DEEP END // Harry Styles

Bad Liar

Warning: SMUT.

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Ezi had had a dream last night in which Harry had told her he loved her.

She had been so happy.

In the fairytale books she'd read and romantic movies she'd watched, those three words were the beginning of a happy ending. She didn't remember exactly what had happened in the dream after he'd said those words, maybe nothing had happened after that. Maybe that was the end.

But in reality, there was no 'the end' as they rode off into the sunset together. Now she stood in front of him, tongue-tied.

What did this mean for them?

She was going to lie to her mother because she'd assumed she'd failed her mission. But she hadn't? At least not yet. Harry loved her, or so he'd said. And that beating organ inside his chest had once been useless to her, but now it was valuable. She wouldn't have to present the pig's heart if she'd taken his now.

Yet her fingers were gathered into tight fists, pressing against her sides. He held her gaze, his eyes soft and vulnerable. If she shoved him backwards and stabbed him with the pen on the desk, he wouldn't be able to react as fast. This could all be finished in a second. She could step over his bleeding corpse and flee to the harbour. Her mother would welcome her home with open arms. She would be the hero she was destined to be. And that would be the end.

"Ezi," Harry said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Say something, please."

No. She couldn't kill him.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and averted her eyes from his. Her voice was so shaky she barely recognised it, "When're the guests going to be here?"

Harry froze for a second. "Are you serious?"

She glanced up. There was a hint of either frustration or anger or sadness on his face; she couldn't decide which.

He breathed, "I just told you I loved you."

"I heard you," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral. It came out robotic. "But what did you expect from saying that? I'm leaving tonight. How you feel about me won't matter."

"Oh, shush." He gave an aggressive wave of his hand. "I'm tired of your empty lies, Ezi. You don't mean these things. You don't even sound like yourself. I told you that because I wanted you to know you're wanted here, in this house, in my life, in my world."

"I don't belong to this world," she murmured. The words felt like a twist of the invisible knife in her chest. "All I've been doing from the start is pretend."

"No, what you're doing now is pretend. You love the human world, Ezi. Just because you were born in the ocean doesn't mean you have to spend the rest of your life there. You love to explore. You love to read. You love pizza. You love Chilli. You love...You love me."

"Is that what you want to hear?" She scoffed, hating how mean she sounded.

If Harry was hurt, he didn't show.

"Because I can't say that to you. I don't want to lie."

"What's wrong with you, Ezi? You're acting strange." He advanced, and she immediately took a step back. So he stopped and shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. A line appeared between his furrowed brow. "I feel like you still haven't told me everything."

"I've told you enough. It's your fault you refuse to believe me."

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Niall poked his head into the doorway. Judging from the grin on his face, Ezi knew he hadn't heard their conversation.