Never Going Back Again

8. Eve

"Good morning sunshine"

Eve jumped as the lift doors fully opened and she was greeted with a sleepy looking Harry dressed in casual jeans and a well-fitting dark jumper adorned with planets.

Eve had been too busy looking at the ground to see Harry inside the lift. His deep raspy morning voice had given her a fright.

"Are you coming in?" Harry asked leaning forward to hold the doors before they slid closed again.

"Oh yeah'" Eve mumbled and stumbled in, turning around to face the doors again.

"Ground floor?" Harry's deep voice in such a confined space did strange things to her body.

She swallowed "Yes please"

The doors took an eternity to close and Eve was hyper aware of... everything. Where her hands were loosely hanging at her side. How her slumped shoulders did nothing for her posture and how close Harry Styles was to her back. The lift was large as far as lifts go but for some reason Harry felt too close. As if he had no awareness of personal space.

He made Eve feel nervous but not because she was scared of him. Eve felt it hard to rationalise in her head. He made her feel... funny. She wasn't attracted to him. Although she could admit he was handsome with his floppy brown hair and his piercing green eyes, she didn't fancy him. She wasn't even sure she'd recognise those adolescent feelings anymore. She recognised that she felt admiration and gratitude towards him. He'd helped her out extensively when she was at her lowest point. She understood that. But there was something else she felt. Something she couldn't quite put words to.

'Where are you off to today?' She jumped again at the sound of his voice and then felt her cheeks flush as she heard a soft chuckle escape from Harry.

He held the door as the lift eventually pinged open and they both made their way out, into the lobby.

'Shopping' Eve felt a childish grin appear on her lips as she looked up at Harry. 'It's my first pay day' she explained 'So I think I need to expand my wardrobe a bit. I didn't grab much when I left...' Eve lowered her gaze to her scabby converse wondering why she's told Harry all that. Shopping would have sufficiently answered his question.

An awkward silence fell between them as they stood in the middle of the lobby surrounded by people rushing in and out. It was still early so people were leaving on their way to work, tourists were rushing out to catch the early bus into the city centre and meanwhile Harry and Eve stood in their own little bubble ignoring everyone.

'What are your plans for the day?' Eve eventually looked back up at Harry needing to end the awkward silence.

Harry contemplated his answer for a moment '... I don't have any, mind if I join you?'

'Sorry?' Eve faltered unsure if he was kidding.

'I could do with a bit of retail therapy and there's a few things I need to pick up in town. I could come with you, if you wanted?' He added

'Don't you have work today?' Eve saw a smile creep over his lips.

'I did' He smiles 'but I'd rather go shopping than go to the office'

After a moment Harry reached up to gently squeeze Eve's arm, he added quietly

'You can say no Eve, if you don't want me to come' Although his hand had only touched her jacket and was a few layers away from touching her skin it felt like he had scorched her arm. Even after he dropped his arm back to his side she could still feel where his hand had been.

Eve paused for a moment to think about his offer. Eve had spent most of her shift yesterday contemplating wether or not it was a good idea to go shopping today. It was her first pay check and while she should really be saving every penny for a deposit and rent for a room in a flat or something she was also in desperate need of some new clothes. She had only packed the bare minimum the night she had fled from Jake and she was in desperate need of a pair of jeans that weren't threadbare and falling apart at the seams and some new t-shirts that hadn't lost all their colour from being washed so many times and she didn't even want to think about the dire state of her underwear drawer.