Carry On {A Harry Styles Love Story}

4.0 ; Diamonds.

4.0 ; diamonds.

❝ youth is like diamonds in the sun,

and diamonds are forever. ❞

☆ h a r r y ★

It took a surprisingly large amount of willpower to make myself leave Jersey alone at the hotel. I had just barely met the girl today, but I sensed myself already developing an attachment to her. I shouldn’t have felt so guilty about leaving her by herself for a while, but I wanted so badly to just bring her with us when I glanced back at her from the doorway.

She was just slumped on the couch, which she had tidied up not long after transferring her belongings. The first thing she had done when she got here was change her clothes, so she was now lounging about in some gray rolled-up sweats and a black Ramones shirt. Observing that I owned one just like it, I wondered for a split-second how she would look in mine.

Peering in at her, I shook the inappropriate, albeit pleasant, image from my mind and cleared my throat to once again ask, “Are you sure you’ll be okay here?”

She rolled her sweet caramel eyes at me and tossed some popcorn into her mouth, curled up against the armrest. “Yes, Father. I’ll be perfectly fine. It’s not like you could stay anyway. I’m not ignorant. I know you have responsibilities, you crazy British boy.”

Embarrassed, I felt a tinge of warmth settle under my cheeks at her teasing words. “I was just concerned, is all. I’ll leave you to it then.” I went to go close the door, but paused again. “Are you sure you—”

“Goodbye, Harry!” she interjected, her voice laced with a bit of irritation now. Taking the hint, I backed out of the room and reluctantly shut the door, but not before reminding her to tune in to the right station for our interview later on. I had checked beforehand that the bedside clock had a built-in radio for her to use.

The lads had all gone down to the lobby except for Louis. He waited for me patiently by the elevator. Once we were inside, I sucked in a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh, which, of course, did not go unnoticed by him.

“Got enough oxygen there?” he teased. With a more serious tone, he asked, “What’s up? I know you’ve got something on your mind.”

“Just thinking.” My shoulders lifted with a small shrug, watching the numbers above the elevator door change as we descended the floors.

He nudged me. “About Jersey, I bet.” Upon seeing the glare I sent him, he held his hands up innocently. “What? She’s fit. Even I can admit that.”

“And how would Celia feel about you saying that?”

He wore a mask of nonchalance, but I could tell the thought made him uneasy. “She knows she’s the only one for me.”

“You’re such a sap, Lou. She’s got you so whipped.” I chuckled at the suddenly affectionate look in his eyes.

He sighed wistfully. “I don’t even mind at all.”

I paused. One floor away. “There’s a lot she isn’t telling us,” I commented, steering the conversation back to Jersey. “I feel like it’s probably important stuff, too.”

Glancing at me briefly, Louis shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “Clearly. But who doesn’t like a little mystery every now and then?” With a playful smile on his thin lips, he tossed me a teasing wink.

The doors slid open with a ping and we exited the elevator, heading straight for our fellow bandmates. They were huddled in the lobby, accompanied by a few bodyguards. I still thought it was kind of strange to actually need bodyguards, considering we had been so anonymous our whole lives, but they were great guys, so I didn’t mind much.