Harry
I woke up to the sun streaming onto my face and a weight on my chest. Blinking in the sunlight, I looked down to see long jet black hair splayed across my chest and blankets.
Shit.
“Boungiorno,” Nicola hummed, rolling over and resting her chin on my bare chest.
“Good morning,” I smiled.
Last night after everyone dispersed at the bonfire I had followed Nicola up to her room. We hadn’t had sex, but we had come close. I looked down as her plump lips formed a pout and she knitted her eyebrows in a frown.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Huh? Oh. Nothing.”
But Nicola didn’t look convinced. “I’m glad you decided to spend the night.”
“Me too.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to my body, breathing in her sweet sent of her coconut shampoo.
She broke into a smile and kissed my chest lightly before pushing her body up to meet mine. Kisses lead her movements and within seconds she was straddling my waist. Before I knew it Nicola’s lips were on mine and we were engaging in a morning make out session.
“Harry,” Nicola breathed, breaking the kiss and resting her forehead on mine. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did,” I smiled. “But go ahead and ask another one.”
“Why won’t you make love to me?”
The shear bluntness of the question threw me off and for a moment I seemed brain dead. How was I supposed to answer that?
“I-I just…” I sputtered, searching for words I didn’t have. “I’m just not ready is all.”
“So much for the man whore they make you out to be,” Nicola teased, but I could see the disappointment in her eyes.
I took her chin and gave her a gentle and, what I hoped to be, meaningful kiss. I was attracted to Nicola, both her body and her personality. But there was something holding me back and it was obvious she sensed that too.
Without warning her lips were on mine once more. I instinctively let out a moan when she tangled her fingers through my hair and grinded her hips into mine. God damn she was relentless. Her kisses traveled down my neck giving me a moment to catch my breath.
“Let me take the pain away,” She whispered, sucking gently on my ear.
Before I could so much as process what she had said her lips were back on mine, kissing me desperately. If I didn’t stop her soon I knew I wouldn’t be able to.
“Ni-Nicola.” I cupped her face in my hands and broke the kiss. “Nicola wait.”
She sat up, sagging her shoulders in disappointment. I took her hands in mine and gave them a gentle squeeze. How could I make her understand when I din’t even know where my feelings were at?
“I’m sorry. I just need time is all,” I whispered. “I know that’s a shitty reason but…I like you. I really do. In fact, I don’t think you realize how much. But I just can’t let myself go there…not yet anyway.”
Her dark brown eyes studied me closely before she leaned forward once more to give me a peck on the lips. “Well then Mr. Harry Styles…you just let me know when you’re ready and I’ll be waiting.”
After another kiss she settled back down being sure to lay her head on my chest once again. We lay there in silence for a moment before Nicola sat up abruptly, her brow furrowed in a frown.
“What time is it?”
“It’s…"I turned towards the nightstand in search of a clock. When I didn’t find one I reached for my phone instead. “Quarter to nine.”
“Merda!” she cursed.
Now it was my turn to frown as she jumped from the bed and began running about the room in search of something.
“Running late?” I mused, before stretching my stiff muscles.
“Yes.”
“For a very important date?"
“I’m supposed to give the girls make overs today remember?” She replied in her brisk Italian accent. It was attractive I must admit.
“Oh right,” I sighed, realizing that Nicola had completely missed my reference.
Nicola threw on a bra and panties before pulling on a bright yellow dress. I swear she had enough outfits to last an entire year without repeating once. As she turned to the mirror to brush her hair I grabbed my phone in search of entertainment.
“WAKE UP!”
Nicola and I both jumped in surprise as Millie, Layla, and Tilly threw open the door and ran into the room. I hardly had enough time to pull the covers over my naked body before the girls jumped onto the bed enthusiastically.
“Good morning!” Cried Millie, as she bounced up and down on the mattress.
“We’ve been waiting for ages to come wake you up,” Added Layla. “But Elaine said we had to wait until nine!”
