H a r r y

"Mate, you won't fucking believe it," I slap Louis' knee with a bright smile. "She fucking smacked me! On the arm! And hugged me twice!"

Lou doesn't look impressed. "Harry, I thought you called me to give me some major news."

"This is!" I excitedly exclaim. My hands form wild gestures as I speak. "You should've seen her that day. I swear, she acted like I was her friend and not some stranger."

"Well, invite me to the fucking club," Louis grunts, annoyed. Poor lad is pissy that Ellie hasn't made more of an effort with him.

I defensively throw up my hands. "Sorry, mate. I almost broke her once by interfering. There's no way I'm trying again."

"Yeah, yeah," he bitterly grumbles as he brings his bourbon to his lips.

It's our first guys' night in a while and I'm here ruining it by non-stop ranting about Ellie.

But...Ellie. What's there not to talk about?

"I thought you said she loved her coworker though." He swirls his glass before taking another sip.

"No, I said the nerd was in love with her," I scowl. "Besides, he's not her type."

Louis spits out his drink all over my coffee table before laughing. I groan looking at the mess. I'm going to have to clean this shit up! Fuck me.

"Not her type?" He gasps for air. "Harry, she doesn't have a type. Didn't she date an Asian before you? And then a frat boy after you? What makes this nerdy guy so different?" The mocking tone in his voice is enough to make my fists clench.

Frowning, I realize he's got a point. I mean, all of the guys she's dated before are completely different look- and personality-wise.

The more I think about it, the more doubts cloud my mind. I mean, I've seen the way she acts so carefree around him. She also cares a great deal about him. Just that day, she went on and bought him Starbucks because he was upset with her. She's super comfortable with him. She touched him.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to punch him the moment her hands touched his lips.

Truth is, I've seen how they interact. She's sure as hell her old self around him. And he brings her food! Food! I should be the one knowing her eating schedule, not him. They constantly Skype when they should be working. They're always playing around. Fuck, she went to the men's loo with him!

It doesn't help that he's so painfully in love with her. I don't think she notices though, just like she doesn't notice all my advances toward her. She didn't even react when Alexander flirted with her. It's like she's genuinely immune to all these things. Is she really that oblivious?

If she knew that he liked her, what would she do?

Louis slaps my back, breaking me out of my thoughts. Thank God for that. I don't know what I'd do if I thought more about it. I'd probably punch something. Or someone.

And poor Louis doesn't deserve the wrath of my fists tonight.

"It's alright. Didn't you say you're moving on anyway?" he asks like he can read my mind. I open my mouth to answer but shut it again. I did say that, didn't I?

Fuck. Why can't I move on?

The doorbell rings before I can think of an answer - one that I don't even know. Louis and I exchange stares before breaking out into huge grins. He runs up to the door, swinging it open to reveal our favorite leather-clad bandmate.

"Zayn!" Louis yells, drunkenly throwing his hands around him.

Zayn looks absolutely amused. "How much has he had to drink?"

"Too much," I reply, slapping him on the back. He steps inside after prying Louis off him and finds his way to the black leather. "It's good to see you again."

"Aw, fuck off," he groans with a smile on his face.

Zayn's been in London for some time. Says he's dealing with personal shit. We've never been the type to pry so we let him deal. Besides, it's not like friends have to tell each other every move. Liam's also in London currently, while Niall's in Ireland visiting family. We're all planning on meeting here soon. Zayn's just the first to arrive.

"So," Zayn slaps his thighs as I hand him a drink. "What were you talking about before I showed up?"

Louis sinks down next to him and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "We were talking about Ellieeeee," he sings.

Zayn looks up at me in disbelief. "Ellie? Like your soulmate, Ellie?" When I nod, his features harden. "Is she here?"

Confused, I take the couch to the side. "She's here as in LA. Before you ask, no we aren't together. She showed up at one of Eleanor's events and we all know the girl can't keep her trap shut."

"Hey," Louis says defensively before splitting into a lazy grin. He turns to face Zayn with a teasing smile. "Ellie and Harry are just friends," he snickers.

