Irresistible Touch (A Harry Styles Fanfiction)

89: Not The Morning I Expected

"Don't people know you've just finished a tour! Why would they call this early!"

If it weren't for Harry's ringtone, Monica's groggy and yet booming voice would have unceremoniously woken all of us up.

Honestly, I've never felt this tired and that's saying a lot after three months of near-constant travel.

I'm home and in my own bed, I shouldn't be this tired!

Harry and I touched down in LA about five hours ago to a quiet city, empty freeways, and Monica in our driveway sleeping in her car.

When I saw her my heart immediately sank thinking that Edmund or Benny might have gotten to her first but when I noticed she seemed physically fine, I turned to Harry.

"Can she stay?"

"You don't need to ask me. In fact, please don't ever ask me that again. This is your home now. We live together, yeah? Unless you've come to some other conclusion that I am unaware of?" I shake my head with a smile and that warm feeling in my chest as he continued to reassure me. "This is your home, Mia. Our home!"

He leaned in for a kiss, holding me tight for a few extra seconds before pulling away and pushing my messy plane hair out of my face.

"Of course, Monica's welcome. And I'm only saying that because I know it'll make you feel better if I confirm it's okay."

He took a step away only to take a step back and demand the direct eye contact that comes so easily to him and is so crippling to me.

"I mean it, Mia. This is the last time I confirm anything. This is our home. And it will be the same scenario when and if we move somewhere else. Whatever happens, I'm so excited to get started and to do it all with you. Now go wake up Mon and invite her inside."

There is nothing better in this world than having someone you love know you so well and accept your friends as their own.

I kissed him with the last bit of energy I had before I let go and turned to wake up my friend.

I was so scared to do it but not as much as when I had to call her and tell her my Benny news.

My heart had barely slowed down after the encounter. I was a nervous wreck, I didn't want to make the call but I knew it had to happen before anyone else did. And god knows what Benny would have said if he got to Monica first and even worse, what if he reached her and she didn't know he was an evil scumbag until it was too late?

Stalling wasn't an option. It was too dangerous.

All in all, she took the news rather well, very quiet and pensive before she went off for about seven minutes telling me all the things she wants to do to him. We were on opposite sides of the world at the time but I swear I could hear her furious prophanities all the way in Japan.

We hadn't been able to talk between that conversation and arriving home.

I gently knocked on her window and she practically leaped out the door and hugged me, immediately telling me why she was there.

Her rationale, she didn't want to be alone after I broke the news of who Benny was and what he's been doing to all of us.

I told Mon she was staying and I finally noticed how puffy her eyes were as if she had been crying for hours. I had never seen Monica like that. Devastation is the only word for it.

As she stepped away from her car, I broke down in tears in her arms and apologized and she immediately struck it down, extinguishing the last essence of doubt that I might have had of her loyalties.