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#57 The Downfall

I think I have done a terrible job. But, I wrote after so long, I’m happy. 

Concept: Rich Y/N has to shift into a small studio with her sister, bringing a complete change from their high society lifestyle. The owner of the studio right in front of them, Harry isn’t too pleased with this move. 

Warnings: Weed, will have smut later. 

3.5K+

—

This was the best they could do. The best they could do for me at the moment. Was it a downfall? A shattering one. Maybe shattering doesn’t justify it. I didn’t expect much from our relatives otherwise either.

“Do we have to stay here?” My sister asked, looking at our tiny studio apartment.

“I’m sorry, darling,” I said, pushing our boxes inside. We sold most of our stuff, including my parent’s house which the bank took as collateral. If I wanted my sister to continue going to the private school, which would ensure her future, we had to make that sacrifice. We had limited funds, and thankfully my university was paid for and we had our scholarships, but our way of life, our expenses - everything took a huge hit. “I’m sure we can do something amazing with it!” Decorate it like we always wanted to, but Mum never allowed us because of white walls?” I tried to cheer her up.

“I don’t know if I want to go against her now,” She sighed, sitting on the bed.

“Alright! You know what? Why don’t you make me us some pancakes, and I’ll get all the boxes inside, and we can then unpack?” She nodded, always love the idea of cooking. I hope I could send her to the best school one day, but she was only 13, and I had time to worry about that.

I walked out, looking at the dingy corridor filled with my stuff, and a door on the opposite side. Should probably say Hi to my new neighbour - maybe bake some cookies as an exchange? Wouldn’t hurt.

I tried being strong in the entire process. Losing our home, our wealth, our everything took a strong hit, with our personal relationships as well. My boyfriend broke up with me, my friends who I used to hang out with me stopped texting when I shifted homes. They all knew about the loss of income, and my world had always been shallow. I had a list of things to mourn about and absolutely no time at the moment.  

Setting up the tiny studio was hard, but we managed to fit our stuff. I was proud of how well my sister was taking it, knowing how difficult it must be for her. “Excited to go to school tomorrow? The bus, I found out, actually comes right down the lane, so it’s not much walking-”

“Why do people care about money so much? How does it matter if we don’t have it more of it, anymore? We have enough to still go to school. I am still me, then why are kids so shallow,” My sister asked, and I felt like she had aged so much in the last month.

“People are always shallow. You know how Mum made fun of all of Dad’s friends? She got it as well! Remember that friends who leave you in your time of need, are not friends, to begin with, and you should always strive for true friendship. Always be kind, and hardworking and keep your head up high. We don’t need anything else!” She hugged me tightly, crying into my chest. I hope things aren’t as hard for her.

If missing three weeks of University was bad, having your group of friends ignore you, while you tried to settle in was worse. Obviously, I didn’t come in my Porsche, obviously, I took the train, and obviously, I went to the student cafe for lunch and not the restaurant like my old routine. Everyone knew what happened, what was there to gossip about?

Max, my ex-boyfriend came and sat beside me during the gap in my schedule. I stayed away, feeling the negativity and toxic air that I didn’t want to interact. “You didn’t say hi,” he said.

“I didn’t know you noticed people who didn’t have the heritage money in the bank,” I closed my book.

“Look-”

“I can’t deal with this, Max. You said enough at Cheryl’s party, and I didn’t realize how pathetic we were. I need to widen my horizon, find my people who don’t make friends with bank accounts.”

“I didn’t say anything!” He argued.

“Oh, so you just laughed with Catherine and Misha. Same thing! And, you broke up with me. Two weeks after my parents- you should go!” I stood up.

“My mother made me do that! You know how important standing is, you were a part of it-”

“I am still a part of it. I still have all my standing, all my recommendations in place because I didn’t buy them as you did. I am better than you, all of you. I didn’t love you for how much you could spend,” Walking away from him, felt good. I didn’t have the time to wallow.

I was still on top of my class. My professors expected write-ups but, I was on schedule to graduate by the end of the year. During lunch, my two friends who I honestly loved the most, and were secretly still there for me, came and sat beside me.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

“This place has amazing Mac ‘n’ cheese if you have to know! And, it’s my cheat day!” Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Oh, stop it!” Meera hit him, hugging me tightly. “We couldn’t tolerate Catherine without your sarcastic remarks! It was intolerable!”

“I’m still mad at you!” Kyle took a bite of his cheat day dish. “I expected you to take your place back, and you didn’t even come and say hi!”

“I texted you though,” I blew him a kiss.

“Anyway,” Meera said, taking my hands, “I never liked that group thing. Let’s not do it again!” I was glad that at least at least I was a person who had made tight, genuine bonds.

The train ride home was long. It took me 20 minutes with my car to reach home, but I didn’t live in the central city anymore. I just had to get used to it. Distract myself, observe things in this 65-minute ride back home. A guy sat down in front of me after the old lady got off at her stop. His head was in his phone, earphones in, with his hoody on, and I had a feeling that he was in my class this afternoon. I didn’t notice him, but he had his back to me when I saw him walk out of class, and I didn’t know him. I tried for a while, wanting to make an eye-contact. Maybe he knew me? People knew me, in general. He got off at the same stop as me, and we walked the same way back home. I didn’t have the guts to say Hi.

I stopped on my way to the grocery store. My sister told me about her day, and how her best friend was still her best friend, and I felt it might be alright for us here. We baked cookies for our neighbour, and I rang on the doorbell. The same guy in the train, from my class today opened the door, and the only way I could be sure was because it was the same hoody and the same body structure. I gave him my big smile, always worked with all the people, “Hi! My sister and I just moved in, and we baked you some cookies and introduce ourselves!”

“You are Y/N Y/L/N. What are you doing here?” He said, shocked.

“You know me! I wanted to say Hi while we were on our way back but, didn’t get the chance to do that!” he frowned, looking a little pissed, and I wondered if I did something wrong. “This is my sister, Sara!” I pulled her forward to ease the tension. He smiled at her, and I could see his dimples and my sister gave him the cookies.

“Thank you, Sara! I’m Harry” He nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He said, talking to her and then closed the door on my face before I could speak.

“Did you do something to him?” My sister asked.

“I don’t know him!” I said, turning to our door.

“He doesn’t seem to like you,” she said, laughing.

“I know. I don’t even know why.”

“He is really handsome, though!” She elbowed me.

“I know.”

The mystery grew further when Harry categorically avoided me for the next few weeks. Life wasn’t exactly getting easy with asking my sister to control her expenses, and her crying, and trying to make food every day on top of managing a child, and then keeping in check with her schools demand of a guardian which I was now, and my Uni’s demand of just torture. Plus, I was late today, and our small sofa seat was getting delivered today. The stuff from my our old house had been sent to a storage space which my parents had bought, and we owned a small sofa piece and table set which we could fit in our apartment since we desperately needed a sitting structure.

After fighting with the delivery guy for the unnecessary extra amount he was charging to take it up one floor, I had him leave it downstairs. I was going to do it one at a time when I saw Harry coming in.

“Hey!” I shouted.

He took off his earphones, “Yeah?”

“Could you help me? I need to take these up, and I don’t have any help and I would really appreciate it,” I begged.

He thought about it a bit, and then, nodded. Taking the table up the stairs, he asked, “is this marble?” looking at the countertop.

“Yeah, I think it is,” I said smiling.

“Why are you living in a dump like this if you can buy a marble table?” He said, and I could sense the disdain in his voice.

“It’s actually my parents, from our old house. So, I didn’t have to buy it actually. Just making use of things as much as we can,” I told him.

“I heard, I am sorry.” He said as we went back down to get the sofa chair. “Hold it the other way,” he instructed as we tried to get it up the stairs, but it was really heavy. Finally managing to take it inside my place, we sat down.