"Shut. Up," I growl, smacking him with a pillow. His drunk self pretends to die. Neither of us pay him any mind.

"So... no. I'm still confused. Explain," Zayn says with a stern voice.

I let out a deep breath and explain the recent situation. He already knows about the past four years. So, I tell him everything from Eleanor's birthday a few months ago up until a few days ago when I brought Lily to see her.

Her smile was so worth it, even with the risk of her hating me forever.

I'm honestly surprised at her reaction. She's matured, that's for sure. She no longer picks fights and she sure as hell doesn't overreact.

It's kind of hot in a way. Like, I feel like we can fuck on the kitchen counter and then talk about our future and shit. It's cheesy to say but it's true.

...And I need to stop thinking about fucking her before I get hard in front of my mates.

"So, what I'm hearing is: you still have feelings for her even though she friend-zoned you, there are a million guys chasing after her, and she's single?" Zayn concludes with a huge smirk. One I want to wipe off his face right away.

"Oh, fuck off," I groan, standing up. "Fuck all of you. Louis is here shoving his relationship in my face and you wouldn't understand. You don't even have a soulmate."

Before he can react, I stalk into the kitchen and grab a cold beer from the fridge. At this point it won't do anything to me, it's just for taste.

As I stalk back to the living room, I see Zayn leaned over an unconscious Louis, drawing something with a sharpie. All previously annoyance forgotten, I snicker at the two and sit down again. The football match is playing in the background so I watch it even though it's a rerun.

These boys' nights aren't as fun without the rest of them.

My phone rings, breaking my concentration. Zayn's face whips toward me with a knowing smirk, probably thinking it's a booty call.

Man, how I wish it was.

"Ellie," I answer breathlessly. I still can't get over how she has my number and uses it. By choice! I'm not even the one calling her!

As if her name is some type of trigger, Louis jerks awake and stares at me with wide eyes. Zayn's staring too, but he looks less happy and more pissed.

I wonder why.

"Hi," her sweet voice rings through the phone.

"Hey," I lamely reply. Louis laughs loudly at how pathetic I look. I flip him off.

"Oh, are you busy? I can just call back later-"

"No," I quickly interrupt. "Not busy at all." I leave the living room to escape their teasing looks but they just follow behind me like a bunch of lost puppies. "So, what's up?" My voice sounds ten octaves higher and I want nothing more than to bang my head against the wall.

What the fuck is wrong with me? She's just a girl.

"Laine's bringing over a boy and I really don't want to be here for that," she laughs. I can imagine her scrunching her nose in disgust. "So if you're not busy..."

"I'm free," I say, trying to play it cool when in fact, I'm not cool at all.

"Right," she breathes. "So can you?"

"Can I what?"

She laughs again. "Hang out."

My mouth forms an 'o' shape as I stare at my phone in shock. She just asked me to hang out. For no reason.

"Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," I quickly bring the phone back to my ear. "Is this a trick question? Am I being used to manipulate your boss or something?"

I close my eyes. Stupid, Harry! Why the fuck would you say that?

"Jesus, Harry," she giggles. A sweet sound indeed. "Yes or no? I promise there's no Daff involved."

Welp, that's enough for me to say yes. "Yes. Do you, uh, want me to pick you up or something?"

"Is it close?"

"No," I admit. I live in a much better place compared to her. "I'll come pick you up if that's alright with you." I really just want to see you.

"Alright, I'll just be at my office until then." Shocker. "Text me when you're here."

"Will do," I reply before hanging up. When I look up from my phone, I see the two bastards snickering at me. "What?" I snap.

"Oi, mate. I'm offended. We're in the middle of things," Louis slurs.

I roll my eyes and grab my jacket off the back of my seat. It's not like we were doing anything fun anyway.

I turn to Zayn and grab the front of his shirt to pull him closer. "I need you to call his girlfriend, get him the fuck out of here, and then disappear."

He frowns. "But I was supposed to spend the night."

"I don't give a shit about what you do," I deadpan. "Just stay out of my way."

