redemption: harry styles

Chapter Seventy Four

I cautiously walked towards Harry, seeing no sign of Calum and using that as my cue. He was sitting on the edge of the road, leaning against the car. His head was thrown back and a cigarette sat between his lips.

He turned to me, as if feeling my stare, and tilted his head abruptly, calling me over. I looked at the cigarette and wrinkled my nose, though I noticed it wasn't lit. Harry rolled his eyes and yanked the roll out of his mouth. He turned to me with his eyebrows raised and I smiled, satisfied, then walked over to him.

"You done smoking death?" I joked and sat beside him onto the floor.

"You wanna give it a go yet?" Harry asked.

"No," I replied simply.

"Trust me, it's amazing." He pulled out a silver case from his back pocket and took out another cigarette. "You can barely taste it, I promise."

I nudged his side but he barely moved. "Put that thing back," I said and jerked my head at the cigarette. He gave me a look.

"This one's for you," he said. He grabbed my wrist and placed the cigarette in the center of my palm.

"Harry, I will never smoke."

"Whatever. Can you fetch me Zayn's lighter?" He smiled innocently at me.

"Where is he?"

"In the car." He pressed a kiss to my cheek.

I pushed myself off the ground, leaving the cigarette on Harry's thigh, and opened the door to the car. Zayn was leaning on the other door, facing me. His eyes were closed but they opened upon my arrival, and he gave me a confused smile. The bruise on his cheek line was already turning purple.

"Hi." I smiled back. "Do you happen to have a lighter on you?" I rushed on to avoid my awkward conversation.

His face pinched in confusion but he nodded. He fetched a sliver lighter out of his jacket pocket and leaned forward to hand it to me, wincing.

I bit my lip and took the lighter, my fingers brushing against his. His hands were cold.

"Zayn, are you okay?" I asked uselessly.

He paused for a moment and then nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I gave him a look and he sighed.

"I could have blocked him off but I didn't," he said suddenly and sat upright. "He isn't even that much stronger than I."

It felt odd speaking so casually about a fight. "Why didn't you hit him back?" I asked him, the first question popping up in my head being that.

Zayn furrowed his eyebrows and smiled. "Because Harry's stronger than me."

I frowned. "Wait, what?"

"I wanted Harry to hit him because Calum would have been really fucking confused--because they're friends--but he didn't end up hitting him 'cause you were there."

"Sorry."

Zayn laughed. "Don't worry about it, I'm kidding."

We were silent for a minute.

"Um, I should go." He nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Can you call Perrie for me?" Zayn asked.

I turned and face the group of fugitives standing at the other end of the car Harry was sitting at. They all had their backs to me but I could make out Perrie's newly dyed teal hair.

"Sure." I pressed my lips together lightly and smiled. "Thanks for the lighter."

"For you?" he asked.