---Harry---

Six days have passed since Paisley found me with Ruby in the studio. Six very long days. Despite what she had said about not caring about walking in on us, it was more than obvious that she did. She tried to hide that it hurt her and I knew it did the second she walked into the room that night, and every day since then.

She kept her distance, but still stayed close, as a way of trying to show me the whole thing didn't phase her. But her eyes tell me everything. They're what always give her away. I can always tell when she's the most happiest, like when she takes her first sip of coffee in the morning as if getting out of bed was the best decision, just to have that very first taste. Her eyes close like she's in a state of pure bliss. Or when her Dad calls and even though she finds it annoying how often he asks that she's alright, she gets that look in her eyes that says she's happy he cares. Or when we're in Editing class and she can listen to Halsey through those huge headphones of hers, because for her, listening to music is Heaven. Or every time she's behind a camera, it's like hearing the shutter go off is the reason for her whole being.

But this week, I could tell that she wasn't happy. I could tell because she didn't enjoy that first sip of coffee, she told her Dad to stop asking if she was okay, music didn't put that glint in her eye like it usually did and she was always relieved when she didn't have to take any more pictures. It was like the light in her eyes burnt out. The same look in her eyes that she had on the first day of school. A little bit lost and afraid.

I hated not knowing how to take her mood. She was clearly pretending everything was okay. Acting as if nothing had changed. She still sat next to me in class, ate lunch with me, bought us our crappy take-away dinners from the cafeteria while we took pictures for media passes together and still walked with me back to the dorms. We were still always together. But with the front she was putting up, I almost wished she would've been ignoring me the whole time instead. It would've been less painful. She didn't talk as much. There was no banter, no sarcastic remarks and no playful roles of her eyes. She was physically present, but it was like she really wasn't a hundred percent there.

I had apologized so many times, I'm sure the phrase 'I'm sorry' meant nothing to her now because I simply overused the words. She ended up yelling at me on Friday, saying that I'll really be sorry if I say it again. I just couldn't help it though. I needed her to know how bad I felt for it, because I just want Paisley back. The girl who laughs at my stupid jokes and I can bicker with. I even told Ruby to stop being the way she was around me, which I probably should've just done to begin with. If I had, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place, although it didn't stop her from flirting with me. Paisley was right. I didn't give two shits about Ruby. But she is damn hot! And I do stupid things around hot girls. It's what I do. I treat girls like they don't matter, make them think I like them when I only want one thing from them and then throw them away.

I am sitting on my bed going through the pictures I had taken yesterday for Landscapes class on my laptop, vaguely listening to the tv show Niall is watching, when Nova storms into our room pointing her finger at me and slamming the door shut behind her.

"You!" She screams, giving me a death glare as she steals the pillow next to me from my bed. Without hesitation, she starts clubbing me with it over and over again and all I can hear is, "What did you do?"

I'm at a loss for words already, not having a clue what she is yelling at me for and what I did to apparently deserve this beating. But by the looks and sounds of it, I'm in trouble for something. "I didn't do anything," I declare, not actually knowing if it's the truth or not, as I try to steal the pillow back before she strikes me again.

"Don't 'I didn't do anything' me, Harry Styles!" She crosses her arms, leaving me the pillow, and I look at Niall for some back up, hoping he'll get his crazy girlfriend to stop yelling at me. Niall simply shrugs and goes back to his tv show. "You need to start explaining yourself!"

"I don't need to explain myself for anything," I retort. I'm so confused. What the hell is she talking about?

"Paisley has been in a shitty ass mood for days!" she informs me. She's still yelling. Her voice is carrying through the room, and I'm sure the people down the hall can hear her.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." She rolls her eyes. "What did you do? Because this whole week I've been asking her and getting nothing out of her! But finally! She finally told me five minutes ago to ask you!"

"She what?" Thanks Paisley...

