The Devil's Sweetheart

An hour ago...

Despite her dad\'s nagging to take chauffeur along with her, Harley smoothly lied and started alone. Instead of directly going to the hotel to meet the date, she changed direction and stopped the car in front of a gift shop she often visits. Before walking inside the sparkling store, Harley covered her face with a mask and peeked at her sides to see if her grandfather or dad was prying on her secretly.

Harley then walked into the store and straight away moved to the teddy bear dolls section, where a man in black was standing, looking at her with a mischievous smile. Had she not known the man, she would have assumed him to be a serial killer with his current outfit. \'\'Overacting fellow,\'\' Harley muttered as she walked towards him.

\'\'My dear Harley, finally you are here to see your beloved?\'\' He gave her an engaging grin and winked, eliciting a sexy laugh. \'\'It\'s depressing to see my darling going on a date with another man_\'\'

Harley kicked the back of his knee and smacked his shoulder to stop him from spouting the nonsense. \'\'Social media says only girls overreact. Probably, your face would be an eye-opener to change their perspectives, Mr. Andrew.\'\'

\'\'My leg!\'\' Andrew winced in pain, clutching his leg for dear life. The kick always reminds him of Leena because it all started from her. \'\'Did you learn from that crazy nut?\'\' Andrew yelled, moving away from Harley to avoid another kick. \'\'I am not going to help you anymore.\'\'

\'\'Beleive me, Andrew, you would be the last person to ask for help if I had a choice,\'\' Harley scoffed at Andrew.

Andrew ignored her scorn because this is how both talk. \'\'Why playing hide and seek? I believe you still have feelings for him.\'\'

\'\'My feelings for him will never change, Andy.\'\' Harley bitterly added.

\'\'Then why don\'t you talk with him? What if you have misunderstood?\'\' Andrew asked, his voice laced with concern. He knows the other party feels the same, but their misunderstanding had created a massive gap in their relationship.

\'\'Can we stop talking about him?\'\' Harley muttered. Her tears on the verge of falling when his face leaped in her mind.

 \'\'Alright.\'\' Andrew sighed, aware that he would get the same response from Harley. To lighten the mood, he changed the course of the topic. \'\'If uncle knows I am the one ruining your dates, I would be dead meat in their hands, Harls.\'\' Harley has turned him into a whipping boy for her dates. She would inform him before a week if her parents set up a date, and Andrew would ruin it before she goes and meets her date, but they didnot have much time to find the background of the current one because she informed him at the last minute. So, this is their first face-off.

\'\'Don\'t worry, Andy. If that happens, I will visit your coffin every day.\'\' Harley joked, getting a steely glare from Andrew.

\'\'I am serious, Harls. Someone will catch us if we keep continuing this act.\'\'

\'\'Nobody will know unless you have a plan of telling them,\'\' Harley said. \'\'Did you go through the speech which I sent you?\'\' 

\'\'Of course.\'\' Clearing his throat, Andrew started. \'\'Harley and I love each other, and our parents are against are our love_\'\'

Andrew internally screamed in pain when another kick landed on his foot. \'\'Are you planning to kill me?\'\' Andrew screamed.

\'\'Now, now, will you stop your drama?\'\' Harley lifted her leg, readily to kick if Andrew plays monkey capers again.

Did men\'s rights extinct? Human rights have become women\'s rights, and women\'s rights have become human rights. Cursing at Harley, Andrew started the actual speech. \'\'My best friend Harley has a rare disease, which her parents are not aware of. She doesn\'t want to ruin a kind-hearted person\'s life like you_\'\'

\'\'I didnot mention kind-hearted.\'\' Harley interrupted. 

\'\'I added it.\'\' He winked. \'\'To gain sympathy.\'\'

\'\'That was a good one. Continue.\'\'

\'\'She doesn\'t want to ruin the life of a kind-hearted person like you. I hope you understand the pain my best friend is undergoing and wholeheartedly reject the proposal in front of her parents without making it obvious. P.S. A humble request: Please do not inform her parents about the rare disease.\'\'

\'\'Perfect.\'\' Harley clapped her hands in excitement, pleased with how good Andrew was at delivering. \'\'I will have to go, Andy. Do not expose your identity in front of him.\'\'

\'\'Do you think I am a fool? Get going.\'\' Andrew yelled, causing Harley to run.

