Rescue Me [H.S.]

6. The New Girl

Harry’s POV

As we’re driving to the airport, all of us boys, I decide that now is the time to tell them what I’m planning to do. They’ve met Victoria once, Niall twice, and I must admit, she is much better at acting than me. She acts all happy and normal around them, but when she thinks no one’s looking at her, she gets a distant look in her eyes. The look where it’s so obvious for me to see that she is thinking about something so painful.

“Well… I think I’m gonna bring along Victoria to Paris,” I say casually.

They all freeze; Niall stops messing up Zayn’s hair, Zayn stops laughing and screaming, Liam looks at me weirdly, and Louis looks at me with a cheeky smile.

“Can’t you just find another girl in Paris?” Zayn says with a sigh while he and Liam exchange looks. Niall is quiet; Liam told me that he kinda likes Victoria, even though he doesn’t know her at all.

“I don’t like her in a romantic way at all,” I add while looking at Louis, who doesn’t believe me at all.“I just think it would be… fun... For all of us,” I say while looking at Niall. I need his help.

“If you really want to, then I don’t see why not,” Niall says and shrugs. He is trying too hard to pretend he doesn’t care.

"But, our manager doesn't allow us to bring our girlfriends," Liam interjects with an innocent look on his smug face. I know that my next comment won't make me popular among him and Zayn, but if I've learned anything the last few years it is that it's impossible to satisfy everyone.

"But she's not my girlfriend, not like Perrie or Sophia, she's just a friend."

* * *

Victoria and I are on the top of the Eiffel tower, the wind is playing with our hair and laughter and smiles can be found on all the faces around us - including Victoria's. She must be able to see the beauty from here, I think to myself.

“I thought about taking you to Louvre. You know, your brilliant mind would probably want that, but…” I say, not ending the sentence but thinking; but we can do whatever you like.

“We could also grab some food and meet up with the boys,” she suggests, and I don’t know if I like that idea. Why does she wanna meet up with the other boys?

Does she like Niall? I don’t think so, because she flinches, when he hugs her. Well… Actually, she flinches when anyone even touches her. Except for me, I think, which causes me to smile.

“Sure, if you want that,” I say and put my arm around her shoulders.

* * *

“And thank you to One Direction for their performance,” the host says with a huge, fake smile.

That’s our keywords – we can go now. Niall is already backstage, talking to Victoria. I can see and hear her laugh, and I am just about to join them, when a woman stops me. I’m just about to walk past her, when I notice she is quite attractive.

“Hi, just wanted to say you were great out there. I’m Lisa, by the way,” she says and smiles at me.

Her dress is very low-cut and short, I notice.

“I’m Harry, but you probably know that,” I say with a smile, that’s all it takes before I know she is completely mine.

“There’s a party not far from here,” she states, stepping a bit closer to me. “And a hotel,” she adds. I’m just about to nod, when I look at Victoria.

Niall’s gone, and Victoria looks so lonely over there.

“Uh, I wonder who let her in,” Lisa says, after following my eyes, and looks directly at Victoria.

“What do you mean?” I ask, stepping away from Lisa.

“Have you seen her clothes?” she giggles, while shaking her head. Victoria is wearing an old grey t-shirt, converse and some black jeans with holes. Her long, brown hair is in a clumsy ponytail and she isn’t wearing any make-up.

“It’s not only her clothes.. It’s more like.. Everything about her appearance. It’s like she doesn’t even care about how she looks. Am I right?” she adds, while laughing.

“Well.. You two look very different,” I start, letting Lisa think it’s a compliment, before ending my sentence: “..you need make-up to look attractive, she doesn't.” 

* * *

“Knock, knock,” I loudly say, and I enter Victoria’s room before she can answer.

We share hotel room, but management made sure we got a suite, so we each got a bedroom – they want me to be with Taylor or just any other girl than Victoria. She is lying on top of the sheets in an oversize t-shirt, one of mine, and a pair of shorts, reading a book.

“Are there any good movies?” I ask while grabbing the remote and lying down on the bed next to her.

“Probably,” she mumbles and I see her turn the next page.

“Don’t make me take your book.”

She shakes her head, sighs heavily, before saying, still not looking up: “Have anyone ever told you that you are very demanding?”

“Nope, why would anyone tell me that?”

She rolls her eyes, but I’ve done it; she closes her book and looks at the screen. “Well, are there any good movies?”