I laughed at how, in her eyes, waiting until nine o’clock was downright tortuous. Nicola beamed as she pulled out every piece of make up she owned and set it out on the bed. I shifted uncomfortably and searched for a way to excuse myself to the bathroom to put on clothes. Thalia would skin me alive if Millie, Layla, and Tilly saw me naked.
“Why don’t you all do your make up on the patio?” I suggested. If they went outside then I might just be able to sneak unto the bathroom to ch-
“Don’t be stupid,” Nicola replied. “It’s too windy out there.”
She sent me a wink and before I barely had time to register that she was doing this on purpose before Millie interrupted my thoughts.
“Besides Harry,” Millie interjected. “You said you wanted a make over too!”
"Er, right...." I said, tucking the blanket around my body so the girls wouldn't see anything.
"Alright little ladies, lets get started!" Nicola said, clapping her hands in excitement. I rolled my eyes and turned to my phone as the girls began picking out colors.
I began humming a nonexistent tune as I first looked through Twitter then Instagram. I quickly browsed through my notifications and was about to exit the app when I saw it.
There, laid out in full color, was an image from us cliff jumping the other day. Nicola must have taken it when none of us were paying any attention. I stared at the screen in front of me in shock.
The image showcases Thalia's slim figure rather spectacularly, automatically drawing my eye to her. But she was looking at Marco who stood mere inches behind her. Louis and Niall were in the right hand corner opposite them laughing at their own private joke and trying to gain my attention. However to my horror, Thalia's figure had captured my attention just as much then as it had now for I was caught staring blatantly at her.
I instinctively clenched my phone, furious that Nicola would take and post such a picture. What on earth possessed her?
"Shit." I cursed, forgetting where I was. However I was quick to remember when Nicola slapped my arm warningly. I looked up to see Millie, Layla and Tilly watching me curiously. "Uh...I mean shoot."
"Everything alright?" Nicola asked as she went back to brushing some sort of powder on Millie's cheeks.
"Did you post this?" I asked, holding out the phone for her to see. Nicola added one more sweep to Millie's nose before leaning over and, upon recognizing the image, broke into a smile.
"Isn't it adorable?" She sighed. "They're so in lo-"
"No Nicola this is bad!" I cried, cutting her off. "Don't you realize how this looks?"
"How what looks?" Asked Tilly, tilting her head to the side.
"Stop being a dramatic queen Harry," Nicola said with an eye roll. "It's about time they went public."
"Who went public?" Cried Tilly.
"What does public mean?" Asked Millie?
"Harry's mad at me because I posed a picture of Thalia and Marco." Nicola snapped a case of blush shut before shooting me a quick glare. "He's over reacting."
"I am not."
"Yes you are. There's no way - red or pink?" Nicola asked Millie, holding up two tubes of lipstick. Millie pointed to the pink one and Nicola continued, "there's no way their relationship could have moved to the next step in their relationship without telling people they existed."
"What step?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Marriage of course."
I dropped both my phone and jaw as the three girls began screaming in excitement. My brain seemed to have stopped working as an image of Thalia in a white lace dress popped into my mind.
"Do you really think they'll get married?" Asked Layla.
"Probably not for a while," Nicola replied, calming Millie down enough to apply the last bit of lipstick.
With a heavier heart I watched Millie and Layla go back to the make up. I I couldn't help but feel a slight betrayal at the fact that they were actually excited for the possibility of Thalia marrying Marco. The room seemed hotter than before and, forgetting I was naked, I moved to get out of the bed. Nicola through me a glance and and smacked my leg under the sheets. I could have sworn I saw her break into a small smile at my misery. I didn't notice Tilly eyeing my actions as I returned to my phone in an attempt to distract myself from the sudden sadness.
"Do you think I'll get to be the flower girl?" Millie asked hopefully.
I gripped the sheets tighter as I scrolled mindlessly through my phone.
