Switching Roles ll Harry Styles

chapter seven

Harry doesn't say anything when we enter the house. He just shuts the door after me and walks to the kitchen in silence. I follow him, and wait for him to start his load of bull. I would rather him just get it over with instead of dragging it out. He's drinking a beer when I enter the kitchen and I scoff before hopping onto the counter. He takes a big swig before setting it down and walking over to me. He opens his mouth, ready to start his speech, but instead he kisses me. I'm surprised for a second, but I push him away once the shock is over.

"There aren't any cameras, Harry," I remind him, "don't touch me."

"That's the thing," Harry says, "I don't care. when we were together, I liked you, I really really liked you. I'm not sure if I loved you, because I don't even know what that means, but I know I felt stronger about you than I have about anyone else in my life. So I guess I did love you. We had fun, we had more fun than anyone. And I knew how hard you fell for me, and that only made me fall harder."

"You were the only important thing in my life except for my career. I had no idea they were going to make me do that to you. I swear on everything that I didn't." He says, trying to make eye contact.

"Bull shit," I say, looking away from him, focing fake tears to my eyes.

"Look at me," he says, softly but firmly. He stands in between my legs and bends down, forcing me to look at him. "I'm serious, Lauren. They wanted me to date you, and I told them no, that I wouldn't do that. But then I met you, so I started dating you because I wanted to. Then they told me that they had set up how we met, and I almost killed them. Then they told me I had to end it, and I fought it for two weeks. But they told me if I didnt' do it, they would fire me, and I had to think about the band."

"Two weeks?" I interrupt. "You knew for two weeks?"

He takes a deep breath and holds it for a second before releasing it in a sigh. "Look, that is all in the past okay? I know I screwed up, and I know that you hate me, and I know I'm a total douche, but you wanna know something else I know?"

I make eye contact for a second before breaking it again. He looks down and traces a pattern on my leg before drawing his hand away again. Still looking down, he says, "I know that when we were kissing in the theater, I didn't care that we were doing it for the cameras. I liked it, and if the cameras would have left, I would have kept kissing you. I know that right now, all I want is for you to forgive me so I can wrap you in my arms and hold you until you love me again. I want to be with you. I know that slowly but surely, even though you hate me, I'm falling in love with you again."

I let out a sarcastic laugh and shake my head. "You have got to be kidding me," I say under my breath. "Harry, you don't love me, you never did."

"You know I did," Harry says. "Please, just try to forgive me. You don't have to love me, I don't expect you to, but please just stop hating me. It's killing me knowing that you look at me and are disgusted by what you see."

"When did you get so good at talking about your feelings?" I ask, he smiles lightly, his real smile, the one I loved, and I lean down and kiss his lips softly. I break away before he can react and when I pull back, his eyes are closed and his brows are furrowed.

"What was that?" He asks.

"Me trying," I whisper, and he smiles before wrapping his long arms around my torso and pulling me off the counter. He wraps me into a hug, and I hug him back, rolling my eyes when I make sure he can't see my face.