trepidation | h.s

part forty

Harry Styles

What the fuck am I doing?

Never, not in a trillion years, did I think that I'd find myself here.

I'm sitting at a booth in a burger joint, my hands awkwardly in my lap as Corey White himself sits across from me.

Again, never in a trillion years.

Before he left the house this morning, he came to me personally and told me to meet him here at this joint at noon when he'd be on his lunch break.

Believe me, I didn't want to. I'm aware that he isn't fond of me.

But I'm doing this for Lyds. She begged me to go and try to make amends, telling me that Corey will try as well.

He's across from me, looking down at the laminated menu.

"What are you gonna get?" he murmurs.

I clear my throat and look down at my own menu.

"Uh." I scratch the back of my neck. "Maybe just the classic burger and fries."

He nods, still not looking at me. "Cool."

"Yup."

Fucking kill me, this is so awkward.

I've gone out alone with Corey before. We'd go grocery shopping or go to home supply shops together and there was no issue. That was when he trusted me, however. Now, he's hesitant.

And I think the only reason that the both of us agreed to have lunch together is because we love Lydia.

"Can I start you two off with some drinks?" the voice of a waitress approaches our booth. She's dressed in skinny black jeans and a blue shirt with the store logo, her brown hair up in a ponytail.

"Coffee please. Milk and sugar." Corey states. The waitress jots that down, then looks to me.

"Water's fine."

She nods as she writes my drink, leaving us with a smile.

The air is thick with tension between Corey and I. My hands pat my thighs in the awkward silence. Did he make this lunch date so we could talk things out or just sit and stare at each other?

He's definitely not my favourite person on the planet, but I'm not gonna disrespect him in anyway or reply to his phrases with snarky attitude...only because Lydia would want me to keep things civil.

I don't think he knows how to begin this conversation. I'm gonna have to take the reigns here if we wanna get anywhere.

"Listen, I know you think of me as a bad guy." I begin, making Corey peer up at me. "I can admit that I haven't been an angel in the past. I've done some horrible things...but I've changed."

"How am I supposed to believe you?" he says immediately.

"Your own daughter changed me. I'm not the self-destructive idiot I was before I met her."

"You fooled Jane and I. You made us think you were perfect for Lydia." he says, making me lick my lips as I look down in my lap. "And you would agree that that's exactly what she deserves, right? Perfection?"

"Yes. She deserves the best...that's what I'm trying to provide for her." I say, "By no means am I perfect, I make lots of mistakes, and I probably will for the rest of my life. But, believe me when I say that I'd burn down cities and walk through the flames for her."

He looks at me, his fingers interlocked on the table. He's reading into my own eyes, searching for dishonesty but he would find none.

I mean it when I say that I'd sacrifice everything for Lydia and Daisy.