Muse [h.s.]

15. puzzle pieces

🎵Want You Back — 5 Seconds of Summer

Ella's POV

"Did you hear what I said?" Kyle asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I was zoned out, looking at the waves crash against the shore, focused on the sound of the seagulls flying overhead and the laughter around us.

As my eyes train on the two children a few feet away tossing a frisbee back and forth, my thoughts revolve around the fact that Harry is here.

What made him come, especially after the little argument he and I got into after I left his hotel?

I left his suite on bad terms, and I don't know what to make of anything, especially of his presence here right now.

Is he going to tell Kyle himself about last night? Is that his motive?

If it is, why didn't he say it as yet, then?

Was he waiting for me to do it?

And why the hell were he and Lydia acting so strange?

I know those two better than my own self and it all just felt so weird, the way their eyes bulged out of their sockets when I turned to look back at them.

I'm not stupid — I know damn well they weren't talking about seeing a liquor store on our way over. The looks on their faces were clear enough for me.

I just don't know what they were speaking about — maybe Lydia was grilling Harry the way that she grilled me this morning.

My brain feels as though it's about to explode; too much is going on, too much has happened, and I have an unnerving feeling that more is on the way.

Kyle nudges me with his elbow and this time, I'm forced to look at him.

"Sorry, what?" I reply. The soft breeze blows my hair and I tuck a lock behind my ear.

His light eyes narrow as they look into mine and the guilt washes over me. He needs to know; there's no way that I can continue to keep last night a secret, I feel horrible and—

"I said I'll be back, I see a few people from work down the beach, I'm gonna say hi," Kyle says, cutting off my thoughts yet again.

Before I could open my mouth to respond, he leans over to kiss my lips and he gets up, walking over to a group of people that I've never seen before.

A strange feeling washed over me when he pressed his lips to mine — empty. More proof of the mistake I made, more validation of my feelings.

I narrow my eyes, but then I hear a loud "shhh!" come from beside me, and I whip my head around towards the opposite direction, towards the hushed whisper.

Lydia, Jax, and Harry are a feet away and my eyes take note of Lydia nudging Jax, who's holding a case of Budweiser and a plastic bag.

I don't meet Harry's eyes; I know all too well by now that I lose my sense of clarity when I look into them, and especially after last night and our argument this morning...especially after my realization when I drove back to my apartment, I don't know what I'll feel if I look into his eyes.