Sunshine (Harry Styles)

six

Liam and I sit in silence for a few minutes. I know he is probably very angry with me, and I didn't want to do anything to anger him further. Usually, I wouldn't care whether or not the rude rich man was mad at me or not, but I've been through enough tonight, and I didn't need to go through yet another spell with Liam.

"Why did you do that, Sonny?" Liam finally spoke, emotionless.

"I-I don't know."

"Why were you even talking to him?" he questions further. It amused and angered me how he thought he could keep me from talking to who I pleased.

"He came out here to escort me inside. If he hadn't shown up when he did, my dad would have hit me with that switch!" I exclaimed, beginning to get angry.

"Maybe you deserved it, Sonny. You know, you're really ungrateful sometimes."

I gasped, tears welling up in my eyes. How could he say such a thing to me? he barely knew me at all. "Ungrateful? Liam, we just met last night. How could you say I'm ungrateful when you don't even know me?"

He simply shook his head. "Come in. Let's go eat."

With that, he turned around and began to walk towards the house, without bothering to look and see if I was coming. I contemplated whether I should just walk home, right now. It would take me about an hour on foot. It sounded rather appealing compared to having dinner with Liam and his snobbish family.

Sighing, I turned around and followed him, knowing I'd regret it later if I didn't.

When we walked through the front door, I gasped. The house was decorated ever so nicely, with posh carpet and furniture. A grand piano sat in the parlor, near the staircase. Their house was very nice. It was almost intimidating.

Liam led me further into the house, into the dining room. There was a large table with eight chairs lined around it. However, there were only four plates. Two for Liam and I, and two for his parents.

"They should be out soon," Liam spoke, pulling out my chair for me. I sat in the large wooden chair, and Liam sat in the one next to me. The chairs were very uncomfortable. I found myself shifting often, hoping nobody would notice.

Suddenly, Mr. And Mrs. Payne entered the dining area, dressed to a tee, of course.

"Sonny! How are you, dear?" Liam's father asked me with a smile. I couldn't help but notice that it looked fake. He and Mrs. Payne took their seats across from Liam and I.

"Good," I said quietly, staring down at the silverware by my plate. The three of them frowned at my poor manners.

I didn't want to be here, much less carry on a conversation with them. They were all cruel, focused on nothing but money and their social status.

Thankfully, a maid burst through the door leading into the kitchen that was connected to the dining room. She carried a large platter, filled with food. She hurriedly placed all of the dishes down onto the center of the table, sticking matching serving spoons into them. The food smelled delicious, and it reminded me of Miss Macey's cooking.

My thoughts snapped back to how I had said I hated Miss Macey while yelling at my father. My heart sunk, regretting it. I didn't hate Miss Macey at all. She was one of the very few people in my life that I didn't hate. I couldn't help but feel as if I had wronged her in some way.

Instead of worrying myself further about the situation, I let Liam fill my plate with chicken, broccoli, potatoes, and rice. He never once glanced up at me.

I picked up my fork, and slowly began to eat. The food was just as delicious as it smelled. The maid who I was assuming cooked it stood in the corner of the room, the large platter clasped in front of her frail looking body. She looked older than Mr. and Mrs. Payne, probably around sixty years old. Her brown eyes were warm as she watched us all eat, noticing how we all seemed to like the food.

None of the hosts attempted to make conversation with me, chatting aimlessly amongst one another. It seemed as though they were making it a point to exclude me from their conversations. I had been thinking and keeping myself company instead of listening, until Liam brought up a new subject.

"Father, your favorite servant has quit on us," Liam spoke, his voice cold and his eyes narrowed. I looked up to find Mr. Payne staring at Liam, his eyes narrowed to match his son's. "What do you mean?" he finally spoke, sitting his fork down. Liam took a sip of his wine. "He just left before we came inside," he paused. "Right after I found him kissing Sonny."

Mrs. Payne gasped and her husband's eyes went wide. I brought my napkin up to my mouth, glancing nervously at the three of them. Liam had a smirk on his face, knowing what he was doing. I was trying desperately not to choke on the water I was attempting to swallow down. My heart pounded in my chest.

That was so rude of him. I couldn't believe he had told his parents what Harry and I were doing when he had found us on the curb. Saying I was embarrassed would have been an understatement.

Mr. and Mrs. Payne were speechless, as well as I. Liam stared at me, with the same smirk still plastered on his face. Suddenly, it turned into a grin. He turned away from me, facing his parents.

"But that's okay, that he quit, right? He'll just end up like his whore of a mother, dead on the streets, after she quit us."

His parents and I gasped. I was shocked at his language, and at the fragments of information I had just received. Apparently, Harry's mother had worked for the Paynes. And she quit? And was left with nothing else, so she died on the streets? It didn't make sense, that Harry had just been working for the family, even after all that had happened. Why would Harry's mother not take Harry with her? Why would Harry not go after her? And most importantly, why would Harry fail to mention this to me? And why would Liam call his mother a whore, of all things? I understood that he might want to keep some of his life a secret from me, seeing as I am a bit of a stranger to him, but this was big. I had just assumed that he left his mother and father behind in England.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Mrs. Payne finally spoke. "Liam, that is no way to talk when we have a guest," she spoke harshly, through gritted teeth. Liam merely chuckled, picking up his fork and continued to eat his rice.

We all followed suit, none of us saying a word. I noticed that the maid that was previously standing in the corner had disappeared. Maybe she had slipped out when the talk of Harry's mother started?

"Let him leave," Mr. Payne eventually spoke. "We can manage without the lad." He stared at the wall, looking as if he were in deep thought. He and Mrs. Payne exchanged a few glances. An uneasy tension filled the room. I looked back down at my plate, not knowing what to do or say, not that I wanted to do or say anything in the first place.

•

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•

Liam drove me home that night. The car ride was filled with silence. Silence and tension. I stared out the window at the fast falling snow. I was grateful when Liam pulled into my driveway, parking.

I was about to open the door, but he stopped me. I looked over at him, his eyes mean.

"I don't want to see, or hear, of you speaking, seeing, writing to, or conversing with Harry in any way. Do you understand?"

I gasped. If he thought he could tell me who I could and couldn't speak to, we were going to have to have serious words.

"No, Liam. I don't understand," I got the courage to retaliate with him. "You can't tell me who I can and can't see and converse with. You don't own me."

His eyes narrow at me. He grabs my wrist when I try to get out of the car once again.

"Sonny," he spoke, his voice low. "It would be of your best interest to be polite with me. If you want to go with me, and to marry me, you're going to have to straighten up."

I gasp. "Marry you?" Anger washes over me. I had just met the boy last night, and marriage was already an option. He didn't love me, nor I him. I couldn't imagine being married to him.

"Yes, why else would I be parading around and courting your hellish ass?" He scoffed.

I felt tears well up in my eyes. How could he say such a thing? I yanked my wrist out of his cold grasp and pushed the car door open.

"Goodnight, Mr. Payne," I said harshly as I slammed the car door shut and began the walk to the front door.