Where Your Heart Is (A Harry Styles Fanfiction) #pfcc2k16 #Wattys2016

Chapter Seventeen: On Top Of The World.

I've traveled all this way for something.

*****

Talk about mixed signals. This girl is all over the place. And it is the most baffling thing in the world.

I've never been one to put up with that kind of games; I like things clear and straightforward, especially when it comes to situations like this.

Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. Or girl doesn't give a rat's ass for said boy. No grays in between.

But I know, or maybe it's just me kidding myself, that she's not playing any games. I mean, she's clearly not having fun with it. And I think that all this coming and going is taking a huge toll on her.

But why? Is not really that complicated, innit? If someone fancies you and it's reciprocated, you go for it. If it's not, you thank that someone's attention, but you politely decline the offer.

The other option, of course, has much more to it than that. For some reason, there's something holding you back and no matter how badly you want something, you just can't bring yourself to claim it.

She once told me we were off limits. And after giving it a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that for her to even say that can only mean that there is a reason for those limits to be stablished.

And I took a step back.

Well, not really. But I definitely didn't take a step forward either. Which in this case, is pretty much the same thing.

She's the one who keeps stepping up to me, though. Meeting me that night, offering me to stay at his flat and now, refusing to leave this place even if she's clearly freezing to death.

Not that I'm complaining.

She says she wants for us to get to know each other, which is only fair given that we'll have to be close to one another for the rest of the month. But there's no need to do this right here, right now. Let alone, just the two of us.

Something else is happening, I can tell. And I am a far too curious person to just let it slide without any questions asked.

Not to mention that there's another reason for me to be so intrigued by her: Boy definitely likes girl.

"Why?"

I notice how her chest rises, taking in a deep breath. I stay there in silence, waiting for it to be released, but she just keeps on holding it. And something that feels a lot like anxiety begins to grow within me.

"Lea..." I whisper, putting my hand softly on her shoulder. I don't want to startle her like I did before but at this point, I just need her to talk. To breathe. "Why?"

This time, she doesn't even flinch at my touch, and she finally exhales; letting her shoulders fall slowly away from my hand. But I don't follow them.

"When we first met..." She begins with a thin voice, lifting her blue eyes at me. "Back at your mother's wedding, remember?"

I just look at her, raising my eyebrows slightly, amused that she's even asking me that question because I made it perfectly clear, in numerous occasions that I remember it all too well.

But when she keeps staring at me, notoriously worried about my silence, I nod and let out a simple yeah.

"You asked me if we knew each other... And I said no, but that I lived in Congleton so maybe you saw me around."

The smirk that breaks through my lips doesn't go unnoticed by her. Again, she looks at me confused, tilting her head to the side and letting her curls fall over her shoulder.