Love Actually. (A One Direction fanfic)

Chapter 31

*********Emma's P.O.V*************

"Well you've come to the right place," he stands and offers me a hand, I shake it "The name's Joe,"

"I'm Emma," he leads me over to a table with dyes and a big mechanical tool thing.

"So what did you wanna get?" His brown eyes stare into mine,

"A heart," I point to my wrist, "here," Joe takes my hands in his,

"So here?" He picks up a Expo marker and draws a perfect black heart on my wrist just to the side of my scars.

"Perfect!" A smile splits my face as I look down at the soon to be tattoo. I look back up to see him staring,

"Uh, sorry..." Joe chuckles and looks away, taking the metal thing into his hands.

"What?" I mirror his smile, trying to catch his eye again.

"Nothing," Joe wipes my arm with alcohol then the metal thing starts whirring. Fear launches into my heart,

"Please say something to distract me," I study his face, giving myself something to distract me.

"Filled in or just an outline?" Joe asks,

"Filled in please," I say moments before pain shoots up my arm, "So why isn't anyone here?" I grit my teeth against the pain.

"We only call people in when we need them," Joe stops to fill the machine with more ink. "What made you want to get a tattoo?"

"I have no idea honestly," I wince as he starts the tattoo again, "I just felt like something was missing, ya know?" The needle leaves my skin and I'm suddenly afraid to look.

"That's not a good reason," Joe laughs and cleans off his tools, "There you go! Your new tattoo," he smiles. I look down at it as he wipes the access ink off my wrist.

"It's so amazing..." I say almost out of words. The perfect heart draws attention away from my smaller scars. I look back up to Joe staring at me. "How much?" He wraps up my wrist then I dig into my purse for my wallet.

"Depends," Joe raises a eyebrow at me, "Will you join me for dinner?" The question totally catches me off guard.

"I uh," I knit my eyebrows together, Harry. He said he loved me, my heart skips. "I have a boyfriend." I say it more as a question than I meant to.

"Oh," Joe types in on his iPhone, "$50," he looks up at me, a touch of disapointment in his eyes.

"Sorry," guilt pierces my heart. "I mean, you're really nice looking and stuff." I hand him the money,

"Thanks," blush tints his cheeks, "You look familiar," he closes the cash register and looks up at me,

"Uh? I don't think I me-"

"Harry's girl!" His brown eyes harden.

"Yeah," I avert my eyes from his,

"Yeah so, bye then," Joe retreats into the back of his shop. Well then. I throw open the door and walk out onto the street. That was weird! Was he intimidated by him or is he just a hater? I look down at the bandage, something black catches my eyes. I flip my wrist over, he wrote his number on the underside of my bandage. I sigh heavily and feel my heart break a little. I don't love Harry.

**********Harry's P.O.V*************

I swerve around a slow taxi, I have to get to her. She's never REALLY asked me to meet her somewhere. Emma is the most independent person I know. I pull into a parking garage and shove my keys into my front pocket. Then jog hurriedly down the street, another text triggers my phone to vibrate.

From: Emma

Please hurry we really have to talk

My heart sinks, oh no. Talk? We've only been together for what? A week? I've ruined it with the 'I love you' crap! I rush into her building and press the elevator button. I pace around then press the button a couple more times. It'll just be worse if I'm late. I groan in frustration and start up the stairs. I jog towards her door, panting. She swings open the door before I can knock.

"What are you doing?" Emma throws me a confused look.

"I..." I struggle to breath, "I just...."

"You wanna come in?" Emma looks up and down the hallway before letting me in.

"I just ran... up 15 flights of stairs and I ran here." I regain some of my breath and lean against the wall. Emma walks into the kitchen, offering me tea, I follow her like a five-year-old in trouble.

"Why didn't you just take the elevator?" Emma takes a teapot out and fills it with water.

"I wanted to get up here," I watch her place the pot in her microwave when a flash of white catches my eye. A bandage. On her wrist, shock and worry slaps me across the face. Did she cut herself?! "Uh so..." I start picking at my fingernail. Out of the corner of my eye I watch her turn around to look at me.

"Your probabaly wondering why I asked you to come, eh?" Emma smiles, bitterness in her sea-blue eyes. I stand immediately, this is it. A lump forms in my throat,

"I thought you should know that," Emma bites her lip and her eyes fall to the floor. Oh no, please... "Me and Ally aren't friends anymore. I'm just sick of it! She pushes me away all the time and I mean she doesn't have a job and pretty much just travels around and does absolutely nothing!" The words tumble out of her mouth, I let out a sigh of relief,

"Thank God," I mumble into her soft hair. Luckily she didn't hear that, it would've been kinda awkward explaining that. Worry settles at the pit of my stomach, what happened to my giggly, fun-loving girl? I pull away and wipe a tear from her cheek. "It's okay, babe," I lead her to the table and sit her down. I take her hand with the bandage, "Emma?" I ask gently, "What's this, babe," I toy with her bandage, expecting the worst. She jerks away quickly, "Emma," I sigh sadly

"Igataoo," she murmurs quickly,

"What?"

"Igotatattoo," I actually understand her this time, I can actually feel shock spread across my face.