“Thank you so much for helping me with this!” I stood up and got him some water.

“I should get going,” he walked towards the door.

“Oh, you know we are making pesto chicken for dinner if you’d like to join us. We found out that I am a good cook.” I smiled.

“That’s alright.” He said walking out.

“Did I do something?” I asked, all of a sudden and then bit my tongue. He frowned. “I mean, you don’t seem to like me, and I don’t know you so, I’m just, umm confused.”

“Am I supposed to like you?” He said, irritated. The fact that he was actually really beautiful, made me want him to like me, and he clearly didn’t.

“Okay, “ I gulped. “Thank you for helping me.” I nodded, hiding behind my door.

Meera did her research on him and found out that my parents had actually placed a case on Harry’s fathers business. They were the sharks in their field so, I wouldn’t have been surprised. They used to be as wealthy as us, so we had a similar downfall. Only with him, the case ended with his father losing his business, and imprisonment for 10 years on stolen copyright. It was a serious deal. His mother remarried three years ago, and Harry has been cut off and living in the studio which was surprisingly all we both could afford. I could get why he didn’t like me, but it wasn’t my fault.

Another thing about Harry was that he had a line of women coming into his flat, and leaving early morning when my sister left for school. “I think this is the 17th one,” she whispered the other day, as I walked with her and we giggled about it. We had caught him in a towel, the day before when my sister knocked on his door for a toolbox, and it would have been a lie if I didn’t drool a little. He had tattoos covering his sculpted stomach, his hand holding his towel on, with his hair wet, falling on his face, clean shaven so, you could see those sharp jawlines before my eyes shamefully met his big green ones, after I had stared and engrained everything else.

“Those girls are very lucky,” I whispered back to my sister, and she giggled some more.

He was really smart as well. Paying extra attention to my studies, I noticed who the class toppers were, and we were at the top. Well, he was. Girls talked a lot about him as well. I guess, he played the I don’t care much about anything attitude well enough, making him that mysterious. I noticed he hung out with three guys, and two girls here and there. He mostly ignored me, even when we were on the same way home, and I couldn’t help feeling small. And he always had the best stash of weed - some good connection of his.

I could do with some weed. The pressure was finally taking a toll on me and I needed a break. I felt like a full-time mother, with a full-time Uni schedule and a part-time job, and it was getting to me. I didn’t have to do more than half it, just a few months ago. The lawyers said I was doing well with my sister, and my schedule and they don’t have to take her away if I kept it up.

Wanting some that night, and knowing he had a good seller, I knocked on his door. He opened the door, raising his eyebrow. He was wearing a shirt which was buttoned down and tucked into his pants. I could see his tastes were still high fashion - it was the way we dressed and money didn’t change that. I did now, know the best cheap places to keep the style up though. I gulped looking at his chest, and then, up to his eyes. I was also horny as fuck, and having my sister sleep next to me every day, didn’t help. He didn’t smirk like men usually did though, and it gave me the confidence to ask him if he had any on hand, if I could buy some of him for now, and get his contact.

“The rich girl can’t walk down to a dispensary and get it for herself?” That disdain again.

“I’m not rich anymore,” I snapped. “I’m sorry,”  I calmed myself. “I heard you have a good supplier, and I…it’s cool. Thanks anyway.” I shrugged. He made me want to crawl in bed and cry with the tone he used, and his expressions meant for me.  I was going to do just that when he stopped me.

“I was going to roll myself one, right now. Join me,” he pulled his door wide and walked off inside. I nervously pulled my hair behind my ear and walked inside. His house, as small as mine, was spotlessly clean, and so well organised that it made mine look shabby.

“Where is your sister?” He asked as he sat down on the sofa, holding the grinder in his hand.

“Sleepover, friends,” I told him. He raised his head up, nodding. “Do you know how to roll?”

“Umm, actually I never smoked that much,” I said, waiting for the further judgement.

“Really? What was your escape then?” He asked, taking the paper out, and tearing a cardboard piece for the roach. His hands worked skillfully as he put the weed on the paper, looking at me for a reply.

“Umm, escape?” I frowned.

“From the high society drama that you were a part of? I know, I needed an escape,” I was a bit enchanted with how he pulled his tongue out to like the paper to roll the joint, that it took me a while to come back.

I played it cool, pulling my eyes away, “Umm, I had a good family. Only needed an escape when I was really stressed which well didn’t…”

“Fair enough, shall we?” We walked to the balcony, and he lit the joint, taking a drag, and then handing it to me.

I took a smaller one, it being a few months since having smoked, and I didn’t want to look like an idiot.

“So, how was your day?” I asked, looking at the car park view in front of us.

“Alright.” He should ask me back. He didn’t.

“Do you wanna pair up for Benjamin’s class?” I should shut up. I have no clue how I have such great ideas all the time. “We live here, so it’ll just be easier to meet up, so I wondered.”

“Huh,” he didn’t look impressed, as he took another drag before giving it to me.

He didn’t respond, and I was running out of things to talk about, but I was now high and could vouch for his stuff being really great. He threw the bud away, and we walked inside. “Give me a list of what you want, I’ll get it,” He said, handing me a paper.

“Oh, I umm - I don’t want a lot. My sister and I don’t know how to roll,”

“I’m not your servant,”

“What- I- I didn’t,” I sighed. “If you could get me two pre-rolled - that would do for the while. Let me know how much I owe for it. Thank you for today.” I said walking towards the door. “I don’t know why you’re so hostile towards me, you know.” This surge of confidence in me was induced for sure. “I didn’t do you anything.”

“You don’t know? We have a history.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Our parents have a history. I had nothing to do with the business, and I haven’t met you before, even if we used to be in the same circle. I would remember you,” I walked towards him, pointing a finger at his chest.

“Your parents are the reason my home broke, and my dad’s in prison!” He snapped. “They had a choice to let him go, after destroying us, but he didn’t stop. My mother left-”

“My parents were not the reason your mother left! And your father probably deserved by law what happened to him!”

“I am sure your parents deserved what happened to them!”

I shut up. My brain was a bit slow to process the hurt and put it in front of me like bricks. But, it all came back. The memories, the blood, the sold sign in front of our house, my sister’s howl, and my eyes went cloudy, as I sat down right there on his floor.

“They died,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Harry knelt down in front of me. “I didn’t mean it.”

I was too far gone though, as I looked at my hands, realising that I hadn’t cried since I last held them in my arms when, ”there was so much blood,” i showed him my hands, as he looked at me, my tears pouring out. “I couldn’t save anyone, I tried to-” I said shivering now.

“Hey-hey, it’s okay, it’s alright,” He wrapped his arms around me pulling me to his chest. I broke down in his arms.

The next thing, clear in my mind is waking up in a bed, Harry’s bed with his arms still around me, holding me to his body. I shifted a little, back in my conscious head waking him up as well, and his eyes met mine. I kept my head, back on the pillow, not taking my eyes off of his, still having nothing to say. I had opened up to this man more, than literally anyone else. I could still feel his arm under my head, and his other hand wrapped around my waist, my body still attached to his, and I felt comfortable. I didn’t want to read into this. I just wanted to let it be.

He shifted, pulling his hand up from below my head, and I got up, closer to his face, his eyes still on mine, and I instinctively bent down. My lips wrapping around his bottom one in a  kiss, as I pushed him down, towards the bed. I felt his hand, hold my face pulling us apart, as our eyes met again, looking for something. He found it, as he brought his lips back to mine, holding my face in his palms, pushing me back to his bed with a force which felt perfect in every way.

—

Would love to know what you think of it? Comments/Request for Part 2? 

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#57 The Downfall

I think I have done a terrible job. But, I wrote after so long, I’m happy. 

