Somebody Else's Arms

“Hailey!” She heard Harry yell through her apartment door right before he began pounding on it.

She was standing in her bedroom, hovering over her suitcase, wondering why in the hell she let herself get suckered into being Harry’s date for his friend’s wedding. It was really not a good idea. Especially because when she looked at Harry all she saw was like, magic or something. But then, when he looked at her, what did he get? A scared girl, too afraid to tell him how she really felt because the thought of being rejected by him outweighed the desire that she felt for him. And why was that? It was because Harry Styles scared the shit out of her.

“HAILEY! We have to go!” She heard him again.

She bit at her thumbnail, turning her head toward her open bedroom door. She could pretend she wasn’t home, couldn’t she? He’d be forced to go without her. Except he knew she was home. And to add to it, he had some sort of buddy-buddy relationship with their landlord. He’d probably call the guy and make him unlock her door for him. Harry was clever. She wasn’t about to outwit him. Not when it came to this.

Realizing that fleeing would be futile, Hailey zipped up her small suitcase and pulled it off the bed. She did promise him after all.

“I’m coming!” She shouted back at his incessant pounding and whining.

Whipping open the door, she saw Harry standing there eyeing her impatiently with his hands extended against her door frame wearing an electric blue palm tree shirt that would give Jimmy Buffet a run for his money.

“Christ, Hailey. Didn’t you hear me knocking?” He said as his lips curved up into a smirk.

“The entire complex heard you,” Hailey grumbled.

“Let’s go. The lads are waiting,” Harry told her, waving his hand through the air.

“The lads?” She asked as Harry took hold of her suitcase handle.

“Yeah. Lads… blokes… guys…” Harry explained to her and she rolled her eyes.

“I meant, ‘lads’ as in traveling companions you told me nothing about,” Hailey elaborate.

“It’s just Niall and some other mates,” Harry told her, sending her an odd look.

“So, we’re driving up with them?” She asked, feeling slightly shanghaied that she was forced to be the third, or fourth, or fifth wheel in this adventure.

“Yeah. But don’t worry. We get the back seat all to ourselves,” Harry told her, bobbing his eyebrows suggestively.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Hailey said, sounding half playful, half completely serious. The last thing she needed was for the lines to get blurred again. Harry let out a boisterous laugh.

“What? These hands?” Harry asked, wiggling them in her face.

“Those very hands,” she confirmed, smirking at him.

“Not me, Hailey!” He gasped dramatically.

“Mm-hmm,” she snickered as she locked her apartment door and followed him down the hallway to the elevator.

Niall and some other mates consisted of Niall and three other friends of Harry’s – Liam, Louis, and Josh. They were riding in an SUV for eight hours with four other guys? What even.

“Really, Harry?” Hailey questioned, eyeing him as Niall shoved their bags in the back with the others.

“What?” He asked, smirking at her playfully.

“You were really going to bring Emma up to the wedding with four of your friends?” She asked, looking more than a little unamused.

“No. She’d hate it. But you’re like one of the lads, Hailey. I thought you’d like this,” he chuckled.

“Yeah. Awesome,” she said as she got into the vehicle, piling into the back. She was just ‘one of the lads’…

“Shut it and enjoy yourself,” Harry said, pushing her butt so she practically fell into the backseat.

“Ass!” Hailey laughed, smacking him lightly, once she was fully seated. He just laughed as he took his own seat.

“This is going to be fun, Hailz. You’ll see,” he said, patting her knee. Hailey eyed his hand and then looked up at him.

“What did I say about those hands?” She said, sending him a sideways smirk.

“Shit,” he said, lifting both his hands up defensively in front of him as he laughed.

“That’s more like it,” she chuckled.

“Harry, keep your hands to yourself,” they heard Niall bark playfully back at him.

“Sorry, Dad,” Harry called up to him, causing Hailey to laugh.

Hailey thought to herself, that maybe it wasn’t going to be so bad after all. She did enjoy Harry’s friends. They were pretty good dudes.

