"ARE YOU OUT of your mind?" I laughed incredulously, eyes wide at Harry who sat beside me on the couch. He shrugged and I scoffed. "You can't meet her parents unless you're serious with her, Harry!"

"She's the one who asked me to go with her," Harry excused.

"It's two letters, Harry. N and O, you can say them, right?" I gave him a look. "Look, if a girl invites you to see her parents, there's a chance she's falling in love with you. You can't lead her on like that!"

Harry looked at me in attention now, eyebrows raised and gaze focused. "I met your parents. Are you in love with me?"

I paused, heart drumming inside my chest for some reason before I slapped his arm, rolling my eyes at that assumption.

"Besides," I started with a warning tone as he began to grin at me devilishly. "Since when do you give them your number? I thought you were only one-night-standing every girl that agrees... Wait... Are you...?"

Harry widened his eyes at me. "Am I what?"

"Do you like her?" I blinked, lips parted subconsciously. "The girl you're seeing her parents?"

My heart misses a beat as I let that thought sink in. Harry...likes somebody? That would be a first. Ever since I've met him he's never been interested in someone for more than one night. Now, he's meeting some girl's parents? I...I don't know how to feel about this. I didn't know how to direct my thoughts. My mind went blank for a minute, waiting for Harry to answer my question.

He studied my expression, eyes gliding over my features in curiosity. I frowned, wondering why he was trying to figure out my reaction as if wanting it. I sat silently waiting for his response, quite perplexed if I'm telling the truth. He was acting weird.

"Uh," He sighed, breathing out held in breaths as he scratched the back of his neck. "I...No. No, I don't think I like her."

My lungs deflate as I exhale, avoiding his gaze as I stared at the TV, stroking Midnight's tiny head. Something ignites inside me like a rock being thrown into the water or a moth to a flame.

For some reason, I felt...something...when Harry almost told me he liked somebody, and now I feel relieved he doesn't. I don't quite know how to word the feeling burning at the end of my throat. And Harry glancing at me not so subtly doesn't help my confusion with myself and my feelings.

"What?" Harry rasped from beside me. I hummed in question, turning my attention to him as he tilted his head, still studying me in that way he does. "What is it? Why are you being eerily quiet?"

"I'm just watching TV," I glanced at the TV screen that was playing a stupid commercial then back at Harry, who narrowed his eyes at me.

"I'll text her and say I can't see her anymore, that something came up or some shit," Harry said, sliding out his phone and started doing just what he said.

I frowned at that. "Why? You seemed sure about it before you told me."

He shrugged, looking at me from over his phone screen. "Yeah, but you obviously don't fancy the idea, do you?"

"Me?" I raised my eyebrows. "I don't have a say in your love life, Harry. Don't put me in the middle of this."

Harry locked his phone and tossed it on the rug on the ground so carelessly, as if he could afford a new one.

"Don't even try to pretend you're not jealous, Flower."

My jaw dropped. "What? Where the hell did that come from?"

Harry smiled teasingly. Damn him and his fucking dimples. "You just had to see your face."

"You are one hell of a cocky bastard, Harry Styles!" I threw the cushion by my side at him, which he caught skillfully, grin still on full show, making my blood boil even more. "Don't fucking flatter yourself. I was only shocked the ladies man of Westminster was finally hooked on one girl."

"One lucky girl, don't you think?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me in amusement. I pursed my lips and he tipped his head back and laughed heartedly.

"Okay, now you're just being fucking annoying, Harry." I rolled my eyes and turned to sulk at the TV as he laughed his arse off at me. Hell, I didn't understand what I was feeling towards Harry when I thought he liked that damned girl, but it sure as hell wasn't jealousy.

We were best friends. We didn't like each other like that. And I'd promised myself a long time ago that I won't allow myself to feel something towards him, my best friend. We vowed to that one rule. It was the only thing that wouldn't ruin us.

I wasn't jealous.

"Sure, Flower," Harry winked at me, a wickedly handsome grin on his face, teasing me. "I'll let this one go."

"Oh, screw you!" I rolled my eyes, carefully taking Midnight off my lap and disturbing his sweet purrs to stand up. "Honestly, let what go?"

"Fine, I'll shut up," He had a hard time ceasing his laughter episode before he sighed and stood up as well. "I haven't slept since yesterday, so I'll go now. But I want you to think about what you said-"

"Okay, you're cancelled. Get out, get the hell out, Harry," I said, half jokingly, as he cackled again, carrying himself outside my apartment. I watched him close the door behind him after he'd given me a wink that made me whine in annoyance.

I switched the TV off, along with the living room lights. I was aware Midnight was scurrying off behind me to get in before I close the bedroom door and I sighed, letting him slip in. Collapsing on the bed, burying my head in the fresh scented pillows, I took a deep breath, letting myself cool down.

Harry was an ass, that was a hard fact. But something about the way he joked around tonight struck me. It didn't help that I was feeling something I couldn't decipher or identify. It didn't help that I couldn't help but let him fuck with my feelings...again.

God, Harry. Why don't I want you to go out with that girl? Why did it seem like you didn't want me to? Why were you so glad about it?

I couldn't read what my heart felt, at all, but I knew it was a foreign feeling rearing its ugly head at me and I...didn't know what to do about it. Except maybe fall asleep with that thought drilled into the back of my mind and hope tomorrow that ugly feeling is gone.

Without Harry's teasing dimpled grin in the background.

••
note:
sorry i haven't been updating for a while but i was only really trying to figure out where this story is going. and ik this is a short chapter but it really needs to be, because you know, from here, things start to get real.
so buckle your seatbelts and get ready because there's a lot of conflicted-feelings chapters coming up. you've been warned!
love you guys,
ness. xx