1 in 7 Billion (Harry Styles)

Chapter 20

{Hayley POV}

When they boys made it through the doors Harry's amused expression caught onto my demeanor quicker than I was prepared for.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" He put his large hand on the small of my back.

"What? Oh, nothing. Just zoned out for a bit." I try to say causally but he obviously wasn't buying it, so he continued to glare at me.

"Really, Harry, I'm fine. I just need a minute. Can I meet you upstairs? I'm going to run to the restroom."

"I'm not forgetting about this. We'll talk later. We're on the 8th floor, Paul will wait outside the door for you." He went to give me a kiss on the cheek, but I dodged it and walked toward the bathroom.

I don't know why I felt so weird. Maybe because I had an epiphany at my apartment or maybe the reporters freaked me out, but I just needed a minute to collect myself. I'm not ready to be thrown into his world. I'm not ready to be shoved into the public eye. Harry does not have a very good reputation, and I'm afraid I'm missing something. Which is ridiculous because he's been one of my best friends I've ever had, and I feel like I know everything about him.

We never talked about his fame, or his job. He would always tense up whenever I would mention something remotely close to his unique lifestyle. I was his escape, he knew that, and I knew that. I was okay with that, because in a way he was mine too. I just don't know if I wanted to be his escape in a different way, now that we're...

What even are we?

Oh my god, I'll go insane if I think one more minute about Harry and I's relationship.

I run cold water over my hands and rub them over my face, and after taking a long look at myself in the mirror. You can do this. I can't believe I have to talk myself up, just to go upstairs. Who am I and what happened to the confident and independent Hayley that first moved to New York. Damn you Harry Styles and your disgustingly handsome good looks.

I walked out of the bathroom and headed toward the elevator. When the doors slid open, a brunette barely made it into the elevator before it closed.

"Going up?" I ask.

"Oh yes. Floor 8 please." she smiled, and she was pretty. Gorgeous really.

"I'm going there too. I'm Hayley by the way." I introduce myself to the girl, and she seemed insanely polite.

"Eleanor." She smiled again.

"It's nice to meet you." I've never really been a people person, but a wave of manners flew over me. I noticed she had a British accent...

The doors slid open and Eleanor's eye lit up. "Paul!" I looked at her in shock when his name left her mouth. How did she know Paul?

"You know Paul?" I flushed. But, when she looked back at me she seemed just as confused as I was.

"You know Paul?" she replied back.

"Hayley," Paul began as he neared us. "Eleanor is Louis's girlfriend. Eleanor, Hayley is Harry's..." He was at a lost for words, but I just shrugged because I was in the same position as him. "Don't ask me."

Paul leaned over to Eleanor and in a hushed tone said, "It's complicated."

I scoffed because the truthfulness in his statement was uncanny. Although, I've never heard of Eleanor. Louis never said he was in a relationship and Harry never cared to mention it to me. I overheard her thanking Paul for helping her surprise Louis. I followed Eleanor into the door, and saw the boys lounged around on the couch.