Adulation / h.s

28

"You're going out tonight?" Harry asked in surprise. He was spending his friday night stuck in his office. With the paper work, meeting minutes, and invoices he had to look through, along with other things he had to sort through he would be lucky if he got away before 1am tonight.

"Yeah," Rosie smiled balancing the phone between her shoulder and cheek as she looked through her wardrobe trying to find something.

It had been a long two weeks at work, but now it was half term which meant Rosie got a week off. It had been nearly three weeks since she was mugged, the police had been fantastic, but she had her suspicions that Harry had been on at them to get things sorted.

They had found her bag, empty, but at least she had gotten it back. They had taken fingerprints from the bag for investigation which was still going on. They had five suspects but they couldn't prove anything until the fingerprints came back.

"Baby," Harry sighed. "Is that wise?"

Rosie lay out two dresses before walking back to her wardrobe to see other options. "What? I'm supposed to stay holed up in my house?"

"No, not at all, that wasn't what I meant." He rubbed his face tired, he had been in the office since 7:30 that morning. "Just.. I'd prefer if I were there with you,"

Rosie knew it was coming from a good place, but she didn't want to feel suffocated. She didn't want to feel like she needed Harry there. "I don't need you at everything," She tried to be as diplomatic as she could but she knew with the mood he was in that he could possibly take it the wrong way.

"Thanks,"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. I've never been the clingy type, I've never made you feel like you need to be with me and vice versa."

"This isn't about being clingy, this is about you being safe."

"I will be safe, I'll be with Bella and the girls. The guys are going too, there'll be a few of us."

Harry felt a little better to know the guys would be there, but he still wasn't happy. "Just please be careful,"

"Baby, of course I will."

"Maybe don't take a bag?"

"Harry don't be silly, I need a bag, i have things I need to take with me."

Harry sighed out of frustration. 

"Why are you getting annoyed?" Rosie asked putting back the dresses she didn't want and taking out the heels she wanted for the dress she had decided on.

"Because you don't get it," Harry snapped. He very rarely showed this side of him to her, they didn't argue a lot and when they did it was quick and honest. But Rosie felt Harry was holding a lot back this time.

"Wow, right okay Mr Snappy." She scoffed.

"You're going on like life is perfect and normal and it isn't. You were mugged Rosie, it's a serious thing not some fucking joke."

Rosie stopped what she was doing, stunned by his change in behaviour. She understood he was tired, she understood he had been at work all day, but she wouldn't allow to be spoken to like this.

"At what point did I say life was perfect? At what point have I ever said this was a joke, or treated it like a joke?" Her voice shook and she hated herself for it. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it.

Harry sighed knowing this was only escalating and his mood wasn't helping it.

"Rosie-"

"Fuck you, Harry." She spat. She didn't mean for it to come out so dramatically but she had had enough now, he had been like this for weeks, ever since she was mugged. She understood and appreciated that he was worried and protective but she couldn't be wrapped up in cotton wool, she couldn't not live her life how she wanted. She couldn't stay at home bored out of her skull too scared to step outside in case of something happening.

"Rosie-"

She put the phone down not wanting to hear the rest of what he had to say, he was in a bad mood and he had now put her in one. She shook off the negativity, blasted her music and got ready.

When she was dressed she caught a taxi to Bella's who was already drinking with Karis.

"No Layla or Charlie?" She asked sipping the wine Bella handed her.

"Both busy," Bella rolled her eyes. "We're meeting Jacob, Will and Noah at Bar 1 then going wherever the night takes us." She explained.

Rosie gave her a thumbs up and a smile before looking at her phone to find two missed calls and four messages - all from Harry. She locked her phone, rolling her eyes.

"Trouble in paradise?" Bella asked noticing her best friends behaviour while Karis excused herself to the toilet.

"He was just being a dick, but then again probably so was I."

"What's happened?"

Rosie sighed. "I don't even want to go in to it because it's just going to ruin the vibe. He basically didn't want me to go out, said I'm treating the fact I was mugged like a joke."

Bella sighed. "Oh dear,"

"Yeah, how's Niall?"

Bella's smile was from cheek to cheek. "He's very good, he's at a meal with his family but might meet us later."

"Nice," Rosie drank the rest of her wine, pouring herself some more once it was empty.

Rosie cheered when they met the rest of the guys, hugging Noah and Will at the same time before hugging Jacob.

"Shots?" Jacob asked round before heading to the bar with Karis.

"How are you?" Noah asked as they all found the booth Will had pre-booked.

"I'm fine,"She smiled. "You?" She took out her phone to see two more missed calls from Harry. She quickly deleted them and put her phone away.

"Liar," He raised an eyebrow.

Rosie sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, if that's okay?"

He nodded. "Course, no worries."

She smiled, patting his leg before turning to Jacob who brought over the tray of shots, placing them on the table. "Two shots each," He called.

"What flavours are they?" Bella asked.

"A mixture, I don't know, just get them down your throat!" Jacob yelled picking one up and handing it out to Karis.

The friends danced, laughed and drank until the early hours of the morning, Rosie had forgotten about the argument with Harry, her mind completely distracted by her friends and their happiness. She felt at ease, happy. She looked around, her eyes lulled in a drunken state as she watched her friends laughing and dancing and couldn't feel more content in that moment.

"Oi, why have you stopped dancing?" Noah prodded her making her laugh. "Come on," He grabbed her hand and brought her back into the group, the friends all dancing and singing together. Rosie smiled as she leant against Noah's shoulder, her heels digging into her make it hard to stand especially when she wasn't so sober.

"Cheered up?" He asked speaking directly into her ear.

She nodded smiling at him and leaning up. "Never been happier."

Noah smiled at her, glad his friend was back to her usual self. He cared for Rosie, probably more than he should care for a friend but he would never act on it, especially now Harry was on the scene. He knew how much she loved him just by the way she spoke about him, even though it hurt him, he'd never let her know.

Rosie smiled, dancing with her friends completely oblivious to those around her, not knowing that someone had captured those innocent moments with Noah now on their way to Harry's phone.