...

Present...

The second Andrew spilled his name in front of Callen, a murderous light elicited in Harley\'s eyes, a vehement force that could kill Andrew without a second thought. Sometimes we realize it too late, and when Andrew did it, in a slow-motion, his guilty eyes diagonally met Harley\'s upright unswerving eyes. \'\'Cuckoo,\'\' Harley muttered in a shallow voice, but Andrew hearkened her voice. Harley bit back the anger that was burning within her. Gone! The meticulous plan she laid out along with this stupid Andrew went into haywire. She has written a perfect speech, and this dunderhead is not moving according to the script, and on top of it, he exposed his name in front of him. He could have directly come and introduced himself as her friend. Overacting must be running in their friendhood. 

Meanwhile, Callan was appalled for a second hearing the name. What if he is a criminal lawyer? Do they have the right to behave indecently in public? He still didnot forget the accuses the man directed at him. Judging by the events, he is certain Harley has a hand in it. Callan looked at Andrew, and then his murderous gaze shifted to Harley. \'\'My conscience says you have called him to ruin the date. I will inform your parents and let the Wangs explain it.\'\' Callan got up, ready to walk away.

"Wait." Harley panicked at the thought of getting exposed. She better tells him the truth before he escalated it further. When Harley was thinking of putting her ideas into action, she heard Andrew\'s voice.

\'\'You can inform her parents, but let me warn you, once they know the truth, it is going to break their hearts, and the Gods of hell will curse you for eternity.\'\' Callan paused his footsteps and turned around. He could sense the sincerity in the man\'s voice.

Successfully gaining Callan\'s attention, Andrew\'s gaze briefly shifted to Harley, and in a quick motion, she nodded her head.

Andrew turned to Callan and spoke up. \'\'My friend is suffering from_\'\'

\'\'Andy, please..don\'t.\'\' Harley intervened, pretending to stop it. \'\'Let\'s not talk about_\'\'

\'\'Don\'t stop me today, Harley. I can\'t see you in pain anymore.\'\' Andrew acted as if grief poured out of him. \'\'Mr. Callan, Harley is my best friend. Yes, she called me to ruin the date because she has a reason.\'\'

\'\'What is it?\'\' Callan asked as he settled in the seat again.

\'\'She doesn\'t want to ruin your life by marrying you because she suffers from a rare disease called Wingardiumpetronumanteoculatia.\'\' Andrew wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Harley internally rolled her eyes at Andrew for coming up with such a weird disease name.

\'\'I_I have never heard of the disease. What exactly is it?\'\' Callan looked at Harley, and he could feel the pain in her eyes.

\'\'It\'s something celiac doctors told which we never heard. Scientists lack knowledge on it, and we have no conclusion for it." Andrew whispered.

\'\'I am sorry,\'\' Callan muttered, feeling sad for Harley. Having a rare disease that cannot be curable at such a young age is distressing. \'\'So, the Wang famliy_\'\'

\'\'She is the princess of the Wang family, and imagine if they know the truth?\'\'

\'\'I understand. I hope the doctors find medicine for Win-wingardi..anyway. I wish you recover soon.\' Callan genuinely wished Harley would heal. Why is the name hard to pronounce? He planned to goggle it when he goes home.

\'\'Thank you,\'\' Harley muttered, a smile formed on her lips. \'\'Thanks for understanding my problem.\'\'

\'\'It\'s nothing in front of the sacrifice you are doing to your parents. I appreciate it,\'\' Callan said. \'\'I will take my leave.\'\'

 \'\'About my parents_\'\'

\'\'Don\'t worry. Your secrets are safe with me.\'\' Callan winked and left.

Andrew and Harley politely bowed their heads, and the moment Callan was out of sight, both burst out into laughter. 

\'\'Did you look at his face when he tried to spell the name?\'\' Andrew laughed until his ribs hurt.

\'\'I was scared he would expose us. We made it, Andy.\'\' Harley and Andrew high-fived cheerfully.

\'\'Combining Harry potter spells and naming it as a disease? I am impressed.\'\' A deep voice pierced into their ears.

Harley widened her eyes in shock, hearing the familiar voice. Her heart started drumming into her ears nervously.. Andrew gulped hard.