Prove It (H.S)

Chapter Thirty Five

Claire's POV~

I agreed to go shopping with Aubrey today, considering she so desperately wants our friendship to go back to what it was. In all honesty, I don't think it will ever be the same, but I think we're getting closer.

As I wait on the curb for Aubrey's car to pull up, I look around. So far, my college experience has been interesting. I've been taking wonderful classes and have done well in most. I've made new friends, lost some too. Most importantly, I met Harry Styles.

Before I can get lost down a trip on memory lane, Aubrey's little white punch buggy convertible pulls up. She smile at me, waving her arm enthusiastically.

"Ready?" She squeals, smiling widely, her white teeth almost blinding. "Ready," I say, getting into the car beside her. "This is going to be so much fun!" She says, zipping away off campus.

Driving to the mall, Aubrey must be going at least 20 miles over the speed limit. I clutch the sides of the seats, holding on for dear life. The wind blows my blonde hair straight behind me, strands occasionally covering my eyes.

Soon enough, we pull into the huge parking lot of Westside Pavilion Mall.
We get out of the car, Aubrey pressing a button to lock it after putting the top up. Today is especially hot, and beads of sweat are starting to form on my forehead and chest. I can't wait to enter the air conditioned building.

The two of us near the entrance, Aubrey's heels making an annoying clicking sound. Just as she reaches for the door, it opens, Zayn and Perrie stepping outside.

Their fingers are intertwined and I watched as Aubrey freezes, her plump red lips falling into a straight line. Zayn stops too, his eyes widening at the sight of her. Perrie just stands there, confused.

Zayn clears his throat before pulling Perrie away, walking around a mortified looking Aubrey. As soon as they're gone, I rush to her side. Her eyes are stuck on the pavement, her lips slightly parted. "He didn't even say hello," she whispers.

I grab her hand, rubbing it in hopes of comforting her. "Come on, don't think about him. Today is for fun, for friendship!" I say with false enthusiasm, desperately hoping to get a positive reaction. Nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our shopping trip is short, Aubrey saying very little when asked for her opinion. That's not normal. I leave the mall with a new shirt and skirt, Aubrey with a pack of bubble gum. Every time I try to start conversion, she simply doesn't respond, maybe a nod or shake of the head if I'm lucky.

She pulls up to the curb in front of my dorm. I open the door, turning around to say goodbye and thanking her for taking me, but she's already driving away.

I walk into my room with a weak feeling in my stomach. Exhaustion, hurt for Aubrey, and an unsettled feeling that I don't understand take up my body. I plop onto my bed, sighing in relief at the soft feeling of the mattress and the cool air of the building.

Right as I get comfortable, Harry walks into the room. "Thanks for knocking," I joke sending a small smile his way. He chuckles, running his his fingers through his chocolate curls. "What's up?" I ask, sitting up.

"Just wanted to stop by," he says, sitting next to me and kissing my cheek. I smile, my face feeling heavy when the corners of my mouth strain to turn up. Harry's eyes stay glued to my face and I can see his eyebrows furrowing.

"Everything alright?" He asks, concern evident in his expression. "Everything's great! Just trouble with Aubrey and Zayn is all, but I'm glad you're here!" I say, placing my hand on his thigh, desperately hoping he doesn't think anything else.

"Okay...," he says, raising his eyebrows and placing his hand on top of mine, his rings are cool against my skin. I force my lips into the most sincere smile I can manage. I love him so much, but why am I so damn tired? Why am I so worried that something will go wrong?

"Want to go get something to eat?" He asks, and I pull my hand away, brushing a piece of loose hair away from my face. "I'm gonna stay here, I'm pretty tired," I say. "You're tired?" He asks, tilting his head, trying to make eye contact with me.

"Yeah, it's just from shopping," I say softly. He looks at the ground, nodding. "Well, call me when you fell better or whatever," he says getting up and smiling. I give him one back and stand up to kiss him.

He cups my face in his large hands. His green eyes sink into mine, making it impossible for me not to lean up into a kiss. Our lips collide, and there's that spark. A shock of energy shoots through me while our mouths are touching.

He pulls away too soon, winking before leaving and closing the door behind him. I walk over to the mirror, looking at my reflection. I smile at myself, but it looks like a mask. I don't see myself. Did Harry see this? This fake smile? He deserves to see my real smile, I want to show it to him. He's seen it before, many times, so what's different now?

His smile keeps me going, it fuels my whole purpose. I love him so fully, so entirely. I can't lose him. Not now. If I want to keep him, I need to make this smile real. But how?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry's POV~

I walk to the dining hall, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my jeans and the hot LA sun shining on me. I walk past the bench. That's the bench where I first saw her. This isn't the first time I've stopped to remember that day.

She was so intriguing, the way she was so fussy with her papers, the way she sighed often, how she would tug at her long blonde hair. When Claire looked up at me, there was this light in her eyes, a liveliness.

Today, she looked tired, drained, rather. Her eyes sunk into me with a feeling of loss. Leaving me with a horrible fear of losing her. The distance that she seems to be making silently could kill me.

She's turning away, I can feel it and it's tearing away at my soul. I can't live without her laugh, her bright smile, the way she glances away when she's embarrassed. The way she taps her pencil when she's focused. I'll do whatever it takes to keep that in my grasp, but that's not just a one person job.

I need that light in her eyes to come back, or I'm afraid there's nothing for me to work with. I will do anything to make this work, because my love for Claire is so strong, but it's so frustrating to see her so empty.

It's an emptiness that seems to be there but she tries to act like it's not, and that, that's the worst of all to watch.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello! So sorry this update is super late! I've been so busy! Hope you enjoyed it! Please vote and comment.

Also, if you haven't yet, please check out my cowritten story, Senseless, with IllusoryBeauty ! We are so excited about it!

Thanks for your support!

xoxo
Lila