Lockdown | Harry Styles | AU

Chapter 19

Harry's lips parted to speak, but no words or sound would come from them. He was dumbfounded.

So instead he allowed the silence to continue, the lack of sound simmering around them. Growing so painfully uncomfortable that Aubrey could feel her embarrassment eating away at her stomach as her heart thrashed against her ribcage. Her cheeks now burning red as she continued to, begrudgingly, lock eyes with Harry.

"I'm not really sure—" Harry finally began to speak but Aubrey was quick to cut him off.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice much more softer and lower than it was before, her eyes shifting to glance around the room awkwardly. "I have no idea what got into me then." She paused to roll her lips together as her eyebrows pinched into a thoughtful frown. "You just have this ability to make me feel, so..." She trailed off as she searched her mind for the right word, her eyes finally lifting to look at Harry again.

"Irate." Harry watched the description slowly roll off Aubrey's pouty pink lips as her gaze flickered with fire.

It was brief. But he saw it. That passion she held deep inside her. One that Harry wasn't sure was powered by her hatred for him, or her desire. Either way, Harry remained silent. His eyes pinned to Aubrey's face as he held a mysterious expression that she couldn't quite figure out. His stare full of study and curiosity, like he was calculating Aubrey, eyeing her up in order to work her out. Which of course he was. Because, well, he always was. Aubrey fascinated him. He never knew what she was thinking or what she would do next.

He had never met someone so unpredictable before.

And it was like a breath of fresh air.

"Apparently I can't seem to control the things that leave my mouth when I'm around you." Aubrey stated through a humourless breathy laugh. Humiliation very apparent in her tone as her hand reached up to rub at her forehead. Her nerves consuming—

"—What did you want me to say?" Harry asked bluntly. His question making Aubrey snap her focus back to him.

"What?—Nothing. What do you mean?" Aubrey fumbled over her words. Her restless fingers playing with the hem of the large t-shirt she wore as she shifted her weight around on her feet.

"What did you want me to say? Did you want me to actually describe what I'd do to you?" Harry suggested with a rasp, his tone brimming with a dark curiosity. His head tilting slightly to the side as he kept his eyes fixed on Aubrey. Who, at this moment in time, was having trouble even looking in Harry's direction. The room suddenly feeling too hot and stuffy for her as her breath picked up it's pace, probably in order to keep up with her racing heart.

"No. Of course I didn't want that. I mean, I didn't even mean to... I just, um," Aubrey rushed out. Full sentences becoming a struggle as she frowned up at Harry. Trying her hardest to seem casual but was very obviously becoming far to flustered to seem cool. "I just wanted to get you back, that's all."

"Get me back?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Aubrey kicked up her chin. "You know, see if I can embarrass you like you embarrass me."

"I embarrass you?"

"You know you do." Aubrey deadpanned.

"Well it takes a lot to embarrass me." Harry gave her a cheeky smile.

"Yeah. I gathered." Aubrey said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

"So, you don't want to hear me say what I'd do to you then?"