I never believed in coincidences. Things don't just happen; there's always a reason behind them. It's no coincidence that the sun comes up every morning. It's not a coincidence that we meet someone and fall in love. And it was no coincidence that me and four other boys auditioned for The X Factor the same year and went on to become one of the biggest boybands on the planet.
Nothing in my life was a coincidence anymore.
I grab my jacket from the coat rack, and I'm greeted by a wave of icy air when I open the door. Stepping out into the unseasonably cold London air, I close the door of my flat behind me with a silent click. I take a few moments to breathe in the crisp air before letting out a small sigh and beginning down the same path I always take. Making a sharp right, I turn into the small space between my building and the one next to it, avoiding the fans and paparazzi waiting on the other side.
A cold wind begins to blow, sending a sudden chill down my spine. I pull my jacket up higher around my neck, trying to block the cold air from going down my shirt. My gaze turns down toward my feet, carefully avoiding the newly formed puddles from last night, the smell of rain still prominent in the air. My feet move at a slow and steady pace, enjoying the momentary silence away from the madness that currently sits two blocks away. I can't help but let out a sigh at how much my life has changed, that I practically have to hide if I want to leave my house.
Four years ago I was just a sixteen year old boy working in a bakery with a dream of making it big. Nobody knew who I was. Back then, I could walk down the street without being accosted by screaming girls and camera flashes. I don't mind the fame, really, but sometimes I wish I could be anyone but myself for a day. I wish I could walk around the city as a normal person, rather than as a celebrity.
My entire life is now under a microscope for the whole world to see. But for some reason that I still don't understand, the media loves to focus on my love life. They love to make me look like the 'ladies man' when the truth is, I've only dated three girls since my life has been in the public eye. And none of those relationships lasted longer than a year because they couldn't handle me traveling six months out of the year.
But that changed when I met Athena Adams.
She was special. She was unlike any other girl I had ever met. She was one of those girls that everyone loved to be around, especially me. Her energy was infectious. The mood always changed when she entered the room. Whenever she smiled, I always found my lips curving up into a smile too. Sometimes I'd get those familiar butterflies in my stomach when she smiled at me like I was the only one in the room. She was also very understanding of me and my lifestyle. She understood that I had a hectic schedule and that I couldn't always be with her. She always put on a brave smile whenever I had to leave, but I knew that deep inside, her heart was shattering into a hundred pieces. But most of all, she loved me for me. She loved Harry Styles, the boy who worked in a bakery in Holmes Chapel, not Harry Styles, the famous popstar. She made me feel normal again.
We dated for two years and truly, they were the best years of my life. I thought we would last forever, but then one day, out of the blue, she said she couldn't handle the baggage that came with being my girlfriend anymore, and she just left. No warning, no goodbye, she just left.
Even though it's been seven months since she left, I could never bring myself to move on because there was always that nagging question of why. Why did she leave? Why didn't she say anything?
Didn't she love me?
Pushing the thought from my mind, I continue my path between two more large apartment buildings, steering clear of any stray fans or paparazzi. Stopping at the end of the two buildings, I scan the crowd on the street in front of me, staying out of sight of any awaiting cameras. Before I can move any further, I feel vibrations radiating from my back pocket. I pull out my phone to see Niall's name illuminating the screen.
