Harry Styles Ate My Hamster (One Direction fan fiction)

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

I leaned over wearily and looked at the clock on my bedside table. 06:46. I hadn't slept at all and my eyes were swollen up from tiredness and tears.

Dragging myself out of bed, I went downstairs on autopilot, still in my PJs and put biscuits in Ed's bowl. I felt completely numb.

Ed looked up at me in my sorry state and purred loudly. I stroked him under the chin. "I know Ed. What a mess."

I sat in front of my laptop and logged into my work e mail. I'd already decided last night that I was going to hand in my resignation at the magazine. There was no way I could continue under the circumstances, not with Brooke there. Plus, Max would tell me to leave again anyway as soon as I told him I couldn't continue with the 1D article. I'd totally run out of chances. I'd have to start all over again someplace else. My heart felt heavy at the thought.

I'd got as far as 'Dear Max...' when a new e mail popped up in my inbox. It was anonymous. I stared at it for a couple of seconds before I clicked 'open'.

"Meet me in Mario's Café. Charing Cross Road. 8.30am. (A friend)."

In my worn-out state, it took me a while to take it in and I re-read it a few times before I finally sat back and ran my hands through my hair. Oh my God. What now? I couldn't take much more of this.

I was physically and emotionally drained and I didn't know if I even had the strength to leave the house but I forced myself into the shower and put on some jeans and a top, pulling my hair back into a pony tail.

As I went to go out of the front door I caught sight of my face in the mirror and stared at my reflection. I looked like a girl who'd just had her heart ripped out and stamped on. I took a deep breath. Come on Amber, you have to do this.

When I got to the Café, my stomach churned nervously, partly because I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday lunchtime and partly because I had no idea what was about to happen but I had a feeling it could only be bad in light of everything else that had happened so far.

The Café was empty apart from a young girl behind the counter and a man sat in the corner with a newspaper obscuring his face.

As he lowered the paper I saw who it was and gasped.

"Rory?"

"Who were you expecting? Justin Beiber?"

I walked over to him and sat down. "It's you! You're the 'friend'. I don't understand. I didn't even think you liked me."

"I don't particularly. But to be fair, I don't particularly like people full stop so I wouldn't read much into it."

"But why did you...?"

"Let's get this straight," he continued in his monotone voice. "I don't really give a rat's arse about your future career prospects or come to that, your romance of the century with that mop haired idiot. But I do hate bullies and Brooke was bullying you. She needed to be put in her place. I can assure you, I didn't do it because I liked you, although I suppose I can see why some men would find you vaguely attractive if you're into that sort of thing."

I didn't really know what to say to that. "Thanks Rory, I..."

"Save it. You need to see this."

He placed a copy of one of the U.S papers open on the table in front of me.

I looked down and saw a picture of the same girl I'd seen in yesterday's paper, the one kissing Harry in the photo. She was in a bra and knickers, sitting on a chair looking sad.