"It'll Be Our Little Secret, Okay?"-Full Story (so far)
“Alyssa! Over here! We’re all doing shots!” My drunken body stumbled over to the island in the kitchen. Bass pumped through me as we all tipped back our heads and downed the shots on three. I wobbled in my heels as I made my way over to the living room. The floor was shaking with the pounding of dub step from the speakers. My body swayed back and forth with the music. The room was packed and smelled like sweat and aftershave. One particular scent peaked my interest. I made my way towards the enticing cologne and ended up nearly knocking over a boy behind me. Turning around to apologize, I noticed it was him that was wearing that wonderful scent.
"Hey babe," I whispered, seductively as my drunken state would allow, into his ear. I didn't know whom he was and, frankly, I was too drunk to care.
"Why don't we go somewhere more, private," I added. My voice trailed off as a large, strong hand guided me upstairs.
* * *
Ugh. My head was pounding as I slowly opened my heavy eyelids, my hangover setting in. What happened last night? I carefully lifted my head, only to see a tall figure sitting at the foot of the bed. His long torso was hunched over and he seemed to be testing his elbows on his knees. The sun shined through the open curtains and revealed the dust dancing around the room. I didn't want to disturb his thoughts, but I needed to know what happened last night.
"Good morning," I said in a barely audible whisper. He jolted up, seemingly surprised by my sudden greeting. I still was not sure of just who he was.
"Good morning," his deep voice replied. I rubbed my temples as I unsuccessfully attempted to remember the previous night. Did I sleep with him? Immediately I lifted up the sheets. Thank god. I was still wearing my dress skirt from the night before, although my top was missing. As though he could read my thoughts, he spoke up.
"Don’t worry, we didn’t get very far before you burst into tears.”
Burst into tears? What happened? I still had no idea who this boy was. I began to get up and crawl across the bed spread to his body, which was still bent forward with his head resting in his hands. He seemed frustrated. He spoke up again.
“Is all of it true?” Is all of what true? My thoughts were scrambled and my attempts to remember last night were still useless.
“Are you going to answer me or what?” His voice was harsher this time and I jumped a little when he spoke.
“I…I…” I couldn’t get the words out.
“You were wasted last night Alyssa,” he stated bluntly. I knew that. I still didn’t even know the boy that I, apparently eagerly, hopped into bed with last night.
“You don’t remember do you?” he accused. Of course I didn’t remember, but I, Alyssa Davis, was not going to admit that.
“Of course I do,” I trailed off.
“Oh yeah? Then please, tell me all of your dirty little secrets that you spilled last night.” I couldn’t answer him.
“Fine, I guess I’ll just have to tell you,” he cut me off with an agitated voice.
I pushed him through the first door we could find, making out with him as deeply as a sloppy drunk teen could. He landed backwards on the bed with me on top of him. Straddling the boy’s lap, I began to remove my shirt. He seemed a little hesitant, so I reached down and began to relieve him of his attire as well. We rolled over, him on top of me, my neck stretched out to make contact with his lips. I could feel his hardness pressing into my thigh as we began to get rougher. Our tongues fought for dominance as we rolled over on the bed. I was back on top, my knees on each side of his hips. I began to finish taking my shirt off and when it was halfway off, I noticed him staring at my ribs. I looked down to see what he was looking at. My bruises. I quickly tugged my top back down and rolled off and lay down next to him. Tears began rolling down my cheeks and absorbing into the pillow.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. I just continued to sob uncontrollably. He tugged on my shoulder and turned to face him. I couldn’t make eye contact with him, so I just tucked my face into his collarbone.
“Tell me.”
“Those…” I sniffled and tried to contain myself as I attempted to explain. “Those b..bruises are fr…from m…m…my dad.” I started to sob again. He just grasped me tightly and I curled into his side. Without him needing to ask, I continued to spill all of my secrets that I kept inside.
“My father is an alcoholic.” I stopped and took a deep breath. “You want to know why my parents buy me all of these nice things? My Gucci shoes? My Tiffany jewelry? Well, it sure as hell isn’t because we are fortunate! We are an average income family, nothing special, but we have problems. My dad hits me, so in order to make up for it, what does he do, he spoils us. He showers us with gifts so that we forgive him. These bruises? Two days ago he came home wasted. I tried to get him to go up to bed, but he lashed out at me and grabbed me around the rib cage. I resisted which just made him tighten his grip. He shoved me into a wall and stormed upstairs.” I took a deep breath and waited for his response. He stared at me. I could tell he was at a loss for words, so I began to break down again. Shirtless, he rolled down the comforter so that I could slide in. That night I cried myself to sleep.
When he was finished explaining everything from last night, I had no response.
“Are you going to say something? I just stared at him. I can’t believe that I spilled every little hidden detail about my life to some boy whose name I was still at a loss for. What was going to happen? I can’t let this get out.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I stated bluntly.
“Why not Alyssa? You and your friends aren’t exactly the nicest kids in town.”
“I know, I know, but not only would this destroy my reputation and shatter the wall I’ve built, but it would also devastate my family. Think about my little brothers? What would happen to them?” Now it was his turn to be silent. We sat there with the burdening thick silence surrounding us.
“Fine Alyssa, but you owe me.” As he said this, he didn’t look at me, he just stared at the whitewash wall in front of him. I had to say something.
“Thank you. It’ll be our little secret okay?”
Chapter 2
“Hey, this is going to sound awkward, but I don’t exactly…I’m not exactly sure who you are.” He rubbed his temples and you could tell he was frustrated with me.
“Harry. Harry Styles. I’m in your grade and you and your bitch crowd hate me. What? You didn’t recognize the face Olivia pushed into a locker two days ago?” he asked crossly. I suddenly felt guilt wash over me like the tides. I was asking him to do a huge favor that he could easily use against me and he had plenty of reasons to.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?” he replied.
“Not to ask you for another favor, but have you seen my shirt?”
“It’s on the floor, where you threw it in your horny hysteria last night.” I climbed out of the bed, leaving the warm and comforting sheets behind and walked over to the doorway where my shirt was in a crumpled heap on the floor. I slipped it over my head, ready to make the hangover walk of shame back to my house when Harry spoke up.
“I’m sorry.” I was confused to say the least. What did this boy have to be sorry about?
“Why are you sorry? I’m the one that’s mean to you. I’m the one asking you to keep my dirty little secret.” I could see him swallow as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“I’m sorry because I may have miss judged you.” I had nothing to say, so I mumbled an mmhm, walked out, and closed the door behind me.
As soon as Harry’s front door was shut behind me, I whipped out my phone and called Erica.
She answered.
“Hey Lys, what’s up?”
“I have a problem, would you mind picking me up at, um, well this is going to sound bad, but Harry Styles’ house?”
“Yeah sure no prob… what? You did not… with him?”
“No, no, no, I was just wasted and ended up passing out during the party last night.”