I had landed on the picture again and, after a quick glance and Thalia's sweet smile, clicked to view the comments. Anger replaced sadness as phrases like “Thalia's just trying to fuck with Harry’s head”, “never liked that whore” and “Fuck Thalia for teasing Harry like that!” could be seen. I dropped the phone in my lap and pressed my hands to my eyes until I saw stars. I wonder if Thalia had seen yet. After stalking her on social media for the past month it was evident she wanted to keep her and Marco’s relationship private. Not one picture of them could be found - which is why I didn’t know she was seeing anyone until I ran into her in person.
“I’m sorry Harry I upset you,” Nicola said, breaking into my thoughts. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“The fans are calling her names,” I replied through gritted teeth. “This will ruin her-“
"There you all are!"
We all turned to see Mackenzie and Thalia herself walk in, frowning as they saw us seated on the bed.
"We've been looking all over for you guys!" Cried Mackenzie. "What are you up to?"
"Look! Nicola made us beautiful!" Cried Layla, batting her new fake eyelashes.
"You were always beautiful love!" Thalia laughed before tapping Layla gently on the nose. "She only enhanced what was already there!"
My heart had seemed to stop beating the second Thalia walked into the room. Her hair had been pulled back in a very loose and messy braid which left loose strands falling around her face and shoulders. And I struggled to keep my composer as I admired the baby blue dress that seemed to flow like silk over her body as she moved.
"Harry?" Millie asked, breaking through my thoughts as she trotted across the bed and sat down on my lap. I quickly tucked the covers in once more before looking back at Millie. "Do I look like a princess yet?"
"You've always looked like a princess," I replied with a frown.
“But princesses wear make up and have crowns and big fluffy dresses," replied Millie.
"Says who?"
"Well we can fix that," Nicola smiled. "Once I've finished Tilly's make up we'll go back into your room where I have big dresses and sparkly tiaras!"
Millie and Lyla let out more screams and they began jumping on the bed excitedly. I clutched at the sheets to keep them around my naked body. Thalia saw what I was doing and shot me a curious frown.
"What are you-"
“Nothing!"
I gave her a lopsided smile before pulling the covers closer to my body once more.
"Are you..." she whispered, her hazel eyes growing wide. "You're...oh my God."
Thalia looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or to yell. So she instead settled on a bemused smile while shaking her head at my ridiculousness.
"It's not may fault they came running in here," I said, cracking a smile as she stared at me. I would be lying if I said that those hazel eyes scanning my chest didn't turn me on.
I felt the bed sink on my other side and turned to see Nicola. "Are you getting hungry for some lunch soon?"
"I-yeah. Why don't I meet you all down there?" I replied.
Nicola gave me a smirk as she looked at my bare chest. "That's fine, I have to get the girls in their princess dresses anyway."
"Thalia, can you draw me like a princess after lunch?" Millie asked excitedly.
"Sure Mills."
"Thal?" I called. "Would you hold up a moment?"
Thalia turned back around slowly, a frown disrupting her smooth features. Mackenzie looked between the two of us before shooing Millie out after Nicola and the others.
"What's up?" Thalia asked tentatively.
"Have you been-"
"OH MY GOD!" Thalia screamed, covering her eyes as I threw the sheets off my naked body. "Harry what the fuck!"
"Oh come on," I chuckled. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."
"But I doubt it's something Marco or Nicola would want me seeing now," she argued. I let out another laugh at her standing there with her hand over her eyes.
“Alright, alright. I’m going into the bathroom. I just wanted to know if you had been on Instagram today?”
“I don’t have service up here,” Thalia replied. “Why?”
I cursed under my breath as I slipped my jeans on. I came back out to the bedroom to find Thalia sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyebrow raised in suspicion.
“Here...you should probably see this.” I handed her my phone. “I didn’t know Nicola had taken it.”
Thalia stared at the image for a while before looking up at me, her face unreadable. She let out a sigh and bit her lip before turning to the photo once more. I watched her movements as I buttoned up my shirt.
“Well this wasn’t exactly how I wanted people finding out,” she said slowly. “They think I fucked you over don’t they?”
