Sweet Tooth [HS]

SEVENTY EIGHT

Later.

It was later that evening that Max got the full story.

She went over to Lexie's house, sat down with her and Rory as they filled in the gaps.

"He's always known this was coming," Rory sighed. "There was a meeting months back, the same day I got the call about the New York merger. Remember? I'd gathered everyone at the pub."

Max felt her blood run cold.

"Are you sure?" She asked, willing him to have made a mistake.

But Rory nodded and Max's mind was sent reeling.

That meant Harry new he was leaving the day after he'd told her he cared about her. Meant he'd known for months.

She thought back to that night, when he'd come to her flat straight after the meeting - when he'd told her he never wanted to leave her.

I can't be near you if I have to go away again. That's what he'd said. Not I've just signed a contract to have a fake fucking girlfriend. Didn't mention I'm leaving you.

He'd lied to her. He'd lied to her for months. And Max felt sick with this growing humiliation- wondered how Harry could sit there and feed her these promises and these forevers, when he knew it was all temporary.

She had loved a lie, she realised. It was never real.

"But what was the point in the studio?" She finally asked, looking up and finding both Rory and Lexie staring at her.

"Are you OK, Max?" Lexie asked, and Max swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"Yes," she said, "Tell me."

Rory grimaced, "Well," he began, flicking his eyes from Max to Lexie.

Lexie nodded, "Tell her. She can handle it."

In any other situation Max would be furious they were talking about her like she wasn't there - but she knew it was out of care.

"Guys," she said, "Please. I need to know."

Rory cleared his throat. "Ok. Well, apparently the plan was that New York would make him and Addison look natural. Not set up."

"Believable," Lexie spat. "They could stuff it down the throats of all the fans and all the media and everyone would go along with it and stir up a whole lotta love for Harry Styles again."

"Yeah," Rory deadpanned. "That's pretty much it."

Max swallowed, looked at Rory and felt her body deflate. He looked awful. His eyes were sunken and the bags under his eyes were blue and it made her despise Harry all the more. He had hurt her, yes. By lying and leaving. But to betray his best friend like this? To actually use Rory as a piece in this game?

It was heartless.

It was heartbreaking.

"I'm sorry," she uttered lowly. "I can't believe he did this to you."

Rory sighed, "I can't believe he did this to you."

They lapsed into silence after that.

It was like they were all trying to get their heads around what had happened - trying to connect the dots between the Harry they knew, and the Harry they didn't.

"You know," Rory started. "He didn't even tell me himself. It was Addison who did."

Max frowned, "Why?"

He looked at her for a moment and his sadness seemed to grow sadder. "She was complaining that he wasn't sticking to his side of the bargain. I think he'd refused to kiss her in an interview or something."

Maybe before that would have awarded Max some kind of satisfaction, something to be happy about. But it didn't matter to her now. Her heart was beyond broken - no words, no consolation could bandage it back together.

"So I asked about the bargain and she eventually told me, and I just- I couldn't believe it, you know? I really thought this was about business and skill and me being good enough, but it was all about him." Rory's voice had gone thick and croaky, and Lexie instantly reached across to him. She lay her head on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his.

"I spoke to him right after," he continued. "And he told me it was all true. And the funny thing about it was he seemed more worried about you, Max, than me. He didn't seem to care that he'd used me the way he had." Max's heart broke. It broke and it broke and it broke.

"So that's when I flipped. I told him I was out of the studio- that I wouldn't be part of this sick game, and here I am."

"Oh," Lexie interjected. "Don't forget the part when his manager chased you down in the airport."

Max shook her head, "What?"

Lexie snorted, "Oh yeah. They needed him to sign a fucking non-disclosure agreement or else he'd be sued. It's fucking inhumane."

Max found herself utterly speechless. She looked between Lexie and Rory, thought about how disappointed everyone was at the studio.

There was so much collateral damage - so many people that had got tangled up in all this. Harry had betrayed the people closest to him - lied and left and didn't look back - and he'd left a path of destruction in his wake.

Long gone was the human boy with his slow hands who was all soft around the edges. The magic had been snuffed out. And Max for the first time saw that Harry was just a man, who lied and cheated and collected hearts like notches on a bed post - and he didn't care and maybe he never had. They had all been fools.

All they could do now, was quit the game.