“Thank god Lys. You have no idea what that would do to your reputation.” Was that really all we cared about? Our reputation?
“Just meet me around the corner from his house, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I always got your back Lys.”
Harry’s P.O.V
She was a bitch. End of story. I could easily use this against her, but I could never hurt someone like that. Alyssa was popular. From the outside, she appeared to have everything and be everything that a girl could want in high school, but as I now knew, there was more to her than meets the eye. Alyssa has long, brown, wavy hair that cuts off halfway down her back. Her green eyes are so bright that sometimes you have to look away. She has three girls around her all the time. Olivia, Erica, and Katie. They are really the bitches; Alyssa is just their queen bee. On top of being pretty and popular, every guy in the school wants Alyssa. Even I wanted her at one point. That was until her bitches decided I was their new bulls eye. I was sure she got around. It would be so easy for her to get any guy that she wanted and just as easily dump them the next day, kind of like she did with me. On second thought, maybe I would use it against her. I could make her existence miserable. I felt bad, but I couldn’t help the thoughts from entering my mind. She would regret all of the things she had done to me.
* * *
I walked proudly into the school, my head was held high, and I was confident with that tiny slip of paper in my hand. I continued to walk proudly, that was, until Erica and Olivia passed by me.
“Heard you tried to fuck Alyssa when she was wasted?” Erica laughed devilishly at me. They both began to cackle in unison and I just continued to march on with my head down.
“Hey, are you ignoring us?” Olivia yelled after me. I tried my hardest to ignore them, as I squeezed the paper in my hand tighter, as if my life depended on it.
“I said, are you ignoring us?” There was an intense edge to her voice as I felt a hand yank me by the shoulder. I was jolted backwards as Olivia pushed me to the ground, landing right on my tailbone.
“Ow! God damn it Olivia!”
“Oops! Sorry Harry,” she said with an attempted innocent giggle.
“Bitch,” I whispered under my breath.
“Did you say something?” she asked.
“Nope, nothing at all my highness.” I bowed to her in response and finally managed to escape them. I fingered the corners of the paper in my hand as I made my way hurriedly down the hall towards the junior lockers.
“128, 130, 132…” I counted to myself as I passed the locker with the coordinating number.
“142…156…ah hah 178.” I came to Katie’s locker. Peering around the corner, I checked to make sure no one was coming as I slipped the note into her locker and made a mad dash for homeroom.
Katie’s P.O.V
I hummed brightly as I practically skipped over to my locker at the end of the school day. Turning the dial to my combination, I pulled open the door and a small piece of paper floated to the linoleum floor of the hallway. Continuing to hum, I picked up and unfolded the lined paper.
Dear Bitch #2,
I know things. Alyssa isn’t as perfect as the world may think. She has a dark side that I am not afraid to share with the school. Remember. I warned you.
XO
I abruptly stopped humming.
“Hey, Kate, what’s up?” Alyssa had just walked up behind me. Should I ignore it? Should I tell her?
“He…hey Lys.”
“What’s eating you?” she questioned. I gulped and pulled out the now crumped piece of paper and handed it to her. Her normally tan complexion turned a ghostly shade of white as she read the slip of paper.
“Lys? Hey, Lys, are you okay?”
Chapter 3
Alyssa's P.O.V
My stomach dropped the moment I read the piece of paper. I knew exactly what this was about.
"Lys, are you okay?" she asked as she waved her arms wildly in front of my face. I lifted my gaze to meet her questioning one.
"Oh... yeah. Um…oh…I'm fine. Isn't this hilarious? Liv has been going around putting these in people's lockers. Totally hilarious, right?" By the expression on her innocent face, I could tell she bought it.
"OH MY GOSH! THAT'S SO FUNNY!" she squealed. The bell rang; Kate and I sang our usual chorus of goodbyes and parted ways. God, I was so tired of talking like that. What intelligent person squeals like that? As people started to disperse into their classes, I glanced at the crowd of faces surrounding me. Most of them seemed to be looking at me; which is normal of course. However, for some reason, I was noticing it more today. Was it because Harry said something? Oh God...do they know? They couldn't possibly. Then it hit me. What if they always looked at me like this? What if I was so obnoxious that they stared like this every day, I was just too caught up in my own little bubble to notice. I put my head down as I walked through the hall, suddenly ashamed to be seen by everyone as this perfect little airhead. That wasn't me. That was the Alyssa who didn't let anyone in, the Alyssa who had everything, the Alyssa who had the perfect family. They didn't know the real me, the one who stood behind stonewalls that I'd carefully built up. This bubbly, preppy, obnoxious personality that I showed on my exterior was such a joke. I acted this way so people wouldn't ask questions. I acted this way because if everyone thought I was perfect, maybe my family would become perfect. Maybe everything would become perfect.
I was honestly terrified. I felt like I planned my every move, as if my actions didn't seem "flawless" enough, people would figure out my secret. I shuffled through the hallway, making a feeble attempt to put a perky spring in my step. I jolted backward as, a hand tugged at my shoulder. Spinning around, ready to strike whoever had the nerve to put a hand on Alyssa Davis, I looked up to see my reflection in a pair of emerald green orbs. Damn it.
“What do you w…” My voice trailed off as Harry raised his eyebrows and held his left index finger to his lips. He motioned down the hall with his hand. Unwillingly, I obliged, shaking as I made my way behind him. I had never allowed anyone to have this kind of power over me, the power to make me crumble, to fall apart in a single instance, the power to dissolve the perfect image I had worked so hard to uphold.
He held open the door to the janitor's closet, motioning for me to enter first. Oh, so now he decides to be a gentleman? After I was snuggly inside, his tall figure followed me in, shutting the door gently behind him. There was a moment of tense silence as he fumbled around in the dark for the light switch. When the closet was illuminated, I immediately realized how close we were standing. My chin was nearly pressed against his chest, my feet crushing his.
"Sorry," I apologized for the lack of distance between the two of us. Naturally, I jumped backwards, trying to distance myself from him. As I forced space between our bodies, my foot hit the mop bucket and it toppled over, spilling onto the floor and trickling into Harry's shoes.
"Oh God. I'm so sorry,” I quickly apologized as I frantically tried to clean it up, as not to upset him. My voice faded off.
“Who taught you to be so obedient?” he smirked at me. I hated him. He was trying to anger me. I wasn't sure what he was playing at, but all I knew was he sure as hell wasn’t going to be nice about it.
“Don’t you dare,” I said to him, my voice shaky, tears threatening to spill. All he did was smirk and from that small gesture, I could tell he knew how to use this control.
Harry's P.O.V
I was beyond done being the curly haired dork everyone thought of me as. I was so much more than that. I was a talented, dapper, and quite handsome young man, if I did say so myself. I deserved to be recognized, and at this point, I was going to make that happen, no matter what the cost. Since you’re little, they teach you to treat others how you want to be treated. Alyssa treated me like her bitch and now, I was going to treat her like mine.
