Never Is A Promise

I climbed into the drivers seat of my Camaro and smiled dropping the convertible top down. I drove out and parked on the side of the road in a higher class area closing up my top and locking the doors to the car as Aly and I took off to go find food for lunch first. We ended up with smoothies while walking down the street. “So I heard your parents are moving back to Holmes Chapel.” Aly said as we walked into a shop as a few boys cat called at us.

“Yeah they are, within a week of us returning from tour so I can get the rest of my stuff, and switch addresses and all that fun stuff, cause right now all my stuff is just being sent to the office until we can rent a PO box.” I said Aly laughed nodding since she was in the same boat.

“Oh that’s cute,” Aly exclaimed jumping over me to point at a light blue dress with a dropped hemline. She walked over and grabbed it not even bothering to try it on or check the size. She walked up to the counter and paid for it as I browsed the store the store was aimed
toward a vintage chic style I liked a lot of the stuff but nothing screamed ‘must have’ to me.

We proceeded to shop our way through the streets of Venice buying more clothes then we needed as always. “Wanna head back, I want some sun and pool time” I said, Aly nodded as we turned around heading back toward the car.

We got back to where we thought the car was and it wasn’t there. “Mick what street did we park on?” Aly asked looking around.

“I swear it was this one.” I said but since a lot of the streets looked the same we could have been a block from the car or twenty. When I looked back Aly was seated on the ground hyperventilating. She had issues with being lost, she had gotten lost in the woods as a child and hadn’t been found for a few days. She never spoke about what happened while she was lost but whatever had happened still effected her 10 years later. I crouched down next to her waving a hand in front of her slowly “Aly.” I got her attention as she looked up at me with big eyes, “I have a GPS in the car that I can look up with my phone.” I pulled out my phone hitting the app that I’d installed before we left on tour.

“Really?” I showed her the app as it found the car and where we were in comparison, 3 blocks away. “Oh Thank God.” Aly said leaping up and hugging me.

We got back to the hotel and texted the boys that we’d be over at the pool, I set down my stuff and pulled out my headphones to listen to my music and to catch up on some of my University lectures since I was taking my classes online while we we’re on tour. I pulled out my notebook to take notes on my class as the others came down to the pool. Aly had immediately hopped into the pool the others joining her. Paul also walked down to join the fun. I smiled laughing as they horsed around, Liam and Zayn attempting to throw Paul in the water but he ended up tossing both of them in instead. I turned back to my work not noticing when a few minutes later Harry had left the water and toweled off a bit. Harry pulled a chair up next to me and laid down on it diagonally so he took up his chair and part of mine.
I jumped as his wet hair rested on my stomach. I grimaced looking at the jagged pen line I’d drawn when I’d jumped. I looked down at him running a hand threw his wet hair once before returning to my work. I listened to the rest of my lecture on international communication, before setting my work aside and looking down at Harry who was watching the others in the pool while drawing random designs absent mindedly on my thigh.

I moved my hip up bumping it into him, he turned to look up at me “Want to go join?” I asked threading my fingers though his damp hair.

“Sure, want to go get dinner tonight?” Harry asked turning to look up at me he added “Just the two of us?” I nodded as he smiled getting up and pulling me toward the water.

We splashed around with the boys for a few hours, floating around talking playing chicken, marco polo and other games that we had used to play when we were younger.

Harry wrapped his arms around me before pulling me under the water with him spinning me around to face him kissing me under the water quickly before we re-surfaced. “So I’ll pick you up at 7, its not going to be anything fancy, so you don’t have to dress up too much.”

“What if I just don’t get dressed at all?” I asked smirking up at him.

I smiled as his eyes widened and he visibly gulped before regaining composure and replying “Then I’ll just have to make you?” he smirked a little with his answer.

“And how are you going to do that?” I asked. I saw Liam and Louis glaring at me I knew it was time to stop flirting with Harry. I didn’t wait for an answer I just giggled and swam off as he shook his head. I grabbed a towel watching Louis do the same waving Liam back into the water.

We walked in silence until we got inside and out of ear shot, and even then Louis was quiet and careful of his volume, but his emotion wasn’t lost in the lowered tone of voice. “Mick, what the hell, you can’t do this to him.” Louis hissed. I opened my mouth but Louis held up a hand. “Him or Darren, as Mick or MJ I don’t care but don’t lead him on, you need to choose and you need to stick with who you say you are.” Louis said pressing the floor number for the elevator. “Niall and Zayn are even starting to notice you know Harry better than any of us know him.” Louis said resting his head back on the elevator wall as it slowly climbed to our floor.

“I know, but its not my choice, if it was I’d choose Harry in an instant but I can’t and if I could tell him without it hurting him I would, but it will hurt him.” I said looking down as we stepped off the lift walking toward our rooms.

“Wait how is this not your choice?” Louis asked my eyes widened as I felt his gaze narrow at me, I wasn’t going to get out of this one.

“Simon set me up with Darren so I wouldn’t go out with Harry while he doesn’t know that I’m Mickole, if I tell Harry I can dump Darren, but I don’t want to hurt Harry so I’m staying with Darren. It was one of those ‘you’re doing this or you’re losing your job’ type things.” I said Louis sat there shocked “It was my choice Lou, I could have just told Harry or not taken this job, it wasn’t just Simon, he was just looking out for Harry.” I added quickly.

