"Love...Lysia......please, pick up the phone.....or just call me back....I know it's hard, baby...." He trailed off brokenly. It had been several days since Alysia had returned a call and her text message responses were down to one word. "Just, talk to me, please."

He hung up the phone and his head. It had been two weeks since the fuzzy fanpic of them kissing and at first things had been fine. There was plausible deniability. So, Harry and Jeff, his manager and best friend, had decided to say nothing. Harry wasn't entirely clear in the picture. The owner of the phone who took the picture said it was him, and the most scandalous of the pictures were the ones with Alysia straddling him in his front seat. Those were also the easiest to deny. Until another picture, that clearly showed both of their faces and his hands full of flowers had emerged. Not long after that had come a name. Alysia Montez, reported girlfriend of Harry Styles had been on the cover of several unsavory publications and every blog from Perez Hilton to Sugarscape.

At first, Alysia had been quiet and steadfast. She kept repeating what she had said when Will had made his threat, that he was worth it, now coupled with I love yous. They had hold up in his house for the next day, until she had to pick up the boys. It had been fine. They both agreed to stay off the internet, so the horrible things being said about her were confined to that space and they were blithely unaware.

When they could no longer ignore it, things had changed. Alysia had seemed shocked at first, but she took it well for a bit. It wasn't until she couldn't leave her house, and had to cancel her classes for a week that she seemed shook. The first two days of that he whisked her to his house, and they treated it like a mini vacation, swimming and making love and eating. By day three, the novelty had worn off, as it always did, and she was ready for things to return to normal.

But, there was no normal. She was able to keep her personal training appointments, but her classes were so full of young women coming to gape at her and ask her rude questions, she couldn't even give instructions. At first the Y and Orange Theory had been happy for the increased attendance. Then it became a nuisance, and they asked her to find subs. Orange Theory had fired her, at least for the foreseeable future. Alysia had cried into Harry's neck.

"I've never been fired," she wept.

"I'm sorry baby, your boss said they'd take you back when it dies down, right?" Harry smoothed her hair behind her ears.

"Harry, how long will that be? When will it die down for you? You have a movie and album coming out," she asked with a serious face, "How long have you been waiting?"

She made a good point. It had never died down for him, but he was trying to be positive for her and look to the bright side. He had just found her, they were on the same page, and so in love 4 days ago. Harry had felt like they could do it.

They may have been able to, if they had control of their narrative. They didn't. She was a gold digging nanny, and Harry was just distracted by her body. A womanizer, as usual. Neither of them had any substance, and if he had to read one more article questioning what Alysia could possibly have done to gain his affections, he was going to scream. Alysia was getting quieter by the day. She decided to go home several days ago, and she hadn't let him touch her except to hold her in their sleep for the last two days they had spent together. He was going crazy, he needed to see her before she changed her mind, broke his heart.

"I don't think I can do this," Alysia cried in her sisters lap. Maureen, thankfully had been able to continue working. It was the first time she was truly thankful she had not changed her name back after her divorce.

"Alysia, you are in the middle of the storm right now, sweetness, you need to let it die down before you make any big decisions," she smoothed her little sister's hair over her shoulders. "You also really need to talk to Harry. He keeps trying babe, he's scared too. He's also your best resource. He knows what this is like."

Alysia was shaking her head against Maureen's thigh. "No, I'll just fall into him again. I need to really see if this is what I want, not just get caught up in the way we feel.  If I answer or go over there, we'll just wind up in bed. That's where we spend all our time anyway. They may be right, we do seem to just be distracted by each other's bodies. I mean, what could he possibly see in me? His mom even thinks I'm unsuitable for him, or that I'm after his money, like everybody else."

"Alysia, stop you are just winding yourself up," Maureen pulled her up and looked her in the eye, "What do you miss about Harry when he is gone?"

