No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

15 - Your Words Cut Like Knives

"What the fųck are you playing at?" Harry spat.

The venom and fury in his voice took me by surprise and I gasped involuntarily.

"Wh - what do you mean?" I stammered.

"You fuckıng kissed Louis?!" he roared, and I actually had to pull my phone away from my ear, it was that loud.

"Harry," I began, feeling tears starting to burn at the backs of my eyes.

"Don't Harry me! How could you? How fůcking could you?! Louis, of all people! What...? How...?"

He stopped abruptly as his breath caught in his throat and I imagined him running his hand through his hair, his face like thunder.

"Please, just let me explain," I begged, weakly.

"Go on then!" he exclaimed, angrily. "Explain! Talk your way out of this one!"

"We were just talking... about you," I began, "... and... and I got upset, a bit, and he gave me a hug and was being really sweet, and he said I wouldn't have any trouble finding anyone else, and I just... I just gave him a quick peck on impulse - "

"What the fucķ?!" Harry yelled, and I physically cringed, curling up into a ball on the sofa with the phone still pressed to my ear.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"He said it was a trick of the light!" he bellowed. "He said nothing happened! He fųcking lied, the fuckįng snake. I am gonna have him for this!"

"What do you mean, a trick of the light?" I asked, my hands trembling, and there was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

Harry gave a short laugh. "You mean you don't know? You haven't seen?"

"Seen what?" I whispered hoarsely, although as I said the words a feeling of dread washed over me.

"You're all over the internet. You and Louis. Some pap with a long-range camera got a picture of you. It's not a very clear picture, but it's pretty obvious what you're doing."

"Oh my God," I breathed.

"You know the worst of it?" he laughed derisively. "A little part of me believed Louis when he said nothing happened. He said you were just leaning towards him, and it was like the time they printed a picture of you holding hands with that guy that turned out to be your brother - just clever photography." He laughed again. "Of all the people to betray me, you were the last person I would have imagined. What is it with people suddenly revealing their true colours? Seems to be a familiar theme for me lately."

"Harry, you have to believe me, it was just a peck. I swear. Louis pulled away immediately and told me I had crossed the line; I was mortified, it was so embarrassing. I don't know what I was thinking. I was really drunk. And sad."

"You weren't that sad!" he shouted furiously, and I curled into a tighter ball. "You were about to kiss Gary two minutes later on the dancefloor! What were you trying to do, see how many guys you could pull in the space of one evening? There's a name for people like that - "

"Woah, what the fuçk?" I shouted back, suddenly finding my courage. "I don't think you're in any position to be calling anyone names right now, do you?!"

"The shıt you've given me!" he continued, as if I'd not spoken. "You are so unbelievably two faced it's untrue. It's almost funny! Almost."

"How dare you!" I screamed. "One peck that was unreciprocated while I am not in a relationship with anyone does not put me in the same category as you! You fūcked someone else while we were together! Do not try and tar me with that same brush, you bąstard."