𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋! | harry styles

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

"YOU can trust me."

Harry's words echo in my ears all the way to work.

"…trust me."

The word trust in particular bounces around my head like a pinball.

I've become accustomed to relying on myself, on my ability to be self-sufficient, which up until now has worked out just fine. Only now, there's this guy—this stranger—that's throwing me for a loop. He's thoughtful, and kind, and though his exterior screams stay away he's gentle and sweet, and completely compelling. But at the same time; he's a stranger. I've known him for mere weeks and I just left my son with him in my apartment and oh my God what have I done?!

I contemplate asking the taxi to turn around at least three times, but can't seem to get the words out of my mouth. By the time I get to work my chest is tight and my stomach is clenched so hard I feel like I might vomit.

"You're early."

Leah is covered in a light sheen of sweat, and her dark skin shines under the fluorescent lighting of the dressing room. She flops into a seat, puffing as she tosses a handful of notes onto her dressing table. Since she's been working at one of Nick's other clubs for a few weeks, I've not seen her around for a while. She's loud, a bit rude, and a lot fierce, and I hadn't realized how much I missed her until now.

"Hello to you, too."

I shove my bag into my locker, but pull my phone from the side pocket. "Is Nick around?"

"Nah," she says, reapplying powder to her face. "Tania is though."

I glance back to see a thin strip of light visible beneath Nick's office door. I'd been hoping to catch him early, maybe wrangle my way out of half of my shift so that I can get back to Cody. It's not unlike him not to be here, it's just that it's the first night I've actually wished he was.

I turn back to Leah, glancing down at the darkened screen on my phone. "Jon in tonight?"

She smiles, sorting her tips into small piles: one for her, one for Nick, one for the bouncers, and, most likely, one for Jon.

"He's out front."

Leah's only problem is her boyfriend, our in-house DJ. Jon's a part time player with a full time drug habit, and Leah is just the latest in a string of short term girlfriends. She's strong, independent and will happily break balls if she needs to, but when it comes to Jon she simply will not be told. She's completely blinded by her love for him. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion and there's nothing I can do but watch it happen and hope it doesn't completely destroy her.

I press the home button on my phone, hoping to see a message or a phone call but there's nothing.

It's been forty-five minutes, I tell myself. They're fine. Cody is fine.

The side door swings shut with a loud bang, and both Leah and I turn to watch Tia, a ring-in from the Vegas club, saunter into the dressing rooms. She's tall, blonde, a deep shade of sun bed-infused brown, and has the biggest breasts I've ever seen. If I didn't know her I'd think she was a total air-head. But I do. And she's not. She's sweet and intelligent, and has a boy about Cody's age. I guess that's just the stigma that comes along with being a stripper. Women think we're whores and men think we're easy, when really we're just regular women with families and lives and mortgages and loans and bills to pay like everyone else.

"Evening, ladies," she says, dropping her bag at her feet before swooping in for a hug.

Her arrival softens the tight feeling in my stomach a little, and as she follows me into the change room I let our simple conversation take my mind off of Cody. For one moment we're just two girls gossiping about makeup and clothes, doing our hair and getting dressed up. It's moments like this that make me realize how much I've missed having another girl to talk to.