Alyssa's P.O.V
"Alright Alyssa, this is how it's going to work. You are going to do as I say, when I say it. Agreed?" I nodded my head slowly, unwillingly obliging to his demands. I hated being vulnerable; I had been all of my life. School was the only place that I had any control and now, I had none. I was, honestly, confused. What did I ever do to him? Well, okay, bad choice of words, but anything my so-called “friends” or me had ever done to him was certainly no cause for him to victimize himself like this.
"What do you want me to do?" I swallowed roughly as the words escaped my lips.
"Just, show everyone, that I'm not the little dork you always make fun of."
"And how do you expect me to do that?" I spat back, maybe a little too harshly considering the power he currently held over me. "Let's start with something easy." A devilish grin spread across his mouth and suddenly, those cute dimples didn't seem so friendly.
The door opened and rebounded off the wall to the left, denting the drywall.
“Alex, take Xavier, go upstairs, and don’t come out until I come to get you,” I said as I quickly ushered their small bodies over to the staircase.
“Hey..Aly…Alllyyyy…Lyssssss,” my father drunkenly stumbled into the house, knocking over the coat rack near the front door.
“Dad, go to bed.”
“Why honey? I’m perfectly fi…” his palms smacked the hardwood floor as his body suddenly succumbed to gravity. I was surprised he was able to brace himself in his wasted state.
“Hun, help your father up.” Hesitantly, I walked over to him and reached a shaky hand down. Using all of my body mass, I heaved him to his feet. Once up, he wobbled a bit until he was as steady as a drunkard could be.
“Dad, please, go to sleep.” He stumbled over to the stairs before I stopped him.
“Sleep down here. You won’t make it up the stairs and I don’t think showing up to mom in this condition is a good idea.” His head swiftly rotated to face me.
“Alyssa Anne. Let the fuck go of me and let me go to my room.” I didn’t want him to screw up his and mom’s relationship even more, but I also didn’t want him near Alex and Xavier.
“No,” I whispered.
“What did you just say?” he spat at me
“No Dad,” I said with a little more confidence. His body weight shifted and I immediately raised my arm in defense, bracing myself for the blow, but at the moment, nothing came. Blinking a few times, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Now, Alyssa, please let me go upstairs to your mother and my own bed.” I shook my head in response. A firm hand latched onto my chin, forcing me to meet his glazed over glare. I couldn’t let him. He would do something stupid, so I slightly tightened my grip on his arm. He flinched and his rough palm collided with my back, knocking me to the floor. I resisted the tears that tried to pour from my eyes. My nails dug into the floor as I awaited what was to come. He heaved me up by the ribs, his fingers pressing firmly into me. I writhed in pain as he lifted me from the floor.
“Lys, can I go upstairs now?” I didn’t want him up there.
“No,” I said. As soon as I said, I shoved past him and bounded up the stairs. Rounding the corner, I fell into my brothers’ room and shut the door behind me. I could hear his heavy footsteps in the hallway.
“Damn kid…needs to learn…” He mumbled until he reached his room. As soon as he was no longer in the hallway, I let the tears trickle down my face.
“Lys, are you okay?” Xavier’s innocent voice inquired. They were unaware as to what our father does. Mom and I have hid them from him every time.
“It’s nothing Xav, go back to bed,” I managed to say in-between slowing sobs. I attempted to curl up on the floor, but when my body touched the floor, a sharp pain shot up my chest. Lifting my shirt, I evaluated the damage on my ribcage. Deep purple splotches marked my sides. The tears began to flow again. These were just a few more flaws to add to my imperfections.
Harry's P.O.V
"When the next bell rings, that's the signal for us both to head to science, am I correct?" She hesitantly nodded and I continued.
"When that bell rings, you're going to walk beside me to class."
"Is that it?" she questioned. I snickered.
"Oh, if only it was darling. You are going to walk beside me to class, you're going to hold my hand, and you're going to smile, is that understood?" Her face dropped.
"I asked you a question. Is that understood Alyssa?" She narrowed her bright green eyes and stared directly into mine.
"If you think I'm going down without a fight, you're more stupid than I thought." I was taken aback. I thought this would be so much easier. I grabbed her face and looked her dead in the eyes.
"Alyssa Davis, you are going to do whatever I say when I say it. If I say jump, you say how high. That is, unless, you want me to tell the whole school about your little situation.” I felt her shudder under my grasp.
"It's not like anyone would believe you," she said in a shaky voice.
"Is that so? Well, maybe I'll have to dig up some proof then." She lowered her head and nodded.
"That’s my girl!" The bell sounded, "Now, perk up. You've got a role to play."
Alyssa's P.O.V
We walked to science class, my tiny hand swallowed by Harry's. I was once again aware of everyone's eyes on me. However, this time, they weren't empty stares. They were shocked stares. They were the stares of those whispering to their friends about Alyssa Davis being seen within two feet of Harry Styles, let alone holding his hand. Ignoring the snide remarks, I kept my head held high. I, Alyssa Davis, was not going to let someone as unimportant as Harry Styles shatter me. I smiled and laughed; I even waved to a couple of those who were gawking. As soon as our feet passed the threshold into science class, I dropped Harry's hand like it was scalding hot. Moving away quickly, I headed towards the other side of the room, but soon I felt the firm grip of a massive hand on my shoulder.
"Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn't want people to think you were faking out there earlier, yeah?" I turned towards him, but refused to look him in the eyes. He motioned for me to follow, and patted the desk of an empty seat next to his. Taking the seat unwillingly, I kept a fake smile plastered on my face. He can do whatever he wants, but I won't let him take my confidence, it was all I had left. If Harry wanted to play his little game that was fine by me, but little did I know, he wanted so much more than that.
Chapter 4
Not five minutes would go by without another person glancing my way. Some were less obvious, staring from their peripheral vision, but others dead on glared at me. I squirmed, uncomfortable under all of the judging eyes. Halfway through the class period, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Would you all mind your own business and stop staring at me!” I screamed. The entire room went quiet.
“Miss. Davis, that was extremely rude and unnecessary, please report to the office.”
“Anything to get out of here,” I grumbled.
“What was that, Miss. Davis?”
‘Nothing, Mrs. Holmes.” As I walked by, I felt a hand smack my ass. Harry. I sneered back at him and continued to the office. Thank god that the hallways were empty as I made my way to the principal. I may be in trouble, but at least I didn’t have to deal with any more obnoxious people, always wanting to stick their noses in other people’s personal lives.
“Shit.” I tripped slightly and all of my books spread across the tiled floor. Bending down to pick them up, I heard a voice from above me.
“Would you like some help?”
“No, fuck off.”
“Didn’t mean to offend you, Lys.” I looked up.
“Oh my god, I am so sorry, Kate. I’m just, I’m just having a bad day. That’s all.”
“I can see that by the way you were acting earlier.” I looked at her quizzically. “You know, the way you were being all touchy feely with Harry Styles before class.”
