Baby Doll (Harry Styles)

Chapter 26 - In The Way

I paled as my hands scrambled about the floor to gather my discarded clothing. Bending down, the dress couldn't stretch as far as I needed and I was afraid it might tear. I must've been out of my mind to want to try on something this tight and uncomfortable. Harry stood in the doorway with an indecipherable expression, causing mayhem in my stomach.

"Do you mind?" It didn't come out as angry as I wanted it to. I pressed my shirt to my chest to lessen the obscenity but it wasn't helping very much.

"I don't mind at all." He said. I still couldn't read his expression. I'd never really seen him look at me this way before. Harry had never seen me in anything less than sweaters and jeans and I was afraid this situation might give him a different perception of me.

"Please." I almost begged. I wanted him to leave the room but he didn't. Instead he examined me as if I were a lab animal. I wondered what he was thinking. Did he find me so pretty that he couldn't look away? Or was he just in shock to see me like this?
What was I thinking? I was plain old Thalia.

The questions I asked myself were terrifying. I shouldn't care what he thought of me. But I did.

My own shock had begun to melt away and I found myself pacing to the closet door to conceal myself since Harry wasn't going anywhere. I felt my cheeks flare and my heartbeat go into a frenzy when the situation finally sunk in. "Harry, please go." I urged him as I hid behind the closet door.

"I need to talk to you." I heard him reply.

"Think you can spare me a few minutes?" I tried to add a tinge of anger to my voice. How could he not notice how uncomfortable he was making me feel?

I began to breathe again when I heard the door close. So far, Harry hadn't commented on what he'd seen but I wasn't sure how I was going to face him again.

__________

Harry's POV


Before I could process what I had just seen, I heard Mrs Briffen call for me. She flapped her hands at me in a subtle yet frantic way.

She pointed toward the entrance hall and my eyes followed to see Kaylee standing by the vases. Oh, great. Like always, she carried a handbag which was too big for someone of her size. She pushed her shades down the bridge of her nose when she saw me. What did she want now?

"I forgive you." She said simply, flinging her shades off as I entered the hall. Her features were stone hard but she managed a smile.

"You forgive me?" I couldn't hold in a laugh.

"I figured I wasn't being very rational last night, and you obviously weren't either. I'm glad we didn't sleep with each other. We shouldn't rush into things like that. I might've come on a little too strong. I just missed you, that's all. We should move past our petty episode and take things slow. That way, you'll come to your senses again." She finished with a light shrug.

"I never lost my senses." I quipped. "And I was being rational last night. I meant everything I said."

"No, you didn't." She said and I noticed the gloss in her eyes as her voice quivered. "Because my father is close friends with the dean of your college and you're only a phone call away from graduating, without the need for the completion of your assessments."

I remained silent as I processed her words. I would no longer be stuck in that place studying things I had absolutely no interest in if her father would help.

"Also..." Kaylee moved closer to me and lowered her voice so only I could hear her. I could tell she wasn't fond of Mrs Briffen's presence. "I presume you're worried about being tied down to me after we're married. I know you've always had commitment issues. So for the first year of our marriage, I would be alright with you seeing some girls every four to five months, as long as I get to keep an eye on you.  But it's only until we resolve all our issues. This is going to be a major sacrifice for me and I hope you realise how much I care for you."