ASSUMPTIONS [H.S.]

chapter 26

Harry Styles

Sicily. Motta Camastra.

Beaches. Blue sky. Canyons. Sun.

Amber and I haven't spoken a word ever since the top deck.

The ferry arrived at the port not much longer after we'd collected our stuff. Throughout the 15 minutes of walking to the resort, I've noted a sense of tiredness on Amber's face. She just looks empty.

She didn't even laugh at the jokes I tried telling her.

With sweaty backs, and morning sun blocking our vision at times, we've finally arrived at the beach house everyone's staying at. Niall's the first one to find us. Right before he approaches us, I watch as Amber takes a deep breath which may seem like a sigh, only to then put on a wide-spread smile.

"What's up, loca?" Niall reaches in for a greeting hug with Amber, engulfing her whole small frame. "Look at all the Italian I've learned while you were gone!" He pulls back, throwing a cheeky grin her way.

"Niall, that's Spanish." She laughs, hitting him with a comical realization.

"Meh. Potato-Potahto." He shrugs, making her break out in a bigger smile.

I just stand there in shock at the way she's pretending everything's better than ever. If I hadn't been next to her on the top deck, I never would have guessed she was heavily struggling just mere hours ago from the smiles she's offering right now.

"And you, sir..." Niall snaps me out of my daze, ruffling my hair. He pulls in for a quick hug while muttering a phrase near my ear in a serious manner, "Mate, Liv's so mad, and I'm genuinely scared for you."

Since when is he calling her Liv?

It may be a small detail, but he's always referred to her as Olivia. Hell, I don't think he calls anyone by their shortened names in general.

Fresh and citrusy air is felt as we all enter the main house. My eyes glimmer at the view; the house is furnished very simply, but it's the scenery out of the window that takes my breath away.

Palm trees and beach chairs are scattered around before an empty lake. A couple of boats are sat neatly in a row, and I watch as a pair of seagulls land on the tip of one. Canyons are surrounding the water as the sand glimmers from the sun. It's truly a sight to gaze at for hours.

While I'm drinking in the landscape, all the others have unnoticeably slipped into the room. "About time, fellas!" Sarah rushes into the room with a drink in her hands.

"Hiiii! I missed you!" Amber reaches in for a hug with both Sarah and Olivia. She holds them for a while before asking, "How was your flight? Everything all right?"

That's when I realize Amber's distracting them with questions so that the other two wouldn't notice the tiredness in her eyes.

This is all pretend for her, isn't it?

"You mean the flight you missed? Fuckin' boring." Sarah grins playing with the straw in her drink. She then shares an odd look with Olivia, subtly nodding and clearing her throat before exclaiming. "C'mon, Amber! Let me show you the house! I'll make you a Margarita while we're at it!" She takes Amber in her embrace, dragging her out of the living room.

Mitch has his guitar plugged into an amplifier, and he's playing around with the strings, clearly unbothered by our arrival. He stops for a moment, reaches for the glass on the table, drinks the brown liquid in one gulp, and gets back to creating music again.

My vision snaps to Olivia, who's in front of me now with her hands crossed over her chest. She seems to be thinking of the right words to say as goosebumps slowly crawl across my skin from the way she's giving me a death glare.