Concept: Rich Y/N has to shift into a small studio with her sister, bringing a complete change from their high society lifestyle. The owner of the studio right in front of them, Harry isn’t too pleased with this move. 

Warnings: Weed, will have smut later. 

3.5K+

—

This was the best they could do. The best they could do for me at the moment. Was it a downfall? A shattering one. Maybe shattering doesn’t justify it. I didn’t expect much from our relatives otherwise either.

“Do we have to stay here?” My sister asked, looking at our tiny studio apartment.

“I’m sorry, darling,” I said, pushing our boxes inside. We sold most of our stuff, including my parent’s house which the bank took as collateral. If I wanted my sister to continue going to the private school, which would ensure her future, we had to make that sacrifice. We had limited funds, and thankfully my university was paid for and we had our scholarships, but our way of life, our expenses - everything took a huge hit. “I’m sure we can do something amazing with it!” Decorate it like we always wanted to, but Mum never allowed us because of white walls?” I tried to cheer her up.

“I don’t know if I want to go against her now,” She sighed, sitting on the bed.

“Alright! You know what? Why don’t you make me us some pancakes, and I’ll get all the boxes inside, and we can then unpack?” She nodded, always love the idea of cooking. I hope I could send her to the best school one day, but she was only 13, and I had time to worry about that.

I walked out, looking at the dingy corridor filled with my stuff, and a door on the opposite side. Should probably say Hi to my new neighbour - maybe bake some cookies as an exchange? Wouldn’t hurt.

I tried being strong in the entire process. Losing our home, our wealth, our everything took a strong hit, with our personal relationships as well. My boyfriend broke up with me, my friends who I used to hang out with me stopped texting when I shifted homes. They all knew about the loss of income, and my world had always been shallow. I had a list of things to mourn about and absolutely no time at the moment.  

Setting up the tiny studio was hard, but we managed to fit our stuff. I was proud of how well my sister was taking it, knowing how difficult it must be for her. “Excited to go to school tomorrow? The bus, I found out, actually comes right down the lane, so it’s not much walking-”

“Why do people care about money so much? How does it matter if we don’t have it more of it, anymore? We have enough to still go to school. I am still me, then why are kids so shallow,” My sister asked, and I felt like she had aged so much in the last month.

“People are always shallow. You know how Mum made fun of all of Dad’s friends? She got it as well! Remember that friends who leave you in your time of need, are not friends, to begin with, and you should always strive for true friendship. Always be kind, and hardworking and keep your head up high. We don’t need anything else!” She hugged me tightly, crying into my chest. I hope things aren’t as hard for her.

If missing three weeks of University was bad, having your group of friends ignore you, while you tried to settle in was worse. Obviously, I didn’t come in my Porsche, obviously, I took the train, and obviously, I went to the student cafe for lunch and not the restaurant like my old routine. Everyone knew what happened, what was there to gossip about?

Max, my ex-boyfriend came and sat beside me during the gap in my schedule. I stayed away, feeling the negativity and toxic air that I didn’t want to interact. “You didn’t say hi,” he said.

“I didn’t know you noticed people who didn’t have the heritage money in the bank,” I closed my book.

“Look-”

“I can’t deal with this, Max. You said enough at Cheryl’s party, and I didn’t realize how pathetic we were. I need to widen my horizon, find my people who don’t make friends with bank accounts.”

“I didn’t say anything!” He argued.

“Oh, so you just laughed with Catherine and Misha. Same thing! And, you broke up with me. Two weeks after my parents- you should go!” I stood up.

“My mother made me do that! You know how important standing is, you were a part of it-”

“I am still a part of it. I still have all my standing, all my recommendations in place because I didn’t buy them as you did. I am better than you, all of you. I didn’t love you for how much you could spend,” Walking away from him, felt good. I didn’t have the time to wallow.

I was still on top of my class. My professors expected write-ups but, I was on schedule to graduate by the end of the year. During lunch, my two friends who I honestly loved the most, and were secretly still there for me, came and sat beside me.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

“This place has amazing Mac ‘n’ cheese if you have to know! And, it’s my cheat day!” Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Oh, stop it!” Meera hit him, hugging me tightly. “We couldn’t tolerate Catherine without your sarcastic remarks! It was intolerable!”

“I’m still mad at you!” Kyle took a bite of his cheat day dish. “I expected you to take your place back, and you didn’t even come and say hi!”

“I texted you though,” I blew him a kiss.

“Anyway,” Meera said, taking my hands, “I never liked that group thing. Let’s not do it again!” I was glad that at least at least I was a person who had made tight, genuine bonds.

The train ride home was long. It took me 20 minutes with my car to reach home, but I didn’t live in the central city anymore. I just had to get used to it. Distract myself, observe things in this 65-minute ride back home. A guy sat down in front of me after the old lady got off at her stop. His head was in his phone, earphones in, with his hoody on, and I had a feeling that he was in my class this afternoon. I didn’t notice him, but he had his back to me when I saw him walk out of class, and I didn’t know him. I tried for a while, wanting to make an eye-contact. Maybe he knew me? People knew me, in general. He got off at the same stop as me, and we walked the same way back home. I didn’t have the guts to say Hi.

I stopped on my way to the grocery store. My sister told me about her day, and how her best friend was still her best friend, and I felt it might be alright for us here. We baked cookies for our neighbour, and I rang on the doorbell. The same guy in the train, from my class today opened the door, and the only way I could be sure was because it was the same hoody and the same body structure. I gave him my big smile, always worked with all the people, “Hi! My sister and I just moved in, and we baked you some cookies and introduce ourselves!”

“You are Y/N Y/L/N. What are you doing here?” He said, shocked.

“You know me! I wanted to say Hi while we were on our way back but, didn’t get the chance to do that!” he frowned, looking a little pissed, and I wondered if I did something wrong. “This is my sister, Sara!” I pulled her forward to ease the tension. He smiled at her, and I could see his dimples and my sister gave him the cookies.

“Thank you, Sara! I’m Harry” He nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He said, talking to her and then closed the door on my face before I could speak.

“Did you do something to him?” My sister asked.

“I don’t know him!” I said, turning to our door.

“He doesn’t seem to like you,” she said, laughing.

“I know. I don’t even know why.”

“He is really handsome, though!” She elbowed me.

“I know.”

The mystery grew further when Harry categorically avoided me for the next few weeks. Life wasn’t exactly getting easy with asking my sister to control her expenses, and her crying, and trying to make food every day on top of managing a child, and then keeping in check with her schools demand of a guardian which I was now, and my Uni’s demand of just torture. Plus, I was late today, and our small sofa seat was getting delivered today. The stuff from my our old house had been sent to a storage space which my parents had bought, and we owned a small sofa piece and table set which we could fit in our apartment since we desperately needed a sitting structure.

After fighting with the delivery guy for the unnecessary extra amount he was charging to take it up one floor, I had him leave it downstairs. I was going to do it one at a time when I saw Harry coming in.

“Hey!” I shouted.

He took off his earphones, “Yeah?”

“Could you help me? I need to take these up, and I don’t have any help and I would really appreciate it,” I begged.

He thought about it a bit, and then, nodded. Taking the table up the stairs, he asked, “is this marble?” looking at the countertop.

“Yeah, I think it is,” I said smiling.

“Why are you living in a dump like this if you can buy a marble table?” He said, and I could sense the disdain in his voice.

“It’s actually my parents, from our old house. So, I didn’t have to buy it actually. Just making use of things as much as we can,” I told him.

“I heard, I am sorry.” He said as we went back down to get the sofa chair. “Hold it the other way,” he instructed as we tried to get it up the stairs, but it was really heavy. Finally managing to take it inside my place, we sat down.