“Oh, that. Yeah, I don’t know. I gotta go. See ya.”
* * *
“Miss Davis, please, come in.” The principal seemed to be acting oddly friendly with a student who had just gotten in trouble. “Now, before we get to your punishment, your mother just called to inform us that no one will be able to pick you up from school today.”
“That’s okay, I’ll just take the bus.”
“See, that takes us to your punishment. I hear you were causing disruption in Mrs. Holmes’ classroom.” He tapped his pen repeatedly against the notepad on his desk as he explained the details of my visit.
“Yes, but…”
“Making up excuses will not do you any good, Alyssa.” The pen he had been tapping dropped to the pad and his voice rose slightly in volume, as he grew frustrated with me.
“You will be staying for an after-school detention with Mr. Neils.” I wanted to tell him about everything. I wanted to tell him about how I wouldn’t be able to get home and how no one would be there to pick Alex and Xavier up from their after-school program, but I couldn’t do it.
“Alright, Mr. Jacobson.”
“Have a nice day, Alyssa.” Eyes forward, I left the office and headed back to class.
* * *
Hugging my books tightly, I inhaled deeply and stepped into Mr. Neils’ room.
“I thought you might be in here.” He sat, legs dangling, on the edge of one of the desks at the front of the room.
“Can’t I escape you for ten minutes?” Harry hopped off of the desk and walked until his face was mere inches away from my own, but before he could speak, the door creaked and Mr. Neils entered.
“Well, is this all we have for detention today?” Before Harry could answer, I spoke up.
“Mr. Neils, I can’t stay. I have no way to get home or to pick up my brothers, Alex and Xavier.”
“I’ll take you home,” Harry immediately piped in.
“There we have it, Miss Davis. Now, the two of you may take your seats and you can leave in two hours.” I groaned, pulled out my daily assignments and got to work.
“I’ll be right back kids. No talking while I’m gone.” The door clicked and Harry immediately turned to face me.
“So…”
“Don’t talk to me,” I interrupted.
“But, Alyssa, I…”
“No, you nothing. Harry, this is killing me. I know you don’t care, but this could ruin me.”
“I know,” he said, a smug smile gracing his lips as if he didn’t give two shits about how this affected me. “That’s why it’s happening. Alyssa, you and your friends ruined me. I thought we already discussed this.”
“Asshole.”
“What was tha…” He was cut short as Mr. Neils re-entered the classroom.
“Staying quiet I see?” We both nodded in unison and continued on what we had been working on before. Harry didn’t bother me for the rest of the period, but only because the teacher was sitting a few feet away. If we had been alone, then Harry would have been harassing me for the extent of our detention.
“Times up. You can both leave, but behave yourselves in the future, please.” Harry and I rose from our desks, gathering our backpacks as we did so.
* * *
“Get in Lys.”
“No and don’t call me that. We aren’t friends.” I stood three parking spots away from him and his car, arms crossed in refusal.
“Fine. Alyssa, how do you plan on getting home?’
“I’ll walk.”
“Okay, what about your brothers? If you walk, you’ll never make it in time to pick them up.” I threw my arms down in defeat and climbed through the door that he was so politely holding open for me.
“Where to?”
“Jones Elementary. Why are you being so kind?”
“I understand that your brothers mean a lot to you.”
“Oh drop the act, Harry.”
“Whatever you want. Here, I’ll get straight to the point before we pick up Alex and Xavier. I want you to introduce me to your parents.” I was dumbfounded at his request.
“Why? Can’t you at least give me peace in the comfort of my own home?” A smile emerged on his face as he drove. “What’s so funny?”
“Silly Alyssa. You just don’t get it, do you?”
“No, Harry. No, I don’t. Why did you choose me? Why not someone else?” There was that smile again and those dimples.
“You were an easy target. After that night you were wasted and you spilled everything to me, it was hard not to take advantage of your situation.”
“Well, you have the information, now leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that. You see, I want to get to know the real you. Not the peppy girl that harasses everyone in school. I want to see the scared Alyssa, the nervous Alyssa.”
“Fine.” The rest of the ride to my brother’s elementary school was filled with silence, that was, until Xavier and Alex hopped into Harry’s car.
“HELLOOOOO LYYYYSSSAAAA!” They both shouted.
“Hey guys,” I smiled back. No matter how I was feeling, Alex and Xavier could always make me smile. There happy innocence seemed to rub off on whomever they came in contact with.
“Who’s he?” Xavier asked in a not-so-discreet whisper, tapping me on the shoulder. I swallowed, unwilling to answer his question.
“Th…this is Harry. He is a…a friend.” Harry reached an arm back and ruffled Xavier’s hair.
“I’m her boyfriend, buddy.” My jaw dropped at his words.
“Wha…” I was cut off by one of Alex’s petty rhymes.
“Lyssa and Harry sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Harry laughed at my brother’s antics, while I shrunk down into the seat, frowning at the advantage Harry had over me by using Alex and Xavier.
“I’m going to tell Mom!” Xavier cried out.
“Not if I tell Dad first!” Alex yelled back.
“Whoa whoa. Calm down you two, we can all tell your parents at dinner tonight.”
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah, don’t you remember Lys? You invited me over to meet your folks.” His hand left the steering wheel and roughly grasped my wrist. “Yes. You. Did.” I cringed at the force he was applying to my arm, forcing me to agree with him.
“Oh, yeah. I remember now.”
“Yay!” The two restless boys in the backseat chimed in together. Harry sure had a way of worming himself into others lives.
* * *
The second Harry’s car pulled into the driveway; I could sense my parents’ confused stares from inside the house. Xavier and Alex popped out of the backseat and rushed as fast as they could to the front door, pushing and shoving as they went. I waited in the car for a moment after we parked. Inhaling deeply, I began to leave the vehicle when that familiar force latched around my arm.
“Don’t forget.” With that, he released me, put on that cheeky grin of his, and started up the walkway to my house.
Chapter 5
I took a deep breath. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I honestly had no choice. As uncomfortable as the situation was going to be, it’s not like he’d be seeing anything he wasn’t already aware of. It was just more real this time around. It wasn’t going to just be something I told him about, something that was based purely upon my word. It was now going to be something he witnessed, something he became aware of with all of his senses; with all the more details to hold over my head.
As we walked up the all too short driveway, I plastered a fake smile on my face. My mom was sitting in the kitchen, with a puzzled look on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to put all the pieces together. Her daughter, Alyssa Davis, was bringing home a boy, but this time, the boy wasn’t rushed to her room. This one was going to sit and meet the family.
“Mom, this is Harry.” My hands gestured over to the tall figure beside me. “He’s my… urm…” I didn’t know how to finish the statement.
“Boyfriend. I’m her boyfriend,” Harry chimed in. Immediately, my mother’s eyes lit up with understanding.
