HIS EFFECT |Harry Styles|

Strangers

"I'm sorry, Ashton." A dry sob left my lips. I knew I was hurting him, I knew he was suffering too, but I couldn't risk losing Harry again. "I'm sorry for hurting you like this, but I can't lose him, he's everything to me." My eyes watered as I watched the sun setting in front of us and casting shades of pink and orange in the sky.

"I can assure you that I feel the exact same way about you, Liv." Ashton sighed, running his long fingers through his hair. "You make me feel alive, you make me feel like I can do anything, you give me strength and power to be myself and I'm never more myself than when I'm with you." I felt his eyes burning into me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"You can't ask me to give up on you, Liv, just like I can't ask you to give up on Harry, I know you would never let him go because you love him, but you have to understand that I feel just the same for you." I snapped my head to the side as soon as I realised what his words meant.

"Y-you love me?" My eyes were wide and my mouth went dry when the realisation hit me. Ashton just looked at me blankly, watching me as I fidgeted in my seat.

"Isn't it obvious?" He chuckled dryly. "I think it's God's twisted way of making me learn a lesson, you know? I've always been the one to break girl's hearts, but now I'm the one who's breaking." Ashton looked down at his hands that were resting over his lap.

"I don't know what to say, Ash, I'm really sorry that you're hurt and that I'm the one who's hurting you." A silent tear rolled down my cheek and I sniffled, trying to hold back the other tears that tried to break free.

"It's not your fault, Liv." I felt the weight of his hand resting on my shoulder and, from the corner of my eye, I could see how hesitant he was about touching me.

"Yes, it is! How can you say that? I was the one who asked you to kiss me, I was the one who led you on the whole time, it's all my fault and now I've lost a friend because of my stupid, irrational mistake." I let out an exaggerated breath, running my hand through my hair and playing with the tips of it.

"I would fall for you despite any of what happened, believe it or not, but I truly think that this..." Ashton gesture between us with his hand. "...was meant to be."

"Ash..." I shook my head, ready to argue some sense into his head, he could not possibly believe that I was going to leave Harry for him, not after everything that had already happened.

"Don't worry." He interrupted me before I could even say anything that I was planning to. "I don't want you to feel guilty about my feelings for you, after all, they're mine and there's nothing I can do about it except believe that time will heal me."

"I'm still sorry we can't be friends, though." I looked at him with a sad smile. Liking it or not, Ashton and I had become really close during the tour. He was my friend and partner in crime. He would always keep me company, even on the days that I just wanted to lay on the couch and read a book, he would grab his earphones and lay on the floor beside me, humming to whatever song he was listening.

I never felt alone when he or Harry was around, but since Harry was always out promoting the tour or the new album, that made me turn to Ashton even more and he seemed always glad to have me around him.

Watching the 5SOS rehearsals was my favourite thing to do, it was so fun to watch a bunch of grown, tall, strong boys being cheeky and childish and Ashton was the worst of them. He was always making jokes or planning pranks to pull on the other boys, there was never a dull moment when I was with him.

And having to let that go was something I never thought I would have to do one day.

"Me too, Liv..." Ashton sighed beside me, wrapping and arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his chest. "I'm still here for you, okay? I'll always be here for you." He planted a kiss on the top of my head after I nodded slowly.

The sun was completely set now and the darkness was starting to consume the little light that remained on the sky. We could already see the moon the shone above us, getting brighter by the minute. The wind was also picking up, making me shiver in Ashton's arms, even though the warmth radiating from him was still enough to keep me warm.

He was no Harry, though.

I could literally be naked on top of the Everest, but I would still be warm if I had Harry there holding me. It was like he was my only source of heat, the only thing keeping me alive and well.

"I think we should go back now." Ashton said sadly in my ear. He knew that after we got back we would no longer be friends, we would no longer spend the afternoons together, we would no longer mess the boys dressing rooms when no one was around, we would no longer hang out, reading books or just listening to music in a non-awkward silence.

We would just be strangers.

"Yeah, you're right." I pulled back from the comfort of his chest, smiling sadly at our new reality, before planting a gentle kiss over his dimple that was indenting his cheek as he also gave me a crooked smile.

"I love you, Olivia." Ashton said lowly and a genuine, shy smile etched on my lips. It was obvious that it hurt him admitting his feeling for me out loud when he knew that nothing was going to happen between us, but he said it nonetheless and that was all I needed to know that his words were true.

"I love you too, Ash." I smiled again and his eyes flickered with something that could only be hope. "Just not the way you want me to." His smile fell and his skin felt warm as I cupped his cheeks in my hands.

It broke my heart seeing him like that and it broke my heart to know that I didn't feel the same way, but there was nothing I could do to hurt him any less or to change his feelings. If anything, I just made it all worse.

"Come on." He stood up, wiping away the sand that had glued to his jeans before extending a hand and helping me to get on my feet. After folding the towels and shoving them inside of the bag I had brought, we started to make our way back to the city.

My feet sunk in the sand, making me much shorter than I already was and bringing an amused smiled on Ashton's lips.

"Having some trouble there, huh?" He smile at me, slightly pushing me so I lost my balance and tilted to the side.

"Hey!" I scolded, holding back that grin that threatened to grow. "It's not nice to push." I shoved him twice as hard, but he barely moved, earning a loud laugh from him.

"You're so weak!" He teased, pushing me again, only this time we were going down on a small hill of sand and as I tried to grip his arm for support he backed away, making me fall on my knees.

"You're mean!" I shouted after Ashton, who just kept walking with his hands in his pockets and laughing away.

I was going to miss that laugh, I knew I was, but I couldn't keep torturing him, he needed to get over me and I needed to let him go, even if that was one of the hardest things I had ever done.

I'm so sorry if this chapter was shitty guys, but I had no time to edit it and I'm going crazy here with work and uni!

As always, thank you so much for reading.

Please let me know what you think will happen.

Much love,

- I.