The Player's Girl - Harry Styles Fanfic

Chapter 18- Yes, No, Maybe So

Anna's POV

"So...is that a yes?" He asked looking down at me, our foreheads touching and fingers intertwined. I moved my gaze from the floor to look up at him. What is he even talking about? I made a face; showing him exactly how dumbfounded I was at the moment. I swear, my heart was about to beat right out of my chest. I bet it was just as loud to him as it was to me—maybe even louder. Oh god why am I so awkward?

"Yes to what?" I separated us a few inches so I could fully look at him. It was now around 6 and we were still sitting on the biggest branch on our tree. Kids were still out everywhere but the tree provided privacy. The grand willow tree drooped around us, isolating us from the rest of the world.

He looked so embarrassed in that moment that I wished I had a camera with me just to capture his face. His cheeks and neck glowed a deep red hue and he chuckled nervously, letting go of one of my hands to scratch the back of his neck. For the billionth time today, he also didn't look me in the eyes but instead at the ground next to me.

"Err...never mind. Forget I ever said anything." He bitterly laughed, his gaze locked at the deep green color of the grass below. He disconnected our foreheads and inched back. I grabbed the hand that he used to scratch the back of his neck with, now intertwining both of our hands once again. I chuckled at him.

"Harry, seriously it's just me. What were you about to say?" I asked him with an uncontrollable grin. God, I'm such a pushover. One minute I'm saying I hate guys—Harry in particular and that I'd never talk to him again and the next I'm there for my damsel in distress, kissing him in a tree. My brain and heart need to get on the same level. 

I subtly heard Harry take a deep breath, breathing out the words he wanted to ask me. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He recited the most repeated and cliché line in history as I did the most repeated and cliché reaction. I froze, rethinking my options.

I know I'm going to say yes—that much was obvious. This is like the moment I've been waiting for ever since that tiny crush I developed for him back in the day; the tiny crush that spiraled out of control and morphed into an almost obsessive crush. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration but I'm Anna. I wouldn't be myself if I didn't over exaggerate.

"What do you think?" I asked sarcastically. Slowly but surely, his grin vanished and was replaced by a pair of lips pressed against each other in a frustrated manner. His lungs captured a quick but deep breath of air. His feet moved backwards one by one. His eyes closed his chin down, his ego suffering a blow. Perfect, I grinned to myself.

"No." His head didn't snap up as I thought it would, he kept it towards the ground. His body froze under my touch and no words were spoken. He brought his hands up to cover his eyes. I reached out to lift his chin up. He gently cupped his hand around mine, while still not moving his head an inch, and pushed my hand back down. 

"I understand." He muttered so quietly I almost didn't hear him. He sounded so broken, so vulnerable, so unlike the Harry I grew up with. He sounded like his heart just shattered into a million pieces and I knew I caused that. Without looking me in the eyes, he turned around with his shoulders slumped. He started off walking away but his walk turned into a sprint.

And the first emotion that came to mind was the sweet feeling of revenge. I really didn't want this though. I didn't know he would run off, the roles have reversed. But why do I feel like an asshole now. I could still see him running along the creek just meters away from our tree. 

"Harry!" I screamed, trying my best to weave through the big willow tree--our tree, while not tripping over myself like I normally would. "HARRY!" I screamed again once I saw him stop and put his hands on his knees, slightly shaking. My footsteps were pounding against the floor as I caught up and me being me, I put my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breathe. Shit why did I do that, I don't run.