"CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS, dick!"

"What a wonderful conversation starter ya got there, sis." Harry chuckles.

He called her mother before he busies himself in shooting a music video for one of his songs from his sophomore album, 'Watermelon Sugar'. It's obviously a big day for him so he couldn't let the most important people be left out. And also is that, he doesn't know why but he feels like he just had a sudden urge to call the important women in his life. As soon as he was informed that Anne was with his sister, she passes the phone to her.

"Pardon, what did ya say?" Gemma ignores his statement, making him chuckle.

"Thank ya, your royal dumbness." Harry snickers.

"Dumbness, ya say? Who between the two of us graduated again?"

"But who between the two of us bacame a star at their teen years?"

"But whose name in between the two of us s'on the hashtag 'The Better Styles'?"

"Okay, enough ya two." Anne interjects. "You're literally miles away and still bickerin' on each other."

"She started it!"

"Uh-uh. No way! Was ya!" Gemma defends but was stop by a voice.

"Really, Gemma?" A female voice so soft he hears from the other line, making him stop and furrow his eyebrows. She, on the other hand, didn't realize she was audible enough to hear from the other line so she automatically covers her mouth with her hand as if it'll take her words back.

"Who s'that?" He asks, narrowing his eyebrows even though he can't be seen by them.

"Ehrm, an old friend m'with." Obvious hesitation in Gemma's voice increasing Harry's suspicion.

"An old friend back at home?" He asks immediately.

"Ehrm, no." Again with Gemma's voice was not only hesitation to answer but it was obvious she's nervous which is definitely not her usual confident self.

"Where are ya and mum right now?"

"Italy."

After Starr and Anne talked, Anne flew back to run some errands then goes back to Verona with her daughter, Gemma. It seems like Gemma insisted on going with her mother when she found out that she saw Vee again. They met again on the same café near to Starr's work and had a typical catching up bonding.

"Who s'that old friend of yours?" Harry continues to interrogates.

"Met 'er a long time ago. Mum ran into 'er here in Verona so we're catchin' up."

"How long are ya goin' to be there?"

"Why d'you keep on askin' too many questions?"

"Why d'you keep on avoidin' me questions?"

He keeps on askin' questions, Gemma mouths to Starr while covering the mic of the phone that she responds with a shake of her head and a smile with a playful thoughts.

He was always the concerned one. Starr thinks.

She sighs. "Why're ya so interested in me life anyway?"

Harry halts at realization. Why was he so interested of knowing the owner of the voice is?

"Cause, compared to ya, I care 'bout ya." He shrugs at his lame alibi.

She laughs cynically at his statement. "Fuck off, lad. I do care 'bout ya..."

"Really? Where am I now then?" He asks to prove a point as he shifts his seat comfortably.

"Dunno. M'not with ya." She shrugs, making Anne chuckle and nudge Starr with her elbow beside her to contain her giggle.

"Care t'ask?" He raises his eyebrow just out of habit.

"Harry, I don't 'ave t'ask ya 'bout your where 'bouts. If I would fancy t'look fo' ya, I'd scroll through Twitter." She takes a sip from her tea right after.

He chuckles at what she said that also makes Anne clinks her cup with hers and next was Starr's. "So ya know where am I?"

"Harold, you're in Malibu. Satisfied, mate?"

"Very." He smirks. He looks up to Jeff who was calling him to get ready for the shooting of the scenes. He waves his thumb up to him and he exits. "If ya two are goin' t'be there fo' a while, I can meet ya there---"

"NO!" She unexpectedly shouts, making the two ladies snap their heads to her and him furrowing eyebrows.

"Why?" He drags the 'y' in a suspecting way.

"I don't want ya 'ere." She slouches herself on her seat, making Anne and Starr laugh softly.

"Very touchin'." Harry scoffs as he leaps from his seat. "Regardless of what ya say, m'goin'. Gotta go, sis!"

"Harold!" Gemma yells but it became no use since he already hung up on her. She groans as he smirks in victory.

He waddles playfully as he went to his manager. He pats Jeff on his shoulder, catching his attention and turning around to face him.

"We all set, yeah?" An amused and excited smirk plastered on his lips.

"He s'comin'!" Gemma frustratingly throws her hands up and lands on her face to cover it.

"Here? When?" Starr asks nervously.

"He didn't say but he s'comin', he made it sure..."

"I-it's fine." Starr starts. "It's not like he'll be here right away. He can be here with you and I can be out of sight again."

She warmly smiles to the both of them but they return a sad smile that's full of pity.

"What's with the long faces?" She chuckles awkwardly.

"Ya sure ya still don't wanna see 'im?" Anne asks her intently.

"I do want to, for 2 years now but I'm just not ready." She admits while shyly tucks a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "How's he, by the way?"

Anne gives Gemma a look, meaning she can answer her question and drinks from her cup of coffee.

She sighs and shrugs. "Well, still not over ya so that s'that."

Anne nods and Starr fidgets with her fingers that are placed on her lap.

"I noticed that he has a current obsession with sweets. Like, wouldn't that ruin 'is diet or somethin'? I mean, he s'vegan, yeah?"

"Do you know what kinds of sweets?" Starr raises an eyebrow, assuming she knows what it was.

"Pastries, mostly. But also strawberries, m'pretty sure. Like any strawberry flavoured stuff."

As usual, her heart flutters and aches at the same time because of the same person. He knew it was her favorite. How couldn't he when he bought almost a whole grocery worth of strawberry flavored food and snacks when she was depressed, right? She never expected that she would have to experience this butterflies aggresively flying aroung her stomach again and with the same guy who made her feel it two years ago. She knew she would hear and see him everywhere but to meet and talk to him again was a different story. She didn't like the idea of him being friends with his exes before when they were together. It would be unfair if she was any exception when they did meet again, that's not anything close to empathy.

a/n:

#10YearsOfOneDirection