favorite crime [h.s]

thirty six

I don't know what to expect as I watch Harry stride over to our table. He has that dominance to his charisma which has a lot of people look at him in this room, like he's intimidating them. The thought almost makes me smile but I resists it, given that it's not appropriate at the moment.

He quickly slides into the bench next to me in order not to attract too much attention. At least Niall and June have yet to discover his presence.

"Are you alright?" I ask him softly, watching him attentively while he has his forearms rest on the table, his eyes low.

He nods shortly, the wet strands are dangling down his forehead, swinging each time he moves his head.

My eyes absentmindedly travel up to his hair and the way they're hanging in messy strands from his head. Before I know it, my hands run through his hair, moving from his forehead back into his hairline to push the strands out of his face. Due to the stickiness of his hair, it stays slicked back in a perfect slide.

"Watch it," he hisses harmlessly but enough to remove my touch in his hair.

"Sorry," I mumble. "Why is it wet?"

"Took a shower."

"Oh⎯"

"Heyyy Styles!" Niall greets him enthusiastically, only realising he's here after a few minutes. "Thank God you're finally here, sweet little Alison almost died of worry."

His words cause the familiar heat to creep onto my cheeks but I smile, because it's kind of true. He laughs at my reaction while the smile hurts my blushing cheeks.

"You were worried about me?" Harry nudges my side jokingly, grinning at me like he's making fun of me.

That only makes me blush harder that I already hide my burning face in the palm of my hands. I didn't know Niall noticed my worry for Harry because I thought I didn't make it obvious.

"Just a little bit," I smile at Harry, and he wears that perfect teasing smirk which makes a dimple pop on his cheek.

"Just a little bit?" Niall laughs. "She was waiting for you to walk into the room the whole time! Couldn't even focus on eating her spaghetti, too busy staring at the door!"

"Niall!" I shriek. "That's not true, I was only waiting for him to finally come."

"Oh please!" He scoffs dramatically and throws his head back for a moment. "Stop denying it, you were almost shitting your pants!"

"Ni, I think we got it," Harry chuckles.

"Yeah, you've embarrassed Alison enough," June joins in, and it's like she's the only one Niall listens to.

So I just continue eating my spaghetti while Harry is sitting beside me, either checking his phone or playing with his rings. I nearly ask him if he wants to eat something too, but I remind myself that he's literally three years older than me and capable of getting his own food.

Unintentionally, my eyes move around the room in a flicker, catching the stare of the same guy from earlier while doing so. Why does he have to stare like that? I don't even know him, or have seen him before for that matter. Given my situation, maybe he knows something that I don't, maybe something about me. I can't even trust anyone here, what if they know the people who kidnapped me?

I feel a hand placed on my thigh, a soft touch but it distracts me for a second as I stop chewing. Knowing that it's no other than Harry, my eyes travel to him but he's already staring at me.

"What?"

"What is it?"

"What is what?"

"You seem nervous," Harry murmurs, starting to slowly stroke his thumb over the fabric of my jeans.