"I miss...I dunno Maureen, I guess .....the way his eyes are foggy in the morning and his voice croaks, like he really is Kermit's cousin. His laugh, it sounds like a sneeze when you catch him off guard. I love the smile on his face when his mom calls him. How he takes ages to get to the point, but the things he has to say are surprisingly eloquent, even with the million likes in every sentence. His handwriting, how he always focuses on whoever he is talking to. When he focuses on me. How he remembers everything I've ever told him I liked. That he wants to know about Mom, but doesn't push me to talk about it. The way he played with the boys, and didn't mentioned Stevie Nicks around Rhiannon, though he looked so eager when I told him her name. That he calls you to plan things for me. The way he says my name...."

Maureen smiled at Alysia's blush, "You didn't mention his dick once, though I think you eventually got there in your mind. You like Harry as a man, not as an idol, or an object. It is also ok that you like to sleep with him, Alysia. That connection is special and doesn't happen often. Being that open and vulnerable with anyone is unique. You also want to be satisfied by your partner. If sex was really all you guys were about though, most of your tears wouldn't be about whether you guys work, but about what is being said about you."

Alysia looked at Maureen then, "What would you do?"

"Well, little sister, I've never had a partner like Harry. Ewan was a nightmare, we had that sexual connection like you guys do, though I hope you don't remember that....."

"Maureen, we almost got in multiple car accidents because his tongue was down your throat at every stop light," Alysia laughed for the first time that day.

"Ok, guess I scarred you for life! Jeez. Other wise, he was horrible and never could hold a job, and the drinking.... Had I known I'd wind up with a crooked nose, I would have run away long before I did." she sighed, "And Jake was just the opposite, he looked so good on paper, but we had no connection and he resented me for it. He was so..."

"Mean, Maureen, Jake was cruel, still is. At least he does alright by Connor and Caden, it's his only redeeming quality," Alysia interrupted.

"So, I've never been in love with someone who deserved it, Alysia. You deserve each other. That little light inside you, he's kindled it. You glow. I guess, my answer is, if I were in your shoes, I'd do anything to keep it burning," she finished her sentence quietly but with intent.

"Ok," Alysia whispered, "Ok," she motioned with her phone and walked to the garage door.

As she searched for his contact, she held her breath.

"Alysia...."Harry choked out "How are you, love?"

Her eyes watered and began to overflow. He sounded scared, like he was walking into a verbal minefield. Alysia felt horrible.

"Honestly, baby," she heard him exhale on that, "I'm really scared, and I really miss you."

Harry blurted, "I miss you too, want me to come get you?"

"No babe, can we talk about this first? I don't want to get distracted. We need a plan."

"um.... if you'd like," Harry conceded.

"What does your manager want to do?" Alysia asked.

"Jeff," he stressed, "Jeff wants to know what we want to do. His immediate response was to ask me what the fuck I was thinking, but Glenne spoke to him and....Love, I can't really tell you options until you tell me where your head is at. Doesn't really matter what I think, there's the two of us in this relationship," His tone had reverted to the fearful one he had earlier.

"What do you mean?" She solicited.

He huffed out a breath and she could imagine him pinching his bottom lip, "Do you..." he trailed off, "want to...." she heard him gulp, "want me, still?"

"Harry," she breathed, he sounded about 12 years old, "It's not a question of wanting you. It's if I can have a life with you. Honestly, I underestimated how hard this would be, to publicly be with you."

"I tried to warn you, love" Harry whispered.

"I know and I'm freaking out Harry. I want to be with you, but I hate that my being with you has changed my whole life. I still want to try, but it's not so simple as I thought, and, and I'm gonna need a lot of assurance, cuz' I'm really scared, Harry."

This time when he exhaled, it was a sigh of relief, "Really, Lysia, you sure, I could understand..."

"No, Harry, stop, it's worth it, you are, we are."

"Ok, ok, baby, Can you come over tonight? I feel like I need to hold you, was so sure you had a foot out the door," Harry begged.

"Ok, but send me a car. Please do not come here yourself," She requested.

Once Alysia arrived, they curled up on his couch and made plans. Harry didn't want to deny it, her. He suggested they make a simple public statement. But, She was totally unsure about being with him in print. So, they decided to say nothing, which was his usual PR strategy, but to go about the business of a relationship.
They lay wrapped up on his couch and he smoothed her hair, "it'll be ok, sunshine,"
But it wasn't.