“Thank you so much for helping me with this!” I stood up and got him some water.

“I should get going,” he walked towards the door.

“Oh, you know we are making pesto chicken for dinner if you’d like to join us. We found out that I am a good cook.” I smiled.

“That’s alright.” He said walking out.

“Did I do something?” I asked, all of a sudden and then bit my tongue. He frowned. “I mean, you don’t seem to like me, and I don’t know you so, I’m just, umm confused.”

“Am I supposed to like you?” He said, irritated. The fact that he was actually really beautiful, made me want him to like me, and he clearly didn’t.

“Okay, “ I gulped. “Thank you for helping me.” I nodded, hiding behind my door.

Meera did her research on him and found out that my parents had actually placed a case on Harry’s fathers business. They were the sharks in their field so, I wouldn’t have been surprised. They used to be as wealthy as us, so we had a similar downfall. Only with him, the case ended with his father losing his business, and imprisonment for 10 years on stolen copyright. It was a serious deal. His mother remarried three years ago, and Harry has been cut off and living in the studio which was surprisingly all we both could afford. I could get why he didn’t like me, but it wasn’t my fault.

Another thing about Harry was that he had a line of women coming into his flat, and leaving early morning when my sister left for school. “I think this is the 17th one,” she whispered the other day, as I walked with her and we giggled about it. We had caught him in a towel, the day before when my sister knocked on his door for a toolbox, and it would have been a lie if I didn’t drool a little. He had tattoos covering his sculpted stomach, his hand holding his towel on, with his hair wet, falling on his face, clean shaven so, you could see those sharp jawlines before my eyes shamefully met his big green ones, after I had stared and engrained everything else.

“Those girls are very lucky,” I whispered back to my sister, and she giggled some more.

He was really smart as well. Paying extra attention to my studies, I noticed who the class toppers were, and we were at the top. Well, he was. Girls talked a lot about him as well. I guess, he played the I don’t care much about anything attitude well enough, making him that mysterious. I noticed he hung out with three guys, and two girls here and there. He mostly ignored me, even when we were on the same way home, and I couldn’t help feeling small. And he always had the best stash of weed - some good connection of his.

I could do with some weed. The pressure was finally taking a toll on me and I needed a break. I felt like a full-time mother, with a full-time Uni schedule and a part-time job, and it was getting to me. I didn’t have to do more than half it, just a few months ago. The lawyers said I was doing well with my sister, and my schedule and they don’t have to take her away if I kept it up.

Wanting some that night, and knowing he had a good seller, I knocked on his door. He opened the door, raising his eyebrow. He was wearing a shirt which was buttoned down and tucked into his pants. I could see his tastes were still high fashion - it was the way we dressed and money didn’t change that. I did now, know the best cheap places to keep the style up though. I gulped looking at his chest, and then, up to his eyes. I was also horny as fuck, and having my sister sleep next to me every day, didn’t help. He didn’t smirk like men usually did though, and it gave me the confidence to ask him if he had any on hand, if I could buy some of him for now, and get his contact.

“The rich girl can’t walk down to a dispensary and get it for herself?” That disdain again.

“I’m not rich anymore,” I snapped. “I’m sorry,”  I calmed myself. “I heard you have a good supplier, and I…it’s cool. Thanks anyway.” I shrugged. He made me want to crawl in bed and cry with the tone he used, and his expressions meant for me.  I was going to do just that when he stopped me.

“I was going to roll myself one, right now. Join me,” he pulled his door wide and walked off inside. I nervously pulled my hair behind my ear and walked inside. His house, as small as mine, was spotlessly clean, and so well organised that it made mine look shabby.

“Where is your sister?” He asked as he sat down on the sofa, holding the grinder in his hand.

“Sleepover, friends,” I told him. He raised his head up, nodding. “Do you know how to roll?”

“Umm, actually I never smoked that much,” I said, waiting for the further judgement.

“Really? What was your escape then?” He asked, taking the paper out, and tearing a cardboard piece for the roach. His hands worked skillfully as he put the weed on the paper, looking at me for a reply.

“Umm, escape?” I frowned.

“From the high society drama that you were a part of? I know, I needed an escape,” I was a bit enchanted with how he pulled his tongue out to like the paper to roll the joint, that it took me a while to come back.

I played it cool, pulling my eyes away, “Umm, I had a good family. Only needed an escape when I was really stressed which well didn’t…”

“Fair enough, shall we?” We walked to the balcony, and he lit the joint, taking a drag, and then handing it to me.

I took a smaller one, it being a few months since having smoked, and I didn’t want to look like an idiot.

“So, how was your day?” I asked, looking at the car park view in front of us.

“Alright.” He should ask me back. He didn’t.

“Do you wanna pair up for Benjamin’s class?” I should shut up. I have no clue how I have such great ideas all the time. “We live here, so it’ll just be easier to meet up, so I wondered.”

“Huh,” he didn’t look impressed, as he took another drag before giving it to me.

He didn’t respond, and I was running out of things to talk about, but I was now high and could vouch for his stuff being really great. He threw the bud away, and we walked inside. “Give me a list of what you want, I’ll get it,” He said, handing me a paper.

“Oh, I umm - I don’t want a lot. My sister and I don’t know how to roll,”

“I’m not your servant,”

“What- I- I didn’t,” I sighed. “If you could get me two pre-rolled - that would do for the while. Let me know how much I owe for it. Thank you for today.” I said walking towards the door. “I don’t know why you’re so hostile towards me, you know.” This surge of confidence in me was induced for sure. “I didn’t do you anything.”

“You don’t know? We have a history.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Our parents have a history. I had nothing to do with the business, and I haven’t met you before, even if we used to be in the same circle. I would remember you,” I walked towards him, pointing a finger at his chest.

“Your parents are the reason my home broke, and my dad’s in prison!” He snapped. “They had a choice to let him go, after destroying us, but he didn’t stop. My mother left-”

“My parents were not the reason your mother left! And your father probably deserved by law what happened to him!”

“I am sure your parents deserved what happened to them!”

I shut up. My brain was a bit slow to process the hurt and put it in front of me like bricks. But, it all came back. The memories, the blood, the sold sign in front of our house, my sister’s howl, and my eyes went cloudy, as I sat down right there on his floor.

“They died,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Harry knelt down in front of me. “I didn’t mean it.”

I was too far gone though, as I looked at my hands, realising that I hadn’t cried since I last held them in my arms when, ”there was so much blood,” i showed him my hands, as he looked at me, my tears pouring out. “I couldn’t save anyone, I tried to-” I said shivering now.

“Hey-hey, it’s okay, it’s alright,” He wrapped his arms around me pulling me to his chest. I broke down in his arms.

The next thing, clear in my mind is waking up in a bed, Harry’s bed with his arms still around me, holding me to his body. I shifted a little, back in my conscious head waking him up as well, and his eyes met mine. I kept my head, back on the pillow, not taking my eyes off of his, still having nothing to say. I had opened up to this man more, than literally anyone else. I could still feel his arm under my head, and his other hand wrapped around my waist, my body still attached to his, and I felt comfortable. I didn’t want to read into this. I just wanted to let it be.

He shifted, pulling his hand up from below my head, and I got up, closer to his face, his eyes still on mine, and I instinctively bent down. My lips wrapping around his bottom one in a  kiss, as I pushed him down, towards the bed. I felt his hand, hold my face pulling us apart, as our eyes met again, looking for something. He found it, as he brought his lips back to mine, holding my face in his palms, pushing me back to his bed with a force which felt perfect in every way.

—

Would love to know what you think of it? Comments/Request for Part 2? 

Masterlist

Copyright ©theStylesproject 2019: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS WORK CONTAINS MATERIAL PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS AND TREATIES. NO PART OF THIS WORK MAYBE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM theStylesproject.

