You Make It Real (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction) {EDITING}

Chapter 54

RILEY’S P.O.V.

“Liam, stop. Please.”

He reluctantly removed his lips from my neck and sat up next to me on my bed.

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”

I sighed and rested my hands in my lap, nervously picking at my fingers.

“I’m trying not to be. It’s just... I’m sorry, this shouldn’t be happening while you’re here.”

He grinned and leaned over, kissing my cheekbone softly.

“There’s no right time for shit like this to happen. Just look at it as ‘I’m here to help you’ instead of ‘I want all of your attention’. Even if both are true.”

I smiled and felt tears burn my eyes. A mixture of sadness and appreciation swept over my emotions, tangling and bursting out in soft sobs laced with short scoffs.

“I don’t know why I’m so upset. Maybe I should call Piper or maybe Marie, their mom. I don’t know what to do, Liam. I’m scared he’ll do something stupid.”

He rested his hand on my thigh and I felt my body relax a bit immediately. 

“Breathe. Maybe you should talk to him before alerting his family.”

I thought about it and he was probably right. The last thing I would want in a situation like that would be for my family to run to my aid. My family.

“I’ll talk to him. Don’t forget, we’re going to see my parents tomorrow... If you still want to go.”

I didn’t want to go. He had insisted and it was going to be extremely awkward; especially since I hadn’t seen them in months.

“Of course, I do. Go talk to him and I’ll wait for you right here.”

I left a single kiss on his lips and scooted off of the bed in my pajama shorts and tank top. I was so glad to be out of that tight costume. I looked behind me from the doorway and winked at Liam in his sweats laying on my covers. It almost made me rethink comforting Cory, but I knew it was necessary. I approached his room  quietly, hearing mumbling behind the door. It was nothing I could make out and I knocked lightly on the door.

“Who is it?”

He sounded a bit uneasy, as I would have expected. 

“It’s me.”

I heard scrambling and a few curses before the door swung open. Cory was standing there in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. His head was hung low, but he eventually made eye contact and I could see the redness covering his eyes.

“What do you need?”

He spoke matter-of-factly and I could tell he didn’t really want a chat. He just needed one.

“I just wanted to talk.”

He stood still for a moment, mulling it over in his mind. He swayed a bit in the doorway and I could tell he wasn’t sober. Finally, he stepped aside, holding the door and motioning his arm toward his bedroom. I walked in and sat on the edge of his bed, trying to make it seem as casual and relaxed as possible. He made his way over and sat next to me, about a foot away.

“What’d you want to talk about?”

He hiccuped and reached back, pulling a flask from his nightstand and taking a swig. I snatched it out of his hand and closed it, setting it lightly on the floor. When I returned to sitting, he was closer than before, his hand resting on the mattress behind my back.