Publicity Stunt- Harry Styles Fan Fiction

Chapter 17

*Harry's POV*

"You know, it's crazy how much we've changed since this all started," Kayla said from the chair on the other side of her living room. I was currently on her large 'L' shaped couch, my legs stretched out as we talked and ate. The lads and I had just finished the interview and the meet and greet which was after the interview. Instead of going out with the boys, I came over to Kayla's.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no!" I chuckled at her random outburst. "Okay, no, sorry. But I mean, like think about it. When we started this whole fake dating thing, we hated each other."

"Wait, you hated me?" I asked in mock shock. She rolled her eyes.

"I didn't like your exsitance, kay? And besides, if I remember correctly, you were pretty cold towards me as well," she pointed out.

"Yes, and I explained to you that I was still recovering from the whole Jessica thing," I defended myself. She nodded her head in understanding.

"I know that, Harry. I'm not holding that against you, I'm just saying, look how far we've both come from this! Like, you haven't been drinking and partying as much, I mean, you did reject going out to hang with the boys just to come hang out with me. And you haven't been getting bad press because of that. And I mean, not to toot my own horn, but I'm going to be in the Victoria Secret show, which is pretty awesome. And I mean, the fact that we've become such good friends now just makes it all the better," she explained. I clutched my hand to my chest in mock pain.

"Was I just friend zoned?" I gasped. She laughed and shook her head before turning back to the movie we had been watching.

I felt a pain in my chest when she didn't say that I wasn't for some reason. I don't know why, I mean, it's not like I expected anything to come out of this, did I? I promised myself that I wouldn't do this to myself again. It only ever ends up with me getting hurt.

So why did it hurt right now? I hadn't lost anything. I hadn't just watched something horrible happen, so why does it hurt? For some odd reason her silence to the question made my chest tighten, and I couldn't explain why.

"Was I?" I mumbled under my breath. I need answers. I need to figure out why this hurts.

Ryder turned towards me, confusion on her features. "What'd you say? Sorry, couldn't hear you."

"Was I?" I raised my voice a bit so she could hear me this time. She kept looking at me in confusion.

"Were you what?" she asked.

"Was I just friend zoned?" I asked again.

Ryder sort of just froze up a bit, her expression going blank. Her silence once again hurt me to no end.

"What if I told you I didn't want this to be fake anymore?" I asked her.

Where the h*** did that come from?

*Ryder's POV*

"What if I told you I didn't want this to be fake anymore?"

If it was possible, I just froze up even more. What does he mean, not wanting this to be fake? There was no possible was he felt the same as me, was there? I mean, his words implied it, but he could just be messing with me. I mean, that's one sick joke. but I don't even know.

"W-What?" I stuttered. Harry groaned and put his face in his hands.

"God, I'm so stupid. Why did I say that? Why couldn't I just keep my mouth closed? There was no way you would've felt the same, gosh I'm so stupid. I'm sorry, Ryder." He stood up, throwing away his takeout box and grabbing his coat. "I'm just going to go."

I sat frozen on in the chair as Harry walked out the door into the spring rain which had started an hour ago.

It wasn't until the door slammed closed that I realized what had just happened, jumping up and running out of my house. I ran out, my bare feet getting soaked in seconds by the puddle outside my house. I didn't care. I snapped my head towards my driveway, seeing his Range Rover still parked there. I turned my head down the sidewalk, seeing a figure walking further from me in the rain. Harry.

"HARRY!" I called out, running down the sidewalk. He apparently didn't hear me over the rain, seeing as he kept walking. "HARRY STYLES!" I yelled, not caring if any fans heard. His body turned around quickly as I came barreling towards him, throwing my arms around his neck when I reached him. He stumbled back a bit, placing a hand on my back and one behind him to catch him if need-be.

"Ryder?" he questioned, his voice raised to be heard over the pelting rain. His jacket and shirt stuck to his body, soaking wet, but neither of us cared. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want this to be fake either," I panted, pulling back slightly from our hug to see his facial reaction. He looked confused. "Harry, I don't want you to only be able to kiss me in public. I don't want Addie and Simon planning our relationship out. I don't want this to be them, I want it to be us. I want there to be an us."

He smashed our lips together, cutting me off from being able to ramble any more. He kissed me in the rain for a bit before pulling apart, drawing our foreheads together.

"I want there to be an us, too. Because Ryder, whatever I feel for you, it's not just a publicity stunt."