too possessive, too demanding... I couldn't take it after a certain point, I left him." I watched her with a scrutinizing gaze. She's not telling me something.
"Bella, you don't have to-"
"He was a little abusive. I don't know if that's the word though, I-" she huffed, running her hand through her hair. "Never laid a finger on me, intentionally." I raised my eyebrows at her. "Grabbed my wrist a few times, my arm, I don't- Jesus, I don't know, he was a little more verbally abusive. I just couldn't-"
"It's okay." I grabbed her hand out of instinct, before I could even comprehend it. "Bella, you don't have to," I shook my head.
"I have to tell someone, I want it to be you, just give me a second to get it together," she mumbled, squeezing my hand tightly. We fell into silence for a few minutes until she inhaled and exhaled deeply.
"He was a fucking asshole," she huffed, "I hated him always with every single bone in my body. Yes, I liked him at first, yes, everything went great. He became abusive. I don't like saying that, I hate saying that. But it's true. Maybe not physically, but verbally? Mentally?
I was living in hell for those two years. Out of those two years, we were probably together, give or take, for no more than eight months. Each little break we took was like a taste of freedom. I just told him to fuck off after that and go to hell, does that make sense?"
I chuckled at her bluntness. She was so angry and never vented it out. "It makes sense," I nodded.
She groaned, pushing her now empty plate aside and putting her head down on the table. I cleared my throat before standing up and walking over to her. I kneeled beside her chair and ran my fingers through her hair for a minute. I kissed her head before speaking up, "Hey," I whispered.
She tilted her head so she was looking at me, her cheek resting on her arms under her.
"Don't think so much about it. I hate that it happened to you, but the time's gone, okay? Fuck him," I scoffed.
"Noah," she sighed, sitting up, "I can't believe I didn't have you earlier," she mumbled before grabbing the sides of my face and pulling my lips down on hers. Suddenly, applause echoed throughout the room. She smiled against my lips before pulling away, resting her forehead against mine. "I think you just proposed," she whispered.
"Hmm, I had a wife this morning, I have a fiance now," I smirked.
She pecked my lips before gently pushing me back. I sat in my seat, people still staring at us. She grabbed her can of coke and pulled the pop-top off, handing it to me. "I'm walking out of here with a ring on that finger," she smirked.
"Why a pop-top?" I asked, pulling out the wedding ring from the chapel. She took it off this morning and I did too but we both kept ours. I grabbed it from her room earlier today.
"Thief," she narrowed her eyes at me.
"Why? I stole your heart?"
"Good god," she laughed, snatching the ring and putting it back on.
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I kissed her goodbye at her door and was planning on going inside with her. From the way we were making out, her hands in my hair, mine at her waist, gripping her tightly, I didn't think there was any way I wasn't going inside with her.
But then my phone rang.
She clicked her tongue, pulling away, her teeth letting go of my bottom lip that she caught. "Goodnight, Noah," she grinned, pecking my lips before going inside and closing the door, opening it again seconds later. "Put that ring back on," she smiled before kissing me once more and then closing the door.
I leaned against the wall behind me, my hands by my sides. "Shit," I smiled to myself, tracing my bottom lip with my thumb. I snapped out of it when my phone rang again and groaned, pulling it out of my pocket and then answering. "Hello?"
"You went on a date, didn't you?" Lucas asked.
"Are you stalking me?" I laughed, heading to the elevator.
"Yes, now tell me, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did," I answered, pressing the button to his floor because I already knew Oli was also there. Lucas had his turn getting grilled and Oli had his, now it's mine.
I knocked on the door and it opened, both of them standing there. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, look at that," Oli laughed.
"Lipstick on his mouth, hair all messed up, buttons undone, damn!" Lucas taunted.
"She didn't wear lipstick," I smirked, running my fingers through my hair to settle it down.
"Yeah, yeah," Lucas rolled his eyes, "Just swollen red lips then," he smirked. I rolled my eyes, sitting on the foot of the bed.
"So?" they asked in sync.
I sighed, lying back on the bed. "I'm falling," I said.
"Again," Lucas mumbled.
I looked at him in confusion. "Huh?" Oli and I asked in sync.
"I just finished the lyric," he shrugged, "Harry?"
"Harry?" we asked.
"Harry Styles, guys?" he prompted.
"Oh," we said. "Charlotte?" I asked.
Oli nodded, "Bella?"
"Yeah," I laughed. Good to know that we all now listen to Harry Styles when we're with them. "Bella's obsessed with him," I mumbled.
"So is like every girl on the goddamn planet," Lucas retorted.
"Are we here to talk about Harry Styles? No. We're here to grill you," Oli said, nodding at me.
"Ask away then, I'm telling you now. You won't know everything," I shrugged.
"Are you serious about her?" Lucas asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, I am," I said, sitting upright.
"And college?" Oli asked.
"I got into Berkley," I shrugged, "She did too," I grinned.
"You don't even genuinely want to go though, is she changing your mind?" Lucas asked.
I shook my head softly, "No. I just haven't told her about my fucking father. If I tell him I got in and then say I don't wanna go," I rolled my eyes, "He'll chop my head off."
"You'll live. We'll call it a sacrifice," Lucas shrugged. I glared at him. "I'm kidding," he laughed, "If you don't wanna go, you don't have to. You know that."
"And if he doesn't listen to you, then screw him. You're an adult, you can make your own decision," Oli nodded.
"And Bella? What if she wants to go?" I asked.
"Then that's between you and her. You make it work, or you don't," Oli answered.
"You gotta try though, I haven't seen you all giddy and blushing like... ever, oh my god, he's gonna fall in love," Lucas mumbled.
I rolled my eyes, "Love is far off."
"Bet me $50?" he argued.
"I'll pass," I scoffed.
"Unless you already are," Oli sang.
"Goodnight," I said, standing up and heading out.
"See you at breakfast," Lucas chuckled.
"Maybe," I replied, opening the door.
"He's definitely going back to her room," Oli said.
"We better see you at breakfast," Lucas said.
"Maybe," I repeated, "Maybe not." I shut the door behind me and went back up to my floor, going to my room where I changed and brushed my teeth before knocking on her door.
She answered moments later wearing pajama shorts with an oversized shirt, tied in a knot at her navel. "Hey," she grinned while pulling her hair down, stepping aside to let me in.
"Hi," I smiled, closing the door.
"Don't you think you're paying for a hotel room you're not even staying in?" Her eyes narrowed down to slits.
"Maybe," I shrugged, grabbing her waist and pulling against me. "But every penny is worth it," I smirked before kissing her.
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Chapter twenty-four
Harry Styles.
My god, ya'll. that man really just takes my breath away.
next chapter: Styles