“Hello, Harry! It’s so lovely to meet you. I have never had the pleasure to meet any of Alyssa’s…friends before. You two must be very serious.” The grin graced her face again as she finished her statement. I could feel the heat burning through my cheeks and surely radiating around the room. My eyes danced around the tiled kitchen, as to avoid eye contact with either of them. Polite small talk was exchanged between the two, but their conversation was lost to me as I pretended this was all a dream. Suddenly, I felt the urge to question. Question something that I probably shouldn’t, but pushing it down was no use and the inquiry fell from my lips.
“Where’s dad?” I burst out. No sooner had the question reached her ears, then my mother’s face dropped from joyfulness to regretting the inevitable.
“He’s… out.” She ran her fingers through her hair in nervous habit as her answer filled the air, causing a stifling suffocation. I nodded my head, signaling understanding. By out, she didn’t mean grocery shopping or working out at the gym. She meant getting drunk at a bar somewhere to the point he could barely remember his first name, let alone walk. The confused expression fled Harry’s face quickly as he nearly immediately grasped what was slowly unfolding in front of him. Before the silence could stifle the three of us any further, the front door violently slammed against the wall.
“WHERE’S MY DAMN DINNER?!” my father screamed, not bothering to acknowledge Harry or myself. A fluster brushed my mom’s face as she stumbled over her words for an answer to his forceful command.
“Um, it’s cooking. It…it’s almost ready, I promise. Alyssa introduce Harry to your father while I finish up dinner” She begged me pleadingly.
“D-d-dad… this is Harry, m…my boyfriend,” I said, shaking.
“Well… Harry. It’s nice to meet you. How long have you been fucking my daughter?” His hoarse, drunken voice filled the air around us, the smell of alcohol wafting from his mouth. I expected Harry to be floored, stunned, unable to answer, but he handled the situation like a pro.
“Actually sir, we’ve never slept together.” He grabbed my hand and smiled at me. “I respect her and her decision to wait.” His words almost seemed genuine. My dad barely looked up, grumbled something about dinner, and stumbled into the dining room. My green eyes met his equally dark ones.
“I’m going to go get my brothers.” He nodded his head and I bounded upstairs as fast as I could, not wanting my father to get impatient.
“Boys, dinner!” They rushed frantically out of their respective room. Even though they didn’t fully understand what my father did, they knew it was not a smart idea to keep him waiting.
I ushered them down the stairs, the smell of pasta wafting throughout the downstairs. Stepping into the dining room, a lanky figure moving about the table caught my vision. He looked at me and smiled. I mouthed a thank you to him from across the room. Pushing the boys’ chairs into the table, I took a seat beside Harry. Xavier was mumbling under his breath,
“Harry and Lyssa sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” I shot him a dirty look, and his mouth snapped shut. My dad came marching out and slammed a bottle of beer on the table in front of his seat. My mother brought the six full plates of pasta to the table and glared at my father.
“Babe, I don’t think that is the best decision right now. We have a guest.” Now was when I really started to get concerned. Dinners in my household were usually dead silent. I was afraid Harry wouldn’t get the memo and would start blabbering away. However, I was my mom who started asking about Harry’s hobbies causing my level of discomfort rose steadily. After the meal was over, I had a sense things were about to go south. Harry, Alex, Xavier, and I had all left the dining room before the obscene words began to fall.
“Xavier, Alex, go upstairs and get ready for bed, now. I’ll be up to tuck you in soon.” They skipped upstairs, giggling. I heard my dad yelling from the kitchen, telling my mom how stupid she was.
“Why the fuck is it your business what the hell I drink during dinner. Oh that’s right, it fucking isn’t.” I buried my face in my hands as a look of concern crossed Harry’s face.
“Harry, I’ll meet you outside. I promise this will just take a second.” He nodded his head unsurely; clearly not fully aware of what was happening. I waited until I heard the front door shut, and then ran into the kitchen. “Dad. Stop.” I tried to be strong and stand my ground as I confronted him. He looked up, his hands around my mom’s neck. He released his grip, and she fell to the floor, crying out.
“Who gave you the right to tell me what to do? You’re just a fucking slut and a mistake of a child a child.” He took the first step towards me and I knew what was coming next. I felt my body go numb, and I did what I always did; pretended it wasn’t happening, and just tried to think about happy things. I thought about my brothers, and tried to be strong for them. After about ten minutes, the front door clicked open and a rush of air blew into the tense living room. Things had never lasted this long and I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. More shouting filled the room as my father’s grip relented and his hand slid from my upper arm to my wrist. The shouts were no longer those of my dad, but someone else.
“Harry?” I croaked. “Shhh… it’s all going to be all right Lys… it’ll be okay.” Everything started to spin. Reassurance of my safety surged through me, allowing my body to give in and my mind to go black.
Chapter 6
Alyssa’s P.O.V
My eyelids fluttered open, only to close immediately at the harsh lights that reflected down at me. What happened? Memories flicked through my mind.
I saw dinner and Harry and…and my father. Shit. A splitting headache cracked through my skull, causing me to nearly double over in pain. Once the pain subsided slightly, I once again tried to open my eyes. The lights above me seemed to have dimmed slightly since I last attempted to come back into the world, a world I didn’t want to be in. As my eyelids lifted, the rest of the room slowly came into view and white ceilings covered my vision. Tilting my head to the side, my eyes were met by a glass top coffee table. I was in my living room. Sitting up too quickly, my hands shot up to my head in an attempt to ease the sudden pain that throbbed inside it.
“What happened?” I asked out loud, not knowing who would answer.
“Do you really want to know?” That voice. I knew that voice.
“Harry?”
“At least we know that you’re memory is working.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Tell me, Alyssa,” his hand ran frustratedly through his mass of curls as he looked at me with overly tired eyes, “what do you remember.” I searched my mind for something, anything, about last night. I saw Harry and my mom.
I saw my dad in his usual state, but then I saw my mom, again, on the floor, my dad coming at me.
“Stop! Stop!” I cried out in worry, the images flooding back too quickly.
“Alyssa, calm down. No one is going to hurt you.” My escalated breathing slowly settled down and returned to normal, Harry’s hand running supportively up and down my back.
“Where are my brothers, Harry?”
“They’re fine, Lys. Don’t worry.” That’s when it hit me.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Look who finally snapped out of it. Now that I know you’re okay, let’s get down to business.” He didn’t look so drowsy anymore as he locked eyes with mine. His body leaned over, checking to see if any of my family members had decided to make their way downstairs for breakfast. “I’m sorry that what happened last night happened, but get over it. It’s nothing new to you and it came as no surprise to me.” My jaw must have hit the floor. A second ago, he was rubbing my back as if he cared and now he spoke like I was worth nothing more than the value of my secret. “I was worried about you, Alyssa. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t have wanted you to be seriously injured.” There he goes again, acting like he cares when all he actually cares about is his reputation.
“Oh, so you actually do have a heart in there.” I smacked him unnecessarily hard on the chest. His large hand immediately wrapped around my dainty wrist.