"What idiotic thing did you do to make her so dejected?" This suddenly has Niall's attention and now they're both staring at me, waiting to hear what this idiotic thing is that I did. I feel like I'm backed in the corner and there's no way I can get out of this situation. I already know what I did is idiotic, and when I answer, I already know what's going to happen. Nova has mentioned to me a few times that she thinks Paisley and I are meant to be together and she apparently believes that we will end up together. I'm not sure where she got that idea from, but I know that telling her about this isn't going to go over well.

"She sort of walked in on me and Ruby making out in the studio," I answer. I don't dare look at Nova, because I already know she is giving me a death glare. Instead I keep my gaze on the picture on my laptop. The nice calming beach I was taking pictures at yesterday, and wishing I was there right now, instead of in this room.

"Stupid!" Nova bashes the pillow over my head. "Stupid!" Pillow to my side. "Stupid!" Pillow across the face. Yep. I knew that was going to happen. I'm lucky it's only a pillow and not something that actually hurts. "You! Are! So! Stupid!"

"In case ya didn't hear her," Niall says, as he walks over to my side of the room. He's brought his own pillow to clobber me with. "You're a dumbass!"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Nova screams. "How are you supposed to be with Paisley if you're going around humping sluts?"

Niall laughs. "Humping sluts!" he says between chuckles. "That's a good one baby!"

"I wasn't humping any sluts," I inform them with a smile, finding the words humping sluts a little more amusing than it should be. "And for the record, you didn't need to attack me with pillows!"

Niall lets me have it once more. "Sorry man, it's funny as hell seeing you wince when you know it's coming!"

After a while of listening to Nova voice her opinions about what I did to Paisley, she's come to the conclusion I need to fix this. She's decided that even though Paisley and I have never admitted to having any feelings more than a friend towards each other, she knows we're supposed to be together and she's going to make sure it happens. I find it strange she thinks she can just come in here and tell me who I'm going to date. No one knows how I feel about Paisley and I'm not really sure how Paisley sees me. I'm definitely not boyfriend material. I haven't had a girlfriend since, well, Paisley, and that apparently wasn't even a real relationship. But she's right. I do need to fix this.

"Karaoke at the pub tonight!" Nova says, urgently. She has been sitting at the end of my bed with her legs crossed, trying to come up with an idea of how I am going to right my wrongs for quite some time.

"She doesn't even like the pub, she wont go for that," I say stiffly. "And have you met her? She'd never do karaoke!"

"Hm, you're probably right." Disappointment is spread across her face before she lights up again. "But she likes food and they have good food at the pub. You're going to meet her for dinner! And because she's forced to sit across the table from you without any distractions, you'll have her undivided attention whether she likes it or not, with no one but you there!"

"I've asked her all week to go for dinner at the pub with me and every time she's said no," I inform her. "Asking her again isn't going to change her mind."

"Then I'll ask her!" Nova jumps from the bed with this idea. "I'm going to make her think she's going to meet me and Niall for dinner!" She quickly gets her phone out of her back pocket.

"Why are you doing this?" I have to ask, because I don't understand why she's involved herself in my problems with Paisley. I don't understand why she feels so strongly about the thought of me being with her, especially after telling her that I was trying to get in the pants of another girl not even a week ago.

"Because I love her and while I've seen that she's a little damaged, she's different when you're around," Nova explains. "She gets this glimmer of hope in her eyes when she looks at you. It's quite charming, really. Plus, you're hot as hell, and since I can't have you, I think a nice girl like Paisley should!" She laughs. "Look how perfect you look together anyways!" She slides her finger across her phone a few times before handing her phone over to me. A photo from the night at the pub is on the screen. The smile on Paisley's face is bright and warming and real. It's the smile I haven't seen in six days. The one I want to see again on her tempting lips.

"Okay, so what's you're brilliant plan?" I ask, handing her phone back.

She sends a devilish smile in my direction, letting me know that she likes the idea of us being sneaky together, before sitting down next to me and texting Paisley.

To: Paisley 10:56am
Dinner at the pub tonight! You, Me and Niall!

"And I swear to God, if I hear that you've been going around humping sluts after this, I will kick your ass!" Nova looks at me, seriousness in her blue eyes. I know she means business. "Seriously though---Ruby?"

