Goal: Try not to pass out at the attractiveness of this media and hopefully get some more votes and such. :) Here we go, game face! (Bursts into Mary Lambert opera) don't worry guys Zayn will be back next chapter -Meg
Heather's POV
October has come and gone, its mildly chilly days opening us New Yorkers to the freaking freezing November month. It only gets worse from here unfortunately for a few months but I don't mind much. I love cuddling next to fires on cold winter nights, I know its cliche but guess what I don't care.The poor month of October flew by, lost in the turmoil of my life and the drama that seems to be a living entity in it now.
I have been trying to juggle: ballet, boxing, Sydney, grades, Niall and then, my, I guess he is my boyfriend, Harry. I'm not really sure what Harry and I are exactly, he kissed me that one night after the most horrid of first dates I believe and he has been kissing me a lot lately but he never moves further from there. I like that. Some of the kisses are nice, some are very rough but all in all I don't mind Harry's kisses. He is currently sprawled out at the foot of my bed, his long frame hanging hysterically off the ends by great margins. His green eyes are crinkled with concentration as he tries and fails to understand his Spanish text book. I took German in high school so my only help is a word of encouragement and my outstanding self-control to not laugh at his cute little confused face.
He must have felt my eyes on him because a moment later Harry turned his head towards me, abandoning the text book for a moment.
"Whats up sweetie? Why are you staring?" This was something new as well, Harry was now using pet names for me, furthering my suspicion that we are in fact dating even though he never asked me. I guess that's what society has come to anymore. I just smile at him and return my focus to my calculus text book. I asked Harry to help me with math since he is some kind of prodigy at the shit but I am severely lacking. Every time I ask him for help he just kind of kisses my cheek, laughs a little which is kind of insulting and explains it like it is the easiest thing in the world.
The front door slams and I freeze, my dad and brother are home and I haven't introduced them to Harry yet. It's not that I don't want to I just don't know how. Is he my boyfriend? A friend? Ughhhh!
"Heather?" I hear Curtis call, he is going up the stairs to the lounge where I usually do homework so I get off the bed and coax Harry up. Harry just looks at me expectantly, like he has been waiting to meet my family. Maybe he has, I don't know. I pull him down the stairs and smile sweetly at my father, my brother coming down the stairs behind us, looking particularly pissed that there was a guy in the house when he wasn't here.
I am nineteen Curt, get over it.
"Hey dad!" I greet him and give him a quick hug. My dad is a little bit shorter than me and is graying with age but his personality is still twenty he says. His eyes flash to Harry as he wraps an arm over my shoulder. Curtis is eyeing the tall boy who is looking increasingly uncomfortable. He looks adorable.
"Dad, Curtis this is Harry." I gesture to Harry and he extends his hand which my dad takes and greets him with a smile.
"Mark Lowes," he says and then gestures to Curtis, "This is my son Curtis." Curtis shakes Harry's hand a bit harder than really necessary but I know he is just putting on a show for him. He has a tight smile on his face and I want to roll my eyes at the over-protectiveness of my brother.
"It's nice to meet both of you, Heather speaks fondly of you both." Harry says pleasantly, trying to look casual about flexing his hand in pain from Curtis's grip.
"Ah, weird, Heather never mentioned having a boyfriend." Wow Curt, thank you for that. I look to Harry in worry, wondering if he is upset about what my brother said but he looks unfazed.
"We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend yet Curtis so don't kill me yet, we are just dating." He says simply and laces his fingers in mine in an innocent gesture. I again want to roll my eyes because this whole thing is a bit ridiculous.
"Well," my dad speaks up, thank God, "Harry why don't we all sit down and have some tea and coffee so that Curtis and I can get to know you better." My dad is always pleasant and I can tell that his offer is genuine, he wants to get to know Harry, probably to make sure he isn't dangerous. I give Harry a small nod, telling him its fine and he just smiles back at my father. Curtis leads Harry into the living room while I go with my dad to prepare the drinks.
"So," Dad begins once we are safely in the kitchen and I just look at him expectantly, "Harry seems like a nice enough guy."
"Yeah, he is really sweet."
"Do you like him enough to go steady with him?" Dad asks and I nearly choke on laughter.
"Dad!" I whine, "No one says 'going steady' anymore." I laugh, taking a small tray of biscotti into the living room, just as I am about to round the corner of the door frame I hear Curtis speaking to Harry in a low voice.
"Look Harry, you seem like a good guy but I have to give you the big brother spiel okay?" There is silence so I assume Harry nodded because Curtis continued. "Heather is my baby sister and I love her more than anything and I don't want to see her hurt. When mom left, dad got really bad and Heather was all I had in the world so I am a bit more protective than I probably should be. But let me tell you right now, if you hurt her like that asshole over seas did, I will not hesitate to find you and torture you slowly. Heather was never the same after that and she is only now starting to seem happy again so keep up whatever you are doing and don't fuck this up." I gasp a little and one of the biscottis falls to the floor. I mutter a shit out loud and it alerts them to my approach so the conversation topic quickly changes.
