What Goes Around... || H.S. Harry Styles

30.

Her first reaction is to run up and hug him, she hasn't seen Harry's dad in so long and the Styles family were always so overly welcoming to her that sometimes they felt more like her parents than her own.

The elation on her face quickly fades as the reality of what happened comes crashing through her mind.  Harry's confession in her kitchen about his dad leaving them, the fact he had caught him cheating on his mother and confronted him only to be lied to again and shortly after never see him again.

Confusion is quickly taking over from the initial shock of seeing him, what he is doing here? And with Zayn? 

Zayn had said this was his father, was Des Zayn's father as well. Was he born from an affair he had years ago and does that make Zayn and Harry brothers?

The dark haired boy approaches the table and puts an end to the awkward silence, clear that neither Tash nor Des know what to say first. 

"Wait, you two know each other?" He asks bewildered, as he pulls out a chair and sits down opposite to Tash.

"Umm, yeah, sorry I'm really confused, you said this was your father?" Tash directs at Zayn, hoping she will get a forthright answer from him given Des is sitting down next to him looking like he has a million emotions running through his mind.

"Step-dad," he responds with creased brows, perplexed by the bizarre reactions at the table. "SM Textiles - Styles & Malik," he explains and Tash laughs a little at the impossibility of this reality. 

What are the chances that she would run into two Styles men in the matter of a few weeks?

"I married Zayn's mother about six years ago, Nat.  Anne and I got divorced shortly after you kids finished school." Des adds cautiously, looking like he wants to ask her a barrage of questions but doesn't know how to approach it.

Zayn's face starts to relax as he pieces together some of the limited information, realising that Tash must have been friends with his other children and he leans back in his chair and exhales a laugh.

"I didn't realise you were 'Tasha'," he says shuffling through a folder in his hands of her designs, "Good on you for making a name for yourself," he praises politely but she can tell by the way he is shifting uncomfortably in his chair that the question she is dreading is coming.

"Um, so I know you and Harry broke up a long time ago but, d-do you see him at all?" he fumbles.

Tash notices Zayn's mouth drop open at the mention of Harry and another penny drops.

"Well, I hadn't seen him in about seven years...but some mutual friends happened to re-introduce us accidentally just last month, so um, it's very surreal that I would see you again as well," she tried to explain.

"So you've spoken to him? What is he doing with himself? Is he married? Kids?" Des starts firing off the question that seem to have been on the tip of his tongue since he laid eyes on her.

Tash feels incredibly uncomfortable talking about Harry to the person he seems to loath the most, very aware that Harry said his father left without any contact and she feels an irrational amount of anger towards him for leaving such a beautiful family behind. 

The fact he is sitting in front of her now though makes her wonder if maybe this has all happened for a reason and they maybe able to reunite, even just for a drink and clear some of the air.  Harry may get some answers to questions he has, if there are any.

"Umm, he's not married, no, and no kids, that I'm aware of," Tash jokes awkwardly, "and um, he owns a bar, not far from here.  He's doing really great," she is careful to give vague answers in case Harry wants to be just as anonymous in return but she feels a smile creep onto her lips just from thinking about him and she bites her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle it but can't.

"He's in the city? Wow, I'm surprised," he sneers and his tone irks Tash for some reason.

"Oh? Why is that?" She retorts with feigned innocence.

"Well, ahh, I guess to be honest I thought he'd knock someone up, probably you actually, and never get out of that town, be stuck there forever" he emphasises the word 'stuck' and adds a disingenuous "no offence" at the end.

Not surprisingly, Tash actually is offended and wonders if Des ever told Harry his thoughts before or if his own ridiculous fears had caused him to cheat on Anne in the first place?

Adding insult to injury Zayn adds in a smart-arse scoff and looks knowingly at his stepfather as if they weren't just belittling her and his son.

Tash's blood is starting to boil and she needs to get out of there before she says something she will utterly regret.

"I'm horribly sorry guys, but would you mind if we rescheduled this meeting, Zayn if you wanted to email me through any changes that would be great, I just... well, I really think I should go," she admits when she can't think of a better excuse.

"Sure, sure," Des starts looking completely relieved, and he stands politely as Tash does.

"Harry's bar is called Tribute, I think you really should go and see him.  Zayn can tell you where it is," she throws in and Des is nodding frantically.

"Yes, yes, I'd love to.  Look Nat, don't tell him alright? I really owe him a face to face conversation," he says seriously and she quickly agrees. 

She doesn't want to get involved in something she really has no history with and knows little about.  She only just found out he had left in the first place and if she is being honest, she has no idea how Harry would react.

"You need to see him this week, I can't keep working with you guys if Harry is in the dark," she says honestly and Des is slightly taken aback, slow to realise that her and Harry's 're-introduction' had progressed to more than just friends.

Tash files out of the cafe so quickly that she stumbles over her feet, tripping over seemingly nothing, and her hands fly out in front of her to steady her balance.

She curses her uncoordinated body and it's not until she is trying to unlock her bike when she realises how much her hands are trembling.

After fiddling for a while she finally breaks her white bicycle free from the stand and she hastily jumps on, not wanting to be anywhere but at home with Harry.

Her mind is a mess with what to tell him, and if she should say anything at all.  They have been going so well and she doesn't want to mess this up, especially with dishonesty of all things, but is it her business to get involved?

No, she needs to tell him, that's what she would expect him to do and the last thing she wants to do is keep something from him when all she has been asking for is openness and honesty.  She's calling Harry with shaky hands only to reach his voice mail.

"Harry, it's me, need to talk to you. Call me as soon as you get this." 

Just as she hangs up a car door suddenly opens in her path but she's too late to swerve around it. 

A tiny scream bursts from her lips as she is flung from her bike and thrown onto the road.

She can hear her phone ringing in her pocket and people rushing around before her vision starts to fade and it all goes black.

A/N:

Noooo. Poor Tash!

so many things to discuss!

1. what do you think about Des and what he has done?

2. Should she tell Harry or give Des the opportunity to contact him?

3. Is she going to be ok!!

New chapter coming VERRRY soon, just finishing it so hopefully up tomorrow!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

love Ruby

xx