opia [h.s au]

Chapter 7

I've been dancing. And drinking.

Drinking & dancing.

So much that my skin is a little sweaty, but I don't care. The cold vodka with raspberry is cooling me down from the inside out and f**k, I feel awesome.

I might be drunk, though. It's been a while since I drank so much and at this exact moment I can't understand why I keep sober for so f*****g long.

Being drunk it's amazing.

Can't understand why Gemma was so pissed about Harry's drinking. I mean, if he is feeling half as good as I am she should just be happy for him, I'm having so much fun right now. Gem, on the other hand, went away like half hour after her mismatch with Harry, making Dom very sad. But he said everything is going fine with his plan and that he definitely felt a spark between the two of them today.

Maybe he is also drunk because I don't see a way of that happening. Anyway, he seems satisfied so that's enough for me too.

Harry decided to stay here and he is all hands and talks with the tall tanned blond he nodded earlier today. For what I understood, they'd already know each other from some party in Romania. Well of course he would've know the most hot girl at this party, poor me for thinking something could happen between the two of us today.

Not that I was hoping it would happen but the thought crossed my mind once or twice this night. Not a big deal.

He is way too young for me anyway. I'm old and wrinkled, he probably sees me like an aunt or something like that, someone he should go to get advice from not to get laid.

Well, it doesn't matter. I don't care.

As per usual, my eyes disobey my mind and goes straight to the last spot I've seem Harry this night, but he is not there anymore. Pretending I'm just dancing and enjoying myself, I turn slowly over my heels, scanning the entire room around me but can't see him anywhere.

He is probably f*****g blondie inside of Dom's bathroom.

Lucky b***h.

I don't care.

Dom is at the corner talking with one of his friends and I'm completely unaware of my surroundings, caring only about the way this vodka burns my throat but tastes sweet in my tongue, I dance a little more, my feet already starting to hurt inside of this f*****g uncomfortable boot things I decided to wear today.

Peter is probably way too high to come near me again and for that I'm glad. I still don't understand what the f**k happened earlier today, was he hitting on me or I just misunderstood things? That was weird as f**k, he never behaved like that around me before.

Gosh, isn't like hot as hell in here? Maybe Dom should check the thermostat, I'm freaking sweating. Taking my plaid shirt out, I wrap it around my waist so I don't need to hold it all the time and that's when I notice my glass is already empty again.

Jesus, this vodka is evaporating or something? I feel like I just got a refil like five minutes ago.

Still dancing a little, I start to walk towards the kitchen but it seems to be far distant then it was before, and I'm starting to feel a little tired. Vodka does have this effect in me: one minute I'm the most energetic b***h around and the second I'm back to the lazy sloth I usually am.

Slowly and a little tipsy I manage to grab myself a refill at the kitchen and when I go back to the living room, I scan it again, mostly out of habit by now.

"Looking for me, Billie?" Harry's voice catch me of guard and I swear to God just hearing it made me feel goosebumps. I look back to see Harry casually leaning at the wall, another glass of whiskey in his hands and his hair tied up in a bun.

"Thought you had gone" I blurt out louder than I should, all the vodka I drank giving me courage to speak up "Or at least that you're with that blondie somewhere.

"Who, Natalie? I wouldn't be, that girl is crazy" He chuckles, taking a step towards me "And I would never go away without telling you goodbye."

"Why not? It's not like we are friends" I shrug, mentally face palming myself for sounding like a f*****g high schooler again.

"Don't know about that, love" He says, leaning over me and once again brushing his lips on my earlobe, making my stomach flutter so hard I'm surprised it didn't popped out of my mouth "I have manners" He whispers in a raspy voice before straightening his back again.

Think my mind has turned into mush, I have no idea what I should answer him now. Should I just nod and smile and then walk away? What the f**k happens to me when I'm around him, I turn to a disabled person, this is getting ridiculous.

"So tell me love" Harry takes a sip from his whiskey, his eyes never leaving mine "Why you said it was so miraculous for you to be at this party tonight?"

I frown, looking at him and trying to figure out if he is making fun of me, but I can see nothing but interest in his emerald green eyes. So I down another big gulp of liquid courage - aka vodka - before answering him.

"I'm not so much of a party person" I shrug "My work takes all my energy during the weekdays so at weekends I just like to chill out in my bed."

"Hm, I see" Harry smirks, that damn dimple showing off again "So what brought you here today?"

"Dom is my best friend and he asked me really nicely... Also, Gem told me you were complaining about her not having planned a night out with you this weekend, so I decided to call you both."

"Guess I'm honored, then" He smiles "For being the reason of you trading your pajamas for that sexy outfit of yours tonight." With that, he gives me an once over, his eyes staying a little too much in my chest area and I unconsciously squirm under his stare, looking down myself.

The cropped top I decided to use today shows a lot of skin on my stomach and it's very tight, marking all of my body. I usually prefer to use baggy clothes with just a hint of skin showing off, but since it was a night out today I decided to dress up a little but now I'm starting to regret it.

Untying the plaid shirt around my waist, I dress it up very quickly, covering my body a little and Harry's smug look got deeper. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable" He says, but his voice is completely absent of regret "I just think you look really good tonight, you shouldn't hide it."

"Was cold" I mumble, drinking from my cup, now so used to the burning sensation downing my throat I don't even flinch.

"You think so? I'm quite hot this night" He raises his eyebrows, that f*****g accent making him sound even more taunting.

What is up with him and his sexy accent? I mean, Gemma has the same f*****g British accent but I don't feel the need to undress myself every time she talks to me. It would be really awkward with that happening, I mean, we work together and I would probably make everybody uncomfortable showing off my fat ass around all the f*****g time.

I giggle to myself with the unreal picture I've just painted in my mind and Harry knits his eyebrows, chewing gum and looking at me intently, as if trying to understand me.

