Brother's Best Friend || l.s.

chapter 23

"What the fuck was that all about?" Niall whispered in bewilderment to Harry, following Liam's mild freak-out while disclosing that he knew it 'wasn't fucking Jamie' who gave Harry the love bite.

"I have no idea." Harry voiced, his tone wavering as his heart thumped. "Why did he get so mad?"

"Who else could it possibly be?" Niall pondered, though trying to sound like he was on Harry's side, unpackaging some muffins and using the metal utensils to put them behind the display glass. Harry was too busy awkwardly strolling around, trying to look busy.

"No idea, maybe he just got touchy for no reason because he thinks I'm lying." Harry suggested, sighing heavily as he fell back onto the high stool. "I can't let Ed see this mark, he'll probably have a go at me 'cause I have it at work."

"It's your fault for getting it on with Jamie during your break." Niall smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. "Mate, I'm not even surprised either. You and Jamie were bound to get closer, you fucking kissed, for crying out loud, remember?"

"Of course I remember." Harry chuckled, scrunching up a spare apron from the hooks and throwing it at Niall to irritate him.

He preoccupied himself by working in the stockroom for the duration of Liam's break, finally making somebody other than himself take the turn of working the till whenever a customer came in. He was dreading Liam coming back from his break, because then it was Niall's turn, meaning only Harry and Liam would be in the bakery. Harry could already taste the awkwardness.

By the time Liam came back, and Harry could hear him outside telling Niall to go on his break, Harry had been pretending to be busy in that stockroom for too long. He wanted to cower beneath the shelves and refuse to come out. A moment later, Liam peeked his head round the door.

"You coming out here?" He questioned, voice very monotone. It was evident he was still pissed off.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much done in here." Harry awkwardly informed him, moving to catch the door as Liam let it fall behind him as he left again. Harry entered the main space again, where Niall was absent now and a customer had luckily just strolled in to distract any tension for the time being.

Harry awkwardly skulked about, doing pointless little things, while Liam served the customer. He hated this, not knowing what was on Liam's mind. What he would give at that moment to be a psychic.

The ominous sound of the bell above the door tolling a moment later, signalling the exit of the only present customer, was an awful thing. An immediately thick atmosphere flooded the room, almost drowning Harry, and Liam was drumming his fingers on the till's buttons into the silence. Harry wanted to go into the office and tell Ed he quit at that point, anything to get away from the damn awkwardness.

"It's still really bothering me." Liam murmured, so quietly and inconspicuously that Harry only just picked up on it. He cocked his head up in Liam's direction.

"What, Li?"

"What, Li?" Liam mocked Harry's voice in a taunting impression, rolling his eyes when he faced him. "You know what I'm talking about, don't use those stupid names now."

"I don't see why you've got to start an argument," Harry extinguished, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his apron. "I've already told you the truth, if you're fussing about the mark on my neck again."