And just like that, I leave my apartment. I can't help the stupid grin that's threatened to take over my face. All I can think about is seeing my Ellie tonight.

She didn't call the Nerd or Alex. She didn't call anyone but me.

Unless she did and you're her last resort...

Fuck my mind. It's such a bummer, isn't it?

My legs practically bounce at the idea of her coming out. I send her a text and she quickly replies, as if she was waiting for it. The thought makes me pathetically giddy.

When she walks out of her building's lobby, I take a moment to let my eyes wander without her knowing. She's wearing a plum-colored professional dress that accentuates her curves. Her long hair is swaying in the wind and she places it away from her face. Her hips sway as she walks, teasing me silently.

Fuck. Me.

She opens the door and smiles as she gets in. "Hey! Thank you so much. Usually I'm not over when Laine is with other people but believe it or not, I didn't have any work to do," she laughs in disbelief.

I find myself too busy staring at her in awe to respond. Her brows furrow and it's then that I realize I'm staring like a pervert.

She wants to be friends. Friends. Not friends with benefits. Not lovers. Friends.

I clear my throat and begin the drive back home. "Doesn't that bother you? Your ex fucking other people?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her innocently cock her head. "Is it supposed to?"

"I mean, yeah," I scoff like she's said the most ridiculous thing ever. I'm convinced she's forgotten how to survive in society. It's like she doesn't remember how relationships work.

Or she's just not a jealous fuck like you.

"Oh," she says softly. "Well, I guess not. Maybe it's because I do the same to him."

My heart stops. I literally can't breathe.

My hands grip the steering wheel in anger. I mean, just because she said she never had another boyfriend doesn't mean she didn't have one-night stands. I know these celebrity fuckers hate labels nowadays.

As hypocritical as it is, the thought of someone else touching her makes me feel like a weight is being pushed down on my chest. It makes me feel like my lungs are drowning in water and there's no way up.

Her laughter revives me.

I look over to see her tilting her head back, snorting as laugher bubbles up her throat. Momentarily, it relaxes me. It's such a sweet sound and even sweeter that I'm the cause

... I think?

"Relax," she giggles, playing an arm on my bicep. I almost jerk away from the sensation I'm feeling but I enjoy it instead. "I was kidding."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Fuck," I mutter under my breath.

God, I feel so much better now.

"But truth be told, no. I don't really care. Maybe it's because we were never in love or because we never had sex." She stops talking and I glance over at her. Her cheeks are bright red as she stares at the passing city outside the window.

If I thought I felt better before, now I feel like I'm on fucking steroids or something. She didn't fuck him. She may have fucked other guys, but not him.

And she didn't love him.

"But it must be weird, right? To see him with guys and stuff," I continue, begging to break the silence that's consumed us.

She gives me a small shrug, never taking her eyes off that goddamn window. "Not really. I experimented in college and he witnessed that."

My eyes widen in shock. The image of Ellie kissing another girl plays through my mind.

I'm half-jealous, half-turned on.

Or I'm just fucked up.

I clear my throat as we pull into my complex. "We're here." Thank god for that. How the hell do you respond when your soulmate tells you she's had an experimental phase?

Her eyes are wide and lips parted as she takes in the building. For some reason, I take pride in the fact that I've impressed her. Sure, it's not from my looks or charm, but it's something.

She turns to me, her curls hitting her face. She doesn't even bother moving them away. "You live here?"

Before I can stop myself, I tuck her stray hair behind her ear with a fond smile. "Yes, I do."

Fuck me. Why did I just do that? Do I not have an ounce of self-control?

Before things get awkward, I crawl out of my car. She doesn't follow immediately but I don't dare peek at her through the windshield. For all I know, she's gagging or some shit. I mean, I did come on a little strong. She wants to be friends, I want to be more. I can't help it.

But there's one thing I know for sure. Treating things nonchalantly is the best way to go. That way she doesn't know I'm reading way too much into my actions and she won't either.

I wish I could just be bold. I wish I could hold her in my arms and kiss her senseless. I'm just so terrified to lose her again.

