Keep You Close - HO

•12•

After just sitting in Haz's arms for a while on the sofa, his fingers brushing through my hair, I left my head to look at him, his beautiful blue eyes bringing me comfort as they always have.
"Want to tell me what happened?" He asks.
"We were eating, and I asked him if everything was okay because he's been acting weird lately." I start. "He said that he is in love with me.."
Haz doesn't look even a little bit surprised, which is understandable because he did call it. I just didn't listen.
"And what did you say?" He asks.
"I uh.." I trail off. The answer to his question is also going to start another conversation that's even more stressful. Right now, I need to focus on saving my friendship, not my relationship with Haz. "I just told him I didn't feel the same."
"And he's mad at you for it?" He asks.
"Not necessarily mad.. just. You know how it is." I say and he laughs.
"Oh my god.. did you just make Alex and I the 'rejected by Kylie' club?" He giggles.
"You're so dramatic." I laugh along with him, already feeling much better.
"Just give him some time, he'll come around. It's too hard staying away from you.."
"Yeah? How do you do it?" I tease.
"I don't. I bribed you into moving in with me. I'm a worse mess than he is."
We both laugh, and I can't help but just stare at him with complete and utter contentment. Even feeling upset over my situation with Alex, I feel weirdly at ease with Haz. Just as I did before our relationship went to shit.
He pulls me into him, holding me close. The thought of pulling away doesn't even cross my mind, because all I want is him.
"Is this okay?" He asks, stroking my hair.
"It's perfect."
_____
I run from room to room, trying to get ready for work in time. I woke up late because Haz kept me up half the night talking. Everything in me wanted to tell him how I felt, that I wanted to try things again, but what kind of friend would that make me if I got with my ex the day after my best friend admitted his feelings to me? I need to fix things with Alex before I even think of moving on with Haz.
I walk into the kitchen, seeing Haz is already gone and at work, but there's a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers on the table with a card. I smile, picking it up and reading it.
Angel,
Hopefully these brighten your day. You are my sunshine.
-Hazzy
He is the sweetest person.. I missed this part of him. Leaning in, I smell the flowers, and let myself feel the butterflies in my stomach rather than trying to ignore their presence.
I drive to work, and walk inside.
"Morning, Kylie." Jenelle smiles as I walk past her desk.
"Good morning." I say, and go into my office.
My phone dings and I check it quickly.
Haz: come by my office at lunch please.
Lunch with Haz? Perfect.
Kylie: see you then!
My day goes by pretty quickly, and I not only got all my meetings done successfully, but I got all my revisions done. Just one step closer to being published. I can't wait to tell Haz, he always knew I'd get published, and now it's almost done.
"When will I be getting those revisions Ms. Waters?" My boss asks as he stands in the door of my office.
"Just sent them over!" I smile as I pack up my things to head over to Haz's for lunch.
"Perfect." He nods. "Oh and will you be at the publishing party this Friday?"
"Oh my god.. that's this Friday?" I mutter and he laughs. I'm really glad I have a down to earth boss.
"Yes. I'll see you there."
He leaves my office and I head out to Haz's office. The smooth ride over there in my Tesla doesn't last long, and I walk inside. I completely forgot that I have to have an appointment to get in. I text Haz frantically to come down here to let me in, but he doesn't get back to me before the security sees me.
"Ma'am if you don't have an appointment you need to go." The man says.
"You literally just saw me last week!" I groan.
"She's with me."
My eyes lift, seeing a man I've never seen in my life. I almost say something, but then go with it so I can get in.
"So sorry sir." The security man says, letting me past with the blonde man with sparkling green eyes.
We walk past and he looks over to me.
"The new security is bullshit." He says to me, and I laugh. "I mean you're obviously not some spy here to steal company information."
"How do you know?" I challenge jokingly.
"Because spies never go through the front door! Duh!" He exclaims.
"Yeah okay. You caught me. I'm just an ordinary girl." I giggle.
"I'm Michael." He introduces himself.
"Kylie." I smile.
I see Haz walking down the hallway swiftly, looking great as ever in his charcoal grey suit. He reaches me, and his arm snakes around my waist.
"Sorry about the security Angel." He says. "I see someone helped you in."
By the way Haz looks at Michael, I can tell there's some sort of beef between them, and it probably didn't help that he saw us laughing together.