Three hours into their eight hour road trip, and many farts, burps and a countless array of other disgusting behaviors, Hailey wasn’t feeling as optimistic about everything. She just wanted to get out of the fucking car. Her whole body hurt from lack of use and she really, sincerely had to pee. But Niall was determined to get there as fast as they could, so breaks were few and far between.

“You okay, Hailz?” Harry asked, looking up from his iPad.

“Mmm…” She said, shrugging her shoulders.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, looking concerned.

“Nothing. I mean, I’m just a little uncomfortable,” she told him truthfully.

“Uncomfortable, how?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“My body,” she said, trying get comfortable in her seat. His eyebrows furrowed.

“I just… I don’t know. Sitting for long periods of time is hard,” she huffed.

“I have a pillow and a blanket in the back here. You can… you can use them if you want. You know… to get comfortable. Maybe you can even nap,” he told her optimistically.

Hailey nodded and Harry smiled, immediately digging in the back for his pillow and blanket.

“Here,” he said, throwing the blanket on her head on purpose.

“Thanks, ass,” she scoffed with a laugh as she pulled the blanket off of her.

“Here,” he said, swatting her in the back of the head playfully with the pillow.

“Fucker,” she shot at him. He laughed as he reached over to mess up her hair.

“HARRY!” She gasped.

“HAILEY!” He mimicked.

“Sometimes I really hate you,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him as she smoothed out her hair.

“Ha! Yeah right,” he laughed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him.

“You love me! I’m your best friend,” he said, making a funny face at her.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t hate you. Like now!” She said, giving him the stink-eye.

“Oh, Hailz!” He said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, causing her to yelp as she tried to squirm away from him.

“I can’t breathe!” She gasped.

“Hailey, you need to just admit it. You’d be lost without me,” Harry laughed.

“Keep dreaming!” She scoffed.

“You know, you’re really starting to hurt my feelings,” he said, letting her go as he gave her a sad face.

“What? Does your ego need a boost?” She laughed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Mmm… maybe,” he said, smiling at her.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said, bunching the pillow up against the window so she could rest against it.

“Give me back my pillow!” He said and ripped it out of her grasp.

“Harry!” Hailey laughed.

“And my blanket!” He said, grabbing that too.

“You’re a big baby,” she laughed.

“I’ve never argued otherwise,” he said, smirking at her.

“You’re really not going to share?” She asked him, jutting out her bottom lip.

“Here,” he said, putting the pillow up against his side.

“I was just going to lean against the window,” she said, eyeing him skeptically.

“You can lean against me. That way you can lay down,” he told her.

“Uhh…” She stammered, feeling a bit out of control with her emotions.

“Lay down,” he coaxed.

“Fine,” she conceded, rolling her eyes and did as he demanded.

It was weird being in that position with him. It was incredibly intimate, even though there were four other guys in the car. But Hailey was pretty certain Josh and Louis were passed out in the middle two seats and didn’t give a fuck what was going on or not going on in the backseat.

As Harry went back to doing whatever he was doing on his iPad, Hailey tried to get comfortable. Surprisingly it was not that hard and soon she felt Harry’s arm slip around her, resting on her stomach. At first, it made her a little uncomfortable, thinking about how she woke up with his hand on her stomach when they slept together. But she relaxed enough when she realized Harry only placed it there for lack of other places to put it.

When Hailey opened her eyes again, it was very dim in the car. The sun was setting and she was confused on just how long she had been asleep. The confusion was officially wiped away when she felt Harry’s fingers trail over the skin of her abdomen. Again? Really? Her breathing hitched as memories of their night together ravaged her mind, again. And suddenly there was this heat burning within her, thinking about him in that context. She needed to expel those thoughts. She needed to stop having these feelings.

Hailey sat up abruptly, trying to get away from him and his torturous hand that was doing so little, but so much to her.

“Whoa, there,” Harry said, looking at her a bit startled.

“Oh my god,” Hailey said, holding her head as the vertigo hit her fast.