So, I suffer through the friendzone.

She finally comes out but she's no longer thinking about the gesture. Once again, her eyes are fixated on my apartment.

I have to admit, it's much nicer than her dump. I don't understand how she lives there. It's practically on its last limb.

We enter the lobby and I nod toward the doorman. He smiles back, eyeing Ellie with interest. It's not every day that I bring back a girl with me. Actually, she may be the first if I recall correctly. Eleanor sometimes stops by but it's always with Lou.

She doesn't speak until we reach the elevator. "Okay, so my place might be a shitshow compared to other places."

I playfully gasp. "No! It has character," I tease, throwing her words back at her.

She narrows her eyes at me but never loses her smile. "Man, if I could afford something like this..."

But she could. If she just let me help her...

I don't tell her my thoughts or about the spare bedroom at my place. I can't scare her off.

We finally reach the top floor and I notice she rolls her eyes. The attitude drops as soon as she takes in the place.

"Holy..." her eyes scan every inch of my penthouse with interest. Her jaw hangs open and she doesn't even give a shit about it.

It's funny. I swear she's seen nicer places.

"Wow," she gasps, running her hand across the wall trim.

I subtly look around to see any traces of a drunken man. When we're in the clear, I take a deep breath.

"Were you drinking yourself to death?" she asks as she smells the alcohol lingering in the air.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "No. Just had a little spill," I lie. The last thing I want is for her to think she ruined my plans.

Before she can call me out, one of the doors opens in the distance. I immediately freeze. No one was supposed to be here.

"Ellie fucking Marsh. You're a bitch, you know that?" Zayn seethes, looking close to pissed.

I facepalm.

I told him to leave. Of course the bastard didn't listen. He never listens.

I peek out of my fingers to look at Ellie. She's amused, for sure. Not angry like I expected.

Good. That's good.

"Nice to see you too, Zayn," she teases casually like they're close friends. "It's been a fun four years, huh?"

I'm immediately jealous at the fact that she can mess around him but not me. What's different about us? Why can't she tease me like that?

"Fuck off," he hisses, grabbing her wrist. "We need to talk."

Before either of us can protest, he drags her into the guest bedroom and slams the door shut behind him.

They haven't seen each other for years. What urgent matter does he have to talk about that can't wait?

Being the possessive son of a bitch I am, I eavesdrop by putting an ear on the door.

E l l i e

My heart's pounding against my ribcage.

I expected Zayn to be pissed so I treated him with nonchalance. I find that sometimes if you're casual, it doesn't make the other person overthink.

Liar.

Okay, I'm still reeling about the whole car incident. Harry tucked my hair away like it was the most natural thing to do! While he was causally smiling, I felt like I was going to faint. Then the bastard had the audacity to walk away!

I keep having to remind myself that he's a class-A flirt. He does these little things that drive me mad without even realizing it. It's my fault in the end. I friend-zoned him and he moved on. Simple. That's how life works.

I just wish I didn't fucking friend-zone him.

Without warning, Zayn pulls me into a hug. I gasp in surprise before hugging him back. I've been getting used to the constant touching with all the reunions.

But when he pulls away, his face is hard as stone.

"I cannot believe you just fucking left me knowing–"

I clamp a hand over his mouth. "I'm 99% sure we have an eavesdropper," I whisper, nodding toward the door. If I know Harry, he's going to be curious. Hell, even I'm curious. Out of all people, I didn't expect to find Zayn here. Harry didn't even tell me he had company.

Oh god, he really abandoned his plans for me, didn't he?

Zayn sighs and nods, gesturing to the balcony. Of course this sick penthouse would have a balcony in the guest bedroom. What else awaits me?

The cold air hits me instantly and I shiver. Zayn shrugs off his jacket and throws it around my shoulders without a second thought – a heartwarming gesture. We both lean against the railing, staring at the beautiful view in front of us. The sun has long set and kept the city lights in its wake.

"You're the only one who knows about my soulmate shit and you completely abandon me," Zayn sighs, his voice much calmer than before. 

