Toxic (Harry Styles)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

You can't always see things in clear light, and maybe we need to learn that.

Before I knew what was happening, I had paced to the other side of the room with my hands fisted tightly by my sides, and punched a filing cabinet. With the all too familiar feeling of adrenaline pumping through my veins, I don't notice the decent sized dent left in the metal or the small ache in my white knuckles because I've learnt to suppress the sensation of pain.

The picture I had recently discovered, the events from last night, the information from work this morning has all been pushed aside to make room for the thought on the forefront of my mind.

Shay and the man are no longer at the glass window when I stride back over. However, I do spot her at the edge of the group, dancing in sync, coping the same movements as everyone else is, but with the man I've come to hate in such a short time. I study their activities for a moment─ even when I should bust through the doors and stop the whole thing. But I don't, not yet anyways.

I observe as Shay faces the man, their fronts pressing closely together but with a small space left, and she grips his hand firmly and she arches her back, bending backwards to the floor. Her hair that's tied in a ponytail falls away from her face, brushing the ground. My breathing catches in my throat, afraid that she's going to slip and fall. My first thought would be that it's the guys fault and his blood would be on my hands. It's obvious that he's the stabilizer of the two, and he is supposed to make sure the other is okay. My nose flares with the idea of Shay relying on this guy. I'm sure she knows him, but I don't and I don't like the way he's holding her─ with his free arm wrapped around her waist ─as she comes back up fast, their chest bumping together. They─ along with all the other dancers ─start to move again but I've stepped away from the window, searching for the door.

I have to round many corners and halls, opening many doors that lead to empty dance rooms. Finally I turn onto an empty corridor with two doors, one has a white sign with black block letters that read STAFF ONLY; the other says CLASS E. Loud music emits from the crack under the door, a heavy beat with a lot of bass and drums. Surprisingly I've never heard the song but it's the kind of genre I would listen to.

I don't hesitate to turn the knob, opening the door so fast the pair of dancers closest to the entrance stumbles. I ignore their frightened glances, looking around for Shay.

"Harry, you can't be in here!" Lilly's high pitched voice shrills throughout the room as the music suddenly cuts off in the middle of the chorus. I disregard her, watching as Shay twirls around at the sound of my name. Her blue eyes meet my green ones, stunned and gaping, standing in front of the man.

I stride through the small gathering of people, they quickly move aside before I bump into them without a care.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, taking in gulps of air, which I assume is because of all the 'dancing'. I don't stop to answer her question, having my angry eyes focused on the man she was dancing with, who looks just as confused as everyone. "Harry?"

Surging past her, I head straight for the man. "Who the hell are you?" I growl at the unfamiliar person. He stumbles back faintly as I towered an inch over him.

"I-I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you, mate?" He stuttered, but it came out more as a question.

SHAY'S POV

"I'm not you 'mate'," Harry mocks aggressively in Thomas's face as they stand nose to nose. Harry looks rived, uncontrollable. Unstable. I'm not even sure of what's happening or why Harry's here in the first place. All I know is one moment, I was dancing our group routine with my partner, Thomas, then the next minute the door is slammed open and a red faced Harry comes in like he owns the building. He hasn't even looked at me or said a word; he went straight for Thomas with fury in his eyes, but I don't understand why it's there.

"It was just an expression," Thomas clarifies weakly, in his Hispanic accent.

"Oh yeah?" Harry spat. "Well my fist is about to connect with your jaw. Now interpret that."

"Harry!" I scold, stumbling to stand by his arm, and hold him back feebly. I know that if Harry wanted to, he could break free from my small hand.

I watch the colour drain from Thomas's already pale face. When I first met him, I found it odd that he's Hispanic when he looks─ for a lack of better terms ─white. But when he spoke, the Spanish accent showed through, he even speaks Spanish fluently. I've also learned that he's very shy, and as he stands under Harry's harsh gaze now, his soft brown hair, his hands, his whole being, trembles.

Though I plead for Harry to back down, he doesn't. Instead, he says, "Step back, Shay."

"No, Harry. He did nothing wrong!"

"Shay!" He shouts with more force. Suddenly hands were grabbing me and I'm pulled from Harry. Lilly's red hair shows up in my peripheral vision as she drags me further away from the confrontation. I stare from Lilly's stone arms, as Harry's back contorts, the shoulder blades popping out, until I see his arm swing fast. Next thing that I see is Thomas laying on his back on the floor, wide eyed and a stream of blood trickling from his nose.

I scream, slackening my tense body, and sinking to the floor, pulling Lilly down with me. I'm lost for air, but Harry isn't; his back heaves up and down as he crouches over Thomas, who stares up at Harry like he's insane─ and as of right now, he is.