Louis grimaced but nodded. I turned to open my room as Louis spoke again “I know you love him Mick, just be careful, I don’t want either of you hurt.” I nodded before walking into my room.

I pulled together a cute outfit after I had showered and got ready for a casual night out. I waited in the room watching tv with Aly as she finished a paper for a class we shared. “Micks what did you say about Marketing to older crowds?”

“I talked about parents with kids are fans, as well as the older group of fans (not teens) and how they differ and how to market the good boy image to parents without losing the ‘sex-god’ appearance for the older fan base.” I said switching the tv to the Simpsons.

“I like it, I’ll just pick the older fan base and closet fans and how to market them without losing them or over marketing.” Aly said moving to start typing again.

“Nice pick.” I laughed. She looked up to smile at me. I glanced at the clock it was 7:10.

“He’ll be here soon, Mick, don’t worry about it.” Aly said stopping my thoughts before they started. I nodded turning back to the TV.

It was another ten minutes until Harry knocked on the door. I opened it and immediately found myself in a hug “Sorry, I had to get everything set up.” Harry said kissing my forehead.

I nodded “I figured it was something along those lines, standing up your Head PR person on a date wouldn’t be the smartest move.” I said grinning at him covering up the fact that I had really been freaking out.

“You always bring up the work thing” Harry groaned, “It makes me feel guilty for liking you and taking you out.”

“It makes it easier for us to go out, we can always write it off as a work date. And we aren’t to fancy so its believable.” I said nuzzling my head into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me stroking my hair as we climbing into the lift, Harry pressing the lowest level in the parking garage. He led us over to a regular sized car with tinted windows, nothing flashy just a regular car like Aly’s. He opened my door helping me in before going around to get in the drivers side. We just talked about whatever happened to be on our minds as Harry drove to the coast a few miles away, to a restaurant with private beach access that would be closed now that it was after dark. I almost wished it wasn’t though as I looked out since the moon was rising up over the water.

We walked up to the hostess Harry told her we had a reservation under the name “Riley” I laughed as he smirked down at me kissing my hair. We sat down, at the table facing away from the restaurant and out toward the sea. I had only been out to eat a few times recently and all had been with Darren, and by now I was used to him ordering for me. It was always a struggle to stay on his good side and be his idea of a ‘good girlfriend’, it had started to affect me even when I wasn’t with him. I sat quietly at the table listening to Harry, not adding any comments, just listening. Harry finally stopped midsentence I looked up at him raising an eyebrow, “MJ you’re so quiet.” He said moving so he could face me better, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing” I shook my head, “Just listening to you” I said touching my shoulder absent mindedly.

Harry’s eyes narrowed but he let it drop as the waitress showed up. “Alright” he said turning to the waitress.

“Hi, my name is Nicky“ she said, I watched Harry closely at the name, he didn’t even flinch as the closeness of it to my name like he normally did, I sighed to myself and bittersweet smile crossing my face. “I’ll be your server tonight can I get anything started for you?” she asked.

“Just water please,” Harry said, turning to look at me.

I jumped remembering that I wasn’t with Darren “S-same” I stuttered out, looking up at the server realizing just how gorgeous she was, tan skin, long black hair, bright blue eyes skinny and tall.

I sighed turning to look at the sea, ignoring her farewell and flirting with Harry. “Well that was awkward” Harry laughed pulling me closer so my head landed on his chest his arm wrapping around my shoulders. I hummed in response. “MJ what’s wrong, you’re never quiet and I’ve never heard you stutter or be caught off guard.”

I shrugged “Darren normally orders when we go out so it’s been a while since I’ve dealt with a waitress, let alone a waitress that looks like that.”

“Like what?” Harry asked, “Like a plastic Barbie doll with too much makeup and dyed hair?” he laughed smirking down at me.

I laughed shoving against him gently, “Only you would notice that.. and you know what I meant”

He smiled “I do but that doesn’t change that I’m here with you not her.” I nodded as he grabbed a menu, thanking the waitress as she placed the water and bread appetizers on the table. I looked over the menu trying to find something that didn’t make my stomach turn as I read about it, while Harry ordered. It looked like I was stuck with salad and a light soup. I ordered the soup and salad, smiling up at the waitress. She smiled tightly back as she wrote the order down and walked off. “Soup and salad?” he asked I shrugged as he continued, “from the girl that beat Niall in an eating contest?”

I shrugged again “I’m just not feeling that hungry?” I asked, he bit his lip looking down at me and shook his head a bit, tightening his grip around me.

I nuzzled into his chest feeling the warmth of his arms as they held me. “So MJ how’s Darren?” Harry asked trying to be nice even as he spit out the name.

“Same as Darren always is.” I laughed it was true; he never hid who he was around me unless we were with someone he wanted to impress. Then he was the ideally perfect boyfriend, not his normal condescending, mean, arrogant, controlling, abusive, judgmental self. “He likes things his way and he’s not afraid to stand up for what he wants and fight until he gets it.” I said.

Harry grimaced and nodded thoughtfully, “so he’s an asshole.”

I laughed as the bluntness of the comment. “Yeah, he is.”

Notes

These chapters are more and the filler -ish side but they are still important for at least the character sides of things.

Let me know what you think!!!