“You okay?” He chuckled, eyeing her skeptically.

“I’m fine,” she snapped, but honestly didn’t know why she did. Her emotions felt out of control.

“Fine, then,” he said with a bit of attitude.

Hailey settled herself into her rightful seat, making sure no body part of hers was touching any of Harry’s.

“You missed it. We stopped for gas. But I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful,” Harry told her with a smirk.

“What!? Harry!” Hailey gasped. She’d been wanting to get out and stretch since they got into the damn vehicle. And not to mention, she still had to pee.

“I’m just kidding,” he laughed out loud.

“Fuck you,” Hailey snapped, shoving him as she sent a glare to him.

“Oh my god. You should have seen your face,” he laughed, pointing at her.

“I don’t think it was funny, at all,” she said, giving him the evil eye.

“It was so funny,” he laughed almost uncontrollably.

“I hate you,” Hailey sneered, looking away from him with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, Hailey,” Harry said, throwing his arm around her.

“Don’t touch me, Harry,” she scowled.

“We’re stopping soon, beautiful,” he chuckled as she pushed his arm off of her.

“Don’t call me ‘beautiful’,” she snapped and he just laughed.

“You’re quite sexy when you’re cranky,” he told her, snickering to himself.

“Harry! Shut up!” Hailey yelled at him and he laughed even more.

“God,” Hailey growled under her breath. He was so annoying.

When Niall finally pulled up to a gas station and parked the vehicle, Hailey got out of the car as soon as possible and walked straight to the bathroom. She had to get away from Harry. Everything about him was annoying her. And god, she knew it was because everything was so fucked up between them. Why did he have to say stuff like that? He shouldn’t be allowed to call her sexy. Ever. Not unless he really meant it. Which he didn’t.

Hailey went to the bathroom and washed her face. She felt a little better afterward, taking in a cleansing breath before she left the bathroom. She met up with the guys in the adjoining McDonalds as they were all standing in line to order food.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked Hailey with a smirk on his face.

“I’m fine,” she said, avoiding his eyes.

“You sure?” He asked and she could feel his stare.

“I’m fine, Harry,” she snapped.

“Fine,” he huffed.

Hailey didn’t involve herself in their conversation as they ate. She just kept to her crabby self. She was the first to finish eating since she didn’t have much of an appetite, so she went outside to stretch her legs a bit. That was when she realized Louis was out there smoking a cigarette. She didn’t even notice that he wasn’t with the rest of them in McDonalds.

“Hello, love,” he said before he took a drag of his cigarette.

“Hey,” Hailey said quietly, leaning up against the SUV near him.

The sunset was beautiful. Pinks and oranges and yellows streaking across the sky.

“You’re not going to eat?” Hailey asked him, for lack of better things to say.

“Nah. I’m not hungry,” he shrugged.

“Ah,” she said, nodding her head. She felt a bit awkward because she didn’t know Harry’s friends that well. She only met them on a couple of occasions.

“So, you’re Harry’s neighbor, right?” He asked, looking over at her.

“Yeah. I live across the hall from him,” she told him.

“I was expecting Harry to come with Emma,” Louis said, giving her a sideways look.

“Yeah. They’re… they’re done,” Hailey said awkwardly, remembering why they were done.

“I got that much. Heard he cheated on her,” Louis said, taking another drag of the cigarette.

“Uh, yeah,” Hailey said awkwardly.

“With you,” Louis said, catching her completely off guard.

“What?” She choked out, looking at him wide-eyed. Louis chuckled at her reaction.

“You think he’s gonna keep that kind of information to himself?” Louis asked, cocking his brow at her.

“He… he told you?” She choked out.

“Well, it’s not like he was going around bragging about it or anything. He needed someone to talk to, I guess,” Louis shrugged.

“Well, that was nice of you to bring it up,” Hailey laughed awkwardly as the blush creeping up her cheeks nearly ate her alive.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” He chuckled, smirking at her.

