The Switch

Chapter 31 | Slaptastic

c h a p t e r 3 1

s l a p t a s t i c

HARRY.

I awoke to someone roughly shaking me by the shoulder, their voice irritated. "Harry. Harry. Harry!"

Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Leah glaring down at me. I groaned as I sat up, my back stiff from sleeping on the floor. "Morning, love," I smiled groggily.

Before I could utter another word, Leah's hand struck hard across my face in one fluid motion. The slap seemed to echo loudly through the room.

My jaw dropped and I gaped at the fuming girl in front of me. "What was that for?"

Her dark brown eyes were hard. "What the heck, Harry? You think you can just bring me in from my car at night? You think you can take advantage of me just because I'm asleep?-"

I cut her off right there, my eyes wide. "What? No, I didn't take advantage of you, my god. I just brought you inside so you could sleep somewhere a little more comfortable than the front seat of a car."

Leah's glare lessened, but she still looked at me angrily. "I'm not some helpless little girl," she spat. "You could of just woken me up and I could've driven home."

"Okay, sorry," I said, throwing my hands up in the air in surrender. "I just thought if you were super tired you shouldn't be driving late at night."

Leah's gaze softened and she sighed. "Did you sleep on the floor the whole night, Styles?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I like you," I said, the words spilling from my mouth. "And I care about you. And I knew that if I let you I drive home late at night in your exhausted sleepy state I would be too worried about you to do anything." I widened my eyes as I realized what I'd just said. And I realized all of it was true. Normally, I would be cool and collected around any girl. I'd have them in the palm of my hand. But with Leah, I was suddenly nervous and off my game. I didn't like it.

Leah was like my partner in crime. She was the one who had helped me set up the whole "surprising girls in Oregon" thing, even though it didn't exactly go as planned. I guess through all the top-secret messages and planning, I fell for her. And I didn't even realize it. Plus, I have to admit, when she saved us from the paparazzi at the airport, it was kind of badass. And kind of hot.

She looked at me quietly for a moment before grabbing my hand and pulling me over to the bed, sitting me down next to her. "Listen. I think you're a nice and good-looking guy, but it's not gonna be that easy."

I raised my eyebrows, not understanding what she was getting at.

"I'm not like other girls. You can't just say you like me so that I'll come running into your arms, ready to be the girlfriend of Harry Styles." At this last part, her tone was exaggeratedly sarcastic. "You know, I thought you were the perfect guy. I was in love with you even before I met you. I thought I knew you. The hard truth I had to face was ... I didn't know you. And I still don't. But what I do know is that you hurt one of my best friends. And you could just as easily hurt me by leaving me for some other girl just like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "You have a reputation, Harry. And it's not one I'd like to involve myself with."