“Just not a heart for you,” he spat at me before throwing my arm down and standing up.
“Where are you going?” He smirked at me.
“What the hell does it matter to you?”
“You started this act and now you have to finish it. My boyfriend would never just leave after something like that.”
Harry’s P.O.V
I scowled back at her. Alyssa had caught a flaw in my own game, but I wouldn’t let her play me like that. I was supposed to be playing her.
“You wanna play that game, huh? Fine.” I cupped my hands around my mouth and took a deep breath.
“Mrs. Davis!” I shouted up the stairs. Alyssa cringed from her position on the plush brown leather couch, knowing I would have surely woken her brothers and aggravated her headache further.
“God damn it, Ha…” She didn’t have time to finish yelling at me before her mother came rushing downstairs.
“What is it, dear?” After I had called her mother down, I immediately resumed my place next to Alyssa, holding her hand and rubbing the other up and down her outstretched leg. “Oh, Honey, you’re awake!” Mrs. Davis quickly hopped over to us, encompassing both Alyssa and myself in a thankful hug.
“She just awoke, Mrs. Davis.”
“Thank goodness you’re okay, Lys.” At that very moment, Xavier and Alex came bounding down the stairs.
“Lyssssssaaaaa!” I watched as she cringed at their weight on top of her.
“Hey, guys.” She feigned a smile as her brothers took her in a tight embrace.
“Why do you have this?” Alex poked at the large bruises that coated her upper arms and back. I could sense how badly she wanted to tell them, how badly she wanted them to know what was going on, but they were young and they were innocent. They didn’t need the strain of trying to understand.
“I just fell off of my bike on my way home is all.” Their easily wandering 8-year-old minds quickly accepted the explanation and the two boys bounded off into the kitchen for breakfast.
“I don’t mean to bother you Harry, but would you mind making Alex and Xavier breakfast for me?”
“No problem Mrs. Davis. It’s the least I can do after you made me dinner last night.”
Leaving the couch, I followed the overly peppy 8 year olds into the kitchen to make them a simple, but satisfying, breakfast of cereal and fruit. Once the two bubbly boys were sat at the table scarfing down their morning meal, I leant against the counter, and glanced back into the living room at Alyssa and her mother. To be honest, last night scared me. When her father lunged at her, I could hear everything through the old front door that I stood in front of, outside her house. Angry drunks I have dealt with before. My uncle never came to family events because of how he lashed out with just a hint of alcohol added to his system, but he never physically attacked any of us. It was solely verbal abuse. I peeped my head inside to see what was going on. As he left her mom in the kitchen, I could see the natural response in Alyssa’s body as she braced herself, as if it was the most banal thing in the world.
“Dad. Stop.” I heard her meekly call out to him.
“What did you say to me?” He didn’t take commands lightly and the second she talked back, he responded with his fists. After the seventh blow, I knew that this was going too far and had to step in. This was not part of the plan. The things he called her no one should have to hear, especially from their father; I had to step in.
“Mr. Davis!” His attention turned to me for just a second; long enough so that Alyssa could inch away from his grasp.
“Don’t use that tone with me, son.” As Mr. Davis approached me, I threw my arms up in defense, but no blows came. Instead, his large, stumbling frame walked past me and out of the house, leaving Alyssa on the floor and his wife in the kitchen.
I shook my head at the memory. I felt bad for her, yes, but I still resented her and what she and her friends had done to me, and how they had treated me. She would still be a puppet in my plan and I would succeed.
Alyssa’s P.O.V
As his weight left the couch, the cushions rose back to their normal position. Harry walked nonchalantly into the kitchen behind my eagerly bouncing brothers. Once his mop of curly hair was out of sight, my mother assumed his place on the sofa.
“Harry is such a sweet boy.” I wanted to shout at her. I wanted to yell to the heavens how much of an asshole Harry was, but no, the show must go on.
“He’s lovely, mom.”
“You know, Lys, he stayed with you all night. I don’t think he left your side for a moment while you were sleeping, not even to go to the bathroom or get a drink.” I was shocked to say the least. Harry Styles caring about me?
“Really?”
“I think he really cares about you, honey.” I suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over me. Was I really blind to his true intentions? I shook the thoughts immediately from my head. He was messing with me. This was all part of his act, his game, and his rules.
“Me too, Mom.” Her hand rubbed my back lightly before she got up to meet Harry and my brothers in the kitchen. Now he had my entire family wrapped around his finger and I couldn’t do anything about it. They wouldn’t believe me. They had only seen him like this. I needed him out of my life completely, but that would be a challenge.
Alyssa thought that she needed Harry out. She thought that he was nothing but a nuisance, but little did she know, she might actually need him.
Chapter 7
Harry’s P.O.V
I leant against the counter, observing Alex and Xavier from the corner of my eyes. They contently shoveled the chopped melon and strawberries into their mouths followed by swig after swig of a tall glass of milk. If I hadn’t known any better, they were a perfectly happy family, but I did know.
“Harrrrrrrryyyyyy?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“More milk?” I couldn’t help but allow my lips to twitch upwards into a smile with the young boy’s simple-minded requests. I don’t know where Alyssa’s nasty side came from but apparently these two did not inherit it. My eyes lifted to see the slim frame of Alyssa’s mom walk lightly through the doorframe before perching delicately on the stool next to Alex, her hand rubbing the short tufts of brown hair on his head.
“Would you like any breakfast, Mrs. Davis?”
“No thank you, hun.” She waved off my question and continued to make plans for Alex and Xavier for the day. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over to Alyssa. Her long brown lair, obviously inherited from her beautiful mother, cascaded over the back of the leather couch and swung from side to side as she shifted in her seat. Without another word to the cluster of people in the kitchen, I traipsed back into the warm living room and placed myself gently down next to Alyssa. She shuddered slightly in shock at the new presence next to her.
“Shh, Lys. Don’t move.” She sat stone still as my hand ran down her hair repeatedly in a motion that to anyone else would seem comforting.
“What do you want, Harry?” She whispered almost silently through baited breath.
“We’re going out tonight.” Her eyes shuddered closed before she inhaled deeply and spoke.
“No we are not.” That’s when the soothing touch of my hand down her hair turned into what she was dreading. My large hand grasped her waves halfway down and pulled loosely.
“Yes. We. Are.” Alyssa cringed and nodded her head in agreement. “I’ll let your mother know.”
Alyssa’s P.O.V
I raised my hand to my head, rubbing my scalp. Asshole. This was turning into some game and he was the dealer. Listening intently I could just barely over hear their conversation in the kitchen.
“I’ll have her back by midnight, Mrs. Davis. I promise.”
“You’re such a nice boy, Harry. What took her so long to find a decent one?” I gagged at her last question. If she thought he was decent, my dad must be a fucking saint.
