a stirring invitation: (dear Harry Styles)

never again.

Louis was called to Orlando. I packed up my things for my return to Atlanta. The week had been a whirlwind and I was beyond ready to go home. More pictures of Harry & Cassidy surfaced the following days, which brought more confusion and more questions.

I literally just wanted to ask why he had ditched me. At the airport, I found magazines with my picture on the cover. It was humiliating - I felt like such a fool.

______

"Hey, Mona," Niall greeted me as I walked through the gallery door. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," I smiled, happy to be home. "You're here early."

"Well, Selena is making her way here to visit," he blushed. "I'm thinkin' of proposin'."

I chuckled as his Irish accent became ever-so-present - a sign of nervousness.

"Wait, marriage proposal??" I was shocked. I knew Niall could be impulsive, but wasn't this too soon?

"What other type of proposal is there?" his smiled brightened.

"Well, if you're happy, I'm happy for you," I faked a smile, then climbed the stairs to my office.

I sighed loudly as I stared at the stack of papers on my desk. Normally, I was a tidy person so it was slightly unexpected. I set my bag on the chair and began sorting through the mounds. There were quite a few invoices that needed to be sent our accountant, so I organized the paperwork according to importance.

____

"Are you hungry? It's past dinner time," a familiar voice woke me. I opened my eyes and saw only my computer screen - had fallen asleep while entering the last few details of Niall's latest paintings.

"Mona?"

I rubbed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair before looking up. Harry.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I asked, thinking I must still be asleep.

Shocked, I stood from my desk and started packing my things. At nearly 7 pm, I couldn't imagine Niall would've left without waking me.

"I came to apologize," he sighed.

I stared at him, still trying to process that he was in front of me.

"You think 'sorry' will make up for the interrogations? You think 'sorry' will make up for the endless questions floating through my brain at any given moment?" I practically shouted.

"You have every right to be upset, but please, let me explain," his eyes looked sad, but then again, he had won an Oscar.

"Get out. Do not contact me again," my voice lowered as I pointed toward the exit.

"Mona, please, at least let me tell you what really happened," he begged.

I felt short of breath. This was the way I felt whenever Kyle would come home drunk. I needed to get away from him.

"Leave now, or I call the cops, Harry! I could care less about your 'status'," I screamed.

"Cassidy nabbed me!" he screamed back. "She drugged me and took me aboard that yacht. I was stuck and couldn't go anywhere!"

No. There's no way it was true. He went willingly - they looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and each other.

"She made me pretend to love her. It was so sick and twisted," he read my mind.

"I couldn't ask anyone for help," he looked at the floor. "I jumped off the boat while she was showering. A local saw me and pulled me on board his boat. I went straight to the police. There's been no media coverage because she's been missing."