Easily one of my most favorite chapters I've ever written!! 

~

I bite down on the cap of my pen, pretending to avoid the yelling just like everyone else in this damn mansion.

Awkward.

"You're lying to me! You're always fucking lying to me," Elena screeches from God knows where. I think Harry had the decency to drag her into one of the many rooms in the mansion we're shooting his music video in.

The rest of us are scattered in the main hall downstairs. Yes, downstairs. We can hear her screaming from here.

"I know I'm not supposed to shit talk but I am so glad that girl isn't one of my clients," Daffodil whispers to me. I nod in agreement before focusing on my planner. For some reason, eavesdropping feels wrong, even though we can only hear one side of the conversation. Harry manages to keep his voice low and steady so the entire world can't hear what he's saying.

I know I have a crush on the guy but I feel a little bad for him. It seems like she's really pushing his buttons.

"Elle te plaît, n'est-ce pas?*" she yells, her voice becoming thick as her accent becomes more prominent. There's a slight pause, followed by a crash.

I hear a low whistle and know who it is before I even look. Alexander laughs, probably understanding French.

"What's going on?" I ask in hopes that he'll translate.

"They're having a fight."

I roll my eyes. "Gee, I didn't notice."

He glances at me with a smirk before shaking his head. "You know, I told him not to commit. Hell, I didn't even know he had a girlfriend until that day we all went to the club. She popped out of nowhere."

I guess nobody knew about her...

"Apparently she was hiding in Paris," I tell him, remembering that part of the conversation when she popped into Harry's penthouse. "So I take it that you're not the committed type?"

"Nah," he absentmindedly sighs before widening his eyes and straightening up. "Well, I mean, I'm willing to change for you–"

I throw a hand up, effectively silencing him. "Relax Mr. CEO. I'm not reading too much into your flirty attempts." And it's true. That night, after he drove me home, I remembered that he was just as big of a player as Harry. Since then, I reminded myself to not read into this. It's all good fun.

A frown forms on his face. "Ellie, I swear I really like you. When I said I'm pursuing you, I was being serious."

"Right, and I'm the queen of England," I snicker, joining his game.

His frown deepens. "When I met you the other day, all I could think about is how you didn't want me and at first, I thought..."

I drown out his words as I see Harry storming down the stairs, running his hand through his hair. He looks pissed.

Before I can think about it, I find myself leaving behind Alex – and Medusa, although I doubt she noticed – and walk up to him. He barely stops before he can bump into me.

"Trouble in paradise?" I ask.

He looks at me in shock, like he doesn't believe I'm standing in front of him, asking about his current relationship. A sheepish expression crosses his face as he scans the curious faces around the room. "You heard all that?"

"Just her bits," I bite back a smile but soon soften. He looks really upset. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine, just," he pauses, looking over at everyone again. "Not here."

I nod and allow him to pull me outside, just in front of the front door of the house. He immediately begins pacing. I notice Alexander come outside as well, but I don't think Harry knows he's here.

"I think I'm going to break up with her. She's very..."

"Insecure?" I finish off for him. He pauses, nods, then resumes. "Look, if I'm causing any problems..."

He stops his pacing again and raises a brow. "Why would you be?"

"Oh please, we both know she hates me," I snort. He opens his mouth to object but I cut him off. "It's fine, I totally get it." You know, I've dealt with Sydney, Niall's soulmate.

"What? No. That's ridiculous," Harry scoffs. "She just... she's driving me nuts. Absolutely insane."

As if on cue, she appears. She already looks furious, but her eyes harden when she sees me. Once again, I'm the bad guy, hanging out with her boyfriend alone. She pushes past an amused Alexander and goes straight to Harry.

"Je le savais! Je ne représente rien pour vous, Harry?"** Elena jabs a finger in his chest.

Harry's face falls in defeat. "Vous faites"***

Alexander decides to make his presence known. He steps down the stairs and puts an arm around my shoulder, turning to Elena. "Relaxez. Je l'aime bien."****

God, I wish I could speak French right now.