* * *
He stood leant against the doorframe to my bathroom as I applied the last lick of eyeliner to my upper lid. A tight navy blazer graced his broad shoulders, covering a loose white V-neck tee, followed by black skinnies and scuffed white converse. If I didn’t hate his guts, I might actually flirt with him.
“Are you quite done, princess?”
“Just about, prince charming,” I had taken as long as possible to drag out getting ready, but there was no holding out any longer.
Harry’s P.O.V
The cold doorframe pressed into my shoulder as I impatiently tapped my fingers on my thigh waiting for her to finish her routine. The brush glided once more over eyelid before being placed gently back into its container.
“Done,” she stated adamantly.
“Took you long enough.” Turning away from her, I stood at the top of the stairs. Her long tanned legs appeared even longer in the black heels she donned. My eyes traveled up her frame and the color of her legs was abruptly interrupted by a skintight black mini skirt. Her mid section was covered loosely by a silver sequined tank top. Every part of her was highlighted exactly the way she wanted, illuminating her positives and hiding her flaws.
“Quite ready now?”
“Shut up.” Alyssa strode past me and down the stairs without waiting up. “Bye Mom.” The door was quickly shut behind her.
“Good night, Mrs. Davis.”
“See you later, Harry.” Her light frame was covered in shadows as she sat in the car, obviously annoyed at the plans made against her will.
“Come on, Lys. It’ll be fun.” My words were met with a huff of breath and silence.
“Just drive,” she finally spoke as we pulled out of the driveway.
* * *
“Where are we?”
“She speaks.”
“Shut up, Harry. Seriously, I thought we were going to a party.” I smirked in her direction and parked the car on the side of the road.
“Out, princess.” She followed me gracefully clicking in her heels as we approached the club. Loud music shook the pavement outside the dark building, the sidewalk only illuminated on occasion by the club’s lights as people entered and exited. “Ready to have some fun?” Still no reply.
The bass pounded as we entered the club, light effects cascading down every wall, but the room still dark enough to keep the identity of whomever one decided to grind on that night. Dragging her over to the bar, I ordered two shots, passing off as plenty old enough to get some alcohol.
“Drink up, the princess is partying tonight.” On three she downed her glass, slamming it on the bar top and walking away.
“Not so fast.” I swiftly grabbed hold of her arm before she could get lost in the huddles of sweaty teenagers.
Alyssa’s P.O.V
I was so close to escaping and letting loose for the night. If I had gotten through he would have never been able to find me in the smoke screened room, but he saw my escape and his large hand had latched around my arm before I had made it ten feet.
“One more?” I stomped back over and downed my second shot of the night, the liquid burning my throat as it traveled down and already heading to my senses. The strong alcohol mixed with the deafening music and bright lights were enough to knock anyone out of their right mind. “You need to let go, Alyssa.” Maybe he was right, maybe I did need to let go, if only this once.
“Four more,” I called to the bartender, flashing him the top of my chest to speed up the process as multiple people called out for his service. Four more shot glasses were placed in front of Harry and I. I called the counts this time and we both rapidly let the burn fuel our night. Not going to lie, as the fourth shot ran down into my stomach, I could feel it in my legs as I stumbled slightly in my pumps. “I’m going to dance,” I shouted in Harry’s ear. He waved me off and I wandered into the middle of the dance floor, swaying my hips against any willing male.
Harry’s P.O.V
I watched her tipsy gait as she ground her hips on every and any guy within her area. Slut.
“Harry, mate!” Glancing over, my cousin George drunkenly called my name from across the bar. Afraid I would lose sight of my prey; I waved him over to me, the full glass in my hand calling his name.
“Hey, George.” His hand clapped over my back and suddenly an idea flushed through my mind. “I have a request.”
“Anything, buddy.”
“Okay, first, don’t call me that. Second, see that hot brunette in the silver top there?” His eyes followed my finger to Alyssa’s figure trapped in between to unidentified men.
“Yeah, mate?”
“I want you to turn her down, but make a big deal out of it.”
“But she’s hot man.”
“She’s also only 17 and you’re 21 and out of her league. Stay here.” Walking over to her tipsy body, I dragged her away from the evidently horny men at her sides.
“What do you want?”
“I have someone you might be interested in.” As she followed me, her legs drunkenly crossed as she stumbled over herself. That’s when she laid her eyes on George and she immediately stood up straight. His head was graced with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to search your soul.
“Hello.” He played his role well, paying her enough mind to keep her interested, but ignoring her enough to make her try harder.
“Want to dance?”
“With you?” Alyssa was slightly taken aback by his near rejection.
“Yes, me.” Bending over at the waist, she put her chest on show for him and I could tell it was getting harder for him to resist. “Come on, you.” Her hand grabbed his. Now was his chance, so I nudged him forcefully.
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not with you, slut.” Nice touch. Her mouth dropped agape in shock.
“No? Nobody turns me down.”
“Well looks like I just did.” At least twenty people around the bar had watched the scene unfold in front of them, a few of them definitely from our school. George stood from his stool and traipsed away as steady as his drunken body could and that was when I knew I had broken her.
“Harry can we go?”
“No, I am quite enjoying myself, sweet cheeks.” The tears were welling in her eyes. I had definitely won this round.
Chapter 8
Alyssa’s P.O.V
My fears were coming true. He had learned how to get inside my mind. He had learned how to hurt me. Worst of all, he had learned how to break me. Placing my hands firmly on the edges of porcelain sink, my eyes met my own reflection in the dirtied mirror. You cannot let him win everything tonight, Alyssa. Walk out there like nothing happened. Leaving will only enforce his pride. Straightening up, I ruffled my fingers through my hair, applied a new coat of lipstick, and held my head high as I exited the club bathroom.
Holding my breath, I passed Harry, hoping that he wouldn’t notice me, but that would be too easy.
“Back for more, hun?” He hissed the words into my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine.
“Not quite.” I shook his hand from my arm and strutted back onto the dance floor. I’d prove him wrong. The music filled my ears and worries about Harry clouded to the back of my mind as the front only took in the strong rhythms from the blasting speakers. He may have hurt my ego, but there were plenty of other guys here who wouldn’t mind making a new beat with my headboard.
Harry’s P.O.V
I knew that was too easy. She would be harder to break. That wall she built up, it may be tough, but it would come down. Spotting her in the crowd grinding on some wasted guy, I made my way over, clasping her hand in mine and dragging.
“Harry! Let go of me!”
“Nope. I’m done and I’m driving.” A growl of discontent came out of her mouth as she followed me to the car.
* * *
“Harry?”
“Yes?”
“Where are we going, the house is…um…well you passed it.”
“I know”
From the corner of my eye I could see her confused face shrouded by the night shadows, only coming into view as we passed quickly under a street lamp.
“Harry.”
“Yes?”
“Where the fuck are we going?” She was angry now. Actually, she was beyond angry; she was ready to rip my head off, so why not just tell her the truth.
“A party.”