“Just a little bit,” she said awkwardly.

“So, what? You don’t like Harry like that? He’s a good bloke, Hailey,” Louis told him, trying to talk his friend up.

“It’s not that. I mean, it just… we’d just… we… I don’t know,” Hailey stammered, not even really knowing what to say. No matter how many times she fantasized about Harry, she never really thought she’d ever have a real chance with him. It just wasn’t plausible.

“Well said,” Louis joked, letting out a laugh.

“God, I don’t know. Neither one of us are looking for anything. And we’ve both pretty much decided to never let it happen again,” she explained. She really didn’t know why she was talking about it with one of Harry’s friends – as if Louis wouldn’t go straight to Harry and tell him everything.

“Well, that’s a mistake,” Louis said evenly.

“What?” Hailey asked, looking up to find all the other guys walking toward them.

“Let’s get this show on the road!” Niall bellowed at them.

Hailey was too busy wondering what the hell Louis meant to even comprehend that she was about to squeeze back into the backseat with Harry.

“Come on. Only a few more hours,” Harry said, putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her toward the door of the vehicle.

“Yeah,” she said quietly.

Hailey crawled in and immediately put her iPod on, ignoring Harry and his stupid beautiful face. She fell asleep again not long after, but this time away from Harry. When she finally woke up, they were arriving at the hotel resort in Tahoe City, California. Harry checked them in and then guided Hailey to the elevators. She was so tired and out of it, she just wanted to pass out. Tomorrow was the big day. She was going to be Harry’s date to his friend’s wedding.

“Where’s my room key?” Hailey asked, holding her hand out as they rode the elevator up.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, looking at her oddly.

“My room key. Give it,” she said, impatiently wiggling her fingers at him.

“I only got one key,” he told her.

“One key?” She asked, looking over at him like he had two heads or something.

“Yeah. One key,” he said, dangling it in front of her face.

“One key?” She repeated.

“Yeah, Hailey. One key. What are you not understanding?” He asked impatiently as he stepped out of the elevator. Hailey was frozen inside of it. One key meant… one room.

“Are you coming?” He asked, looking back at her.

Without a word, Hailey moved out of the elevator, almost getting crushed by the doors as they tried to shut. She felt every single nerve in her body heighten as she followed Harry down to what was apparently their hotel room door. Their one door to the one room they’d apparently be sharing.

Harry unlocked the door and let her in first, pulling in her suitcase behind her. She scoffed immediately at what she saw.

“What?” Harry asked impatiently.

“Are you kidding me right now, Harry?” She asked, turning back to see if he was playing some sort of prank on her. Harry narrowed his eyes at her as he let the door close behind him.

“What? I’m tired. I don’t have the patience for this cryptic shit, Hailey,” Harry snapped. Nope, apparently it wasn’t a prank.

“One bed?” She asked, looking around the room. There wasn’t even a couch. There were two chairs and table, but no couch.

“Yeah, well. I was coming up here with Emma, now wasn’t I?” He said, setting his bag down on the dresser.

Hailey sighed heavily. She knew all too well what happens when the two of them spend the night in a bed together. She didn’t know if she could handle it again.

“Is it too much for you?” He asked with a tone of annoyance.

“No, no. But I’m not the one who couldn’t handle myself before,” she said bitterly, causing Harry to scoff loudly.

“I’m sober. Believe me when I say, you’re safe,” he spat at her meanly. His words shot straight through her like a knife to the heart and she felt the sting of tears almost immediately.

“Wow,” Hailey said under her breath as she opened her suitcase and dug around for her pajamas. She was doing everything she could to dam her tears. She did not want Harry to see her cry.

“Hailey. I didn’t mean it the way it came out,” Harry said, his voice softening.

“No, it’s fine,” she shot at him as she furiously dug through her belongings.

“Hailey…” He said quietly.

“It’s fine, Harry!” She shouted at him as she zipped up her bag and pulled it with her to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Hailey!” Harry sighed loudly.

Well, fuck him.

Notes