Down to Earth
Keep on falling when I know it hurts
Going faster than a million miles an hour
Trying to catch my breath some way, somehow
‘Infinity’ – One Direction

Seven weeks later

While performing on stage was a distraction for Harry, working at the bakery finally became a distraction for Bella. She maintained a kind personality and a good attitude while serving customers. She and Harry hadn’t texted for over a week because on the 25th of March, it was revealed that Zayn Malik had left One Direction.

The story made headlines all over the world and everyone knew about it. Bella didn’t know why he quit but as a fan, she was a little upset. His high notes had always been amazing and when she saw him in Sydney, he seemed fine. But was that all a façade? Bella knew the other four boys were all trying to cope with losing Zayn but they had decided to keeping on touring as a foursome, which she admired. They didn’t break up because Zayn left. They wouldn’t let all their fans down. She thought. Bella went to sleep every night, hoping that the members were OK, especially Harry. She couldn’t imagine how he was feeling. She was a little sad that he hadn’t responded to her texts but on the other hand, she understood he needed time.

On the night of the 4th of April, Bella lay on her bed on her stomach after a nine-hour shift at work. She rested her chin on her pillow and stared at her phone, randomly scanning through her Facebook newsfeed. Only a couple of her friends knew about her encounter with Harry because she didn’t want it to get out. The two friends were people she trusted with her life. She knew they wouldn’t say anything and Bella was grateful for keeping it to themselves. It was when she was on her phone that she got a text. Curious, she got off Facebook and went into her messages. Her eyes widened.

Harry.

Bella wasted no time in opening the text to read it.

From Harry: Can I call you?

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the four words on the screen. They had never talked to each other on the phone. They only communicated through the occasional text. Bella sucked on her bottom lip as she sat up, crossing her legs, placing her pillow in her lap. She didn’t want to keep him waiting so she sent him a reply.

To Harry: Sure

Less than 10 seconds after her text, her ringtone, which was the Game of Thrones title music, exploded and Harry’s name flashed on the screen. She tapped the green Accept button and raised her phone to her ear.

“Hi.”

Hey, Bella.

She hadn’t heard his voice since their unexpected meeting. Even over the phone, his accent made her heart skip a beat. Bella had never been affected in such a way by a man’s voice before. Not even Jacob’s. Harry’s English dialect made her skin shiver and a small smile ghosted over her lips when he said her name.

“How are you?” She asked. She knew it was a stupid question but it was the only phrase she thought of to start their conversation.

I’m alright. Just trying to concentrate on the tour.

Bella could tell that he was still trying to get what had happened with Zayn. She could hear it in his voice. Bella wanted nothing more than to give him a hug, a really tight one. It broke her heart to know that Harry was so upset. He was probably close to Zayn. They were like brothers.

“I’m sorry about…you know…” Bella bit her lip, unsure if she should continue.

Thank you. I try and do my best for the fans, you know.

“Of course. Sorry if I’m making you feel awkward.”

No, no, you’re not. It’s good to hear your voice.

Bella’s fingers constricted around her phone at what Harry said. She was glad he couldn’t see her face because her cheeks flushed a deep pink. I’m sure your voice does more things to me that mine does to yours, Harry. Wait! What are you doing, Bella? Stop thinking about him in a sexual way. Of course she was attracted to Harry physically but there was something about his personality that drew her to him. He was always so loving to his fans and had a grin on his face when he performed. There was an uncomfortable silence as Bella tried to figure out what to say.

“It’s good to hear your voice, too.”

God, that’s so cheesy…Why am I so gullible? She placed her hand against her forehead, rubbing her fingers along her skin.

“So, where are you now? What country?”

We’re in Dubai in the UAE. The lads and I are about to go to the stadium to get ready.

“Is it hot there?”

In the sun, yes. But it’s beautiful as well.

“I imagine it is. My parents went before I was born.”

I highly recommend taking a holiday here. I don’t have that luxury, too busy with the tour.

Bella realised he was so far away. She wanted to see his face, see his bright smile and green eyes. She wanted to hear his voice as they talked face-to-face. No, I can’t be falling for him! I’ve only seen him in the flesh twice. But her heart told her something different. Bella was falling for Harry Styles and there was nothing she could do to stop what she was feeling.

“How is the tour, by the way?”

It’s very different without…Zayn. But I’m enjoying myself and so are the lads. We are tired though. Which reminds me, tonight is our last show because we’re having a break for about two months.

He’s having a break? What is he suggesting? Bella pressed her fingers against her lips as she contemplated the information she had just been given. She knew Harry was waiting for her to respond and she could hear him breathing on the other end of the line.

“Really? I guess you guys need to rest for a bit.” Bella said calmly but her heart was not calm. It beated fast and she was pleased that this time, Harry wasn’t standing in front of her. She longed to see him but not with the way she looked right now. Hair in a messy side bun and casual clothes she wore around the apartment.

And, well, the break does provide us with the opportunity to see each other. If you want to.

