salt and sand || narry ||

Chapter 9: Nobody but You

*Harry's POV*

I was helping my mom clean the garage when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled out my phone to see a text from Niall on the screen.

Niall: I want to apologize...but I don't want to do it over text? Can we meet up later?

I smiled at my screen, grateful that the lad had finally reached out. My thumbs flew over the keyboard as I sent a text back:

Harry: Yeah mate. Meet me at the fishing pier I showed you on our bike tour. Be there in an hour. X

I shoved my phone back in my pocket only to find that my mum, Anne, was staring at me. "What?" I asked her as I went back to setting a box on a high shelf. "I know that smile...you were texting someone you like, weren't you?" she teased me as she swept the dirt outside. I felt my cheeks heat up, "Mum! Stop!" I whined and looked away from her, "Harry, I'm your mother, I can sense these things. Plus, you tell me everything..." she said, looking a bit hurt that he was keeping something from her. "Mum, I promise I will tell you everything if there is something to tell. There isn't anything to update you on," I told her honestly.

She was right, I do tell her everything. Not the sex details, oh god no, but I let her know when I'm dating someone or when I have a crush. So, I did feel bad because I was hiding something from her. Hiding something from myself, even. I was starting to fall for Niall and I knew it, but continued to lie to myself because I needed to protect myself from the inevitable. We would hook up the rest of the summer and then I would never see him again. I had to accept the fact that this was just an experiment for him. I saw this as my chance to explore the physical side of my attraction to guys too, I didn't think I was going to catch feelings. I hooked up with a tourist girl all last summer and not once did I have any feelings for her. So, what made Niall so different? Was it because he was my first guy?

I was thinking everything over as I rode my bike out to the pier; I was relieved when I saw Niall waiting for me at the far end. We rented some fishing rods and bought some bait and we started to fish off the pier in silence. He wanted to apologize, so he was going to speak first, until then he was getting the silent treatment. He is the one who ruined my birthday, after all. I heard him take a deep breath, "Haz..." he started to say. My heart jumped into my throat when he used that nickname. My boys were the only ones who called me Hazza or Haz. This meant that he felt he was close enough with me to call me that. He was, but the way he said, the way it tumbled off his lips, it meant so much more.

I turned to look at him, "Yeah, blondie?" I say, trying to ease his nerves because the boy's fishing rod was shaking like a leaf. Niall blew out a breath before he started in on his apology, "I am so sorry for upsetting you and yelling at you on your birthday. I was drunk, and while that's not an excuse, it's why I reacted so irrationally. When thought back on what you did and said, you were absolutely right to push me away and honestly, I'm grateful that you did. Not that I don't want to, you know, but it shouldn't be when I'm a stumbling mess and acting like a total twat," he said, looking at me with honest, bright blue eyes. I nodded, "Thanks for understanding where I was coming from. I hope you know that doesn't mean I don't want that present at some point..." I grinned slyly at him, "But I don't want it to be when you're knackered because you're using the drink as an excuse. 'Oh I got so drunk, I sucked a guy off one time, whoops!'" I told him, "People do that shit all the time, I kissed my ex because I was drunk, I had sex with that guy or girl because I was drunk, don't make excuses. If you want to suck a dick, go suck a dick, idk what to tell you, just make sure you're ready for it," I told him with a laugh. The blond boy had relief washed all over his face as he set down his fishing rod. "I get what you mean, I'm guilty of that," he admits, "And I'm sorry if I hurt you, that's the part that killed me. I could see it in your eyes when I flipped you off."

I was quiet when he said that because I didn't want to betray my true feelings; the ones that had grown over the last month. "We were both drunk and angry, it's okay. But I have to ask...did you hook up with Charlotte that night? Or that guy you were with at the fireworks?" I set my pole down and sat down on the bench with him, my green eyes burning into him as I awaited the answer, hoping I wasn't about to be crushed. I watched the blush seep onto his cheeks and my heart dropped to my stomach. It felt like it was going to fall out of my ass. Oh shit, he did. He did, he fucking slept with her. Fucking hell...

"No, I didn't hook up with either of them. Apparently, I had been whining to Charlotte that I would have been sooooo good in bed and babbled on about blowjobs. She had originally assumed I wanted her to give me a blowjob, not that I thought I was going to be great at giving blowjobs," he chuckled, brushing his hand through his hair. He looked good today; his blond hair was even lighter from the time they spent in the sun and his skin was starting to build a tan. It made his eyes bluer and his teeth whiter. Dammit he was pretty... "As for the guy, that's Charlotte's boyfriend, hence the reason we didn't hook up and because I was drunk as a skunk. Cameron was the guy sitting next to me on the blanket. Charlotte had invited me to watch the fireworks with the two of them. I guess when you saw me with him was when Charlotte went off to talk to some friends, so no, there's nothing going between me and anybody else. Nobody but you," he assured me.

I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding and smiled at me. "Good because I'm not seeing anyone else either. Not that we're exclusively hooking up or anything," I said, panicking that I made it sound like we were a couple. "But no one else has caught my eye." I watched Niall raise a brow at me, "Nobody? Not even a good-looking guy who had you in his arms last night?" Oh shit. He saw Troy? Goddamnit, Troy! I was worried Niall now wasn't going to trust me. "That's Troy, haven't seen him in two years since he's been away at school. He's an old friend. I promise there's nothing else going on." I fidgeted with my fingers as I watched Niall's reaction. He merely shrugged, "It's okay, like you said, we aren't an exclusive thing, so why would I be mad? I'm not your boyfriend," he said, standing up, "I'll go return the poles and then we should head back, yeah? It's getting late."

I watched him stand up, my eyes wandering to his cute, little butt as he walked away from me. "Yeah, you aren't my boyfriend..." I muttered under my breath when he was out of earshot. I rubbed a hand over my face. One more month. That's all they really had left of summer. I just had to keep pushing my feelings away for one more month. That's it. I could do it. Can I? Niall and I headed back, parting ways when we got to his street and I peddled home. I was surprised to see my mum outside waiting for me when I got back. "What's going on?" I asked her as I wheeled my bike into the garage. She bounced up and down with a large packet in her hand. "The mail came and this is from Nottingham...you know what the big packet means, Harry..." she said, grinning at me. "I got in?" I asked her, my smile growing on my face as I tore open the packet sleeve. In bold words on letter:

Mr. Harry Edward Styles, we are pleased to inform you of your acceptance into our music studies program. Spaces are limited. Please respond with your decision no later than July 15th.

I got in and I was thrilled until it hit me. If I chose Nottingham, that meant Niall wouldn't just be a summer tourist I once knew. He could be a classmate, a potential roommate, a friend for more than a summer...which means I would have to face my feelings sooner or later.

A/N: How do you think Harry is going to handle his growing feelings? Does Niall have them too? Let me know what you guys think in the comments down below! x