Ambition || Harry Styles

*28*

I'm trawling through pages of new legislation that my old friend, Tony in accounts just dumped on my desk with another cheesy joke and I fought the urge to flip him the bird after he left.

My yellow highlighter is in one hand while I tap an unlit cigarette on my desk with the other, telling myself every fifteen minutes that I'll take a break in five, but it hasn't yet eventuated.

I allow my mind to drift back to Friday night every so often, the weird confessions from both Harry and I, the tension so thick in the air I was struggling to breathe, before he flicked on the TV and pulled me into him to lay down and watch whatever was playing.

His body felt so warm, so safe as his arm wrapped around me and I pretended to watch the movie when really my attention was completely absorbed by the sound of his heart beat beneath my ear.

I must have fallen asleep in my little make-believe cocoon where I was imagining us in another life, dreaming of relaxing in our living room and all bizarre pretences cleared from the air, because when I woke up he was nowhere to be found.

A cream woollen blanket had been pulled from the back of the couch and draped across me and the kitchen and dishes from dinner, all spotlessly clean and tidy.

My email chimes every so often, alerting me to even more work that is being thrown at me and my hand palms my tightening chest every time I hear the noise.

It's like Chinese torture, it starts off quiet but with every passing trill of a notification, it starts to feel like it's drilling directly into my skull.

I exhale a strangled noise and mute the computer, ultimately ending in me missing Katie's urgent BANANA email but I hear Harry's unmistakable voice before I see him.

"Weren't you and Mr Twinkle-Toes a hoot at that party last month!" he jokes and I hear Katie laugh before making some sort of wisecrack about wondering if he had moved to New York and not told me.

The pull towards him is too strong for me to stand and I find myself walking towards my door, wanting to get a glimpse of the stunning face that matches the gravelly chuckle as he counters Katie's stab at him with another about her stealing my boyfriend.

Leaning against the frame of my door, I cross my arms and look out at the exchange. I try to act casual, portray the illusion that I'm unfazed by his presence on the outside when the truth is, my insides are double backflipping.

My attempt to be calm falters the second his head snaps towards me, his arms extended straight as he rests his weight on Katie's desk and the smile that should win awards slowly crawls across his face until it touches his eyes.

My cheeks lift and my lips purse but I fail to control the grin that creeps through and I see Katie literally facepalm at the silent interaction.

He pushes off his fingertips and saunters over to where I stand, my arms only unfolding when his hand holds my waist and he leans forward to place a lingering kiss to my cheek.

"Hey," he smirks, possibly hearing the thumping of my heartbeat.

"Hi," I whisper back, nowhere near as seductively.

He pulls back to make eye contact, our noses so close they could brush together if I lean forward and he licks his lips before almost silently mouthing, "Miss me?"

I roll my eyes as his mouth ticks up on one side and I push him back with a hand to his shoulder, briefly thankful that he can't read my mind which is screaming at him that of course, I miss him every second of every day.

"What are you doing here? Or have I been here so many hours it's already Friday?" I ask as he follows me into my office, a hand combing through his hair.