"You can't be here," Megan hissed.

"I'm Harley Ollival," he laughed. "I can be anywhere I want. Besides, it's not as if this place is any better than a pigsty."

She gave him a slight push, "Get out. Now."

He looked at her confused, disoriented and then smiled, "Nope," and sat down at the edge of her bed.

She couldn't believe this was happening. Her short-lived former crush, arch nemesis and devil incarnate, Harley Ollival, the one same guy she wanted to take revenge on for stomping all over her feelings and driving away her secret admirer (yes, no new little blue chits from her secret admirer after Harley had told the whole school about it), was in her room, on her bed. No doubt this was a situation a number of girls had often fantasized about but Megan wanted none of it. Her father was the sheriff and he thought boys carried rabies or something. He'd freak out if he saw his little girl with a boy who had ear piercings, smelled of alcohol, smoke and sex and sported tattoos up his arms, hell, he'd freak out if he saw her at night with any guy let alone Harley.

She blinked at the boy who caught her eye and flashed another smile. Ugh, his smile. Okay, she hated him. She breathed and repeated to herself, I hate him but his smile was breathtaking. The way his blue eyes brightened and crinkled at the sides while his perfectly dishevelled hair fell into his eyes...yes, he was attractive.

But rotten from the inside, absolutely rotten with worms and who knows whatnot underneath that perfect skin, she remarked mentally. She noticed that his eyes weren't bright from the smile though, they were slightly unfocused and squinting at the lamplight. His cheeks were flushed too.

"Have you been drinking?" Megan asked.

He smiled impishly, "Maybe."

She sighed and sat beside him. Whatever trick this was, he'd better get over with it and go. "Why are you here?"

His face fell and he fidgeted, "I didn't know where else to go."

"Umm home maybe?" she offered, coldly.

"I had a huge fight with my Dad."

"Duh."

He glared, "What's so duh about it?"

She raised her eyebrows and suppressed a smile, "Have you even met yourself? You pick a fight with everyone!"

"That's not true," he defended himself. "I have a lot of friends in case you haven't noticed."

"Those people you rule over in your little group of bullies? I don't think so."

He opened his mouth and shut it.

She looked away. Wow, Megan, wow. You had to show that you like him. Instead you sassed him. Great. Perfect. Revenge complete.

"Do you really think that?" he asked.

She hurriedly changed the subject, "So what did you guys fight about?"

He giggled and she was shocked, to say the least. Harley Ollival, the big bad Ollival giggling? Yep, that a first.

"He wants me focus on studies, economics specifically, and get into Stanford. Just like him," he laughed without emotion. "Like him! Can you believe it? He wants me to give up sports, the one thing I actually like doing and become an ass like him. He's going to go talk to the coach tomorrow. What I feel, what I want, it doesn't matter to him. He's treating me like an office deal or something, taking my life into his own hands and just shaping it however he wants. Instead of practice he wants me to do a part-time job but no not anywhere I like, somewhere boring and shitty where he can punish me for being the way I am."

Is this for real? His Dad is forcing him to leave sports? Megan's mind went back to the sweet and kind Mr. Ollival at the pizzeria and the two images were so different that she couldn't decide which one was authentic. Should she believe her own eyes or the account of human scumbag Harley?

She decided to take a safe middle path, "Can't you do both?"

He rubbed his eyes, "I don't want to. Why should I? You've seen my academic record. Do you think that I'll be happy doing Economics or something?"

It was true. Harley barely passed and most of the time, she had a shrewd idea that some teachers gave him a passing grade just because his father was a school trustee.

"Why can't we see stars during the day?" he asked suddenly. "It would be really pretty."

"Gosh, you're really drunk," Megan commented.

He looked sad at this piece of information and frowned, "I suppose you're right. I don't have any friends."

She couldn't help but feel a tiny little tendril of pity for him. Pitying the enemy? Oh well, never let it be said that I have a stone heart. She reached for his shoulder and patted it awkwardly. His body relaxed at the touch. He closed his eyes, "I'm going to run away."

"Please, please don't do that," she said hurriedly.

He asked, hopefully, "You want me to stay?"

