CHAPTER XXII. PHONE
The gasp caused both of them to part, their eyes swiftly finding mine. I didn't know what to do with myself, I thought about turning around and heading back inside. But, it was as though so much shock had entered my system that I was frozen in place.

'Oh look, it's the virgin.' Harry finally speaks and my jaw hangs even lower, but I rapidly close my mouth. I try to appear unaffected, however hard it felt to.

'The virgin you wanted to kiss a few minute ago.' I fire back and his mouth snaps shut. Lana looks uncomfortable, her eyes diverting to the ground. Both Dua and Kendrick look on at me from the chairs nearby, their eyes wide.

'That's just show business, darling.' He says, mockingly and I feel tears forcefully hit my eyes. I glance around the garden, noticing that every other party-goer out here was also focused on our exchange.

A dark glaze floods Harry's emerald eyes as we intensely stare at each other. 'Fuck you and your stupid words' is all I shout before turning and hurrying back inside, heading straight to the home phone in his guest bedroom. My fingers fumble with the dial and call a cab. Once that was done, I stumble back down the staircase and run through the hallway. Each exhausted step towards the road of Harry's street felt forced and heartbreaking. I soon find a lamp-post nearby, leaning against the metal whilst I waited.

'Hey, Adriana!' I hear a deep voice call. My head snaps in its direction, somehow expecting Harry to run towards me and engulf me into a hug; to tell me that he didn't mean his words. I instead find Kian. He approaches me, and I try to stop my tears. 'Are you okay? What's happened?'

I open my mouth to explain the situation but it just causes more sobs to escape. He immediately pulls my body into a tight hug, his hand rubbing my back in gentle strokes and his muscular arms feeling somewhat comforting. 'It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Take deep breaths.' He whispers into my ear, and I follow his order until he eventually lets go. 'Give me your phone number.'

'Huh?'

'So I can call you from here and make sure you got home safe, I'll just ring until you pick up.' He explains and I nod, telling him the number. I can see him silently repeat it over and over in an effort to remember.

It isn't long before the yellow cab pulls up, and I clamber inside. I open the back window to say goodbye to Kian, feeling his hand reach down to my shoulder and give it a small squeeze. His concerned eyes are the last thing I see, along with the front of Harry's mansion which looked brighter than the sun against the darkness of night, as the cab gradually pulls away and onto the main streets of Bridgemont Valley.

I hear Paul McCartney play on the cab's radio as I lean my head against the door. My view is stuck on the stars above, in the black sky, and I try to play dot to dot in an effort to prevent crying anymore. Why did Harry act so maliciously tonight? But, I believe he must have liked me strongly to have reacted that way. Why did I screw up so much? Can a girl even screw up this much?

A strong sigh escapes my being as I pay the cab driver and exit the vehicle, each step towards my home seemed to last an eternity. Once I step inside my home, the phone begins to chime and I hurry towards it, hearing Kian instantly from the other line.

'Adriana? Is that you?' He questions.

'Yeah, yeah. It's me.' I answer, noticing something on the fridge door and moving - as far as the phone cord could allow - towards it. A post-it note read 'Art convention in New York, will be back by Tuesday. $70 is in an envelope beside fridge - mom and dad.'

'I forgot your number but luckily, you were at the top of Harry's contact list.' Kian chuckles but my mind moves elsewhere, not focusing on his words. How could Harry so easily kiss somebody else once he had kissed me? Was it all just a game to him? Surely, two could play at that game.

'Kian?'

'Yeah?'

'Can you come to my place?' I ask, not believing my own ears. 'My parents are out and I'm alone, you can leave after a few hours - if you want to.'

'Sure. I guess I could keep you company.' He chuckles somewhat nervously and I return it, before giving him my address and hanging up the phone. I perch on my sofa as I wait, a million thoughts running through my mind. It isn't long before I hear a vehicle park outside and footsteps near my front door.

As soon as I open the door, my eyes find Kian's chocolate irises. I scrutinise the features of his face, his auburn hair falling over his forehead and the kind smile stretched over his lips. Without even thinking, my arms fall onto his shoulders and I push my lips onto his. I half expect him to pull away but he doesn't, his lips reacting immediately. I wait for the spark I felt with Harry, until it's almost minutes later and it still hadn't arrived. My lips push deeper and his arms grip my waist passionately, like Harry's once did. Harry's face soon flashes into my mind and I imagine that I'm kissing him rather than Kian, like I had merely an hour before. I imagine that Harry's hands are holding my waist, that Harry's lips are against mine and soon feel the spark I had been hoping for; but it felt all wrong.

I pull away in a whole new kind of depressed state. Only Harry could ignite that spark inside of me, only Harry knew how to do it; and I had thrown him away like trash.

(Sorry for such a short chapter! All the love.)