Lockdown | Harry Styles | AU

Chapter 43

6 Months Later...

"You look really beautiful." Timothee beamed at Aubrey from across the table, his eyes raking across her glowed up face. "I'm glad you came tonight."

Even though the make-up Aubrey wore hid the peppered freckles that Tim usually loved to see on her, the way her simple winged eyeliner and bright red lipstick made her tanned skin shimmer and her green eyes practically sparkle, still got his heart rate going. 

However despite Tim's compliment, all Aubrey could do was force a smile. Her fingers fidgeting with the stem of her wine glass as she glanced around the room a little awkwardly. Her wavy blonde hair tossed up into a messy bun, lose curls framing her cheeks.

"Well Dakota's a hard person to say no to." She simply remarked through an awkward breathy laugh, trying with all her mite to hide the fretting nerves inside her.

But Timothee could tell she was anxious.

He could always tell.

He was quick to notice Aubrey's restlessness; her teeth nibbling on her lip, her tapping fingers, the way she shifted her seat, how her eyes kept glancing over at the entrance to the restaurant.

"How was Greece?" Aubrey then asked in order to keep the conversation flowing.

Tim puckered his lips, his piercing gaze still studying Aubrey as she looked down at her glass of wine for a moment, seeming lost in thought and un-interested in Tim's answer to her question. However when she raised her chin and locked eyes with him again, he licked his lips and adapted a much softer expression.

Something was eating away at Aubrey.

She seemed much more distracted and wounded than usual. She looked nervous, scared almost.

Even her unbelievable beauty and made-up face couldn't hide that.

But Timothee knew better than to pry, he knew that Aubrey craved comfort and normality when she was plagued by something, which was one of the things he usually found so endearing about her.

However instead of feeling his fondness for Aubrey spike and spread warmth throughout him, he now only felt the dull ache of disappointment pour into his stomach like liquid lead.

He had planned for tonight to be special.

But now, with Aubrey's state, his plans seemed to be thrown completely out of the window.

"Greece was... hot." Timothee eventually retorted with a little smirk, shaking off his sudden let down. His answer making the edges of Aubrey's mouth faintly lift, her eyes playfully rolling.

"No, shit." She responded making Timothee's own smile widen. "Did Sarah enjoy it?"

"Um..." Tim then let out in a rather high pitch tone, pondering dramatically while tilting his head. His reaction instantly making Aubrey perk up as she looked over his face with somewhat confused eyes. "I don't think she did, no."

"Oh?" Aubrey's features then flickered between concern and puzzlement.

"Yeah." He nodded, "she actually ended up going home after a few days." Timothee told her with a shrug, acting like he was giving her the most nonchalant information ever. His elbows resting on the table as he leaned forward slightly, Aubrey's green eyes falling down to the gold chain that peeked out of the magenta coloured silk shirt he wore, the shiny metal nestled against his pale chest.

"Why? What happened?" Aubrey frowned, the ever unfolding story and Timothee's behaviour baffling her. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, yeah." Timothee said casually while sitting back in his seat, one of his hands coolly running through the dark floppy waves of his hair. "She's absolutely fine, we just... broke up. So there was no point in her being there with me anymore really."