Frames That Used to Greet Me

Our first date was a success. So was our second, third, and any date from then on out, for the most part at least.

It was rocky at first, of course, but that was to be expected. We were just testing the waters, trying to figure it all out. Cora was skeptical, especially on the first few dates. I knew she didn’t want to enjoy herself on the first date--I could just tell by the way she acted all night. But eventually she relaxed and enjoyed herself, and eventually I got her to agree to a second date. That was all it took.

It was hard at first, because between me being gone recording and Cora working, we didn’t see each other as much as I’m sure we both would have liked. We had coffee when we could and went out on a few more dates, but nothing incredibly elaborate. That didn’t stop a few paps from snapping our pictures, of course, and within a few weeks the news was out.

New Lady for Harry Styles?

Officially, we were dating.

We knew it was going to happen. I had warned Cora so it wouldn’t be an issue if it were to come up. She took it like a champ, thankfully, and that was that.

A month went by before things started to go downhill.

We weren’t having sex, mainly because Cora wanted to take things slow and I could respect that. Without Mickey around, I had gotten used to my rather... slow sex life, anyways, so it was fine. If Cora wanted to wait, then we would wait.

After a busy month, the lads and I were finishing up recording. We were basically done with everything, aside from a few things here and there, and soon we’d be leaving to do promotion. It never ended, but after having a few months at home to relax I was ready to leave again. Cora, however, wasn’t.

“I can’t believe this is what you do for a living,” she said one night, a frown on her face. We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate the record being done, for the most part.

I shrugged, twirling my pasta around on my fork. “It’s just promo, Cor. We only leave for a few days at a time. Tour doesn’t start until next year.”

She sighed, looking down at her plate. “I know. It’s just... weird, I suppose.”

I sighed. If there was one thing I disliked about Cora and I’s relationship, it was the fact that she absolutely hated the idea of me touring. It hadn’t come up at first, but when it did it was like all I could think about. She didn’t hate the band or anything, and she even trusted me fully, she just claimed she would be “lonely.” Honestly, it was a bit annoying. Not that I’d tell anyone that.

“Think of it this way, you can always come visit.”

She smiled and nodded, and then the topic was dropped.

Dinner was a bit quiet after that, so once we finished we headed out. When we got to my car, I asked Cor where she wanted to go, mine or hers.

“Is Louis there?”

I shook my head, pulling out of the parking lot. “He’s staying at Liv’s tonight.”

She grinned. “Yours.”

I didn’t put the pieces together until we were in my flat.

We were sitting on the couch, watching a movie like we usually did after our dinner dates. Basically everything about the night was the same as always, except for how Cora was acting. It wasn’t like just because we weren’t having sex, we didn’t do other things. We snogged, we made-out... whatever you wanted to call it, we did it. We just didn’t sleep together. But there was something... urgent in the way Cora would kiss me tonight.

Clearly not interested in the movie, I turned it off before I pulled her closer to me. She took this as an opportunity to straddle my waist and dove into the kiss more intensely.

Cora wasn’t a terrible kisser. She wasn’t the best I’d ever kissed, either, which bothered something inside of me. I tried to push it aside, but it wouldn’t stop nagging at me.

I decided to take it a step further, hoping that would help. My hands slid under her shirt, smoothing over her skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. She grinned into the kiss pulling back only momentarily to look me in the eyes.

“Come on,” she said, getting off the couch and sticking out her hand for me.

I took it without a second of hesitation.

She made her way back to my bedroom, closing the door with a click behind us. I made my way over to my bed and sat down, waiting for her. She turned back around, a grin on her face. “So I know you’re not leaving leaving yet, but I think tonight is as good a time as any, don’t you?”

I still hadn’t put the pieces together. “For what?”

She walked over to me and resumed her position of straddling my waist, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Sex,” she said simply.

My whole body buzzed as I grinned at her. “You sure?”

She kissed me in reassurance, and that was all I needed.

