Concupiscence | HS | currently on hold

XI. Wicked game

'The world was on fire and no one could save me but you. It's strange what desire can make foolish people do. I'd never dreamt that I'd meet somebody like you.'
Wicked game - Chris Isaak

"Everyone ready to go?" Carter called from behind the wheel of his car.

"I think we're good. Lou did you pack the beer?" Harry asked his mate who was enjoying his seat in the back of the big black Rover. Louis caressed the arm rest and whistled to himself. Damn did he wish he had Harry's car. It was such a nice ride, such a waste, he thought.

"Lou?" Harry asked again.

"Hmm?" Louis opened his eyes and looked over at his right where Nina was sitting, smirking at him. He liked her.

"The booze." She repeated, nudging him to response.

"Ugh, yup, got it." His suddenly cheery voice making everyone in the car giggle.

"Then we're good to go." Harry shouted back at Carter through the window while starting up the engine. He took a look in the rear view mirror and smiled at Nina who was laughing with Louis' lazy attitude. "Seatbelts please." He reminded everyone of the number one safety rule and drove out of the parking spot when he heard three clicks.

"Astrid, could you type the address into the GPS, please." Harry asked while trying, yes trying, to tome down the annoyance in his voice.

The situation Harry found himself in seemed to be one of the downsides of his past lifestyle choice. He had experienced it before, so he knew a little bit how to deal with it, however some girls were simply desperate.

And Astrid Pierce was one of them.

She had been one of his one-timers a year ago and still up to this day didn't get the memo that Harry didn't want anything more from her or with her. He met her at the pub where his mates regularly watched football matches together, the same place where he had got the courage to go up to Nina and talk to her. In contrast to Nina, Astrid sadly was an easy (and drunk) target who was easily swept of her feet. Harry smooth talked her, showed her his magic tricks in and out the bedroom and was gone out of her life by the next morning after explaining and agreeing that nothing more would come of this. As usual.

How terribly wrong he had been to think Astrid would give up this easily. For a year, she had managed to not only drive Harry insane with annoyance and guilt, she had even been that cunning to start a rumour about the two of them having a serious relationship. It spread like wildfire. Anyway, long story short, even now, a year later, Astrid managed to befriend some of his own friends and creep into the gang just to get to him. When Astrid came up to him to apologise for the things she had done and agreeing to a strictly platonic and friendly relationship, Harry actually believed her.

Until recently.

Until Nina came into the picture. Because not only Louis and Niall could see that something was definitely blossoming between those two, Astrid too had noticed the little smiles, the flirty winks, the gentle caresses, basically all the things she wanted Harry to do to her. She couldn't comprehend why on earth Harry was so enwrapped and smitten by her. She wasn't tall, she wasn't a skinny minger like most of his previous flings (and herself). However, she did have a pretty face, but apart from that, what did she have that Astrid didn't?

Every time she saw the handsome boy look in the rear view mirror and give one of those dimpled smiles to that bitch, the rage took over and she had to start another conversation to distract him...to everyone's annoyance, mostly Harry's.

•|•

Nina took a deep breath of the fresh sea air, enjoying the feeling of her lungs being filled with clean, healthy oxygen, adding another reason why this trip was one of the best decisions she had made in a long time. She needed a little bit of time just for herself, where she didn't have to worry about things such as the relationship between her mum and dad. It was dead anyway.