I can't help but raise my brows in surprise. Whenever the topic of his soulmate came up, he'd always shut down. Why does he want to talk about it all of a sudden?

He seems to read my thoughts. "Fuck me." He runs a hand through his gelled hair. "She's back, that's why. She's here in LA and I'm here. I want to try again."

I gape at him. "You... you do?"

"You're the only one who knows so don't go spreading shit," he says in a harsh tone.

"I'm honored," I sarcastically drawl. "I don't understand. Why after all these years?"

He pauses, choosing his next words very carefully. "I've realized what I've lost. I want it back."

My heart races. Ironically enough, we're in the same boat.

"So, what? You want to talk about her? Because I'm all ears," I say softly, still confused as to why he's telling me this. Then the realization dawns on me. My mouth forms an 'o' shape. "You want me to help you set things up."

His eyes snap up to mine, a little shocked. "Yeah. You're the only one who knows."

"Okay... but how?" I tilt my head. I can't imagine how I'd be able to help.

He focuses on the view in front of him once again. My eyes freely roam around his appearance. His sharp jawline is now traced with stubble, but it looks good. His hair is much longer and slicked back. He looks older but also more mature.

He isn't fucking around anymore.

"A few friends are meeting in a few days and she'll be there."

"By a few friends, you mean the band," I assume. When he nods, my stomach drops.

"Them, their girls, a few others," he continues, never looking at me. It's like he knows exactly how I'll feel about this. He's right. "She'll be there. I need you to help me out. I wouldn't ask if I had anyone else–"

I hold up a hand. "It's okay, I understand. I'll do it." I'll endure sitting in a room full of people that (presumably) hate me, just for him. I may not be able to fix what I've lost but maybe I can prevent him from making the same mistake. So what if I have to see like a million people that I so rudely ditched?

Hah, the nerves in my stomach are tightening. It's fine, whatever.

For Zayn.

"You will?" He obviously wasn't expecting me to give in so easily. When I nod, he lets out a low whistle. "Someone's grown up. You didn't even hesitate."

"I can say the same thing about you." I poke his bicep. "Where's the guy who used to make Harry jealous?"

He laughs, recalling those days. They were fun, I'll give him that.

"I guess we've both grown," he concludes, looking back at the view. My eyes follow and stare in awe. I don't think I'll ever get used to this. The nature, the lights, the people.

We stand in a comfortable silence for some time.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry," I blurt.

He smirks, looking over at me. "Don't be. You're making it up." I laugh, glad he's taking it so lightly. "Come on, let's go before his poor ear falls off from all the straining."

When we walk out of the guestroom, Harry's "casually" sprawled out on the couch. It's totally obvious he just ran back from the door.

"Jesus, finally! What took you so long?" he casually asks before his eyes zone in on the leather jacket around my shoulders. Right away his jaw clenches and he glares daggers at Zayn.

Call me fucked up but I missed jealous Harry.

Zayn pretends not to notice the newfound tension but I can tell deep down he's smirking. He stretches his arms over his head and yawns. "Alright, well I'm going to call it a night then."

I shrug his jacket off and hand it to him. He winks at me. I knew the boy enjoyed this. "Goodnight, Zayn. Nice little chat we had. Next time can we start with a greeting?"

"You had four years, Ellie," he yells over his shoulder.

"Phones work two ways," I shout at his back. His chuckles are the last thing I hear before his door closes. I turn back to Harry with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."

"I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea he was here and..."

I drown out his voice as I let my eyes wander around the space. High windows cover half the living space, showcasing the beautiful view. We're quite high so we can see over the tall buildings.

Harry's color scheme is mainly black with gray walls. Most of the furniture is black with hints of silver. The couch is black, the curtains are black, the rug is black, the coffee table is... stained?

Whatever, you get my point.

There are photos lining the walls. I notice some of Harry when he was younger, some of his family, some friends, and even one of–

"You're not even listening," Harry frowns, pulling my attention back to him.

My eyes widen and I shake my head. "No, no! Go on, I was."

"Really?" He narrows his eyes. "What was I talking about?"

