collision // harry styles au

chapter eight

This chapter is dedicated to sunftniall because Home is perfect and she seems really rad.

"HARRY!" a woman's voice screeched, interrupting my dreams, and my eyes snapped open. I sat up hastily and looked around, scared because I wasn't at home in bed. It took me a second to realize I was still at Romeo's. My eyes searched for the owner of the voice and landed on an elderly woman in the door way. She wore thick-framed glasses, jeans, a button down shirt and a very agitated expression. The second after I jolted up, Harry was on his feet, rubbing his eyes.

"Ms. Barb.." Harry greeted the woman with a grunt.

"You slept here? This isn't a shelter! I gave you a key for emergencies!" she shouted. I cringed at her loud voice, seeing as I'd only woken up thirty seconds before.

"We came here for coffee late last night and must've dozed off." Harry explained sleepily. He didn't seem as intimidated by the woman as I did. "Ms. Barb, this is, uh Jenson." He gestured to me.

The woman, Ms. Barb, glanced at me for only a second before shooting daggers back at Harry.

"Was it necessary to come into my shop late last night?" she snapped.

"You told me as long as I made sure your shop was never vandalized or anything was broken, I was welcome here anytime." Harry sighed.

"That doesn't mean you can spend the night!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"We were just watching the city and talking, we fell asleep. It was a total accident, I swear."

"You better not have had sex on my floor, Harry. I will call your grandmother in a heartbeat, don't think I won't!" she barked. Harry groaned, dragging his hand down his face. I could feel my cheeks heating with her assumption.

"We didn't!" Harry defended himself.

"W-we did not have sex." I told her. I probably looked mortified as she eyed me for a second with her intimidating glare, but then I guess she deemed me honest-looking or completely embarrassed enough because her angry gaze softened.

"Get your shoes on and come downstairs, we'll make you something to eat. Then you both get out of my hair." Barb said, rolling her eyes and muttering something as she turned back to the stairwell. My reddened face fell to my hands as Harry and I were left alone once again. I could tell that he wasn't nearly as embarrassed as I was by the sound of his laughter. I groaned into my palms.

"C'mon, get your shoes on." Harry chuckled as he stood, stretching out his long limbs. I let him help me up and I slipped on my flats before grabbing my jacket and purse and following Harry downstairs.

Harry plopped down on a chair as soon as he saw one, his obviously tired eyes falling shut for a moment before the sound of Barb shouting his name and slamming her office door made his eyes snap back open.

"Yes?" he answered, watching as she approached us.

"Well, aren't you going to get up and help me make the pretty girl some breakfast?" she asked him, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She glanced from Harry's face to mine, only to drop one of her eyes down into a wink. A broad smile crept onto my face as her eyes traveled back to the tousled haired boy to my right.

"You said that you'd make us-"

"No, I specifically remember saying that we'll make breakfast." she said matter-of-factly. Harry frowned and glanced at me for a quarter of a second.

"Well, why doesn't Jenson have to help?" He reasoned.

"She's company."

"We're in a bookstore, not a house." Harry said with a tone of annoyance.