#57 The Downfall

I think I have done a terrible job. But, I wrote after so long, I’m happy. 

Concept: Rich Y/N has to shift into a small studio with her sister, bringing a complete change from their high society lifestyle. The owner of the studio right in front of them, Harry isn’t too pleased with this move. 

Warnings: Weed, will have smut later. 

3.5K+

—

This was the best they could do. The best they could do for me at the moment. Was it a downfall? A shattering one. Maybe shattering doesn’t justify it. I didn’t expect much from our relatives otherwise either.

“Do we have to stay here?” My sister asked, looking at our tiny studio apartment.

“I’m sorry, darling,” I said, pushing our boxes inside. We sold most of our stuff, including my parent’s house which the bank took as collateral. If I wanted my sister to continue going to the private school, which would ensure her future, we had to make that sacrifice. We had limited funds, and thankfully my university was paid for and we had our scholarships, but our way of life, our expenses - everything took a huge hit. “I’m sure we can do something amazing with it!” Decorate it like we always wanted to, but Mum never allowed us because of white walls?” I tried to cheer her up.

“I don’t know if I want to go against her now,” She sighed, sitting on the bed.

“Alright! You know what? Why don’t you make me us some pancakes, and I’ll get all the boxes inside, and we can then unpack?” She nodded, always love the idea of cooking. I hope I could send her to the best school one day, but she was only 13, and I had time to worry about that.

I walked out, looking at the dingy corridor filled with my stuff, and a door on the opposite side. Should probably say Hi to my new neighbour - maybe bake some cookies as an exchange? Wouldn’t hurt.

I tried being strong in the entire process. Losing our home, our wealth, our everything took a strong hit, with our personal relationships as well. My boyfriend broke up with me, my friends who I used to hang out with me stopped texting when I shifted homes. They all knew about the loss of income, and my world had always been shallow. I had a list of things to mourn about and absolutely no time at the moment.  

Setting up the tiny studio was hard, but we managed to fit our stuff. I was proud of how well my sister was taking it, knowing how difficult it must be for her. “Excited to go to school tomorrow? The bus, I found out, actually comes right down the lane, so it’s not much walking-”

“Why do people care about money so much? How does it matter if we don’t have it more of it, anymore? We have enough to still go to school. I am still me, then why are kids so shallow,” My sister asked, and I felt like she had aged so much in the last month.

“People are always shallow. You know how Mum made fun of all of Dad’s friends? She got it as well! Remember that friends who leave you in your time of need, are not friends, to begin with, and you should always strive for true friendship. Always be kind, and hardworking and keep your head up high. We don’t need anything else!” She hugged me tightly, crying into my chest. I hope things aren’t as hard for her.

If missing three weeks of University was bad, having your group of friends ignore you, while you tried to settle in was worse. Obviously, I didn’t come in my Porsche, obviously, I took the train, and obviously, I went to the student cafe for lunch and not the restaurant like my old routine. Everyone knew what happened, what was there to gossip about?

Max, my ex-boyfriend came and sat beside me during the gap in my schedule. I stayed away, feeling the negativity and toxic air that I didn’t want to interact. “You didn’t say hi,” he said.

“I didn’t know you noticed people who didn’t have the heritage money in the bank,” I closed my book.

“Look-”

“I can’t deal with this, Max. You said enough at Cheryl’s party, and I didn’t realize how pathetic we were. I need to widen my horizon, find my people who don’t make friends with bank accounts.”

“I didn’t say anything!” He argued.

“Oh, so you just laughed with Catherine and Misha. Same thing! And, you broke up with me. Two weeks after my parents- you should go!” I stood up.

“My mother made me do that! You know how important standing is, you were a part of it-”

“I am still a part of it. I still have all my standing, all my recommendations in place because I didn’t buy them as you did. I am better than you, all of you. I didn’t love you for how much you could spend,” Walking away from him, felt good. I didn’t have the time to wallow.

I was still on top of my class. My professors expected write-ups but, I was on schedule to graduate by the end of the year. During lunch, my two friends who I honestly loved the most, and were secretly still there for me, came and sat beside me.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

“This place has amazing Mac ‘n’ cheese if you have to know! And, it’s my cheat day!” Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Oh, stop it!” Meera hit him, hugging me tightly. “We couldn’t tolerate Catherine without your sarcastic remarks! It was intolerable!”

“I’m still mad at you!” Kyle took a bite of his cheat day dish. “I expected you to take your place back, and you didn’t even come and say hi!”

“I texted you though,” I blew him a kiss.

“Anyway,” Meera said, taking my hands, “I never liked that group thing. Let’s not do it again!” I was glad that at least at least I was a person who had made tight, genuine bonds.

The train ride home was long. It took me 20 minutes with my car to reach home, but I didn’t live in the central city anymore. I just had to get used to it. Distract myself, observe things in this 65-minute ride back home. A guy sat down in front of me after the old lady got off at her stop. His head was in his phone, earphones in, with his hoody on, and I had a feeling that he was in my class this afternoon. I didn’t notice him, but he had his back to me when I saw him walk out of class, and I didn’t know him. I tried for a while, wanting to make an eye-contact. Maybe he knew me? People knew me, in general. He got off at the same stop as me, and we walked the same way back home. I didn’t have the guts to say Hi.

I stopped on my way to the grocery store. My sister told me about her day, and how her best friend was still her best friend, and I felt it might be alright for us here. We baked cookies for our neighbour, and I rang on the doorbell. The same guy in the train, from my class today opened the door, and the only way I could be sure was because it was the same hoody and the same body structure. I gave him my big smile, always worked with all the people, “Hi! My sister and I just moved in, and we baked you some cookies and introduce ourselves!”

“You are Y/N Y/L/N. What are you doing here?” He said, shocked.

“You know me! I wanted to say Hi while we were on our way back but, didn’t get the chance to do that!” he frowned, looking a little pissed, and I wondered if I did something wrong. “This is my sister, Sara!” I pulled her forward to ease the tension. He smiled at her, and I could see his dimples and my sister gave him the cookies.

“Thank you, Sara! I’m Harry” He nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He said, talking to her and then closed the door on my face before I could speak.

“Did you do something to him?” My sister asked.

“I don’t know him!” I said, turning to our door.

“He doesn’t seem to like you,” she said, laughing.

“I know. I don’t even know why.”

“He is really handsome, though!” She elbowed me.

“I know.”

The mystery grew further when Harry categorically avoided me for the next few weeks. Life wasn’t exactly getting easy with asking my sister to control her expenses, and her crying, and trying to make food every day on top of managing a child, and then keeping in check with her schools demand of a guardian which I was now, and my Uni’s demand of just torture. Plus, I was late today, and our small sofa seat was getting delivered today. The stuff from my our old house had been sent to a storage space which my parents had bought, and we owned a small sofa piece and table set which we could fit in our apartment since we desperately needed a sitting structure.

After fighting with the delivery guy for the unnecessary extra amount he was charging to take it up one floor, I had him leave it downstairs. I was going to do it one at a time when I saw Harry coming in.

“Hey!” I shouted.

He took off his earphones, “Yeah?”

“Could you help me? I need to take these up, and I don’t have any help and I would really appreciate it,” I begged.

He thought about it a bit, and then, nodded. Taking the table up the stairs, he asked, “is this marble?” looking at the countertop.

“Yeah, I think it is,” I said smiling.

“Why are you living in a dump like this if you can buy a marble table?” He said, and I could sense the disdain in his voice.

“It’s actually my parents, from our old house. So, I didn’t have to buy it actually. Just making use of things as much as we can,” I told him.

“I heard, I am sorry.” He said as we went back down to get the sofa chair. “Hold it the other way,” he instructed as we tried to get it up the stairs, but it was really heavy. Finally managing to take it inside my place, we sat down.