Clothes were shed, limbs were entangled, and sheets were wrapped around our bare bodies. It was... all right? I couldn’t find the right word to describe it, so I just ignored that part of my brain, claimed I was thinking too much, and tried to pay attention to beautiful Cora.

She was on top of me, her hands roaming all over my chest. Her lips were on mine, on my neck, jaw, collarbone; anywhere she could find bare skin to access, she would.

It was fine. Until it wasn’t.

Her hips ground into mine, and it felt good, so good I thought I was seeing stars. It was the first thing that had felt so good to the point that I wasn’t thinking at all. “Fuck, Mick,” fell from my lips.

I didn’t catch the mistake fast enough.

She was off me in three seconds, if that. She wouldn’t look at me, just at the floor as she gathered up her clothes. She was back in her pants faster than we had taken them off. I scrambled out of bed, threw on my boxers and a tee before I hurried after her.

“Cora, hold on!” I stopped her in the hall, grabbing her wrist.

The fire in her eyes when she spun around to face me was almost enough to burn me. “Let go of me,” she hissed, and instantly I dropped her arm. “You’re a pig, Harry Styles. I hope you know that,” she said before whipping back around to leave.

“Hold on, Cor! It was an accident! It’s been a long week, I just--”

“Called the girl shagging your brains out by the wrong name? Piss off, yeah?”

I sighed, hurrying after her. I stopped in front of the door. “Cora, come on now. Don’t go.”

“You know, for the past month I’ve tried to forget Michaela even existed. You weren’t talking about her anymore, not even seeing her, so I figured I was in the clear. I figured if we had sex tonight, that’d be it. You’d be over her. But you aren’t, and you never have been. I was just a pawn in your bloody game,” she snarled. “Now move.”

I shook my head. “No. You’re being--you’re overreacting, and you aren’t leaving until we talk.”

She glared at me. “Fine, you want to bloody talk? We’ll talk. How about we talk about you and Michaela, yeah? How about you finally tell me what happened--what really happened at the wedding?”

I didn’t say anything. What was I supposed to say?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fuck you, you wanker. Maybe now with me out of the picture you and Michaela can finally admit you’re in love with each other.”

“We’re not in love with each other, dammit!”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “Not sure that makes you calling me someone else’s name in bed any better, love.” She sighed and I watched as she rubbed her forehead. “Are you sure about that, though Harry? Because maybe you need to take a long hard look at your situation.”

I sighed. “What are you on about, Cora?”

“I’m a girl, Harry. I know how it feels to watch the person I am head over heels for look at someone else. I know the look that crosses my face when it happens, because I’ve been there. Remember when Michaela ran into us in the coffee shop last month?”

I nodded. Of course I did. It was the reason for Mick and I’s first fight.

“That was the look that crossed her face when she saw us together. I’d be willing to bet my next three paychecks of that fact--that’s how sure I am.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

She sighed again. “I’ve spent this past month and a half trying to pretend I hadn’t seen it. I figured if I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen, and if it didn’t happen, then she wasn’t in love with you. I’ve been quiet about it because I didn’t want it to be true, but this...” she trailed off, giving me a look. “This isn’t good, Harry.”

“I know, but it was just--it was a mistake, Cor. Come on.”

She shook her head. “The only mistake was me thinking this, all of this,” she said, gesturing between us, “was okay. Because it’s not. Don’t be a wanker, Harry. If you love her, just go for it. If she loves you, let her. Don’t pass it off because you think you should, but most importantly? Don’t fuck with someone else in the process.”

My guard down, she was able to slip by me and out the door. I whipped around and stopped her in the hallway. “Cora, I’m sorry. I... I don’t know what else to say.”

She nodded, a sad look on her face. “I know, Harry. Just figure out what you want before you hurt anyone else in the process, yeah?”

She left before I could say anything else, leaving me completely alone with nothing but confusion and way too many thoughts swirling around in my head.