Falling // Harry Styles

I straighten my collar and smooth down my hair before knocking on her hotel door. I dressed up for her. I've got on a charcoal grey button down shirt and well-fitting black jeans, both purchased new today. I even shined my Vans. Wiped the dirt right off the trim and everything. I put effort into this date, and I hope she notices.

Char answers a few seconds after I knock, pulling the door open to reveal an absolute knock out. One look at her and I know the woman put in a shit-ton of effort

"Wow. You look amazing." I let my gaze sweep down her body, which is on display in a deep green bodycon dress. She's got wedge sandals paired with it, making her calves look killer. My eyes return to her neck. Her collar bone accentuated by a thin gold chain with a tiny diamond winking back at me from the hotel lighting.

I'm reminded not to wink at Char tonight. Thanks, little diamond. The diamond winks in response.

"Thank you," she says and my eyes zero in on her mouth.

She's got that fucking hot red lipstick on again. I can picture that lipstick spread on other parts of my body. I shut that shit down, though. Can't start the date with a boner already.

"Ready to go?" I offer my arm. Char wraps her hand gently around it.

"I guess so."

"You don't sound very sure."

She shrugs.

We get to the elevator and I pull my arm away from her to slip a hand on the small of her back, guide her inside. I sense a shiver down her spine.

"You cold?"

Char inhales. "No."

The ride down to the lobby is filled with tense silence, just the two of us in the elevator the entire time. Is she having second thoughts? I start to speak when the elevator doors open, and Char doesn't hesitate to step out. My hand once again finds the small of her back. I lead her through the lobby and out the front doors where I have a car waiting for us. I open the passenger door and take her hand as she slides inside.

"Where did this come from?" she asks as I climb in the driver's seat.

"I made a call."

"And got a car?"

"And got a car." An Audi to be precise. Nice car. Wish I had one.

"Hmm."

I already have the route memorized so I pull away from the hotel and get on the road.

"Where are we going? Do you even know where anything is in this town?"

"Nothing Google can't fix." I say. "And you'll see when we get there." I pull onto a highway heading south, hoping she likes where we're going. I thought about a few different stops but when I searched up the spot we're headed, it seemed to include everything we could possibly want to do. Why make multiple stops when it's all in one place?

"How did your phone calls go? Did you get everything set up for Brianna's media stops?"

I sense Char giving me a long, contemplative look before answering me. I keep my eyes on the road after giving in for a quick glance.

"It went fine. Everything's set."

"Good. I'm glad you had a productive day."

Another long, charged silence.

"Okay, what did you do with the goofball? Who is this serious business guy driving the car?" she asks.

"Still me. I can be serious."

"Don't get me wrong, sometimes you can be over the top. But this version," she moves her hand up and down in my direction, "is just sad."

I deflate. "Sad?"

"Kind of boring."

"Boring."

"Lacking life."

"But not a player, right?" I almost wink but keep my eyelids steady. Close call.

"No. Not a player. You're right. I'm just...confused."

"What's the confusion? That I have the ability to be a gentleman?"

Char laughs. "Yes. It's jarring. But I can see the potential."

"Elaborate."

She turns her body, facing me from the passenger side of the car. "We need to find the happy middle. A little bit of seriousness mixed with your silly side."

"Silly? I'd hardly call myself silly."

"Of course you wouldn't." She taps her chin. "You can come off like a Jack Russel Terrier, but you need a little more golden retriever."

"Now I'm a dog?"

Char laughs again. The sound goes right to my groin. She's usually laughing in a mocking tone, most of the time aimed at me. I've always liked the edge her snark has but I don't often get to hear her joyful laughter. It's light. It tinkles like bells. Her entire being glows with it. I fucking love it.

"It's an analogy. Jack Russels are high energy. Retrievers are loveable and playful without being over the top."

I nod in silence, letting the good energy wash over me. This is better than I could have hoped for.

The ride continues with the same energy. We get to our destination and find parking easily. Being a weeknight, the crowd isn't dense. I'd researched this little downtown experience earlier in the day. I hope she likes this kind of thing. It sounded pretty cool.

"Where are we?" she asks as we exit the car and make our way down the sidewalk.

"Trust me. You'll see in a minute." The big reveal is around the next corner. When we make the turn, a long block of outdoor eating and shops is spread before us.

"Oh, how cute!" Char squeezes my hand. Somehow hers had slipped into mine. I'm not sure which one of us initiated it but I'm not complaining. What I'm actually feeling are nerves.

"The buildings are a mix of styles from different decades starting in the roaring '20's. Many have been restored to their original luster, making this old town entertainment district feel brand new." I start spewing the website description from memory. Apparently, I read over it a few times. I clamp my mouth shut in an effort to stop sounding like an encyclopedia. We walk the sidewalk quietly. A few street vendors have set up on corners, selling crafted trinkets or fresh cut fruit. It's peaceful while at the same time holding a buzz of energy. Although not visible from this angle of town, there's a river that runs alongside the area. I'm planning the second part of our outing along the riverbanks where some live music is schedule later on.

It's early evening at this point so not too many people are dining, but the crowd is milling through the different shops.

"Wow."

"Did I nail it?" I look at Char, waiting, hoping she thinks so. I don't even want to think about how much I was betting on this outing to change things between us.

"I mean, it looks good from here. But I reserve judgment for later."

I nod. "Fair enough."