She wished he was back to being his normal, snappy and snarky self. This slightly hysterical, fragile version was not easy to understand or react to."Erm, at your own house? Yes."

"If you were in my place, what would you do, love?" he smirked.

"DO NOT CALL ME LOVE!" she said, feeling her face redden.

"Okay, babe," he nodded, mock-understanding.

"Or babe," she said through gritted teeth.

He looked at her sideways and winked, "Whatever you say, darling."

She ignored the epithet, "If I was in your place, I would fail economics and just go on playing football."

"I can't fail a subject," he looked aghast.

"You needn't try too hard, you're getting there on your own," she smiled sweetly.

He rolled his eyes, "I have to have a minimum grade to get into a respectable college football team."

"Just tell your father that you can't do what he wants. Just sit down  with him and have a nice long chat, a heart-to-heart. He doesn't seem so bad, he'll come around."

"He won't," he swallowed, eyelids drooping.

"Try once again?" What else am I supposed to say? Being this sweet and helpful isn't easy for me. How do I channel the sympathetic Jessica here? Am I doing it right? Should I have encouraged him to run away? Wow, this is tough.

He nodded, without really listening and lay back, drawing her blanket over his chest while his legs dangled over the edge, "Okay, I'm sleepy. Good night."

"What the fuck, Harley, no," Megan shook him violently. "We're not sleeping together. You're not sleeping here. Go somewhere else."

"I would have but you did tell me I didn't have any friends," he mumbled through the blanket. "This smells funny by the way. Do you use strawberry shampoo or something?"

She pulled her blanket off him, "Get out."

He groaned and got up, "Fine, fine, I was just resting. Going now."

"Good, bye."

"What? No goodbye kiss?"

"Never," she stuck out her tongue.

He shrugged, "Your loss."

"Yeah, whatever."

With one leg over the window sill, he turned to ask, "You don't really like me do you?"

"Well, I thought that was obvious," she waved him away, drowsily.

"No, I mean, you don't love me and all that, do you?" He said it in a careless tone as if he wasn't even going to wait for answer but he was listening intently, his body tense in expectation.

She wanted to just lie without thought and say yes but she took time. This was something she wanted to ask herself too. She closed her eyes. Sure, he was attractive as hell. He was exciting and fun to argue with but did she like him that way? Had she ever liked him?

No, a small voice whispered in her brain, you don't. You loved the love you thought he gave you through those romantic letters and now that they're gone, you feel like he's not even somebody that you used to know. You know nothing about him. In fact, you despise him. You don't respect him. If you felt even a tiny bit of love towards him, you would have wanted him to stay and hold you in bed but to be honest, the thought repulsed you.

Megan opened her eyes. Oh my God, there's somethings really wrong with me. I don't want to sleep with him. Oh no, am I asexual? I might be, right? Whom should I ask? Connor, I need to call Connor.

By the time she looked up, Harley was gone. She rushed to the window, hoping the drunkard hadn't fallen and killed himself. Nope, still alive and probably halfway home.

She fell back in her bed and picked up her mobile, dialling Connor's number.

***
oohmygosh look at zaara updating within a week 0_0

well well I RECKON THAT WAS A BIG #CONGAN MOMENT AT THE END HUH? GET YOUR PADDLES READY, THIS SHIP MIGHT JUST SAIL

before anything else I'd like to extend a huge thanks to the following talented and beautiful people for making ahmazing covers/banners, i love 'em all. i'm going to go back and dedi stuff to you peeps etc.

i. a huge thanks to @etherealstar-  for making this one, it's so damn beautiful  and perf and I'm probably going to use it as a cover 💜

ii. this one is by @the_teenybopper_20 and i'm completely bowled over by the fact that she used the cast and made such a cute banner plus i'm a sucker for stars ty, love, love it

iii. a big hug and thank you to @_Lost-Cause- for making this awesomestic banner. the minimalist theme is on point, I LOVE it, bae.

if you have made me a graphic for this book and I haven't used it please drop me a pm about it. if you want to make one or are in the process of making do send it to me because I love love love graphics.

lastly, thank you all for sticking by this story despite my hiatus. you're the best readers in the world, ily guys so much.

vote, comment, follow, dance 👻

yes, the author note format got revamped.