Liberate • Harry Styles

twenty nine.

Our Chicago show went smoothly - thankfully I was able to avoid Niall and focus on my happiness with Harry. I was so incredibly overjoyed about his asking me to stay with him for such a long time. Usually, it felt like we had the whole world against us - management, the other boys, ex-girlfriends...everyone seemed hell-bent on intercepting our relationship.

The way he talked about our time alone, the way those plump pink lips described the English countryside, the supple pink flowers dotting the hills - it made me want to cry in anticipation. His eyes lit up at the mention of driving into town to introduce me to grandma, a feat that no ex-girlfriend had achieved before.

And so I was on cloud nine until the last show. I was scared that my good feelings would come to an end, and come to an end they did.

I just so happened to run into Niall in a face-to-face encounter just as I entered my office. I had my head down, looking through some papers, the hair falling across my face. I heard a soft clear of a throat, and I snapped my eyes up to see Niall sitting in the chair across from my desk.

His blue eyes met mine and I could see the desperate longing in his eyes. "Violet, please - "

"No Niall."I raised my hand in protest and backed away, walking quickly down the hallway. Discarding the papers on a random table, I picked up the pace as I heard footsteps follow behind me.

"Vi, just listen to me."

"No Niall. Leave me alone." I turned down a small corridor and quickly felt a hand on my bicep. Niall's strength whirled me around to look at him,  gently ramming me against the wall.

"You need to listen to me. Please." His eyes begged me to listen to him, and my own closed in submission. I was too tired to try and say anything anymore, too tired to try and defend his advances.

Niall took my silence as permission to speak. "You still owe me one session."

"Niall, it's the last show." I whined. "I leave for Toronto tomorrow. I still have to pack my bags, and - "

"Wait where are you going?" Niall's brow creased in confusion.

I exhaled tension as I deliberated on whether or not to tell him what we were doing.

"We're going away." I decided to tell him, my body retreating as close to the wall as I could. Niall was not violent, but he could get scary when he was mad.

"Where?"

"His cottage. In England." I said quietly. "I'm going home to pack my stuff first, see my mom, finally get rest. Then I'm going to hop on a plane and meet him there."

"You're going to spend time with him." Niall mulled over what I said. "And you're going to be alone?"

"Yes, Niall." I said, annoyed. "He's my boyfriend. Why can't you understand that?"

Niall's face relaxed and a small smile appeared on his face. I was so confused at his reaction, my brain screaming at me that something was wrong. It was very rare that Niall would ever smile when the conversation was about Harry. I could see the cogs in his brain turning.

"I can understand that." He said, releasing his grip on me. "But I do deserve one more session. That's what we agreed."

I straightened my clothes and smiled back at him, all walls up and all senses on high alert. "You're right. We'll grab breakfast tomorrow before my flight. Harry's leaving on an earlier flight than me, so I will see you after he leaves. We'll eat at the hotel buffet."

Niall smiled with satisfaction. Leaning in too close, I felt his lips at my ear. "See you then, gorgeous."

I huffed in mild disgust and walked away, not looking back as I tried to put Niall and this entire catastrophe behind me. One more day. That was all.