Her hand slips out of mine as we weave between some sidewalk seating and a pop-up vendor. I want her hand back but I'm not sure how it happened in the first place so I hesitate to grab it again when we clear the area. Maybe she used the tight space as an excuse to let go. Maybe my palms are sweaty. I wipe them on my thighs before she turns around to catch me.

I'm walking behind her, trailing like the puppy dog she accused me of being. My eyes are on the concrete below us, and effort to keep from ogling her backside. I mean it's right there. Too tempting. I end up following Char into a used bookstore.

The place is packed with books. They're spilling out of shelves, some even stacked on the floor in what looks like haphazard piles. Little label strips like the ones my grandmother used to organize her photos are glued to the edges of shelves indicating genre.

I'm not much of a reader, but from the way Char is gingerly fingering through a book, a look of awe and wonder on her face, I'm guessing she is. I had no idea.

"Find something good?" I stand behind her, my arm grazing her back and sending a current through my entire system.

"Only the holy grail," she whispers as if we're in a library. Or a church. I'm thinking this place is like a meshing of the two for her.

"That good?"

Char glances back at me, her eyes twinkling in my direction. "This is the cutest bookstore I've ever seen."

I look around us. It's basic chaos. Like a book hoarder's dream come true.

Ah. I get it now. She's a secret book hoarder.

"I guess cute is one way to put it."

"Did you see the sign out front? They have a little secret garden out back. And a little wedding gazebo. People get married here." Her volume remains at a whisper, but it's the most energetic and animated whisper I've ever heard. And no, I didn't see the sign out front. I was too busy keeping my eyes off her ass.

"I hope you're not too hungry yet because this might take a while." Char turns back to her treasure at hand after making her declaration.

I take stock of our surroundings. We're in the first section. There's at least ten more sections before you get to the back of the store. Yeah, I guess this might take a while. I wonder if there's a chair out in that garden.

"Oh my gosh, look." Char bends down, picking up another book. "I love this author." She opens it up. "It's signed!" Char hugs the book. Hugs it. Great, now I wish I was that book. She's so energetic about her reaction to this book I'm expecting a happy dance at some point. I gently slide it out of her grasp and hold onto it.

"Keep looking. I'll hang on to this so you can keep your hands free."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm done looking at it."

As if I'm not buying it after watching her fall in love with the darn thing.

"But you aren't done enjoying it. I'll buy it when you're finished here, in case you find more to take with us."

"Jake, you don't have to buy it for me."

I silently bristle at the nickname. She knows what she's doing when she says it. Keeping me in line. But there's more going on between us than the push and pull of flirty banter and I think she senses it.

"I can afford it, you know." She's giving me a look. It's almost a reprimand but I'm not biting.

"I'm aware that you can afford it. I'm also aware I don't have to." I lean down to whisper in her ear. "But if I can have something to do with putting that look on your face," I pause, letting my meaning sink in, "I'll take any opportunity I get." My lips brush against her cheekbone as I talk. I'm still standing just behind her, touching her, so I feel the shiver move down her back.

"I'm supposed to tell you when you dip into player territory. That was pretty close."

I shake my head. "If it was a line, I'd agree with you. But I mean it, Char. Every word. I keep telling you, I'm not playing you, I'm dating you."

"This isn't a date."

"Yes, it is."

"One good outing together means nothing."

I take a deep breath. "Why do you hate me?"

Char doesn't speak. She doesn't turn around. It's only several seconds before she says a word, but it feels like an eternity passes between us. An entire universe.

"I don't hate you." She says finally. I allow a breath of relief. "I hate who I am with you."

Damn. It's a gut punch like I've never experienced. I've had plenty of hook ups turn sour. Girls who were into me suddenly accuse me of doing or saying something I never had. I was always completely upfront about what I was looking for, which wasn't much more than a good time.

Not now. Not with Char. This has been the least good time I've ever had. But I can't get enough. She shuts me down at every turn and I keep coming back for more.

"Well, that sucks. Cause I really like who you are. And I like the guy I get to be with you."

"What do you mean?" I feel Char's shoulders tense as she asks.

This time I don't allow Char to hide from me. I step to the side and gently turn her toward me by her shoulders.

"You were right. I pulled out party boy at the club to protect myself."

She scoffs. "From who, me?"

"Yeah, you. I don't feel little feelings with you Char. It's the big ones. They suck, to be honest, because I'm here all alone in them. But it doesn't matter. I'm able to put party boy away. He's not needed now."

Char's looking up at me as I speak. Her breathing is shallow, I can tell because her chest rises and falls rapidly as she listens to my impromptu speech.

I shrug. "You're pretty much the only one who could get me to be real, so that's saying something." I wink—because damn it I can't help myself—and turn away to let her continue browsing in her church. And it doesn't escape me that Char doesn't follow. I walk to the back of the store and out the garden door. If this interaction is a hint of things to come tonight, I'm going to need a breather.

YEET a date night!! Okay I have to say it, Jacob is the man. And I flove him so dang much! This is where being a pantser is the best because I'm discovering how amazing this guy is as we go. In the Diva story, he was shallow and obsessed with snacks. In this story, I'm learning his depth, his heart and how far he'd go for someone he cares about. But he's still the goofball at the same time!

Gah, and I can't wait for the second half of date night next week. I have some of it drafted and yup, it's gonna be sooooo good. *wink* PS the winking stuff makes me smile whenever I write it. That part with the diamond on her necklace just sort of happened but it was so perfect 😍

He's definitely falling...this song says it all.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Have you read the Fallbrook hills series? Here's your sign to start now.