Let's Pretend (Harry Styles Fanfic)

(Erin’s P.O.V.)

I crossed my legs nervously. I scanned the room and bit my nail. I should stop biting my nails. There goes the pinky nail. I uncrossed my legs and twirled a small strand of brown hair.

“Erin, calm down,” Grant insisted. I looked at him and put my hand back in my lap and nodded.

“Right. Calm. I can do that,” I assured myself. Grant rolled his eyes.

“This isn’t your first movie, Erin.”

“It’s my first romance!” I protested. He scoffed. “Why can’t you tell me who’s playing my love interest?”

“Because you’ll flip a shit,” Grant answered easily. Grant had worked with me on many movies before and he had come to be a good friend of mine. I groaned and laid down on the leather couch, sticking my butt in the air. “It’s so weird when you do that.”

“Do what?” I mumbled through the cushion.

“Stick your butt up. What is that?” he asked. I flashed him my middle finger as the door opened.

“Oh…bad time?” asked a male voice. He would find me like this. Butt in the air, middle finger poised like so. I flipped back over and locked eyes with Harry Styles.

I looked over at Grant who was about to explode with laughter. I wanted to kill Grant, but then I realized he had no idea of the past I had with Harry. I locked eyes with Harry and he was staring at me in complete shock. 

“Erin?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re playing Ariel?”

“You’re playing Drake?” I asked. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. I swore I’d never see that pathetic excuse for a man again, and now I had to play his love interest.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Grant asked. We kept our eyes locked in an icy glare.

“Better than you think,” Harry grumbled. Grant’s eyes went wide and he looked at me.

“Is Harry the guy that – ”

“Yep,” I answered shortly, cutting Grant off. Harry was the guy, the only guy. The guy that had caused me so very many problems. I turned back to Harry and shook my head.

“I see you still have that cocky attitude,” I said.

“I see you still have that sarcastic bitch attitude,” he shot back. I shrugged.

“Some things never change,” I said simply. He looked me up and down, sizing me up. I thought I looked pretty good.

“That’s for sure,” he grumbled.

“Are you two going to be able to do this movie?” Grant asked.

“Yes,” we answered simultaneously. I resisted the urge to hit him.

“Really? Because you’ve got to act like there’s real chemistry and right now I only feel like you two want to tear each other’s throats out,” Grant said.

“That’s why it’s called acting,” Harry said. We both stared at each other for a long time. Then Grant sighed and handed us each a script.

“Okay, let’s read through this scene right here. Convince me you’re in love,” Grant said. I scowled at Harry. That was the last thing I wanted to do right now. But this was for the big bucks. I swallowed and looked at the script.

“Drake, what are you doing here?” I asked. Harry’s face contorted into a desperate look. I guess he actually knew how to act.

“I needed to see you. I have to tell you – ”

“Tell me what?” I snapped, cutting him off. “That I’m not good enough?”

“No – ”

“Then what is it?” I almost shouted. “What can you possibly say to me now? Say it to me, I want to hear it! Let’s see if you can make me even more broken than I already am! Let’s see if you have the courage to tear me to pieces!”

“I still love you!” Harry shouted. I fell silent, composing my face into a cross of surprise and sorrow. Then Harry stepped closer. I could smell his cologne and it made me sick to my stomach. He reached a hand up to my cheek and I wanted to swat it away. “I always loved you.”

I waited a good amount of time and then grabbed the collar of his shirt. “You’d better not be lying to me, Drake. If you’re coming back you’d better be in it for the long run this time, because I can’t take it if you leave me again.”

“I am,” he said softly. I glanced at the script. He was supposed to kiss me. We both looked at Grant, who nodded.

“Do we actually have to kiss?” I asked, breaking character. Grant sighed and put his head in his hands. I stepped away from Harry, wanting to escape the scent that haunted me for years.

“You know what, you two are spending the day together,” Grant said. Harry and I both looked appalled.

“Excuse me?” Harry asked. Grant nodded and threw me my purse.

“Now get out. Go to the beach or something, I don’t care what you do, just do it together. And don’t come back until you can be civil to each other,” Grant said.

“Grant! That’s completely unfair, you don’t even know what this jerk did to me!” I complained. Harry glared at me.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I didn’t do it!” he shouted.

“Oh, right. I’m going to trust you,” I grumbled.

“Shut up! Go spend the day together or you’re fired!” Grant shouted. I’d never seen Grant lose his temper. Harry and I both scowled at each other and walked out of the room.

Harry tried to call a cab and he looked at me with disgust. “Where to?”

FLASHBACK

I was sitting in the dark when I heard a knock on my window. I sat up, freaked out, and walked over. I pulled up the blinds and Harry was standing outside my window, throwing rocks. I rolled my eyes and opened it up. “You’re so cliché, Harry.”

“I know, it’s sickening,” he said with a smirk. “Come on, we’ve only got all night.”

I giggled and climbed out the window and down to Harry. I joined him on the ground and he kissed me and took my hand and we walked down the familiar sidewalk. “You tired, babe?” he asked as I yawned. I gave him a look.

“I can’t imagine why I’d be tired. I’ve only snuck out with you all night for the past four nights. I swear, if I keep dating you, I’ll be sleep deprived,” I said with a smirk. He poked my cheek.

“Who needs sleep?” he asked. I shrugged and he pulled me down a new path.

“Harry, where are you taking me?” I asked.

“To see something cool. You’re going to love it,” he promised. I fell silent and he dragged me to a bridge and we sat on the thick banister and he checked his watch. “It should start…now.”

Just as he said this, a firework shot into he sky and exploded. I looked at him in shock, our faces lit up with fireworks.

“Did you do this?” I asked. He shrugged with a smile.

“I had a friend put it together. But it’s for you,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because I love you,” he said, as if this was obvious. I leaned in and kissed him roughly, unable to contain myself any longer. I ran my hands through his curly hair and his made their way around my waist. I was almost pulled onto his waist when we remembered we were on a bridge. We stopped for a moment and put our forehead together, catching a breath.

“I love you too, Harry Styles.”