"What? She's hot," I shrug, as Nova's phone dings. "And I can't help it if she's all over me all the time!"

From: Paisley 10:58am
I'm out doing my Landscaping photos today. Rain check?

"Tell her it's on me," I say, after reading the text. "Just don't say it like that, because she'll know it's me. And tell her it's because she's had a busy week and she deserves a nice meal!"

To: Paisley 10:59am
No rain checks. I'm buying!

To: Paisley 11:00am
Come on, you've had a long and busy week. Let me take you out for dinner!

I couldn't keep my eyes off of the screen in Nova's hands, impatiently waiting for Paisley's reply. I knew I wanted her to meet me at the pub for dinner, I just wasn't sure what the hell I was going to say when I got there. I had said my apologies more than enough, I couldn't just go in there and say those words again. It had to be more than that.

I have never been in a situation like this before. By no means have I ever cared enough to get back on the good side of a girl. But Paisley is different. She is the girl I once loved. The girl who once had my heart. And for good reason, did I feel that way about her. Although she isn't exactly the same girl as she was before, there are very similar qualities that I see in her now that I did then. And the girl I used to know makes an appearance every now and then, and that's when I know for sure it's the same girl who stole my heart so long ago. And it didn't help that she is still by far the most exquisite girl I had ever laid my eyes upon. Beauty like hers is so rare and what makes it even more so, is the fact that she has no idea how captivating she is. She never did. Not even in high school.

"Think she's gonna go for it?" Niall asks, interrupting something Nova was saying. I had been blocking her out because she talks far too much sometimes. She's a nice girl and I don't mind she spends ninety percent of her time in our room, but sometimes I wonder how Niall can put up with listening to her talk so much.

Her phone dings, bringing our attention to it.

From: Paisley 11:18am
Fine. But I'm ordering the whole menu! And I need a drink! Preferably alcoholic!

To: Paisley 11:18am
Of course! Anything you want! See you at 6pm!

"You better bring your wallet!" Niall laughs. "If she needs a drink already, when she sees you there, she'll want more than one!"

"Paisley better be happier when she comes home tonight!" Nova warns me. "You better not fuck this up!"

"Don't underestimate me!" I say, now pointing my finger at her. "If I know one thing, it's girls! She's just a little more confusing than most, but I'll figure her out!"

I've had almost a week already to try and figure out how to get her out of this funk she was in. I thought that it was just me she was miserable around, not really concentrating on how she was around everyone else. Now that Nova has admitted to her being unhappy even behind closed doors in her dorm room, I realize she hasn't really even talked to Astrid all week. Maybe I've been wrong all along and what she said about it not having anything to do with me and Ruby was true. Maybe there was more to it than that and maybe I've been going about it all the wrong way.

One thing I know for sure, is that girls really aren't that complicated if you pay attention. Or maybe that was the kind of girls I went out with---the wrong kind of girls. Like Ruby. They usually were all like Ruby. I knew she only wanted me for one thing. I didn't even need to pay attention to know that. Those girls made things so obvious. But Paisley is confusing, she isn't obvious about anything and I'm realizing now, I have to pay more attention, because girls are usually pretty easy to figure out, and she--just isn't.

I can't help but wonder how tonight is going to go. I know she wont let me get her drunk, which would make everything so much easier for me, but I guess I'll have to start with the way she reacts when she sees me there instead of Nova and Niall, to really know how to proceed with anything. All I'm pretty sure of right now, is that it's more than likely going to be a long night. I should probably take a nap!

A/N: I'm not really sure I'm happy about how this chapter turned out. Writing in Harry's POV is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be at this point of the story, because even though I know exactly what he's thinking, there's only so much that I can say. So I hope it was still a good chapter for you!! Let me know what you think in the comments!

And I hope you're still liking the story! Thanks so much for the support so far!! <3 Please comment and vote to help it grow!!

The pic of Harry and Paisley on Nova's phone is the one at the top! :) So cute!

On a side note: Every time I write dialogue for Nova, I hear her with a British accent, even though she's american...lol I don't know why!

Much love
xo