Deception

Chapter 23

55 days before

It is once again seven in the morning and I am awake. This was beginning to get annoying.

"Why are you calling me?" I whispered into the phone.

Instead of Harry's voice, I was met with Alisha's, a very drunk Alisha at that. Her voice matched how I felt; tired and hungover. "Hi! Anna, how are you?" She giggled.

"Why are you calling me..." I inquired. I pulled Niall's arms from me, which proved to be a difficult task since he was clinging to me like a child. He offered a few mumbles of protest until I gave in, kissing his knuckles until he agreed to let go. He pulled on a pair of boxers and left the room, walking down the stairs. I reluctantly climbed from the bed and scurried into the hallway. "From Harry's phone?"

"Because I'm at his house." My half awake mind slowly pieced everything together. Drunk Alisha at Harry's house at seven in the morning.

"Give him the phone." I demanded, pacing the hallway. It wasn't anything good for my growing headache but I felt like putting a hole through the wall. The champagne mixing with the anger I felt toward Harry for taking advantage of my best friend like that couldn't lead anywhere good. I heard a small argument in the background, obviously ending with Harry giving in.

I started before he even got a chance to speak. "Why the hell is she at your house?"

"It's not like it's her first time." he laughed.

"I know that." I mumbled. "Why is she drunk?"

"We had a few shots and one thing led to another." He mused. He lowered his voice, "She's very talkative."

I rolled my eyes, gagging at the image of Harry and Alisha. I steadied myself against a wall and contemplating banging my head against it as Alisha's little giggles sounded. "Drive her to my house."

"You aren't home." he pointed out the obvious. My forehead lightly hit the wall. I was drunk, sore, and basically asleep on my feet. I did not have time to deal with drunk Alisha and Harry's cheeky little quips.

"No." I gasped sarcastically. "I did not know that."

"I can't drive anyway." he remarked. I had thought as much. Alisha didn't drink if someone else didn't and Harry was the closest influence. I hit my head against the wall again. All I wanted last night was to go to some dinner party and possibly, and may I add successfully, sleep with my boyfriend and here I was before sunrise, fixing Alisha's problems.

"Don't do anything with her until I come." I sighed.

"You're coming now?" he asked.

"Hell no." I scoffed. There was no way I was going to go anywhere near Harry and Alisha after their little fling at such an ungodly hour. I wanted to go back and cuddle up to Niall until he woke up and offered to make me breakfast because I can only make eggs and I had that four times this week already. I'd already been pretty embarrassed at the doctor's with the "sex talk". I didn't need my third high cholesterol report this year and I definitely didn't need Cheerios forced down my throat every morning for a month. Harry's voice dragged me from my pointless train of thought.

"Then what's going to stop me from doing anything?"

"Harry, I swear..." I warned.

He laughed softly and I couldn't deny that I loved the sound. "Hey?" he whispered.

"What?" I crossed my arms as if he was in the room, balancing my phone between my ear and shoulder.

"Are you that talkative in bed?"