“I think that’s the general consensus,” I nodded slowly, running a hand through my hair.
“Well it could be worse.”
“Worse? Thalia, people think that you…that you’re…”
“That I’m what?” she asked sharply. “A whore because I have a new boyfriend a year after we broke up? Or a cold hearted bitch because I’m throwing it in your face?”
“Thalia…”
“We can’t control what they think Harry,” Thalia went on. “And honestly I don’t care.”
“But they’re turning you into someone your not!”
“And how does that impact me?” She shrugged and I was appalled she was taking this so lightly. She crossed her legs and looked me in the eye. “It doesn’t. It’s not going to stop me from drawing, it’s not going to stop me from going places…no offense Harry but teenage girls and gossip columns are the only one's who are going to care about it and they have nothing to do with my life."
“I just don’t want people thinking you’re some evil witch when you’re not,” I replied with a sigh. She folded her arms in front of her chest and I knew that was the end of it. I ran a hand through my hair and added, “I’m glad it doesn’t bother you though.”
Thalia watched me almost pityingly. “And promise you won’t let it bother you too?”
I shot her a look in response.
“At least promise to try an not let it?” She pressed, leaning forward on the bed. I nodded, knowing full well we both didn’t expect me to do anything of the sort. And, for the briefest moment, it felt as if we were back at my flat having one of our many conversations about the medias newest headline on our relationship. It was the same conversation only this time so much more has changed. Thalia looked back down at the image and frowned, “I’m sorry that she did this to you.”
“What?” I asked, caught off guard by her response.
“Nicola,” Thalia replied. “She shouldn’t have put you in this position.”
“What do you mean?”
Thalia raised her eyebrows at me in surprise. She then tilted her head to the side, as if choosing her next words carefully. “I just think it’s odd that she decided to post this particular picture. The one where I look like a skank and you look…”
My chest constricted as Thalia broke off. “And I look like a pathetic loser for admiring my ex girlfriend?”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
“But it’s what you were thinking, isn’t it?”
“No,” she lied.
“Well I wasn’t admiring you,” I said stubbornly as I admired the way she rolled her eyes and broke into a small laugh. It was music to my ears.
“No, of course not,” She chuckled. “You were just admiring the lovely oceanic view right?”
“Yep. I had thought I saw a dolphin.”
“There aren’t any dolphins there there Harry.”
“I said thought."
Thalia broke into another laugh as the door opened. I quickly wiped the smile off my face as an extremely annoyed Nicola walked in.
“What’s taking you two so long?” Nicola asked, crossing her arms and looking suspiciously between Thalia and I. “Everyone’s waiting for you downstairs.”
“Harry was just showing me the picture you posted,” Thalia said, breaking in a terrifyingly honest smile. I would never understand her power over her emotions. “I was wondering if you had any more pictures of Marco and I? I always forget to take photos after the fact.”
Nicola broke into an equally as terrifying smile, though hers kept a hint of the sneer she had worn before. “Of course! I think I took some good ones. I can send them to Marco.”
“Perfect.” Thalia rose from her seat on the bed and headed to the door. "Let's get down to lunch then, I'm starving!"
I tensed as she neared Nicola. Both had agreed to set aside their differences the other night, but knowing the pair I highly doubted they would ever completely forgive one another. Thalia was a harsh judge of character and did not appreciate being verbally attacked by strangers, even if that stranger happened to be her boyfriends sister. She had also made it clear today that she doesn't like the games Nicola plays, like how she was using the media to her advantage over us. Nicola however, seemed to have issue with anyone who dared interfere with her plans. Her angry green monster was ruthless and undermining. Between Thalia and Nicola's similarities and differences there was no question whether another confrontation was going to take place between them, it was just a matter of when.

Notes

Here's another chapter for you lovelies! Bare with me because things are about to get very interesting....

Harry's obviously still in love with Thalia, but how do you think Thalia is handling things?
How do you think Nicola will react to this new friendship between the two exes?