Bella thought she had imagined what Harry said. Her body had frozen and for a moment, she stopped breathing. Is he suggesting what I think he is suggesting? Bella wanted nothing more than to see Harry again but he was Dubai and she was still in her home in Newtown. How would we see each other? His perfect English voice brought her out of her thoughts.

I understand if you don’t want to. It was just a suggestion…

“No, Harry! I…would love to see you but…how?”

Well, I planned to go back to my hometown in Cheshire but I could come to Sydney or you could come with me to Holmes Chapel.

It was too much information for Bella to handle. Either way, she was going to see Harry and he wanted to see her. I can’t go to England! I don’t have the money! What about my family? They won’t let me go. But she didn’t want to force Harry to come to Sydney. There would be pandemonium and she would get caught up in it. Bella had never received an offer as generous as Harry’s. She played with the edge of her pillowcase as she responded.

“Um, I’m not sure. What would you prefer?”

I’m asking you.

“Well, I don’t a lot of…money to fly over to London, you know. But…I don’t want that to be the reason for you to come here to Sydney. So, I don’t know…”

Have you ever been to London?

“No, I’ve never been out of Australia.”

Seriously?

Harry sounded shocked. Bella could imagine his face, his green eyes wide and his eyebrows raised in surprise. She would nod but remembered that Harry couldn’t see her.

“Yeah.”

You should definitely come and visit me then.

“I don’t have the money, Harry.”

I’ll pay.

“What?!”

Bella didn’t know how else to react. Harry was offering to pay for her to come to London. Why? We don’t even know each other that well. Bella got off her bed and went over to her bedroom door, locking it, keeping the phone to her ear. She couldn’t afford to have anyone come in and interrupt her conversation with Harry, especially her sister. Harry’s voice rang in her ear as she hopped back on her bed.

If you want to come to London, I’d be happy to pay for your travel.

“You’re not serious?”

Yes, I am. If I have to pay to see you, of course I will.

“But…I can’t ask you to do that.”

You’re not asking. I’m offering.

She couldn’t believe how bighearted Harry was. A lot of people thought that celebrities wasted their money and bragged about their wealth. That they were selfish and only spent money on themselves. But not Harry. He was so down-to-earth and kind. He definitely lived up to the expectations he had on him. Bella had only met him once and she already wished he was hers. But…I can’t just drop everything and go to London…What about my family and friends? Harry seemed to read her mind and soothed her with his deep voice.

I don’t expect to get an answer from you now. It’s just a suggestion. I understand you’ve got a family and a job. Just keep it in mind, OK?

“Uh, OK. I’ll talk to my mum. Can I let you know within the week?”

Of course. I’ve got to go now but I’ll talk to you soon.

“Sure, Harry. Have fun tonight.”

I will, Bella.

“Bye.”

And the line disconnected.

0*0

“So let me get this straight. Harry has offered to pay for you to go and visit him in London?”

Bella sat on the couch across from her mother the morning after her phone call with One Direction’s front man. Ashley was at school so it was just the two of them in the apartment. Bella hadn’t told her sister yet because she thought it’d be better to let her mother know first.

“Yes.”

“A high-profile celebrity who happens to be a member of One Direction wants you to go and see him?”

“Yes, Mum.”

“Well, he must really like you.”

Bella felt a slight blush cover her cheeks as she fiddled with her fingers. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep because she was still shocked about Harry’s offer. How many girls am I going to make jealous? How many girls would kill to be in my position? She was worried that she would get hate and negative thoughts. The media would pick at her and immediately assume she and Harry were dating if they were spotted together. Of course, Bella would love to date Harry but she knew he was way out of her league. He was Harry fucking Styles. He could choose to spend time with a gorgeous blonde model or a beautiful raven-haired actress but he wanted to spend time with Bella, an ordinary Australian girl who was nothing special. The question was why. Why me? That question made Bella stay awake for most of the night and when she finally slept, a pair of green eyes and a dimpled smile plagued her mind.

“Do you want to go?”

Bella looked at her mother, her expression confused.

“Pardon?”

“Do you want to go and see Harry?”

“Uh, yes, but…”

“But what?” Jo asked.

“You’re really OK with me leaving to fly over to a country I’ve never been to before and hang out with one of the biggest heartthrobs in the world right now? I’ve only met him once and that was an accident!”

“And he gave you his number. There must be a reason for that, darling.”

Bella licked her lips and sighed. Every time she scanned through her contacts, she stared at Harry’s name in shock. She would blink sometimes to make sure his number was actually in her phone. She had finally told her sister that she had Harry’s number and as expected, Ashley didn’t believe her at first. But when she saw that Bella was telling the truth, she screamed. Again. Bella had changed the code to get into her phone because she didn’t want Ashley to send a text to Harry. I will kill Ashley if that happened.

“I won’t stop you if you want to go. Harry’s offered to pay, right? He obviously wants to see you.” Jo said with a smile. Bella couldn’t believe her mother was so calm and chill. This wasn’t a small thing to consider. It was huge.

“I wonder what Dad’s going to say.”

“I’m sure he’ll say the same thing as me, darling.”

