With Lips Like Fire He Burns Me

12. You Love When I Fall Apart

The mall was always crowded during the winter. The streetlamps outside were too weak to lift the snow fog on Fortworth's Avenue and there was nothing to do but shiver and wrap trembling fingers around your threaded scarf tighter. It was sort of wretched, but devastatingly beautiful.

"It's just a matter of principle," Harry was saying, giggling and lifting his salted pretzel above his head when Niall tried to steal a bite.

Niall had finished his two pretzels twenty minutes ago.

"No, it's—" Niall's mouth bobbed open, his blue eyes blinking rapidly.

"It's what?"

Harry followed Niall's line of vision across the crowded mall, landing on a red lipsticked, blonde-haired, leggy Victoria's Secret Angel. Ana.

"Oh, is that—"

Something wrenched the breath out of Harry's lungs.

Horrified, Harry saw Ana lean over the table and press an open-mouthed kiss to someone who wasn't Louis. The strange man smiled tenderly at her and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He kissed both of her cheeks goodbye and left the table.

Harry felt as if his lungs were slowly filling with water as if there was less space in them for air. Inhaling felt like pushing up a lead weight on his chest. He sucked in mouthfuls of air as if it were treacle.

Harry thought stupidly for a second that his eyes were deceiving him, but Niall proved that theory wrong by exhaling, "Oh, shit," heavily.

Harry's legs worked quicker than his muddled brain, but Niall effectively stopped him, pressing a sturdy hand to Harry's chest.

"Wait a minute. Let's think about this for a moment."

"What's there to think about?!" Harry's voice was pitched high and absurd just on the edge of desperation and his eyes were wild. He was on the brink of losing his goddamn mind. "Ana's cheating on Louis!"

Niall's blue eyes bulged out of his head as if the realization had just sunk in.

"Wait in the car," Harry demanded, his voice fierce despite the shaking of his fists.

"Harry, stop. Don't get in a fight with Ana. This is between her and Louis."

"Is it?" Harry's nostrils flared, his eyes pinkening. He pressed two fingers on the inside of his wrist to check his pulse. His heartbeat was erratic, rattling the walls of his ribcage. "Because it seems like she doesn't give a single fuck about that when she's fucking what's-his-face!"

"Harry—"

"Car. Now."

One threatening glare was all it took for Niall to place his hands up in a placating manner. Niall chanced one more worried glance Harry's way and walked away, tail tucked between his legs. Harry didn't have time to fret whether or not he was too harsh on Niall. He had much more important matters to attend to, such as interrogating Ana, asking her why she was cheating on Louis when he was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Harry stomped towards Ana with a fierce determination set afire in his eyes. When he reached her table, he tapped her twice on the shoulder. She turned around, doe-eyed and frazzled.

"Hi, darling," Harry said in a sickly-sweet tone, the same tone Ana used whenever she wanted to get her way.

("Just a few minutes, darling," Ana had cooed, pushing her wiggling toes underneath Louis' thigh for warmth. "It's just a foot rub."

Louis had bit the inside of his cheek, but he obliged grumpily anyways. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and thumbed soothing, wide circles on the arch of Ana's foot.