Secrets / Black & White / Playing for Keeps

Lara left a sleeping Harry behind and rushed back to Ben’s apartment hoping he was still asleep and that he had not discovered her missing. She tiptoed inside and was relieved to see Ben’s bedroom door closed which usually meant he was still asleep. She was so busy congratulating herself for making it back in time that she almost didn’t hear her phone ringing. She answered the call to hear Harry’s voice.

“Where are you?” He asked sounding almost childlike.

“I thought I’d get away early so Ben doesn’t realise I’m gone.”

“Well I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“And?” She wasn’t sure why he sounded so down.

“Why do you even care what he thinks?”

“Er, aren’t we supposed to be a secret?” She asked.

“It’s only Ben.”

“Yeah and Ben would be the first to run to Julian if he knew.”

Harry fell silent for a few moments, and Lara began to think he was being impossible just for the sake of it.

“Anyway, what makes you think he didn’t sneak into your bedroom last night to check up on you?” He persisted.

“I had no missed calls… so I guess that answers that.”

Another awkward silence followed before Harry spoke.

“Okay, I’ll speak to you later then.”

He hung up without waiting for her answer.

She heard Ben’s doorknob turn but had no time to make a quick escape.

“Good morning.” He said not hiding his surprise. “You’re awake early.”

He wore nothing except for a pair of pyjama pants, and Lara found herself not knowing where to look.

“You’re usually asleep at this time.” He said when she didn’t respond.

“This is what an early night and a good night’s sleep does.” She said with a smile and he nodded in agreement.

“You’re not wrong there.” He said heading toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll make you some breakfast.”

He grabbed a T-shirt from the couch and smirked at a relieved Lara, before slipping it on. She didn’t know why she was reacting this way, but after all that had happened between them she still found him slightly confronting. The feelings she had for him had developed into a strange mix of wariness and affection that sometimes left her stomach in knots.
She watched as he popped the bread into the toaster. He was good looking in a clean cut way that was so different to Harry, with his kind brown eyes and easy smile. And it was hard to not be flattered by his interest in her.

“Are you okay?” He suddenly asked.

She nodded and he gave her an understanding smile which puzzled her even further.

*******************************************

Later that night she was back in Harry’s bed, huddling under the covers.

“I’m cold.” She whispered, and he wrapped his entire body around her, planting hard and loud kisses on her cheek. She squirmed until she broke free from his suffocating embrace for him to roll over and stare up at the ceiling.

“Next week’s gonna be hard.” Harry said. “They’ve got me booked out every night.”

Lara studied his sad face and felt a wave of pity for him. He turned his face to look at her,

“You’ll still come over, won’t you?” He asked. “You’ll wait for me to come home? I don’t want to sleep alone.”

His eyes looked wide and hopeful; it was a side of himself that he rarely showed, and Lara found herself nodding. She traced her finger over his cheek and she couldn’t help but pout slightly.

“You’ll have Paige.”

“Paige?” He said almost dismissively. “Paige who?”

They laughed quietly and she tried not to think of the impending threat of a beautiful girl taking her place. She felt his hand reach out to pinch her in late retaliation for her remark, and she jumped at the sensation before his hand caressed the same spot as if to soothe the burn. They lay in silence for a while before Lara finally spoke.

“I think I’d better go.” She said.

“What? Back to your partner in crime?”

They laughed again, and Lara remembered how she had told Harry that Ben had called her that day when she had moved back in with him.

“Isn’t it fun knowing that we’re hiding this from them and they have no fucking clue?” Harry asked. Lara shrugged, not knowing if ‘fun’ was a good way to describe their situation.

“I mean, sometimes they think they know all there is to know about me…” Harry trailed off.

“I should still go.” Lara said. Harry wrapped his arms around her and tightened his grip.

“You can go, if you can manage to get away from me.” His low voice murmured in her ear.

She squirmed beneath his all-encompassing embrace, but found it impossible to move. He pinned her to the bed and looked down at her face before playfully licking her nose.

“I thought you were going.” He said amused. Lara tried to move her legs, but he had firmly placed his knee between them until she could hardly budge. He softly chuckled to himself before he grabbed her hands and placed them above her head, effectively imprisoning her in his grasp. She lay there looking up at him, noticing his face was suddenly solemn. She tried to decipher his thoughts, wondering what was going through his mind. It reminded her of when they first met, when he would be smiling one moment, and then brooding five minutes later.

“What are you thinking?” She asked him.

“I’m thinking…” The smile was back and he dipped his head to kiss the corner of her mouth.

“No,” She turned her head to the side. “I mean, what are you really thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that… I just want you to stay with me.” The childlike look was back on his face and once he loosened his grip, Lara relaxed into his embrace.

****************************************

Is Harry Styles Single Again?

Fans can now breathe a sigh of relief: Harry Styles is officially back on the market!
Or is he?
Rumours are flying around that Harry Styles has officially broken up with his girlfriend Lara.
Sources say the two had been at odds over how public the relationship was to be. While Harry was happy to flaunt his love, from London, New York to LA, private university student Lara preferred to stay out of the limelight.
Our insider has confirmed that the couple have taken a break, with Lara secretly moving out of his apartment weeks earlier.

Lara didn’t know why she felt compelled to check for new stories, but in a strange way they dictated what was happening in her life, whether they were true or not. It was six o’clock in the morning and she was relieved that Harry had woken up before she did, because it meant she could leave without upsetting him. Her phone beeped, and she checked her inbox.
Where are you?

It was Ben.

Lara swallowed nervously. She was standing right in front of their apartment building wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She had done the same thing only a day before, but Ben hadn’t paid much attention- she wasn’t sure if she could convincingly explain her way out of this one. She reluctantly took out her key and entered the apartment to find Ben reading the newspaper.

“I just sent you a message.” He said.

“I know.” Lara said lightly. “I just popped out for a walk.”

She turned to walk into her bedroom, ignoring the doubtful look on his face.

“Hope you’re not doing what I think you’re doing.” He called out after her as she closed the door. The phone beeped again and she saw a message from Harry light it up.
Hope you got home okay. Thanks for staying the night.

Lara was aware that she was playing with fire and sooner or later she was going to get burnt. It didn’t stop her heart from fluttering as she texted back.I’m free again tonight too ;)

Notes

Soo anyone still reading? :)