“Oh, well in that case, take me home.”
“No.”
“Harry Fucking Styles you take me home right now.”
“No.” She could yell at me all she wanted, but Alyssa would never get her way. It had been too long of her getting her way and me sitting in the backseat, but now I was driving, and I was in control. Finally, with a pout, she sat back in the passenger seat staring straight forward until we reached our destination. I couldn’t hold back a small laugh emerging from my throat. I was winning. I was going to win. I would always win. Alyssa was something different. She had a hard exterior, but once you cracked through that shell, she was weak. “Here.”
Alyssa’s P.O.V
The car came to a halt in front of a cape style home. Red cups and people dotted the front yard and I could feel the bass pounding from out in the car. Suddenly, I put the pieces together. White house, expensive cars, parties, spoiled…Zayn.
“I’m not getting out.”
“Really? Because I’m pretty sure you are.” Before I had a chance to think, the passenger door was open and I was wobbling half-drunk in my heels.
“Please, Harry. Any other party.” He ignored my pleas and dragged me across the walkway to the front door.
“Come on, Alyssa!” Laughing with a group of friends, I stumbled up the front steps of a large white villa.
“Guys…guys!” I yelled through fits of giggles. “Where are we?”
“Zayn’s!” They all shouted loudly back at me. Recognition crossed through my mind and I immediately sprinted ahead of them into the house. As soon as the music hit me, I was against some guy grinding into him and he loved it. I loved it too. The power I had over men was something not to take for granted and it always helped me get my way. As the hours dragged on I was passed from guy to guy, equally exciting them all.
“Hey, Lys.”
His voice. I could still hear it in my head now and shook it violently to stop it.
“Mmhm?” Running my fingers through my hair, I lowered my palm to his hips and added slight pressure. I was tease and he knew that.
“Why don’t we put that pretty little hand of yours to good use upstairs?” At those words my eyes opened and the music was no longer feeding me.
“No,” I whispered.
“Pardon me?”
“No. I said no.” Pushing off of him, I tried to get away, get to another guy maybe and start a fight. Anything.
“I think you need to own up to your reputation, slut.” It was starting to look like I would have to cause a scene.
“I’m giving you one more chance, no.” With that, Zayn grabbed my wrist and began pulling me towards the stairs. “Get off of me!” With my shout, the music stopped and all eyes were on us.
“Little slut is all talk and no action. I think it’s time you leave, Alyssa.”
“Good. I didn’t want to be here anyway and I don’t think I will ever be coming back.”
“And if you do decide to show that dirty little body of yours again?”
“Then I’ll actually fuck you.” Throwing my hand down and out of his, I, as confidently as I could, strutted out of the villa and out to the car.
“Let me go, Harry. You were here that night. Don’t make me go in there.” Maybe the tears would work this time. I knew he had a soft spot; I just need to know how to get to it. Harry’s devious smile molded into a caring expression as the first tear slid down my cheek.
“Hey, Lys. Don’t cry.” He sounded genuine as he wiped the salty drop from my face. For that split moment I thought I’d gotten to him, but I was so wrong. “Because you are going in there and you are going to keep your bet.”
* * *
Harry held the door open for me as I crept like a snail through the entrance. I closed my eyes preparing for what was to come. As soon as I was in view of the room, all eyes were on me, including Zayn’s.
Chapter 9
Alyssa’s P.O.V
As his jaw dropped so did the red cup in his hand. It hit the floor and the music stopped.
“Well, if it isn’t Alyssa Davis.” I could do nothing but bow my head and pray he would not come any nearer. “Alyssa, babe.” Gentle footsteps made their way in my direction. As each step hit the floor, my cheeks reddened and my eyes watered, praying, to what I knew would be to no avail that he had forgotten. Zayn’s rough, shaky fingers graced my chin and lifted until my eyes met his. What seemed like a long air of silence filled the room and everyone and everything seems to stand still until Harry’s large hand shoved me closer to Zayn.
“I do believe you two have something to discuss,” Harry hissed in my ear, his hand still resting firmly on my upper back.
“Yes, Alyssa,” Zayn whispered, “I do believe you made me a promise.”
“I don’t seem to recall, Zayn.” With a roll of his eyes and a firmer grasp on my chin, Zayn inched closer until I could feel his hot breath against my ear.
“I think I remember you promising me a small little treat Miss. Davis.” Pushing him away in disgust, I tried to get away, but as I turned around I walked smack into Harry’s broad chest.
“Where do you think you’re going, Honey?” The kind word juxtaposed his sinister smile as I felt the familiar tight grasp of his large hand around my wrist, twisting it to restrain my movement. As Harry stepped forward, so did I. I had no choice. Zayn had walked ahead and was already leaning against the railing post at the top of the stairs, awaiting our arrival on the second floor. The staring ceased as we neared the staircase and so did my steady breathing. I was beginning to lose it.
“I can’t.”
“What was that, babe?” The mocking tone in his voice drew any sense of caring from the word of endearment.
“I…can’t.” Suddenly, it was as though a new side of Harry came out of hiding. My wrist was free to dangle at my side, but Harry stepped closer than he was.
“And why might that be Alyssa?” Zayn hissed. I hesitated, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do, when I was immediately spun around.
“Because we’re together.” Before I could even process the events occurring around me, Harry’s lips were on mine. I could feel Zayn’s stare burning a hole in my head as the kiss persisted for longer than I expected.
“Well isn’t that just peachy. Hey! Everyone! Look at Thomaston High’s newest couple!” The entirety of the room turned to look at Harry and me. The red rushed to my face and as soon as it did, I ran. I didn’t know what room I was in, I only knew that it wasn’t the living room and nobody could stare in here.
“Lys?” My name was followed by two light knocks on the door. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to alarm you…I just…I wanted to help.” Wiping the tears and make-up from my reddened face, I felt my way around the dark room to the doorway. Harry’s towering frame blocked most of the incoming light.
“Why? Why do you suddenly fucking care about stupid fucking me?” He just stared at me. No answer left his lips. “Follow me.” I really had no choice when his large palm gripped my own and we were headed out the back door of Zayn’s place. As his car came into sight I yanked my hand out of his.
“Harry Styles, you tell me right now why you helped me or I’m not getting in that car with you!” I was fuming. I had exhausted all of my energy and had used the last in that outburst at him. I was done, but not according to Harry. Within seconds he had the back door open and me inside. When the door slammed, he was seated next to me in the backseat.
“Harry!” With a finger to my lips to quiet me he began.
“Because Alyssa, you don’t deserve that and I finally realized why…” but he didn’t finish. He hushed himself with my mouth, continuing that kiss at the bottom of the stairs. I wasn’t thinking. It just happened. Grabbing my hands, he pulled me on top of him, his back pressing against the cool leather of the back seat of his vehicle and my warm body chest to chest with his. The music from the party could be heard and felt through our moans and movements and that’s when I knew that I no longer knew what I wanted.
