Illicit [Harry Styles]

Chapter 8

Something felt different when I woke; the bed where I lay felt previously slept it, but not by me. Even with my eyes still closed I could just sense that I wasn't at home. My eyelids were heavy but I willed for them to open and stay open to give me a chance to take in my surroundings. I didn't recognise the huge room - which was probably as big as my lounge and dining area in one - with polished wooden floors and plain cream walls that seemed miles apart. The bed sheets were dark blue to match the curtains and other various accessories like the lampshade and the cushion of the desk chair. There was this indescribable scent as I inhaled, I think everyone's house has that different smell that you can't put into words - it just smells like them, and it smelled exactly like that. It smelled kind of like my brother's room.

My mind was both put at ease and made to start racing when a sleeping Harry caught my eye from beside the bed. He was literally just sleeping on the hard floor with only a cushion separating him and the wood, and a jacket draped over his shoulder to act as a blanket. From what I could see he was still wearing his jeans and navy blue tshirt from yesterday, dark curls fell over his eyes and his mouth was parted as he snored softly.

I must've practically blacked out last night because all I remember after Harry coming to my rescue was sitting silently in his car following a somewhat one sided conversation, I can't remember how I ended up in what I assume is his bed and how he ended up on the floor. By the looks of his room this isn't a small house, so how come he didn't just show me to a guest room or something? If he was insistent on me having his bed why didn't he take the sofa in the living room? And now I find myself wondering where to go from here, do I wake him and tell him I'm leaving? Do I wait for him to wake up first? This was like being the first to wake up at a sleepover at your friend's house when you were nine, but in slightly stranger circumstances.

Almost on cue Harry stirred below me, sighing and groaning after his uncomfortable night I'm assuming. He rubbed his eyes and pushed his hair away from his face before stretching out his long limbs, staring blatantly up at me as I attempted to make it look like I wasn't just staring at him.

"You okay?" he rasped, his morning voice was even deeper than usual and delightfully croaky.

"I'm okay, are you okay?" I spoke, gesturing towards his body sprawled out across the floor.

"What?" his eyebrows were furrowed as he glanced down his legs and back to me, finally realising what I meant, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Why didn't you just go sleep downstairs or something? Your back must be killing."

"I didn't want you to wake up in the middle of the night thinking you were being held captive or something, you were kind of shaken after like... half an hour of being totally fine. It was weird, actually."

"Oh." I was suddenly feeling quite embarrassed by everything that'd happened, what I could remember and what I couldn't. What I could remember was humiliating enough even if most of it wasn't my fault, but the thought of embarrassing myself further and not being able to remember it frightened me more.

Possibly noticing my state of worry, Harry asked, "You don't remember a thing, do you?"

I shook my head slowly. "Not after the car journey."

"You were in shock I think. I pulled up in my driveway and you said some shit about how my house is bigger than 10 of yours put together - you were white as a ghost by this time, I gave you some water, you then proceeded to cry... about what I'm not sure, then we argued because you wouldn't take my damn shirt or my bed so I just grabbed a cushion and turned the light off and here we are. I guess you gave in in the end."

After his explanation Harry looked almost pleased with himself in the most arrogant way. He wasn't the same sensitive guy he was last night, he was back to the cocky idiot that he's been every other time we've spoken. I knew the kind way in which he treated me was too good to be true.

I gulped, nodding my head and breathing in slowly before shuffling to the other side of the bed and perching on the edge. "Well, thanks for... everything. I better get going I guess."

He remained in his slouched position on the floor but seemed to watch my every move through hooded eyes with his arms crossed behind his head, still displaying what was almost a smirk. Luckily when I tossed the covers back and exposed myself to the air I was still wearing my leggings, but sure enough my top half was covered by one of Harry's black tshirts which was oversized on my smaller body, falling to the middle of my thighs. I stood up and looked over to him, stuttering as I pointed to it and fidgeted nervously since I didn't know whether he wanted me to change out of it now.

He noticed my struggle and shook his head uninterestedly. "Keep it."

"A-are you sure? I can cha-"

"Keep it," he repeated.

Picking up my jumper, coat and bag from the floor I headed towards the door and reached for the handle.

"Tell your brother I'll meet him tomorrow to carry on with the project," Harry called after me and I turned to him and nodded, but quickly a problem with his request arose and prodded at my thoughts just in time.

"Wait... how am I supposed to do that? What am I supposed to say; 'I was at your friend's house last night and he asked me to tell you something'?"

"Fine, don't," he shrugged, heaving himself up off the floor with a grunt. He completely ignored my presence from then on and ambled into his en-suite bathroom and I heard the faint running of water so he must've turned on the shower already.

"And, Harry?" I raised my voice some to make sure he heard my call, and sure enough he did because he appeared in the door frame, shirtless now, and my eyes involuntarily swept over his inked toned torso before landing back at his face. "Please don't tell anyone about any of this."

He nodded ever so slightly before disappearing again, this time closing the door behind him.

I left his room and walked out onto a large landing, I wondered what could be behind all these different doors in this ridiculously big house. Suddenly I remembered that Harry probably didn't live here alone and I didn't want to be caught leaving by anybody so I hurried towards the staircase. I made it to the bottom of the stairs and sighed in relief as the front door was in sight, but then I noticed movement across the room and walked even faster to get out of here.

"Hello," I heard a cheery female voice address me and I swung round to find a woman in her mid-to-late fourties smiling back at me. She was very pretty with dark hair, and even at this reasonably early hour she was all made up and looking happy - I guess this was Harry's mum.

"Hi," I tried to smile back, but I was so uncomfortable right now. This probably looked so bad - here I was leaving her son's room early in the morning, probably looking like I was sneaking out and wearing his clothes.

"Are you a friend of Harry's?" she asked, and I couldn't quite tell how she intended her question to sound.

"Uhh... yeah I guess so. Something like that," I forced another smile, "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you, dear! You seem much too sweet to be seeing Harry, it makes a nice change."

"Oh n-no, it's nothing like that."

"Oh I'm sorry," she smiles again. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I'm Louise."

"Jessica," I introduce myself with another nervous smile in an attempt to be polite. This was probably just as confusing for her as it was for me. "I'm really sorry but I have to get going. It was nice to meet you."

We exchange pleasant glances before I find my shoes by the front door and just pick them up, not even bothering to put them on my feet so I could get out more quickly, and left the house. It was even more impressive from the outside; painted nicely and well kept with a large driveway and double garage just to the side. I hurried down the path and turned the corner, hiding myself as I now put on my shoes. Now I just had to figure out where I was and how to get home.

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I dedicated this chapter to one of my favourite authors kingsofamanda so check her stories out :)

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E x