Lessons Learned (Sequel to Love At War) Harry Styles

Chapter 14

"I don't see why you've agreed to it, it's ridiculous," huffed Hannah, handing me a takeaway cup of steaming coffee. "After everything, you run to him as soon as he clicks his fingers."

"I'm not running to him Han," I scoffed. "I want to see Niall and Kaylee, that's the main reason I'm going. We're going as friends because that's what we are, it's not a date. Lucas understands that so why can't you?"

This is what I had been getting for the past four days. As soon as Hannah found out that I was going to the engagement party, she went off on one, saying that I had no respect for Lucas and that I was in way over my head. She had told me that Harry was no good for me, that it wasn't even worth us being friends, and I was confused at her sudden change of heart. She had now resorted to coming to see me at work in order to convince me not to go.

"Because you've cried for seven years over him, you've been trying so hard to get over him and now you're in contact, you're all over him again. You need to understand that it's weird."

I rested my head on my desk and breathed heavily.

"Please Han, just trust me. It's going to be okay, we're going as friends...I might not even spend the night with him, he's giving me a lift there. That's it."

"I just want you to be careful."

"I will be."

"Lucas isn't happy about it by the way," she snapped.

"I know he's not happy, but he accepts it."

"He's worried about you like I am. He thinks Harry's going to try and take advantage of you."

"Well woop de-fucking-doo! God, I always wanted to know what my best friend and the guy I'm seeing talk about me behind my back!" I shouted. "I bet that was a cosy little water cooler chat!"

"Calm down Liss," she hissed, sitting down opposite me. "You're not thinking rationally, look at what this is doing to you. It's stressing you out."

"No, what's stressing me out is that fact that you don't trust me. I'm twenty six years old, I'm capable of looking after myself, I promise."

"I'm just looking out for you, of course I trust you."

"Then let me do this and don't try and stop me."

"Fine," she sighed, running her hand through her hair and scrunching it. "I just don't like the effect this is having on you.

"It's okay, I'm okay, everything's okay...execpt this bloody photo," I muttered, closing the window for the fiftieth time that day.

"What's up?"

"I can't get the exposure right on this...I mean, it's a beautiful shot, the lighting just isn't right and it can't get it to look perfect...I really wasn't with it the day of this shoot."

"See, it's affecting your work!" she told me indignantly.

"I had a really bad cold actually," I pointed out. "I caught it off of Maddie but it was like, ten times worse."

"Ew."

"Exactly."

"Look...even though I'm not happy about it, do you want me to look after the girls tomorrow night? Considering Maddie's cold has 100% gone?"

I smiled at her.

"Thanks, but you don't have to... Lucas has offered."

She choked on her coffee and it dribbled down her chin. I laughed at her and threw her a packet of tissues from my bag so she could wipe herself up.