Canon | (Harry Styles AU)

[fifty one]

"I think I'm in love with you.."

Those words rolled off her tongue, immobilizing all of me at the same time.I was almost certain that I had held my breath until finally Jo broke eye contact, standing up with a look of embarrassment on her face, obviously taking my silence as rejection.

She looks around the room before quickly walking to the dresser.She's got her back to me, pulling open a drawer searching frantically through it as if looking for something so important. But when she simply pulls out a floppy blouse, its obvious she's just trying to distract from her horror of me not saying anything at all. That's when I sort of snapped out of whatever tongue tied trance I was in.

"Uh.." I begin to stammer suddenly feeling hot.

"It's getting late.I've..I have somewhere to be Harry,"She rambles to me beginning to rush out of the room.

"Wait, but Jo.." I stand up quickly, realizing that with Jo thing could go from good to horrible at a moments notice. That's just how she was..she was always so extreme. She was the type to jump the gun the second she felt vulnerable..she didn't like being in that position. She would only put herself on the line for a moment before jumping right back to her comfort zone. I hadn't even had a proper chance to process the way her words made me feel, let alone give an appropriate response.

"Just let yourself out,"She shouts, the sound of the bathroom door slamming, following right after.

I stand still for a few seconds longer before beginning my to collect my things, getting dressed to kill some time. Should I just go? I feel like that would make it worse..I doubt she'd hear me out later. The problem was what was I even suppose to say? Was it acceptable to reciprocate with a "like"? We just got back on good terms this week, how could I just jump right into saying I loved her? I mean I know that the feelings I had for her never really went away when she left but I didn't even know if that qualified as love. Wasn't love suppose to be this certain thing? Wouldn't I know if I was in love? It was all so much to think about..it was all so pressuring I felt like I could get crushed by it at any moment.

I slowly begin toward the bathroom where I hear the shower already running. I know she can't be in there already, and without thinking I knock.

"Go away," She shouts over the noise of the water, sounding like she was right next to the door as apposed to standing in the shower. Her voice gave off hints of fighting back tears and that only added to the weight I was feeling.

I really couldn't do anything right for anyone anymore.

"No we need to talk,"I shout back.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Jo, just open the door," I say, jiggling the knob when I see it's not even locked. I push it open, taking Jo by surprise as she steps back.

"You really think I'm going to leave with you upset like this?" I question, walking over to the shower, shutting the hot water off.

"I'm fine," She tells me in a matter of fact.

"You don't look fine," I point out, noting her glass eyes and already reddened cheeks.

"And why would you care?" She questions, wiping under her eyes. I take a deep breath and decide to just jump into it rather than beat around the bush.

"You didn't even give me a chance to answer you," I say softly, trying to take her hands into mine but she doesn't allow it, tucking them behind her back.

"Your face said it all."

"I wasn't expecting you to say something like that..I mean we just started talking again and then you come and say that that.."