Baby Lips

Chapter 10

I took a trembling breath. I contemplated turning in the opposite direction and running away from Harry as if he had morphed into Michael Myers and was out to kill me. But my heavy, aching feet were cemented into the sidewalk. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. I heard a voices whisper my name along with Harry’s as he stepped closer toward me. 

My eyes squeezed shut and my head shook, trying hard to swallow so my mouth didn’t feel as dry as it did. 

“Don’t look so happy to see my, love.” He laughed. I let out a long breath before responding, my voice was barely audible. 

“What are you doing here?” As I spoke more questions arose in my mind. I was starting to think after running into One Direction, they secretly planted some kind of tracker device in you... so they knew where you were at all times. But, it was just theory. 

I opened my eyes slowly to look at him, and my breath got caught in my throat. Damn you Styles for wearing such a nice coat, damn you! And does your hair always have to look so perfect? Just stop. His eyes squinted as he smiled, dimples and all. 

“You were the one who told me you had class tomorrow, all it took was a ring to the school and I figured out what building you were in.” My face contorted into one of disgust as a small crowd grew around us. 

“You know, you may be in a boy band, but that is just plain creepy.” I began to back away from him and scan the anxious faces of the students and random pedestrians around us. Harry followed my line of vision and spun in a complete circle to view everyone before his eyes landed back on mine. 

“Come on.” His fingers wrapped around my wrist as he tugged my arm in his direction and proceeded to storm through the crowd and further down the sidewalk. Surprisingly, no one followed us and as I glanced back at them they were all standing in that same circle with astonished looks on their faces. It was quite amusing to say the least. 

But my amusement came to a halt when I heard Harry clear his throat. 

“Sorry if I’m coming off a bit strong, but I-” I raised my voice over his before he could finish his sentence. 

“A bit strong? Are you kidding me?” I sarcastically laughed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Showing up at my university and practically cornering me? That’s a little more than a bit strong, Harry.” He licked his lips before speaking. 

“Alright, poor choice of words.” He held his hand up, diminishing my attempt to start an argument with him. I rolled my eyes and let my hands fall back to my sides. 

“I thought you guys were leaving today.” I spat. 

“We are. Later this afternoon.” Harry’s hands were deep in the pockets of his black pea coat, the one that fit too well for his own good. “I just wanted to see you again before we were on our way.” I couldn’t believe the calmness in his words as he cooed them out. He acted as if last night was the time of our lives and that he wasn’t the reason everyone and their mother were giving me weird looks today. 

“Why?” I stopped walking and turned to him, his face a bit confused but his eyes were still bright and charming. “Why can’t you just, I don’t know, leave me alone?” He began to laugh and I huffed. 

“Seriously! Do you not realize that all because of some stupid mistake my life will never be normal again?” My hands tugged on my braid and Harry’s eyes floated toward my neck and his laugh only became louder. Instantly, my face became red as he noticed the purplish-red marks scattered across my collar bone and neck. I threw my hair back to its original place to conceal the evidence of last night. 

“Would a stupid mistake leave those on your skin?” He continued to giggle as he reached his hand out of his pocket to point to my neck. “Would a stupid mistake go out of his way just to see you?” He questioned. 

My fingers curled into fists at my sides. Harry Styles was almost as stubborn as I was, and I hated it. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to scream at the top of my lungs, but I exhaled calming my boiling blood down. 

“Harry,” I began. “Last night... I was drunk- we were drunk. And it never should have happened. And you and I ever being anything more than what we are now is like...” I trailed off trying to find a proper analogy. “It’s like dividing my zero. Impossible.” Harry’s smile only grew bigger with each word I spoke. 

“Oh, Scarlett, how I love it when you talk math to me.” My jaw clenched at his wretchedly cute smirk. 

“I’m going home, Harry. Please do me a favor and don’t follow me there too.” I began to turn, but Harry’s hand clamped on my wrist once again. He spun me around with light force. 

“You can’t go.” He said looking down at his fingers cuffed around me. 

“And why not?” I said completely unamused with his shenanigans.  

“Because I brought you something.” His grip on my wrist loosened as my eyebrows knitted together. I was a tad scared to see what he had brought me. He began to elaborate on his last statement when he saw the bemused expression on my face. 

“Remember how you said you’ve never been to a live show before?” He asked me. I nodded slowly in suspicion. Harry let go of my wrist and reached into his coat. He pulled out one rectangular piece of paper, a ticket. For what though? 

“We have a concert in London in two weeks, and I thought if you weren’t doing anything and wanted to go to your first show... that you could come to ours.” He held out the ticket.  

I was taken aback. The way his voice trembled before he spoke and the way his fingers shook with the slip in his hands... was Harry nervous? I looked up at him, he still wore his classic grin and I couldn’t help the corners of my mouth curling upwards in a smile. His action was sweet. And I was quite surprised he actually remembered the fact that I’ve never been to a concert before.  

I took the ticket out of his quivering hands and read over the information on it. But my mind floated back to the gossip that I had heard earlier this morning. Being seen at this concert would only add fuel to flame of my relationship with the boys. 

“I-I don’t know, Harry...” I shook my head looking back up in his sea foam eyes. His teeth grazed his bottom lip. 

“Before you give it back or rip it up and stomp on it.” He paused to laugh. “I’m going to go and I hope to see you in two weeks, Scarlett McVay.” His eyes quickly looked me up and down before he fought back another smile. 

He reached out and pushed my braid behind my neck, his hand lingering there much longer than it should. He spoke as he began to walk backwards away from me. 

“My love bites suit you well, don’t hide them.” He teased before turning around and jogging off in the opposite direction. He quickly looked back at me before disappearing in the melee of people around me.