That Summer (One Direction Fanfiction)

**SEQUEL** Part 12

*Brittany’s POV*

I paced back and forth in Harry’s front hallway, my cell phone in my hand as I tried to figure out what I was going to tell Riley. I hadn’t had the chance to tell him that I had forgiven Harry yet and I knew that when I did, he would not be happy. I couldn’t tell him I was going to spend the night at Haz’s house, but I didn’t want to lie to him either.

Liam wandered into the hallway. He must have seen the dilemma on my face, “Tell him you went to visit me. It won’t be a complete lie.”

“I don’t want to lie at all,” I tugged on the friendship bracelet on my wrist. It was the one I had torn off last summer. Harry had just given it back to me. “But I don’t want him coming over here either.”

“Then I’ll lie,” Liam took out his phone, fingers flying over the keyboard. He pressed the send button and gave a satisfied smirk. “Done.”

I grabbed at his phone and read the message he had just sent Riley, ‘Britt’s phone died, she wanted me to let you know that she came down to visit and is spending the night’

“Liam!” I smacked his arm. “I didn’t want to lie!”

“Too late,” he snatched my phone from my hand and turned it off. “Just in case Riley tries to call you.”

“Brittany! Liam!” I turned at the sound of Harry’s voice. It was coming from outside. “Come here.”

We trooped outside, looking around when we walked out the back door. There was no one in sight, just the slight rippling off the water in the pool as the wind blew.

“Where…” A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist and I felt myself being lifted. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air, bracing myself as I prepared to splash into the cold water of the pool. I sunk down into the crystal depths, the shock of the water muffling everything go on around me. I shot to the surface just as Niall ripped off his shirt and jumped into the pool. Louis was already in, screaming as Zayn ducked him under the water. Liam was perched on the ladder, tentative about immersing himself in the cold. Harry was standing by the side where he had released me, his hands shoved into the deep pockets of his jeans.

I swam over to him and shook my dripping hair out of my face. I folded my arms on the edge of the pool, kicking my legs back and forth to stay afloat as Harry crouched down next to me. “Meanie,” I stuck out my tongue. “It’s freezing in here.”

“I know,” Harry laughed. He pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees as he stared at me.

“Are you coming in?”

Harry shook his head, a silky curl falling down into his green eyes. I reached up and pushed it out of the way. Harry grabbed my hand as I did so and I had an opportunity. Kicking my legs off the wall of the pool I shot backwards and pulled Harry into the water as he screamed.

When Harry surfaced he glared at me, then quickly shed all his clothes. He tossed the bundle of sopping wet fabric out of the pool before grabbing my ankle and pulling me under. We joked around in the deep end, dunking each other and splashing water as we laughed. It felt good to mess around with Harry again. I missed him.

“Next time, just tell me the truth.”

I looked up from the pool in shock at Riley’s voice. I was frozen, my hand still on Harry’s head, seeing as I had been about to duck him under. Riley was standing silhouetted at the edge of the pool, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He was wearing a white tee shirt with a tattered leather jacket over it, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black skinny jeans. He shifted from foot to foot, his blonde fringe hanging down to cover his tired looking green eyes. I was suddenly aware that the autumn day had fallen silent and I realized Louis, Zayn, Niall, and Liam had ditched the pool as soon as Riley arrived.