“Thank you so much for helping me with this!” I stood up and got him some water.

“I should get going,” he walked towards the door.

“Oh, you know we are making pesto chicken for dinner if you’d like to join us. We found out that I am a good cook.” I smiled.

“That’s alright.” He said walking out.

“Did I do something?” I asked, all of a sudden and then bit my tongue. He frowned. “I mean, you don’t seem to like me, and I don’t know you so, I’m just, umm confused.”

“Am I supposed to like you?” He said, irritated. The fact that he was actually really beautiful, made me want him to like me, and he clearly didn’t.

“Okay, “ I gulped. “Thank you for helping me.” I nodded, hiding behind my door.

Meera did her research on him and found out that my parents had actually placed a case on Harry’s fathers business. They were the sharks in their field so, I wouldn’t have been surprised. They used to be as wealthy as us, so we had a similar downfall. Only with him, the case ended with his father losing his business, and imprisonment for 10 years on stolen copyright. It was a serious deal. His mother remarried three years ago, and Harry has been cut off and living in the studio which was surprisingly all we both could afford. I could get why he didn’t like me, but it wasn’t my fault.

Another thing about Harry was that he had a line of women coming into his flat, and leaving early morning when my sister left for school. “I think this is the 17th one,” she whispered the other day, as I walked with her and we giggled about it. We had caught him in a towel, the day before when my sister knocked on his door for a toolbox, and it would have been a lie if I didn’t drool a little. He had tattoos covering his sculpted stomach, his hand holding his towel on, with his hair wet, falling on his face, clean shaven so, you could see those sharp jawlines before my eyes shamefully met his big green ones, after I had stared and engrained everything else.

“Those girls are very lucky,” I whispered back to my sister, and she giggled some more.

He was really smart as well. Paying extra attention to my studies, I noticed who the class toppers were, and we were at the top. Well, he was. Girls talked a lot about him as well. I guess, he played the I don’t care much about anything attitude well enough, making him that mysterious. I noticed he hung out with three guys, and two girls here and there. He mostly ignored me, even when we were on the same way home, and I couldn’t help feeling small. And he always had the best stash of weed - some good connection of his.

I could do with some weed. The pressure was finally taking a toll on me and I needed a break. I felt like a full-time mother, with a full-time Uni schedule and a part-time job, and it was getting to me. I didn’t have to do more than half it, just a few months ago. The lawyers said I was doing well with my sister, and my schedule and they don’t have to take her away if I kept it up.

Wanting some that night, and knowing he had a good seller, I knocked on his door. He opened the door, raising his eyebrow. He was wearing a shirt which was buttoned down and tucked into his pants. I could see his tastes were still high fashion - it was the way we dressed and money didn’t change that. I did now, know the best cheap places to keep the style up though. I gulped looking at his chest, and then, up to his eyes. I was also horny as fuck, and having my sister sleep next to me every day, didn’t help. He didn’t smirk like men usually did though, and it gave me the confidence to ask him if he had any on hand, if I could buy some of him for now, and get his contact.

“The rich girl can’t walk down to a dispensary and get it for herself?” That disdain again.

“I’m not rich anymore,” I snapped. “I’m sorry,”  I calmed myself. “I heard you have a good supplier, and I…it’s cool. Thanks anyway.” I shrugged. He made me want to crawl in bed and cry with the tone he used, and his expressions meant for me.  I was going to do just that when he stopped me.

“I was going to roll myself one, right now. Join me,” he pulled his door wide and walked off inside. I nervously pulled my hair behind my ear and walked inside. His house, as small as mine, was spotlessly clean, and so well organised that it made mine look shabby.

“Where is your sister?” He asked as he sat down on the sofa, holding the grinder in his hand.

“Sleepover, friends,” I told him. He raised his head up, nodding. “Do you know how to roll?”

“Umm, actually I never smoked that much,” I said, waiting for the further judgement.

“Really? What was your escape then?” He asked, taking the paper out, and tearing a cardboard piece for the roach. His hands worked skillfully as he put the weed on the paper, looking at me for a reply.

“Umm, escape?” I frowned.

“From the high society drama that you were a part of? I know, I needed an escape,” I was a bit enchanted with how he pulled his tongue out to like the paper to roll the joint, that it took me a while to come back.

I played it cool, pulling my eyes away, “Umm, I had a good family. Only needed an escape when I was really stressed which well didn’t…”

“Fair enough, shall we?” We walked to the balcony, and he lit the joint, taking a drag, and then handing it to me.

I took a smaller one, it being a few months since having smoked, and I didn’t want to look like an idiot.

“So, how was your day?” I asked, looking at the car park view in front of us.

“Alright.” He should ask me back. He didn’t.

“Do you wanna pair up for Benjamin’s class?” I should shut up. I have no clue how I have such great ideas all the time. “We live here, so it’ll just be easier to meet up, so I wondered.”

“Huh,” he didn’t look impressed, as he took another drag before giving it to me.

He didn’t respond, and I was running out of things to talk about, but I was now high and could vouch for his stuff being really great. He threw the bud away, and we walked inside. “Give me a list of what you want, I’ll get it,” He said, handing me a paper.

“Oh, I umm - I don’t want a lot. My sister and I don’t know how to roll,”

“I’m not your servant,”

“What- I- I didn’t,” I sighed. “If you could get me two pre-rolled - that would do for the while. Let me know how much I owe for it. Thank you for today.” I said walking towards the door. “I don’t know why you’re so hostile towards me, you know.” This surge of confidence in me was induced for sure. “I didn’t do you anything.”

“You don’t know? We have a history.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Our parents have a history. I had nothing to do with the business, and I haven’t met you before, even if we used to be in the same circle. I would remember you,” I walked towards him, pointing a finger at his chest.

“Your parents are the reason my home broke, and my dad’s in prison!” He snapped. “They had a choice to let him go, after destroying us, but he didn’t stop. My mother left-”

“My parents were not the reason your mother left! And your father probably deserved by law what happened to him!”

“I am sure your parents deserved what happened to them!”

I shut up. My brain was a bit slow to process the hurt and put it in front of me like bricks. But, it all came back. The memories, the blood, the sold sign in front of our house, my sister’s howl, and my eyes went cloudy, as I sat down right there on his floor.

“They died,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Harry knelt down in front of me. “I didn’t mean it.”

I was too far gone though, as I looked at my hands, realising that I hadn’t cried since I last held them in my arms when, ”there was so much blood,” i showed him my hands, as he looked at me, my tears pouring out. “I couldn’t save anyone, I tried to-” I said shivering now.

“Hey-hey, it’s okay, it’s alright,” He wrapped his arms around me pulling me to his chest. I broke down in his arms.

The next thing, clear in my mind is waking up in a bed, Harry’s bed with his arms still around me, holding me to his body. I shifted a little, back in my conscious head waking him up as well, and his eyes met mine. I kept my head, back on the pillow, not taking my eyes off of his, still having nothing to say. I had opened up to this man more, than literally anyone else. I could still feel his arm under my head, and his other hand wrapped around my waist, my body still attached to his, and I felt comfortable. I didn’t want to read into this. I just wanted to let it be.

He shifted, pulling his hand up from below my head, and I got up, closer to his face, his eyes still on mine, and I instinctively bent down. My lips wrapping around his bottom one in a  kiss, as I pushed him down, towards the bed. I felt his hand, hold my face pulling us apart, as our eyes met again, looking for something. He found it, as he brought his lips back to mine, holding my face in his palms, pushing me back to his bed with a force which felt perfect in every way.

—

Would love to know what you think of it? Comments/Request for Part 2? 