Fuck. I nervously bite my lip before plopping down on the couch. "Let's forget about the past and focus on the future," I lightly laugh, hoping he buys my pathetic change in topic. "Oh, I forgot to mention. Daff didn't buy our whole Lily act."

His eyes widen. "Shit, seriously?"

"Yeah," I sigh, leaning back on the couch and folding my arms across my stomach. "It's okay though."

"Wait... that means the whole dinner plan...?"

"Yup," I say, popping the 'p'. "She did it on purpose. I'm telling you, Harry. She has a heart of gold buried deep, deep inside of her. I swear, every insult she's ever thrown my way just fades away when she does nice things."

"You really like her, don't you?"

I scrunch my nose. "I wouldn't say like... but I do admire her. She has her moments and she's a total badass when she wants to me. Would it kill her to be a little nicer? No. Will she do it? No. Not to mention she could definitely increase our pay. I've seen her financials. She's making a lot more."

Harry chuckles and I stop my rambling. He doesn't care about my work drama.

"So," I warily eye the liquid stain on the coffee table. It smells suspiciously like alcohol. "I'm assuming you were having a fun time before I crashed the party?"

"Not at all," he says quickly. "It was technically supposed to be boys' night but not everyone could make it. Louis was plastered before Zayn even arrived. And Zayn hasn't been here for long."

I hum. "Feels like I'm getting quite the reunions lately. It's funny because I've been here for months and now everyone's popping up."

"It's a domino effect."

I sit up straight and look at him sincerely. "And I have you to thank for that. Seriously. Without you, I wouldn't be so–" I pause, thinking of Danny's words "–happy. These few past months have felt so robotic to me, ya know? Like I'm thrown out of college, forced to go out into the real world and find a job, and just survive. It's like the fun just stopped. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, but sometimes it feels so routine and I hate it."

Aaaaand I'm rambling.

But words can't even express how grateful I am for him. I thought he'd be a wrecking ball in my life but he's turning out to be just what I needed.

He smiles. Did he scoot closer? Or was that me?

"I like when you open up to me," he whispers like he's telling a secret.

God, my heart's going crazy.

"Good, because I tend to ramble a lot," I say, trying not to overthink his words. But for some reason, I've opened up to him more than anyone else these past years. And now that I've started, I just can't stop.

Stupid soulmate bond.

Stupid budding crush.

He lazily wraps an arm around my shoulder and uses the other one to hold the remote. "So, what do you want to watch?"

Suddenly breathing gets a little harder.

I hate how casual he is with getting physical. On one hand, it drives me absolutely mad. But on the other, I feel like I should take what I can get. As long as I set myself up for the ultimate heartbreak when I remember we're only friends, I'll be okay.

Right?

I sink back into his chest. Might as well go the whole way. If it doesn't bother him, why stop?

"Ellie?" he asks, looking down at me. "Movie?"

"Oh, yeah, just put on whatever," I say, zoning back in. He gives me a weird look before refocusing on the screen. I force my eyes to follow, even though my brain's on overload right now.

I mean he's close, so close.

This isn't good for my soul.

No wait, it's too good for my soul. Like, I feel like I'm about to combust and I don't even mind!

I've got it so bad.

Maybe... Maybe I should tell him.

The sound of the elevator dinging open has Harry stiffen under me. He mutters a few curse words as he sits up straighter, removing his arm from around me. I immediately miss the warmth but his newfound panic has me intrigued.

I hear the sound of heels before the figure emerges. Right away, my jaw drops.

A gorgeous woman stands at the entrance of Harry's living room. She's wearing a designer dress with an exquisite fur coat. She pushes her thick, rounded shades to the top of her head, revealing her Aphrodite-like face.

She stops and stares at us, her lips in a thin line.

"Who is this?" she asks, blinking in my direction.

"Elena, this is–" Harry starts.

I cock my head. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Elena, Harry's girlfriend."

I knew I had to face the heartbreak at one point, but I didn't know it would be so damn soon.

~

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I picture Elena as Kendal Jenner!!