Harry gives me an unreadable look when I enter the room but smiles when I sit next to him on the little couch. Probably wondering who the guy from London is, I never mentioned it because it never actually happened.
When I went to London I dated a guy for a week but when he made a move I panicked and had horrible flashbacks to my first "relationship." I told Curtis and my dad that the guy in London broke my heart to explain my erratic behavior when I returned home the next month. My dad comes in a little later with a steaming pot of tea and another of coffee with a couple mugs. I settled into Harry's side and he was a little tense like he always is when I snuggle in so I decided to pull away a little and listen while the boys got to know each other. Harry told my family about his degree and his hobbies, also telling them that he had just finished the final editing on my audition tape.
Then asks if they would like to watch it with us.
I am too excited to speak I just shove him off the couch to go and fetch the drive with the video on it because I haven't seen the final cut yet. Harry had told me he was almost done but now I could finally submit it. I tried to remain calm while Harry went to retrieve the drive but I think my family saw through my facade and yelled for Harry to hurry up.
A moment later the drive was plugged into Harry's laptop and synced to our TV, all four of us watching it excitedly as the music began and it faded into me standing in the middle of the black box theater. The video was perfect.
Every camera angle was flattering, the lighting filters he chose gave extra life to the dance and I applauded him really loudly after the video was finished. My brother and dad did too. Harry decided that we should all be there when we submit the video so he pulled up my email on his laptop and we all watched as he submitted the video to the Los Angeles School of Dance. I was shaking by the end and threw myself into Harry's arms for a tight hug.
"Thank you so much Harry, you are amazing!" I scream and Harry just lets me hug him. "Lets go celebrate! We can go dancing with Louis and Syd!" I offer and Harry seems excited about the idea, we have been going on double dates with Lou and Syd now since they have made it official and they are much more pleasant to be around than Zayn and Gabby who Harry hasn't spoken to since that awful date three weeks ago.
Curtis looks apprehensive about letting me go dancing with some guy but dad just hands me a couple of bills and tells us to have a great night, on him. Harry takes his things and goes home to change while I text Syd to have her meet us. Its already nine pm and she says that she will grab Louis and meet us there. The dance club is only a few blocks away so I don't mind walking and I am feeling on top of the world.
Sydney texts me to ask what I am wearing and I think about it. I don't want to look slutty but I want to look nice. I slip on a black body con skirt and add a sheer slip over top that sweeps the floor. I add a crop top and a thick jacket over top and send a picture to Syd. I am just fixing my hair when Harry returns and we set off for the night. I chose heels but brought flats for later and I am so ecstatic about my audition that I don't notice the hungry look Harry gives me when he picks me up.
(TO THE CLUB!)
The club is hot, heavy with bodies and the music is pounding. We have settled into a little booth, Sydney and I both giggly with excitement while Louis and Harry just talk about something. Harry goes to get another drink and Sydney steps away to take a call leaving Louis and I sitting at the table in an awkward silence. Louis decides to break it.
"What are you doing Heather?" Was not ready for that and when I give him a questioning look he just laughs a little. "I mean why are you with Harry, its obvious you don't like him like he likes you." I flush with guilt because it is probably true, I don't like Harry as much as he likes me but I still like him. Then I get a little angry at Louis for accusing me of it. I stand from the table angrily and go in search for Harry. I find him leaning against he counter waiting for his drink and ask him to dance with me.
I had meant it as an innocent dance but Harry apparently had different ideas. I want to dance facing him, so I can see his face and his eyes but he has my bum pressed firmly against his crotch as he grinds against me. His hands are on my hips and when I glance behind me I can see his face is flushed and when he whispers into my ear some of his breath hits my nose and I smell alcohol on it.
"Why don't we take a break baby girl," he says and I nod because I don't like dancing like that. He grabs my hand roughly and instead of leading me back to the table he leads me to a back booth where people go for a break from the noise and lights. He pulls me into one and immediately smashes his lips to mine hungrily.
His hands are roaming my body, lingering in places that I don't want to be touched. I call his name but he apparently takes this the wrong way because then he moves to place kisses on my neck while he roughly squeezes my bum. I gasp in pain when he bites down on the juncture between my shoulder and neck and I am flooded with images.
Hands on my body, mouth on my collar bone and threats whispered onto my skin. I'm falling, being shoved to the ground before someone crawls over top of me, whispering low threats to stay quiet. Harry's not with me anymore, its him. I'm not in the club anymore, Harry's hands aren't the ones touching me, grouping me and I scream. I scream so loud that it is probably heard over the music. I shove at the hands on me, now they are Harry's but it doesn't matter. Harry seems to come out of his haze and is trying to calm me but I am thrashing, the present and the past blurring into one until Harry's green eyes aren't there anymore and are replaced with the hazel eyes of Him. I shove Harry back and run from the back room, Harry hot my heels but I turn around and shove him one more time, harder than necessary and he falls on his arse, sprawled and groaning. I snatch my purse and take off out of the club towards the only safe place I know.
The safe place where all of my pain began.
Okay guys, so this chapter gives some clues to Heather's past.. Things are going to get heavy for the next few chapters but keep the faith. I love you all thank you for over 300 reads. Love- Meg