Afraid that he'll strike again, I thrash against Lilly's stronghold, and succeed. I hastily crawl over to the two boys, not caring about the people watching; I just have to stop Harry. I throw myself in to the line of Harry's newly formed fist, directed at Thomas. Harry begins to bring down, but when he sees I'm in his line of sight, he stops.

"Please," I whimper. "Stop."

He immobilized by my words, and I take this chance to grab his arm and pull him back up. Harry's gaze flickers back to Thomas, but we're already starting for the door, me pulling him.

"What the f─"

"Stop," I cut him short before he finishes the sentence. I continue for the only other door on this hallway, and Harry follows furiously.

"No!" He yells. "Tell me who the hell that was, and why the prick had his hands on you!"

I turn sharply back to him. "He's my dance partner, for God's sake, Harry! He wasn't committing a crime."

"I'm the only one who's allowed to touch you the way he was touching you," he growls lowly.

I cross my arms, popping out my hip in defiance. "Oh, really? Last time I checked, I didn't belong to anyone but myself."

"I thought I made it clear weeks ago. You are mine, Shay."

And like it was still there, my neck itches in the exact spot Harry gave me my first hickey at Landon's birthday party. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks as I raise my hand to the invisible mark, and Harry smirks, knowing what I'm thinking about. He slowly edges closer to me, but my back hits the wall as I try to pathetically put space between us. Harry presses our fronts together, a position all too familiar to me.

"I know everything about your body," he mummers, placing his large hands at my hip, tracing circles with his thumbs. "Probably better than you do. How you react to my touch, my presence. I don't like to repeat myself, Shay, so it would do you good to learn that soon." Harry's hand slides not so indiscreetly to my bum and gives a harsh squeeze and I gasp from the drastic change of mood.

I don't know if what Harry says is true or not. However, I do know that we aren't just acquaintances anymore─ hell, I'm stay with him right now ─but we aren't together and he has no absolute claim on me. We haven't even done anything, though we have gotten close many times; all that's happened is kissing and sleeping in the same bed. Of course there was that time in the bar restroom when one of Harry's friends─ Emily, was it? ─walked in on me lifted against the stall with Harry standing between my legs. Then there's the second date in Harry's flat when Lucas barged in.

Now Harry doesn't wait for a response. His lips are on mine, careful to not harm my partially healed lip, but he was still persistent, scratching at the thin material of my dance clothes. I struggle for breath, gaping and he takes the opportunity to invade my mouth with his tongue. I can taste the coffee that remain on his lips, and unconsciously wrap my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to give me leverage.

Harry has overrun my senses. It was only weeks ago that I didn't want a thing to do with Harry, but now I'm here, willingly kissing him. It's as if he's showed me many sides of him, including the recent violent side in front of a crowd of bystanders, and it's all washed away and forgotten─ for now at least. He shouldn't have hit Thomas, who was completely innocent, and Harry's going to know it even though he may have won as of right now.

Harry beings to move quicker, making me moan into his mouth. My fingers intertwine with his soft curls, tugging, which makes him groan in return. We're both panting heavily, out breaths mix. I understand that I'm sweating from the rather upbeat and complex dance I didn't quite get to finish, but Harry doesn't seem to mind.

Suddenly, the door from Room E opens, halting our actions. A few of my co-workers begin to file out but with their backs facing us.

I do the only thing I could think of and that's pulling Harry into the staff locker room. I know that they will be coming in here soon to get their bags and go home, but there's a door that leads to a different hall no one can open but me. The door doesn't open by key, but by a code on a keypad. I quickly type in the five numbers when I hear the small voices become louder. The beep means that it's unlocked and I twist the knob, wondering why Harry's been so quiet.

The door closes when Harry steps through, muttering, "Those cunts."

+++++

Whoa Harry calm down, sweetie!

Hey guys so I know it's been a week (?) since I lasted updated, but SCHOOL (otherwise known as hell) has been so freaking hard, and it seems like the only time I get to write is during school SO YES I DO WRITE EVERYDAY!!!! I repeat EVERYDAY.

It's just that I can write as much because of homework and other stories (GO CHECK THEM OUT!).

And I'm going to share something with ya'll....

I really inspire to become a writer and I have such a passion for it I've already started to write two books I want to get published, and so I have to work on those everyday too. I'm really loving the ideas and plot of them and can't wait to get past the first chapter, because it's always the hardest, especially when it has to be around 13 pages long.....

SO with that PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE CHAPTER AND VOTE IF YOU WANT! :D

Lots of Love -A xxx