“So you’re sure? I can definitely go?” Bella asked. Jo nodded.

“Yes, you can. You’re over 18. You have the final say, not me.”

Bella got up from the couch and went over to pull her mother into a tight hug. She held onto her as tears filled her eyes.

“Thank you, Mum. Thank you.” She murmured into her mother’s shoulder. Jo rubbed her daughter’s back soothingly and chuckled. Bella couldn’t hold back the tears. She had a feeling she’d probably never see Harry for a long time, even though she had his number. She hadn’t expected to see him only two months after their encounter in a deserted alleyway in Sydney’s CBD. I can’t wait to tell Harry. Bella thought with a smile.

She broke the hug and her mother tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Bella wiped her eyes, her hazel irises shining.

“Ashley’s going to be so jealous.” She laughed.

0*0

Bella told her father about going to London to see Harry later the day and just as her mother had said, he agreed and told her to have fun, as it was her decision to go. She called her boss at work and told her if it was OK to take three weeks off. Fortunately, they had hired another worker just a few days before and they would give Bella’s shifts to them. She told her two closest friends and they also told her to have fun and possibly get Harry’s autograph for them if it was possible. Bella said she would try. The last person to tell was Harry.

He was still in Dubai and would leave that evening. Bella waited to call him because of the time difference, she was seven hours ahead. So when it was 6 o’clock (her time), she tapped her finger on his name and waited for him to answer. He picked up after four rings.

Bella.

Her knees became jelly when she heard his voice, her name rolling off his tongue beautifully. She sat down on the edge of her bed, one leg curled under her opposite thigh.

“Hey, Harry. I’ve got news.”

Yes?

Bella took a deep breath before answering with a huge smile. And this time, she wished Harry could see her face.

“I can come to London.”

That’s great! When can you come?

“Whenever you want me to.”

That statement seemed too forward to Bella but it just fell out of her mouth. She couldn’t do anything about it now. Thankfully, Harry didn’t see it that way and she could imagine him smiling as he spoke.

I’m officially on the break now so I’d love it if you came within the next couple of days. I’ve got about two months off and three weeks of that is going to be dedicated to planning more of the tour. I want to get to know you so we’ll need as much time as possible.

Bella couldn’t stop smiling. She had never been a huge Directioner (that was her sister) but she enjoyed their music and they sounded amazing live. She didn’t through her bra on stage or yell out “Larry” when Harry and Louis had some kind of interaction. What do the fans expect? That they’ll get turned on if there’s female clothing chucked at them? She didn’t like Harry just because of his music or his fame or his wealth. She liked him for the man he was. Even after just one unexpected meeting, she knew how sweet he was. How kind. Bella had never been attracted to a guy so quickly. Harry did something to her that no other boy had done before.

“That sounds…amazing, Harry. It really does. Wow…” She trailed off.

Are you OK?

God, he’s such a sweetheart just by saying that. Bella said in her head.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…so much to comprehend. This sort of thing doesn’t happen every day.”

I understand. I hope you’re not intimidated by any of this. I don’t want you to think I’m a selfish person who gambles their money away on unnecessary things.

“Harry! How can you say that? You’ve offered to pay for me to come over to visit you and you say you’re selfish? No, you’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Don’t ever think you’re selfish.”

Bella covered her mouth as soon as she finished talking. I didn’t mean to say that much…She cursed herself, her fingers running over the skin around her lips.

Thank you for saying that, Bella. I appreciate it.

“It’s the truth.”

There was a moment of silence in which Bella could hear Harry breathing. It sounded like he was smiling but she didn’t know for certain. To give him a compliment was like second nature to her. And what she said was exactly what she believed. When she asked him for a picture, he could’ve said no. But he said yes and took two instead of one. That’s complete proof of how sweet Harry was. She wondered if his sweetness would grow even more when they met again.

So, I’ll speak to our management and get everything arranged. How do you feel about flying out two days from now?

That’s the 8th. The earlier, the better. Bella thought.

“Yes, that sounds great.”

Fantastic. You’ll receive an express package tomorrow with everything you need. If my management agrees.

“I look forward to it.”

That’s it for now. I’ll see you when you arrive in London then.

“Yep. Bye, Harry.”

See you, Bella.

That was where their phone call ended. Bella collapsed back onto her bed, her hair pooling out around her head as she took a moment to realise what was happening. She folded her hands over her abdomen and grinned like an idiot. I’m actually going to London to spend time with Harry Styles. Harry fucking Styles. She was so excited. It was going to be her first time out of Australia so the trip would have a big personal meaning for her.

A knock on her door made her sit up.

“Yeah?”

“Dinner’s ready, darling.” Her mother’s voice informed.

“OK, coming.”

Bella heard the receding footsteps of her mother and rose to her feet. She moved her hair off of her forehead and unlocked her door, heading out to the dining table, ready to tell her little sister the extraordinary news.


What I imagine their apartment to look like:

Notes

Wow, over 900 views! Thank you so much! Next chapter, Harry and Bella will reunite. Any thoughts on what might happen?

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