Masterlist

Copyright ©theStylesproject 2019: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS WORK CONTAINS MATERIAL PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS AND TREATIES. NO PART OF THIS WORK MAYBE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM theStylesproject.

I

#57 The Downfall

I think I have done a terrible job. But, I wrote after so long, I’m happy. 

Concept: Rich Y/N has to shift into a small studio with her sister, bringing a complete change from their high society lifestyle. The owner of the studio right in front of them, Harry isn’t too pleased with this move. 

Warnings: Weed, will have smut later. 

3.5K+

—

This was the best they could do. The best they could do for me at the moment. Was it a downfall? A shattering one. Maybe shattering doesn’t justify it. I didn’t expect much from our relatives otherwise either.

“Do we have to stay here?” My sister asked, looking at our tiny studio apartment.

“I’m sorry, darling,” I said, pushing our boxes inside. We sold most of our stuff, including my parent’s house which the bank took as collateral. If I wanted my sister to continue going to the private school, which would ensure her future, we had to make that sacrifice. We had limited funds, and thankfully my university was paid for and we had our scholarships, but our way of life, our expenses - everything took a huge hit. “I’m sure we can do something amazing with it!” Decorate it like we always wanted to, but Mum never allowed us because of white walls?” I tried to cheer her up.

“I don’t know if I want to go against her now,” She sighed, sitting on the bed.

“Alright! You know what? Why don’t you make me us some pancakes, and I’ll get all the boxes inside, and we can then unpack?” She nodded, always love the idea of cooking. I hope I could send her to the best school one day, but she was only 13, and I had time to worry about that.

I walked out, looking at the dingy corridor filled with my stuff, and a door on the opposite side. Should probably say Hi to my new neighbour - maybe bake some cookies as an exchange? Wouldn’t hurt.

I tried being strong in the entire process. Losing our home, our wealth, our everything took a strong hit, with our personal relationships as well. My boyfriend broke up with me, my friends who I used to hang out with me stopped texting when I shifted homes. They all knew about the loss of income, and my world had always been shallow. I had a list of things to mourn about and absolutely no time at the moment.  

Setting up the tiny studio was hard, but we managed to fit our stuff. I was proud of how well my sister was taking it, knowing how difficult it must be for her. “Excited to go to school tomorrow? The bus, I found out, actually comes right down the lane, so it’s not much walking-”

“Why do people care about money so much? How does it matter if we don’t have it more of it, anymore? We have enough to still go to school. I am still me, then why are kids so shallow,” My sister asked, and I felt like she had aged so much in the last month.

“People are always shallow. You know how Mum made fun of all of Dad’s friends? She got it as well! Remember that friends who leave you in your time of need, are not friends, to begin with, and you should always strive for true friendship. Always be kind, and hardworking and keep your head up high. We don’t need anything else!” She hugged me tightly, crying into my chest. I hope things aren’t as hard for her.

If missing three weeks of University was bad, having your group of friends ignore you, while you tried to settle in was worse. Obviously, I didn’t come in my Porsche, obviously, I took the train, and obviously, I went to the student cafe for lunch and not the restaurant like my old routine. Everyone knew what happened, what was there to gossip about?

Max, my ex-boyfriend came and sat beside me during the gap in my schedule. I stayed away, feeling the negativity and toxic air that I didn’t want to interact. “You didn’t say hi,” he said.

“I didn’t know you noticed people who didn’t have the heritage money in the bank,” I closed my book.

“Look-”

“I can’t deal with this, Max. You said enough at Cheryl’s party, and I didn’t realize how pathetic we were. I need to widen my horizon, find my people who don’t make friends with bank accounts.”

“I didn’t say anything!” He argued.

“Oh, so you just laughed with Catherine and Misha. Same thing! And, you broke up with me. Two weeks after my parents- you should go!” I stood up.

“My mother made me do that! You know how important standing is, you were a part of it-”

“I am still a part of it. I still have all my standing, all my recommendations in place because I didn’t buy them as you did. I am better than you, all of you. I didn’t love you for how much you could spend,” Walking away from him, felt good. I didn’t have the time to wallow.

I was still on top of my class. My professors expected write-ups but, I was on schedule to graduate by the end of the year. During lunch, my two friends who I honestly loved the most, and were secretly still there for me, came and sat beside me.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.

“This place has amazing Mac ‘n’ cheese if you have to know! And, it’s my cheat day!” Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Oh, stop it!” Meera hit him, hugging me tightly. “We couldn’t tolerate Catherine without your sarcastic remarks! It was intolerable!”

“I’m still mad at you!” Kyle took a bite of his cheat day dish. “I expected you to take your place back, and you didn’t even come and say hi!”

“I texted you though,” I blew him a kiss.

“Anyway,” Meera said, taking my hands, “I never liked that group thing. Let’s not do it again!” I was glad that at least at least I was a person who had made tight, genuine bonds.

The train ride home was long. It took me 20 minutes with my car to reach home, but I didn’t live in the central city anymore. I just had to get used to it. Distract myself, observe things in this 65-minute ride back home. A guy sat down in front of me after the old lady got off at her stop. His head was in his phone, earphones in, with his hoody on, and I had a feeling that he was in my class this afternoon. I didn’t notice him, but he had his back to me when I saw him walk out of class, and I didn’t know him. I tried for a while, wanting to make an eye-contact. Maybe he knew me? People knew me, in general. He got off at the same stop as me, and we walked the same way back home. I didn’t have the guts to say Hi.

I stopped on my way to the grocery store. My sister told me about her day, and how her best friend was still her best friend, and I felt it might be alright for us here. We baked cookies for our neighbour, and I rang on the doorbell. The same guy in the train, from my class today opened the door, and the only way I could be sure was because it was the same hoody and the same body structure. I gave him my big smile, always worked with all the people, “Hi! My sister and I just moved in, and we baked you some cookies and introduce ourselves!”

“You are Y/N Y/L/N. What are you doing here?” He said, shocked.

“You know me! I wanted to say Hi while we were on our way back but, didn’t get the chance to do that!” he frowned, looking a little pissed, and I wondered if I did something wrong. “This is my sister, Sara!” I pulled her forward to ease the tension. He smiled at her, and I could see his dimples and my sister gave him the cookies.

“Thank you, Sara! I’m Harry” He nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.” He said, talking to her and then closed the door on my face before I could speak.

“Did you do something to him?” My sister asked.

“I don’t know him!” I said, turning to our door.

“He doesn’t seem to like you,” she said, laughing.

“I know. I don’t even know why.”

“He is really handsome, though!” She elbowed me.

“I know.”

The mystery grew further when Harry categorically avoided me for the next few weeks. Life wasn’t exactly getting easy with asking my sister to control her expenses, and her crying, and trying to make food every day on top of managing a child, and then keeping in check with her schools demand of a guardian which I was now, and my Uni’s demand of just torture. Plus, I was late today, and our small sofa seat was getting delivered today. The stuff from my our old house had been sent to a storage space which my parents had bought, and we owned a small sofa piece and table set which we could fit in our apartment since we desperately needed a sitting structure.

After fighting with the delivery guy for the unnecessary extra amount he was charging to take it up one floor, I had him leave it downstairs. I was going to do it one at a time when I saw Harry coming in.

“Hey!” I shouted.

He took off his earphones, “Yeah?”

“Could you help me? I need to take these up, and I don’t have any help and I would really appreciate it,” I begged.

He thought about it a bit, and then, nodded. Taking the table up the stairs, he asked, “is this marble?” looking at the countertop.

“Yeah, I think it is,” I said smiling.

“Why are you living in a dump like this if you can buy a marble table?” He said, and I could sense the disdain in his voice.

“It’s actually my parents, from our old house. So, I didn’t have to buy it actually. Just making use of things as much as we can,” I told him.

