RUN AWAY || H.S

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟏

Harry's POV.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window of Kiara's spare room, casting a golden glow across the walls. But that wasn't what woke me up. No, it was the unmistakable sound of moaning and groaning coming from just outside the door.

Oh God. Please tell me they are not fucking on the sofa.

They know I'm in the extra room!

I buried my face into the pillow, groaning in frustration. Now I can't even step outside until they're done. The last thing I need is another accidental run-in with Niall's naked, pale ass. Once was more than enough.

I rolled onto my back, rubbing my eyes and stretching out my sore muscles. The bed creaked under my weight as I let out a loud yawn, ruffling my long, messy hair. And then, just as I thought it couldn't get any worse—another round of moans pierced through the door.

"F-fuck, Niall, harder, baby!"

"Yeah? You want it harder, baby? Huh?"

"Yeah! Baby, hurry your ass up before Harry wakes up! F-fuck, we shouldn't even be doing this here. He could walk in on us—again!"

"Let him walk in on us, baby! I don't give a shit. I need you. And Harry is a heavy sleeper. J-Jesus, he won't wake up."

I AM UP, ASSHOLES.

Okay, that's it.I sat up abruptly, my patience worn thin. "If you two aren't fully clothed in five minutes, I'm taking a picture and sending it straight to Niall's mom—so she knows what you do when there's a guest in the house!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the apartment.

A loud thud followed by frantic cursing erupted from the other side of the door. I smirked. Brilliant.

After exactly five minutes, I stepped into the kitchen, the scent of fresh coffee filling the air. Kiara sat on the counter, her face still flushed, her pink hair messily tied up in a half-bun. Niall stood beside her, looking way too pleased with himself.

Asshole.

I grabbed a cup of coffee, leaning against the counter as I took a sip. "So, what's the plan for today?"

Kiara, still avoiding eye contact, muttered, "I have classes at twelve."

"Yeah, me too," Niall said, rubbing his face tiredly. "What about you, Haz?"

"Gotta head to the office and check up on things."

Kiara groaned dramatically, tossing her head back. "God, you're so lucky you're done with this class shit!"

I chuckled, grateful for the opportunity my uncle had given me.

I was the COO of Styles & Inc., a company my father and uncle built from the ground up when they were just twenty-one. Being twins, they had done everything together, but six years ago, my dad passed away in a car accident. Since then, it had just been my mom, my sister, and me. Uncle Nick had stepped up, always there for us, filling the role of a second father.

He and his wife had wanted kids at some point, but life had other plans. By the time they considered adoption, they felt they were too old to start over with a newborn. So, in a way, I had been their stand-in son. Gemma and I had grown up with two sets of parents, which was both a blessing and a curse. More eyes meant more rules.

"Haz, when will your penthouse be ready?" Kiara asked suddenly.

I smirked. "Why? Tired of me already, baby? Can't handle me overhearing your wild sex sessions?"

"Oh God! No!" she shrieked, her face somehow turning even redder.

Niall snickered. "Her friend's coming tomorrow, remember?"

Oh, right.

"Shit, I forgot about that," I said, taking another sip of coffee. "Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair by this afternoon."

"Good. I haven't seen her since school, and I want to spend time with her—catch up properly without you butting in," Kiara said sassily, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, why haven't I heard about this friend before?" Niall asked, frowning. "She just randomly texts you after years, asking for a place to stay? Are we sure we can trust her?"

Kiara sighed, playing with the rim of her coffee mug. "Yes, we can trust her. We were best friends since we were kids, but we drifted apart when she moved states after high school. She was my constant, my rock. She always had problems at home—there was some weird tension between her and her parents—but she never complained. She always had a smile on her face." Kiara's expression softened as she reminisced. "Also, we were each other's first kiss."

Niall and I raised our eyebrows in unison.

Kiara giggled. "You guys will love her, I'm sure. I just hope she's still the same after all these years. It's been, what, seven or eight years? I remember boys in our school going crazy over her, but she was always too buried in her books to notice. So, I took full advantage of that."

She winked at Niall, who scrunched his face in mock disgust.

I leaned in, intrigued. "Have you seen her now? Is she hot?"

"HARRY!" Both Kiara and Niall shot me identical death glares.

"What? I'm just asking. Sometimes puberty does people dirty."

Kiara folded her arms. "You better not try to fuck my friend. Understood?"

I grinned. "Okaaaay," I dragged out, nonchalant. We'll see.

"To answer your question, I don't know. Weirdly, she has zero pictures on social media. But she used to be the most beautiful girl in school." Kiara shrugged, crossing her fingers. "Hopefully, she still is."

"Should I be worried?" Niall asked, pointing at himself.

Kiara giggled and kissed his cheek. "Not at all, babe."

"Good. I just hope she's as amazing as you say and isn't taking advantage of your kindness," Niall muttered, exchanging a glance with me. He wasn't wrong—Kiara had a soft heart, and people had used that against her before.

Kiara waved off his concern. "She won't."

"What's her name, anyway?" Niall asked.

Kiara's face lit up with a nostalgic smile. "Alana. Alana D'Silva."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. xo