Right Place, Right Time

Change My Mind

I felt sick. I was the idiot, for thinking there might be something between us. I had to get out of there. But before I could walk out, Louis looked around and saw me.

"Hey, Emma," he said, tipping Harry off to the fact that I was behind him. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Before I had the chance to answer Harry spun around. He had the good grace to look horrified when he saw me there.

"Oh, Emma," he said, walking towards me, frowning.

I was surprised that he was even talking to me considering how angry he was that he'd given everyone the impression he might be interested in me.

But what he came out with next surprised me even more.

"I'm so sorry, I owe you an apology," he said.

"What for?" I asked.

For saying what you really thought when you didn't realise I was standing behind you? Sorry Harry, too late. I heard it, you can't take it back.

"I should never have got you up on stage," he said. "It was a really stupid thing to do."

He was admitting it to my face. I hadn't expected that.

"I just didn't think," he continued. "I thought it would be a nice way of thanking you for everything, but now you're going to get a ton of attention because apparently we looked quite, er..." he paused for a moment and looked over at Louis, "quite friendly up on stage.

"So now there's a very good chance the media and some fans will go over the top about it, and because I'm this rampant womaniser and I've got you up on stage, not only will we be dating but we'll be getting married and you're probably already pregnant."

"Really?" I said. "All that just from getting me up on stage? So you're capable of immaculate conception?"

A smile flicked briefly across his worried face. "OK, so I am exaggerating a little, but the point I am trying to make is that people will jump to huge conclusions. Everyone will try to find out who you are and if they do, the media will hassle you and sit outside your house trying to get photos. They'll get on your Facebook and Twitter and Instagram pages and nothing will be private anymore. Any comment you've ever written about anything will get blown out of proportion.

"Then you'll get Twitter trolls sending you hate mail and making up stories about you. All because I sang to you on stage. This kind of thing has happened to other girls people think I'm, ah, with."

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I'm so, so sorry."

Oh. I wasn't expecting that. I'd got it wrong. He wasn't angry because people might think he was interested in a nobody like me, he was concerned about the effect the publicity might have on me. He really did look genuinely contrite.

"It's OK Harry, I can cope." I sounded more confident than I felt. As wonderful as it had been to have him sing to me on stage, I wasn't sure I was ready to be hounded by media and fans because of it.

"You might think that, but it will be an onslaught. They can be vicious, and it it's not fair."

"Yeah, but life's not fair Harry, that's just the way it is. If I do get lots of attention, I am sure I will just be a five-minute wonder. No one will be interested in me when it becomes clear that there's nothing going on."

But is there something going on, I wondered. Even now, as he was standing a couple of feet away from me looking extremely agitated and apologetic, I could feel the tug of the attraction between us.

"Yeah, well..." he said, his words trailing off. Was he about to say that maybe there was something going on? There was something about the way he stopped speaking and pulled on his lip that made me think he was censoring himself.

He ran his hand through his hair again. "I'm just sorry that I dragged you into the spotlight like that. I should have thought about it a bit more."

"Why did you get me up?" I asked him.

"I, ah," he faltered for a moment. "I wanted to sing to you. You know, to say thanks. I thought it would be, uh, nice if I sang to you."

"It was nice," I said. My eyes met his.

"Yeah, it was," he agreed, holding my gaze.

I saw Harry's lips twitch into a tiny smile and I couldn't help myself, I smiled back.

"OK, now you two really do need to get a room," said Louis. I hadn't noticed he was still standing right next to us.

"Uh, what I really need to do is have another shower before we go to the club," said Harry. Was it my imagination, or was he blushing slightly? "See you back here in five?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." He started to walk away, then turned back to me.

"Emma, you know I'm not really the terrible womaniser people say I am, don't you?" he asked. "All that stuff about me... that's bollocks." He looked very serious.

I nodded. "I don't think you are."

"Good," he said. "And another thing..."

"Yes?"

"When I get someone pregnant, I'm going to do it the fun way." His eyebrows shot up suggestively and he broke into a wickedly cheeky grin that made his whole face light up. I grinned back.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," said Louis. "I'll pay for the fucking room!"

I was pleased to hear Harry laughing as he walked off towards the shower.

Sorry this is so short - it is actually just a small part of what was supposed to be the next chapter but it was taking me so long to knock the whole thing into shape because of my madly busy life that I thought it might be best to at least get part of it published. To those of you who have been wondering about why Harry was so angry, I hope this has put you out of your misery. Rest coming soon, I promise.

1000 reads - woo hoo! Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this.