Uh, good luck with that, pal.

I can't even understand myself.

"So for how long will you stay at Gemma's?" I ask him, trying to change the subject and for the first time his eyes darts from mine and I feel like I can breathe again. 

"As long as it's necessary" He answers in an evasive tone of voice that I don't get "Could be a month, could be year."

I nod, not knowing how to reply to that mysterious answer anyway.

"So why you say that girl is crazy?" I ask instead, pointing at the blonde woman with my head "Is she like your ex?"

"What? No, not at all" He chuckles "I've met her in a party and she was dating some important politician at the time, and she was all over me until the f*****g secrete service came knocking in my door to interrogate me about my intentions towards the guy, who I wasn't even aware of existence until that moment. After that, I always tried to keep my distance from her."

"Whoa. You do have the most crazy stories, don't you?" I smile at him, not missing the way his eyes sparkled towards me and how he bit down his bottom lip.

"I can tell you some, if you want" Harry raises his eyebrows "That's one of the peaks of traveling for so long, I've came to see a lot of f****d up things."

"Sir, you have my attention now" I smile "Let's just get a refill and find somewhere to sit, my feet are killing me" I roll my eyes, walking towards the kitchen.

~*~

"Oh my f**k I can't believe that" I squeal, laughing my ass off over the last tale Harry just told me and he giggles with my reaction, his green eyes sparkling at me while he watches me literally snort with laughter.

Yeah, I really know how to be a sexy b***h, just watch me.

Harry just told me the most absurd tale of all time, about a time he was in a Brazilian airport and was mislead for a wanted drug dealer, spending over five hours at the police's office trying to make some sense out of them and prove he was carrying a lot of flour and coffee beans that wasn't baptized with anything illicit.

He then proceeded to the airplane, being upgraded to the first class in an attempt of authorities to show him they were sorry about the misunderstanding.

"Worst part was trying to make myself be understood, for an airport very little people spoke English fluently" Harry rolls his eyes, chuckling along with me.

We've been sitting at Dom's couch for at least an hour, changing different awkward stories about what has happened to us. Although Harry is way younger than me, he is beating me up with his tales and it became very clear that the has way more experience than me. Again, he makes me feel and act like a freaking high schooler.

I've been paying attention to his mannerisms all night, loving the way he plays with his bottom lip using his index finger and thumb while paying attention to something I'm saying. The way he frowns when he is concentrating and how much younger he looks when he is laughing like there's nothing in the world that would bother him.

His sparkling green eyes burns holes in mine and it's like he is scanning my soul with his intense gaze, and very often I found myself trapped under his glare as a butterfly is attracted to the light, even knowing it might hurt I can't look away. I remember having a great chemistry with him that night six months ago, but I wasn't counting on connecting to him in an intellectual level. However, everything he does or says seems to be appealing for me and I'm currently drowning in his words.

Maybe I'm just too intoxicated, having lost count on how much did I have to drink this night, or maybe I'm not intoxicated enough to be around him. He makes me nervous but at the same something in his eyes makes me want to tell everything about me and just watch if he would be hanging in every word of mine, as I seem to be on his.

It's like our souls connects just as well as our bodies, and more than once I had to mentally scowl myself for staring to his lips for way too f*****g long.

Jesus, I've been drinking way too much to be thinking in things like soul and stuff. Think it might be time for me to go home.

"I think I've just lost you in there" Harry playfully says, pointing his index finger to my forehead "Feels like this f*****g pickle has better chance of grabbing your attention now" He chuckles.

"Oh, sorry. I warned you, sometimes it's hard to cope with mind, it's always rushing" I shrug "Didn't want to ignore you though."

"No problem" Harry frowns like he is thinking about something for a few seconds before telling me with a very serious inflection to his voice "I would love to know everything that runs around your mind" He winks and I feel myself blushing under his stare.

See? Going full high school all over again. Maybe I should drink more?

I try to get up from the couch, but it's like there's a force pulling me down and I have to make several attempts in order to stand up. When I finally manage to, feels like my head is made of stone and sandpaper at the same time, it's heavy but strangely light and I feel like I'm floating. Harry stands up by my side, seeming to also be a little dizzy but not as hammered as I am. Trying to take a step forwards, I feel my knees giving in and fall to my butt on the couch again.

"I think someone has drank way too much tonight" Harry says playfully, smiling at me "I'm gonna go grab some water for you."

I just nod while he goes away, back to the kitchen. I look around me and seems like things are moving in slow motion, or maybe is just my mind, I don't know. However, even being intoxicated I manage to notice most of people has left, there's just a few people still talking, no one is dancing and Dom is positively passed out on the other couch.

"Here you go" Harry is back and handling me a bottle of water "Guess it's time to go, this party is over." He chuckles.

"What time is it?" I ask, trying to look at my iWatch but it's dead. Great.

Harry looks at his watch and raises his eyebrows, looking at me "It's about 4 am. Do you live near?"

"Yeah, about three blocks away" I shrug "I came here walking but I don't think I'll be able to walk back to my place" I giggle, trying to make myself comfortable on the couch that now seems to be part of my body as well "Guess I'll have to crash here for a while..."

"Or we can share a cab" Harry smiles at me, taking both my arms and helping me getting up before sneaking one of his arms around my waist and my stomach flutter a little with the contact. "I'll help you get home safe, you're in no condition of going home alone."

"Oh, such a gentleman" I giggle, placing my index finger to the tip of his nose "I know what you want, Styles, and you're not going to have it tonight."

Jeeh, I become a real jerk when I'm drunk, don't I? And a party popper as well.

"Don't know what you're talking about" He giggles as we start walking slow steps towards the front door, only stopping to get Harry's sweater before living Dom's apartment.