"Yeah well you didn't put her in the system so." Michael states. "I'm going to get to work. Nice meeting you Kylie."
"You too Michael." I say as he walks away.
Haz is quick to pull me into his office and slam the door behind him. I frown, grabbing his hands and pulling him close to me.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"I don't like how he looked at you." He scowls.
"But I'm single." I tease and he glares at me.
"Now darling." He sighs, grabbing both my wrists and holding them behind my back with only one hand. His other hand grabs my chin, making me look up at him. "I plan on changing that very soon."
"You can't be like this. We're broken up." I say.
"Then why are you letting me? Hmm?"
The tension breaks when his office door opens, and Tom walks in holding several dresses over his arm. Haz let's me go and I exhale, cleansing  the sexual tension from my body.
"Alright here they are." He says, laying them over the chairs.
"You need to pick one." Haz says to me and I lift my brow in confusion.
"Why?" I ask.
"For the benefit dinner this Saturday." He says.
"I never agreed to that." I state.
"Good luck mate." Tom laughs, leaving the room.
"Come on Kylie, pretty please?" He asks.
Okay, he's adorable, but I can't stand these things. I've been to one with him before, and it was awful. Everyone is so fake, and they only donate to the charities because it makes them look good. Haz is one of the few rich people who actually cares about others, but just about everyone else at those parties are awful people.
"I have one condition." I say.
"And what would that be?" He asks.
"You come to my publishing party on Friday."
"A publishing party? Full of smart fancy people?" He asks with a cringe on his face.
"Yes. If I agree to a night with snobby rich people, then you can agree to a night with smart sophisticated people." I push.
He thinks for a moment, and nods.
"Fine. Deal. Now pick a dress so we can go to the cafe and get food."
I look over the dresses, all of them are gorgeous, and probably extremely overpriced. I look over the blush satin, deciding that one would look the best on me.
"This one." I say.
"My girls got expensive taste." He says with amusement. "Good thing you got someone loaded to fall in love with you."
"Yeah we get it Osterfield. You're rich." I roll my eyes.
"I'm loaded in more ways than one baby." He grins.
"You're so dumb." I shake my head, walking past him.
This whole pretending not to want him thing is difficult. Obviously nothing is going to happen until I can fix things with Alex, but until then it's going to be difficult to resist his stupid charm.
We go to our diner, and we sit down at our normal table. I always love coming here with him. Ronda shoots us a big smile, and walks over.
"How's it going you two?" She asks.
"Good how are you?" Haz asks.
As he talks with Ronda, the doors open and my eyes shoot up to see who's coming in. My mouth drops just slightly when I see Alex, Alice, and Maggie. They didn't even invite me? We always go here together.
"I'll get your pancakes." Ronda smiles as she walks away from the table.
"What's going on?" Haz asks as he notices my change in attitude. He looks over to the door, seeing my three friends waiting to be seated at a table.
"I can't believe they didn't even invite me.." I mutter.
"Well what do you expect? You kind of broke the guys heart.." he explains.
Mine and Alex's eyes meet, and he lets out a deep breath. I can't tell if I should say something or not, so instead I just wave.
He ignores me, but when the girls see me they get big smiles on their faces and make their way over to say hi. I can tell Alex doesn't want to come over, but he does anyways. I wonder if he told them.
"Long time no see." Maggie says and she leans down to hug me.
"Practically disappeared off the face of the earth." Alice comments.
"We haven't officially met." Haz says as he stands from his seat. "Harrison Osterfield."
"I'm Maggie, this is Alice, and this is al-"
"We've met." Alex mutters in annoyance.
"Ohh." Maggie picks up on the tension between the boys.
"Sorry I've taken her from you guys, it's just been a while since we've hung out." Haz apologizes.
"I wouldn't say bribing her to move in with you in a desperate stunt to get her back is just hanging out." Alex says and my mouth drops slightly. I can't believe he just said that..
"Okay well, I think we should go get a table, we will see you two later." Alice breaks up the situation quickly, pulling Alex off to a table across the room.
"Sorry about him." Maggie's mutters, before following behind the group.
I look over to Haz who now sits down again. I feel bad for how Alex treated him. It's not my fault, but it feels like it is. I've never been put in a situation where two boys want me at the same time. I know who I want, but how can I get him without breaking the other?

A/N: I'd just like to say... fuck Alex. He's a selfish prick. That is all.