One Year Contract >> H.S

Chapter Three: Date

I was currently sat on the couch watching TV when I was interrupted by my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, it's Harry, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to mine?" He suggested.

"Why? I thought we weren't moving in together for another week?" I asked, confused.

"No we aren't, can you be over in twenty minutes?" He continued.

"Uh, yeah, okay." I said.

"Great see you soon." He said before hanging up the phone.

I got up, heading to my bedroom to run a brush through my hair, making myself look a bit more presentable before putting my shoes on and grabbing my phone and keys.

The flat I currently lived in was okay, but it was too small and poky and too near my old college meaning my neighbours were mainly college students who did nothing but have parties and make the place a noisy place to live. I didn't like it, so the opportunity to move away from it was very appealing.

I got in my car, heading over to Harry's whose address I had already been given, which wasn't too far away.

I knocked on the door and he opened it quickly, stepping aside for me to come in.

"Hi," he smiled.

"I thought we could get to know each other a bit better before you move in. I know this is a big deal and it is for me too, we have to share our lives together for a whole year and I'm not sure how were going to do it but I think a good start would be to get to know each other more," he explained why he had invited me over and I nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable." I agreed.

"Great, well do you want to come and sit down?" He asked, walking into his living room where I followed him.

I smiled, sitting down on his couch as he went into the kitchen, coming back with two glasses of water.

"Here you go,"

"Thank you," I smiled, glad of his kind gesture even though I hadn't asked for any water.

"So, what did management mean when they said I might have to come on tour with you?" I began, taking a sip of my water.

"Well, our tour is starting in a months time, which isn't ideal given the circumstances," he said, gesturing to our new 'relationship'.

"But they said you'd have to come with me for publicity and to convince the boys." He explained.

"Convince the boys?" I asked, sitting up straight as I focused on what he was saying.

"Yeah, they will think this is real, they won't know it's for publicity." He sighed, his gaze dropping from mine to his lap.

"But why? Your so close with them, surely they would know." I said and he shook his head.

"Management are very private when it comes to these things, they say the less people know the better." He said, running a hand through his hair.

I noticed the way he grew frustrated when he talked about the boys having to be kept out of the secret.

"I can see your finding this hard," I commented.

He looked up at me, giving me a small smile as he shrugged.

"It's going to be hard enough having to keep this from the fans, let alone the boys too. They're my best friends and I don't want to keep something like this from them, not when you have to come on tour with us. It means were going to have to pretend all of the time, not just when we go out." He explained and I nodded.

"Are you sure we should even be doing this? They can't expect all of this from us, surely." I said, realising that as time went by this was already getting harder and we hadn't moved in together yet.

I sighed, drinking some of my water as I tried to process everything.

"Were going to have to sleep together as well," he mumbled and I almost choked on my water.

"What?" I asked and he nodded.

"Not when you move in, but while were on tour we will have to," he said, like it was supposed to reassure me.

"How long are you on tour for?" I asked.

"Four months," he answered, looking at me with sympathy and slight fear in his eyes.

"Are you okay? I know this is a lot to take in, but your not going to back out are you?" He asked, desperately.

"No," I said, simply.

"Good," he said, sighing in relief.

"I wouldn't ask you to do this myself because I know it's a lot, but once I told management how I felt about my reputation, they wouldn't have it any other way." He sighed.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"It's okay, the things people say about you obviously effects you, I suppose it gets me away from my life," I said.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at me intently.

"I finished college a few months ago and ever since I've been trying to find a job as well as a new place to live. I live in a flat near my old college so there's a lot of students around." I explained and he nodded, understandingly.

"So there's not much going on? No boyfriend or anything?" He questioned.

"No," I answered.

"That's good because I wouldn't have wanted for you to have to put your life on hold because of me." He said.

"Well, I have but it's only for a year, so it shouldn't be too long." I said, trying to convince myself it wasn't that long.

"No, but a lot can happen in a year." Harry said, seriously and I nodded.

We talked for a while longer, getting to know each other a bit more personally and watching a few movies before I decided it was time to go.

"I should get going back to my flat, it's getting late," I said, putting my shoes on as he stood in front of me.

"Yeah okay, listen will you come around tomorrow so we can go out? Your going to have a lot of publicity and I thought if you experienced a bit of it first it would help." He explained.

"Plus management want us to be seen out together before the announcement, which apparently now needs to be before we move in." He added.

"Great, anything else I should know?" I snapped in annoyance as Harry looked at me slightly taken aback.

"I'm sorry, this is just a lot to handle." I sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, we'll go out tomorrow, I guess I need to get used to it."

"Okay, can you come around at five in the evening?" He asked and I nodded before opening the door and leaving.

I felt like I could've snapped at him again if I hadn't have left and it wasn't his fault. He was struggling and I'd been asked to help, it was my own fault that I'd said yes, but all the information I was receiving was life changing.

Even after this year, they will probably make it look like we've broken up or something and I'll probably still get hate, but I had to remember why I was doing this. I'm trying to be a good person. It doesn't matter about my flat and getting a job anymore, but Harry was a kind person who was looking for help to change his reputation, which the paparazzi seriously had wrong and I was the one who was going to help him.

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How was this chapter? I hope you all are liking this book so far :) thank you for your lovely comments, it means so much to me and I love reading them, your support means everything<3

Lauren<3