“I heard, I am sorry.” He said as we went back down to get the sofa chair. “Hold it the other way,” he instructed as we tried to get it up the stairs, but it was really heavy. Finally managing to take it inside my place, we sat down.

“Thank you so much for helping me with this!” I stood up and got him some water.

“I should get going,” he walked towards the door.

“Oh, you know we are making pesto chicken for dinner if you’d like to join us. We found out that I am a good cook.” I smiled.

“That’s alright.” He said walking out.

“Did I do something?” I asked, all of a sudden and then bit my tongue. He frowned. “I mean, you don’t seem to like me, and I don’t know you so, I’m just, umm confused.”

“Am I supposed to like you?” He said, irritated. The fact that he was actually really beautiful, made me want him to like me, and he clearly didn’t.

“Okay, “ I gulped. “Thank you for helping me.” I nodded, hiding behind my door.

Meera did her research on him and found out that my parents had actually placed a case on Harry’s fathers business. They were the sharks in their field so, I wouldn’t have been surprised. They used to be as wealthy as us, so we had a similar downfall. Only with him, the case ended with his father losing his business, and imprisonment for 10 years on stolen copyright. It was a serious deal. His mother remarried three years ago, and Harry has been cut off and living in the studio which was surprisingly all we both could afford. I could get why he didn’t like me, but it wasn’t my fault.

Another thing about Harry was that he had a line of women coming into his flat, and leaving early morning when my sister left for school. “I think this is the 17th one,” she whispered the other day, as I walked with her and we giggled about it. We had caught him in a towel, the day before when my sister knocked on his door for a toolbox, and it would have been a lie if I didn’t drool a little. He had tattoos covering his sculpted stomach, his hand holding his towel on, with his hair wet, falling on his face, clean shaven so, you could see those sharp jawlines before my eyes shamefully met his big green ones, after I had stared and engrained everything else.

“Those girls are very lucky,” I whispered back to my sister, and she giggled some more.

He was really smart as well. Paying extra attention to my studies, I noticed who the class toppers were, and we were at the top. Well, he was. Girls talked a lot about him as well. I guess, he played the I don’t care much about anything attitude well enough, making him that mysterious. I noticed he hung out with three guys, and two girls here and there. He mostly ignored me, even when we were on the same way home, and I couldn’t help feeling small. And he always had the best stash of weed - some good connection of his.

I could do with some weed. The pressure was finally taking a toll on me and I needed a break. I felt like a full-time mother, with a full-time Uni schedule and a part-time job, and it was getting to me. I didn’t have to do more than half it, just a few months ago. The lawyers said I was doing well with my sister, and my schedule and they don’t have to take her away if I kept it up.

Wanting some that night, and knowing he had a good seller, I knocked on his door. He opened the door, raising his eyebrow. He was wearing a shirt which was buttoned down and tucked into his pants. I could see his tastes were still high fashion - it was the way we dressed and money didn’t change that. I did now, know the best cheap places to keep the style up though. I gulped looking at his chest, and then, up to his eyes. I was also horny as fuck, and having my sister sleep next to me every day, didn’t help. He didn’t smirk like men usually did though, and it gave me the confidence to ask him if he had any on hand, if I could buy some of him for now, and get his contact.

“The rich girl can’t walk down to a dispensary and get it for herself?” That disdain again.

“I’m not rich anymore,” I snapped. “I’m sorry,”  I calmed myself. “I heard you have a good supplier, and I…it’s cool. Thanks anyway.” I shrugged. He made me want to crawl in bed and cry with the tone he used, and his expressions meant for me.  I was going to do just that when he stopped me.

“I was going to roll myself one, right now. Join me,” he pulled his door wide and walked off inside. I nervously pulled my hair behind my ear and walked inside. His house, as small as mine, was spotlessly clean, and so well organised that it made mine look shabby.

“Where is your sister?” He asked as he sat down on the sofa, holding the grinder in his hand.

“Sleepover, friends,” I told him. He raised his head up, nodding. “Do you know how to roll?”

“Umm, actually I never smoked that much,” I said, waiting for the further judgement.

“Really? What was your escape then?” He asked, taking the paper out, and tearing a cardboard piece for the roach. His hands worked skillfully as he put the weed on the paper, looking at me for a reply.

“Umm, escape?” I frowned.

“From the high society drama that you were a part of? I know, I needed an escape,” I was a bit enchanted with how he pulled his tongue out to like the paper to roll the joint, that it took me a while to come back.

I played it cool, pulling my eyes away, “Umm, I had a good family. Only needed an escape when I was really stressed which well didn’t…”

“Fair enough, shall we?” We walked to the balcony, and he lit the joint, taking a drag, and then handing it to me.

I took a smaller one, it being a few months since having smoked, and I didn’t want to look like an idiot.

“So, how was your day?” I asked, looking at the car park view in front of us.

“Alright.” He should ask me back. He didn’t.

“Do you wanna pair up for Benjamin’s class?” I should shut up. I have no clue how I have such great ideas all the time. “We live here, so it’ll just be easier to meet up, so I wondered.”

“Huh,” he didn’t look impressed, as he took another drag before giving it to me.

He didn’t respond, and I was running out of things to talk about, but I was now high and could vouch for his stuff being really great. He threw the bud away, and we walked inside. “Give me a list of what you want, I’ll get it,” He said, handing me a paper.

“Oh, I umm - I don’t want a lot. My sister and I don’t know how to roll,”

“I’m not your servant,”

“What- I- I didn’t,” I sighed. “If you could get me two pre-rolled - that would do for the while. Let me know how much I owe for it. Thank you for today.” I said walking towards the door. “I don’t know why you’re so hostile towards me, you know.” This surge of confidence in me was induced for sure. “I didn’t do you anything.”

“You don’t know? We have a history.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Our parents have a history. I had nothing to do with the business, and I haven’t met you before, even if we used to be in the same circle. I would remember you,” I walked towards him, pointing a finger at his chest.

“Your parents are the reason my home broke, and my dad’s in prison!” He snapped. “They had a choice to let him go, after destroying us, but he didn’t stop. My mother left-”

“My parents were not the reason your mother left! And your father probably deserved by law what happened to him!”

“I am sure your parents deserved what happened to them!”

I shut up. My brain was a bit slow to process the hurt and put it in front of me like bricks. But, it all came back. The memories, the blood, the sold sign in front of our house, my sister’s howl, and my eyes went cloudy, as I sat down right there on his floor.

“They died,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Harry knelt down in front of me. “I didn’t mean it.”

I was too far gone though, as I looked at my hands, realising that I hadn’t cried since I last held them in my arms when, ”there was so much blood,” i showed him my hands, as he looked at me, my tears pouring out. “I couldn’t save anyone, I tried to-” I said shivering now.

“Hey-hey, it’s okay, it’s alright,” He wrapped his arms around me pulling me to his chest. I broke down in his arms.

The next thing, clear in my mind is waking up in a bed, Harry’s bed with his arms still around me, holding me to his body. I shifted a little, back in my conscious head waking him up as well, and his eyes met mine. I kept my head, back on the pillow, not taking my eyes off of his, still having nothing to say. I had opened up to this man more, than literally anyone else. I could still feel his arm under my head, and his other hand wrapped around my waist, my body still attached to his, and I felt comfortable. I didn’t want to read into this. I just wanted to let it be.

He shifted, pulling his hand up from below my head, and I got up, closer to his face, his eyes still on mine, and I instinctively bent down. My lips wrapping around his bottom one in a  kiss, as I pushed him down, towards the bed. I felt his hand, hold my face pulling us apart, as our eyes met again, looking for something. He found it, as he brought his lips back to mine, holding my face in his palms, pushing me back to his bed with a force which felt perfect in every way.

—

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