Sunbury Place (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction)

Chapter 25- Impulse and Intruders

Chapter 25

Sydney’s POV

 I swear the elevator had never moved slower as I waited for it to reach the lobby. With the familiar beep, the doors slid open and I stomped out into the lobby and out the doors. 

The air was colder than usual, and it stung my cheeks as I stepped outside. It was raining pretty hard, and it only took a few seconds before I was soaked through my clothes. I wasn’t even thinking about where I was going until I stopped in front of the coffee shop. The lights were out, and the sign on the door had been flipped to ‘closed’, but I let out a breath of relief when I reached for the knob and it turned, the door swinging open. 

“I’m sorry, we’re clos-“ 

Niall’s voice echoed from across the empty room, he was standing at one of the tables putting up the chairs. 

“Sydney?” 

“Hi.” I tucked my hair behind my ear, hoping it wasn’t too obvious I had been crying.

“Are you alright?” he walked toward me, slow and careful, his eyebrows furrowed together. “What’s wrong?” 

I shook my head, staring at the floor. “I don’t know why I came here.”

“What happened, Syd?”

He was only a few steps in front of me now, waiting for me to answer. I could tell by the tone in his voice he was concerned. I didn’t want to bother him with my stupid problems, especially since they were all about Harry and I’m pretty sure the last thing Niall wanted to talk about was my boy problems. I don’t know why my feet brought me here. Was I looking for something? 

I forced my gaze upwards, locking eyes with the adorable Irish boy in front of me. My mind was racing with thoughts of Cass, and Liam, and Harry and everything that had happened since we’d gotten here. I thought of that day in the moving truck when I first met Liam. That day on the ferris wheel. The poker game. The night I let Harry stay. The night I saw him with Cass. The night Liam saved me from that monster. My date with Niall. My face was blank, not knowing what emotion it was that I was supposed to be feeling at this moment. I was in over my head, here. I didn’t know how to deal with any of this. I just wanted to stop time until I could figure it all out.

“Sydney?”

“I don’t know why I came here.” I repeated, trying to explain my behavior. I know I must look like a wet mess. 

“Do you want to talk about it? 

The thought of re-living it all through conversation made me cringe, scrunching up my face to avoid another round of crying. I shook my head. 

We stood still, looking at each other. I could tell he was trying to read my expression, to figure out what was going through my head, knowing I wasn’t going to talk about it. I took a step closer, until the tips of our toes were touching, and looked up- he was staring down at me, looking more worried than before. I raised myself up on my tip-toes and without saying a word, I pressed my lips to his softly. I felt my body start to regain feeling as he gently kissed me back.

I pulled my face away only slightly, and he cleared his throat.

“Syd,” his voice was low and shaky. “You’re not thinking clearly- maybe we should grab a cup of coffee and just talk for a bit?” he was running his finger along my collarbone.

“No, it’s okay.” I pulled his hand down to my waist, as my other one made it’s way from his chest up to rest on his neck. “Please.”

I needed this. I needed to feel something. Something to make me forget about everything else. I knew it was wrong to send him so many different signals, but maybe this was the solution to all of my problems. Maybe the reason I was having such a hard time finding someone who’d really love me the right way was because I was only looking down the hall.

I kissed harder this time, and I felt him start to lose control quick- as if he’d been wanting this to happen. His hand was still on my waist, pulling me closer- the other holding my cheek softly. I sat my hands on his chest, moving them lower and lower until he pulled back. 

“I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret-“ he was trying to catch his breath, looking down at me, waiting for me to respond.

I didn’t look away, my eyes locked on his- shining bright blue, but full of confusion. I ran my hands along the bottom hem of my t-shirt before carefully peeling it off. His eyes flickered down quickly before returning to mine. I smiled, and he didn’t say another word- he just wrapped his hand around the back of my head and pulled me toward him, getting lost in another kiss. He reached under my legs pulling me up, and I wrapped them around his waist as he carried me over to the table in the corner.

He was looking through me again, trying to read my mind. He pulled his shirt off in a smooth motion and I looked at him. His bare chest made me instantly think of the contrast between Harry’s heavily tattooed body. Those two sparrows I had grown so familiar with in such a short time. Niall seemed to have notice my thoughts shift, and he handed me his dry shirt, and I quickly tugged it on- glad things hadn’t escalated any further. 

I didn’t need to hurt someone else. Niall had been nothing but perfect toward me, and I didn’t want to let myself ruin it because I needed a distraction. He grabbed my hand, tangling his fingers up in mine. 

“Friends?” he whispered, and smiled his sideways smile. I could see he was a little hurt when he could tell my intentions weren’t the same as his.

“Always.” I closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry for…this.”

“S’alright. We’ve all got our ‘stuff’.” He chuckled and I smiled back. “But maybe you should head home before you start something again. Can’t promise it’ll be so easy to say no next time.” 

We laughed, and I reached up and stroked his cheek. He really was beautiful. Not like Harry or Liam, but in a different way. 

“Thank you.” I stood up and pulled my hair out of the back of my shirt. “I’ll talk to you soon.” 

I walked to the door with a wave, before heading back out into the rain, running until I reached the apartments.

I hoped that at this point everyone would’ve given up any hope of me returning and went home. Maybe Rory was with Zayn and I could have the whole apartment to myself. A bath sounded like a great idea, right about now. I was shivering from the cold, and I was still on edge from my fight with Harry. 

The hall was empty, and the apartment door was locked. Good. Rory must be next door. I twisted my key in the lock and let myself in. The TV was playing quietly in the living room and I made my way through to the bathroom. I reached for the bathroom door, and was startled by footsteps behind me. They were light, and quick. I froze, too afraid to turn around.

“Syd?" 

“No.” the word sprang from my lips, full of anger and only getting worse. All of the relief I’d felt a few minutes ago with Niall was gone and all of the hate was rushing back- any trace of logic in my brain was being washed away by this waterfall of emotion. “No. You should not be here. Get out.”

I spun around when I didn’t hear any footsteps leaving, knowing my request had been ignored.

Cassie was standing six feet away from me in the hall, looking as perfect as ever.