Twist Of Fate

Cheers To A Refused Proposal

Harry's POV
I stare at Bumper's pale face, waiting for some sign of response from her. There's none. She's just standing there, in front of me, staring at me. Her eyes travel to the ring and then zero in on me. Bumper opens her mouth and then shuts it. I want to put her out of her misery, and stand up, shut the box and chuck it as far away as I can. However, I need an answer. I need a yes or no, because I cannot sit here and assume what's going on in her brain.
"I-I," Bumper stutters. "I'm sorry, Harry." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I nod my head slowly.
"I understand, Bump. It's what I expected," I say. I shut the box, a little too harshly and the sound echoes through our otherwise empty room. I get up and shove the tiny box that has probably ruined our night into the pocket of my pants. I let out a fake laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Why would you say yes? After all, this isn't the most romantic proposal." I scan Bump's face for any sign of humor, but there's none. She's still staring at me, her face gaining some color back.
"N-No, that's not it." God, she took me seriously. I take a step toward her and she takes two back, her back hitting the wall. Fuck this! I take the remaining steps toward her and grab hold of her shoulders.
"Bumper, it's okay, honest. I'm fine, we're fine." I assure her, gazing right into her eyes. "I want you to just let loose and enjoy yourself tonight. Forget about what just happened. I'm stupid and impulsive. I saw this ring, and the first person I thought about was you. So I bought it. Then, I proposed, my mistake." She nods her head, though Bump still looks as if she's in shock.
"Guys, look what I just saw on the internet. Apparently, Harry bought a ring yesterday. Surprise, surprise." Niall says, entering the room, his phone held high, as if it's a bloody trophy. Great timing, Niall. Great timing. "The rumors the media makes." He scoffs and rolls his eyes. I glare at him. Niall's eyes widen and I think he realizes the seriousness of the situation. "Oh, I think I've...um...interrupted something. I'll leave." He motions with his thumb toward the door and turns around and jogs out of our room.
"I guess we should go," Bumper whispers. I nod my head and step aside to allow her to pass. She gives me a weak smile and strides toward the door. Before exiting, Bumper stops one more time, takes a deep breath and then marches out toward the lounge.
"What have I done?" I murmur to myself. Messed up big time, that's what. My shoulders slump, as I sink onto the floor. I stare at my shoes. The look one Bumper's face killed me. I will never put her in a situation like this ever again. Fucking hell, I've messed up pretty badly.
"Harry, you okay?" Liam asks. I look up to find him marching toward me. I shake my head, my vision getting blurry. Fuck, I can't cry. Not here, not right now.
"I hate myself for putting her in this situation, Liam." I say, wringing my hands. "She looked so scared and...she looked like a deer. A deer that is running for her life from a lioness. I'm such a dick!" I groan in frustration.
"No, no, you're not." Liam sits down in front of me. He wraps his arms around his legs and stares me right in the eye. "You didn't do anything wrong and neither did Mus. She's unsure of her feelings and that's fine, but we can see, Harry. We can see just how much she cares about you. A lot, that's how much. Mus would give up a lot for you and so would you. Just have a little faith in your love, okay?" One can always depend on Liam to say the right things at the right time. I nod my head, looking at the ceiling to push my tears away. I take a deep breathe to calm myself down and then get up from the floor.
"Thanks, Liam." I say earnestly. He gets up as well and I engulf him in a warm hug that I need. Comfort, that's what I need.
"Anytime, Harry. Now, let's go and have the time of our lives. After all, this is Mus' first award show. We need to make sure she sees just how boring these events are, well, they're not boring when we win awards. Knowing our fans, I'm sure we'll scoop some up tonight." Liam and I both laugh, as we make our way toward the door. When I step into the lounge, my eyes scan it for Bump. No sign of her.
"Where's Bump?" I ask, turning around to see if the bathroom door's locked. It's unlocked, and open, so she's not in there.
"Harry, Mus is on the balcony. She said she'd be in after five minutes." Niall says, entering the lounge through the balcony doors. "She better be in soon, because we have to leave." Niall scans the lounge, looking for something. "Where the heck's Louis? Today we're going to be late." Niall marches past us, toward Louis' room. Everyone's in chaos today. It's just not a good day.
"Should I go talk to her?" I say, looking warily at the balcony doors.
"No, give her some space and time. Five minutes is all the girl's asking for," Liam says. He pats me firmly on the back and then makes his way toward the kitchen. "Relationships are tough work, Haz and you're in a serious one, so good luck." He takes out a water bottle and raises it in the air. "Cheers to a refused proposal and a bumpy life after today."
"A better life," I mumble. I will not make shitty mistakes and I'll make the rest of the night better for Bumper.