Delicate

Chapter 23

HARRY STYLES

It feels bizarre knocking on the door to my old flat, and seeing Mitch on the other side as he opens up for me. When I used to live here, I never thought I'd be where I am now in my life and it's hard to grasp how different everything is.

"Hey, come on in," he steps aside to let me past the threshold.

"How's it going?" I glance around at my old furniture that I haven't seen in a while, taking a spot on the black leather sectional. I remember thinking it was masculine when I first bought it, and it is, but it's not the most comfortable seating arrangement.

"Doing alright," he sighs as he sits on the other side of the couch. "Good to be home?"

"Yeah, it feels nice," my voice is strained as I kick my Chelsea boots off to rest my feet on the coffee table in front of me. "Seems like you're settling in, yeah?"

"I am," he chuckles and looks over his shoulder at the view of London through the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Thanks for letting me move in."

"Mhm," I start to smile as I notice that he's trying not to. I'm waiting for him to bring Sarah up, but I don't think he will on his own. "Have you been going out with the guys upstairs that I introduced you to? Making friends?"

"Yeah, I went out with them the other night," he nods and folds his arms over his chest like I am. "They're cool, but...I've also been hanging out with Sarah more."

"I was wondering if you were gonna mention that," I chuckle. "You haven't spoken much about it since the first time."

"You're one to talk," he gestures to me with a nod. "I haven't heard you say much about Haven, but I know you're obsessed with her."

I let out a good laugh, not at all embarrassed to be called out for it. "Yeah, things are going really well since we made it official and it's honestly nice to just feel stable in a relationship for once."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's the only girl I've dated that isn't a 'celebrity' since One Direction blew up," I explain. "I mean, she has her own part that she plays in the industry so it's not like she's a complete outsider, but the paparazzi aren't following her around and her name isn't all over the gossip media outlets. And she comes from an extremely normal and nice family as well."

He nods his understanding more seriously. "Yeah, Sarah likes her too. She says she's down to earth and funny."

"Down to earth, funny, smart, stunning, talented, hard-working, humble, confident," I shake my head at the list. "She's everything and then some."

"But you two haven't been seen by the paparazzi or anything, have you?"

"Not yet," I rest my head back on the couch. "We've made it unscathed so far, but I don't know. It's a tough thing to navigate."

"Why?"

I pause to think about it even though I've already been going over it in my head for weeks now. "It's like...I don't want her to think that I'm hiding her by avoiding being seen in public together, but I'm also petrified for what's going to happen once the fans find out."

"Oh, because they're gonna destroy her?"

I wince at the phrasing, but that's essentially it, yes. "Basically."

"Yeah, but it kind of seems like Haven isn't the type to let that kind of shit get to her."

My expression falls to a deadpan. "When someone is constantly told the same thing by a million people, it's hard to not let it get to you."