Whatever Chains (Sequel to Where Your Heart is - A Harry Styles fanfiction)

Part Five: Everything comes back to you.

February, 2016.

I open my eyes and I jolt out of bed the second flashbacks from the night before start to pop up in my head.

"Oh, no! No, no..." I desperately mutter to myself, running my fingers through my hair and pacing back and forth across the room. "Why are you here, Harry? What the fuck did you do?"

I'm starting to get a little panicked when I realize that I'm at her house but not exactly in her room. I should know. I have been in this place more times than I can count.

And aside from my shoes, which are scattered at the side of the bed, I am still wearing the same clothes from last night.

This is good. Confusing, but good.

The sound of someone moving about in the kitchen downstairs reaches my ears and then, I notice the smell of coffee and pancakes.

I'm starving but I don't know if I'm ready to come out and face her.

"Dude, are you awake?"

A male voice comes from the other side of the door before it starts to crack open really slowly, and the confusion grows inside of me along with the curiosity.

"Uhm... yeah..." I say hesitantly as his head pokes through.

I can't say that I know his name, but I definitely recognize his face. I think he's an actor, or something, and I may have crossed paths with him before in a red carpet event or two.

"We've made breakfast, if you want some." He says without coming in, but opening the door entirely.

He has a polite smile on his face, but I can tell there is a bit of awkwardness in the way he stands and shifts his eyes in every direction but mine.

"Sure, thanks..." I was planning to refuse the offer and get my ass out the front door, but my rumbling stomach seems to make the final decision. "I'll be down in a second."

I make my way downstairs painfully slow, dreading each step I take.

"Thank you for being so cool about this, babe." I hear her voice speaking tenderly. "I just couldn't leave him alone like that."

I stop in my tracks just before I turn around the corner and make myself visible to them.

"I know." He responds, and I hear the sound of a quick kiss.

Okay. So this definitely confirms nothing happened between us last night. I mean, I might be in a weird place at the moment, but I'm not as far gone as to have a threesome with my ex - or whatever you want to call her - and her current boyfriend.

"There he is! How're you feeling?"

I guess I didn't noticed I was already walking into the kitchen, so her voice rattles me a little before I manage to crack up a smile and wave at her shyly.

"Hi, Candice." I speak up, looking at her and then back at the guy leaning on the kitchen island. "I'm... good. Thanks."

"Oh! Sorry, I'm Michael..." He says, straighten himself to his full height and offering me his hand. "Call me Mike."

I can't help but notice that, even though he is being mannerly and genuinely nice about the whole thing, he is definitely marking his territory as well. Not that he has a reason to do so, but I can't really blame him.

"Nice to meet you... Harry." I reply, taking his hand and shaking it as firmly as my bafflement lets me.

We drink our coffees and eat our pancakes in silence, which is surprisingly not as unpleasant as I thought it would be, and I just take this moment to recollect my thoughts and put my memories from last night in order.