Baby Lips

Chapter 24

Harry’s Point of View:

Maybe I ate something that made my stomach feel this way. It was churning and tingling from the inside out. I knew it wasn’t nerves. I did not get nervous. Not for things like this; not for a typical party with the boys. But, this wasn’t a typical party. It had another guest that whenever I thought about her walking through the door of mine and Louis’ flat my abdomen clenched and I felt like I needed to make a run for the toilet. 

But it wasn’t nerves, no. It was definitely something I ate. 

I grabbed the pressed, maroon blazer out of my closet and slipped it over my shoulders. I rolled up the sleeves to about my elbows and glanced in the mirror. Unsatisfied with the way my hair fell, I ruffled the sides and swiped my hand across my forehead, pushing the curly fringe in place. I shrugged and walked out of my room and toward the kitchen where the rest of the lads had congregated. 

“There he is.” Louis made his way to me and pinched my cheek between his fingers, my nose wrinkling at the amount of pressure he used to do so. I rubbed my sore skin when he finally let go and waved him away as he laughed much louder than necessary.  

Louis passed around the first drinks of the night, handing each of the boys their favorite drink of choice and I was surprised when Liam accepted his rum and Coke. He must be ready to party. As Lou came around to hand me my beverage, my stomach did another twist and I declined. Not wanting to make this sick feeling any worse than it already was. I caught Zayn’s eye as I made my way over to the arm chair, sitting down on the edge of the seat. 

“You alright, mate?” He pressed a hand on my shoulder. I winced, but then forced a laugh and looked up at him.  

“Yeah, just a little preoccupied.” I pointed to my temple while I made my excuse that my mind was elsewhere. And I guess it was, but I wasn’t exactly sure where that elsewhere was located. 

But I seemed to had found it when she walked in. 

Scarlett’s hair looked darker than usual. It was straighter as well. Falling just above the small of her back and cascading in waves of dark chocolate when she shook her head from side to side. Her dress - her damn dress - was black and clung to her in all the right ways. My eyes drifted from her lips, painted a deep shade of red, to her bum. She could not have been wearing any type of undergarments in a dress like that and the thought of it made my palms flood with sweat. I wasn’t nervous though, it was the food. 

She leaned on her right leg, the height of her heels extenuating how long and toned her legs were. I bit down on my bottom lip; hoping that it would stop my jaw from unhinging and falling to the floor. I plucked myself up from the chair, determined to make a suave greeting. But as I walked over there, Louis rushed to her side and I watched him kiss both of her porcelain cheeks sloppily. 

“Scarlett, my long lost twin, how are you?” He shouted. I smiled in defeat and made a mental note to punch Lou in the arm for that. She laughed at his comment. 

“I’m great.” She smiled, her smoky eyes darting past Louis and toward me. I swallowed hard before waving my hand back and forth at her. She giggled and returned her gaze to Louis, who was now handing her some kind of mixed drink. 

Seriously, a wave? I thought. You awkward bastard. I squeezed my eyes shut and lingered back to the chair I was sitting in, but this time slumped deep in the cushions. Wanting to stay there all night instead of have to endure what was yet to come. After a few minutes of self loathing and rubbing the bridge of my nose roughly, Niall’s voice broke my trance. 

“Oi, Styles. You coming or what?” I sat up straight in my chair, noticing that the rest of the guests were filing out of the flat. I sighed and pushed myself off the black leather and made my way toward Niall, who agreed to ride with me to the club we were attending this evening. I patted his shoulder as I walked past him and out in the bitter December wind.