From what I get, Alex doesn't say something good. Well, I'm not really sure. Harry's eyes harden while Elena relaxes a tad.

"Reste loin d'elle,"***** Harry snaps toward Alex, which makes Elena furious.

"I'm just going to go back inside," I squeak, attempting to shrug off Alex's arm.

"Séjour!"****** the three of them bark at me simultaneously. I stare at them blankly. Did they expect me to understand that?

Alex looks down at me and smiles softly. "It means stay."

My mouth forms an 'o' shape as I duck under his arm. "You know, I rather not. I have a sneaking suspicion that you guys are talking about me and now I just feel awkward."

He has an amused spark in his eye as he lets me go. "You'll miss out on all the drama," he tempts me to stay.

"I hate foreign films," I shoot back with a playful smile before escaping World War Three. Taking Spanish in high school seems like a real loss to me now.

Also, I had no idea Harry spoke French... that's hot.

When I march back in, Daffodil lifts her brows. "Where'd you run off to."

"I think there's a love triangle going on out there," I snort, pointing toward the direction of the door.

She nods, amused. Then, she shuts down all her 'fun boss' persona and starts on the work part. Gross. "I just need you to stand back and come if I call."

"So like... my job?"

"Yes," she replies through gritted teeth. Okay, I guess I need to tone down the sass. I've really been pushing my limits lately. "And for the love of God, where the hell is Daniel?"

I open my mouth to answer but clamp it shut as my brows furrow. Where is Danny? My eyes dart around the main hall, trying to look for him.

Then I look out the back door.

"Oh my God," I gasp.

"What? What!" Daffodil looks around, panicked.

I point toward the glass doors. She looks over, her jaw dropping.

Daniel's out there, actually talking with one of the models. She's one of the pretty ones, too. Well, they're all pretty, but from what I remember, her personality is A1.

"Is this real?" I feel like I'm about to faint.

"I didn't know he had it in him," Daff hums, slightly in awe. "But... I don't think she's his type."

I run my eyes over the model and frown. "Does Danny even have a type?"

She doesn't answer. "Whatever, just go get him, yeah? We need to start filming the process."

"Sure," I sigh, hauling my ass over to the backyard.

Instead of walking straight up to them and coming in between another couple, I round the pool and stand around twenty feet behind the model so only he can see me. At first, I frantically wave my hands to get his attention.

I do. His eyes meet mine and they widen before refocusing on the girl. I know him. He feels it's too rude to just leave the conversation. When he looks up again, I make a funny face at him. He softly chuckles. Confused, the girl turns her head to find out what's so funny. However, before she can see me, I duck behind a bulky tree.

I repeat the process a few more times, making him laugh harder and harder. It's getting to the point where he doesn't dare pry his eyes away from the girl's face. He probably thinks he's being rude for laughing for no reason.

Well, there is a reason but the girl doesn't know.

Smirking, I go bust out my favorite dance move (the sprinkler) when I hear a buzzing noise. A flash of yellow and black flies before my eyes.

A bee.

I squeal, frantically flapping my arms to get it away from me. When it persists, I move around to get it to leave me alone.

I hate bees. With a passion.

I step to the right in an attempt to get this damn insect away from me. Before I know it, my footing slips against the deck and I fall straight into the pool.

Fuck me.

At least the bee's gone.

Fuck. Me.

I submerge from the pool, my vision clouded by chestnut strands. As soon as push my hair back, I see multiple eyes staring at me.

Jesus! These people are nosy! First Elena, now me? Don't they have a job to do?

In the distance, I see Tom, Harry's manager, covering his smile with his fist. Oh, fuck him.

Fuck me, too.

I hear footsteps jogging toward me. When I look up, I see three hands extended toward me. Three! What is this, The Bachelorette? Who the fuck needs that much help?

Okay... maybe I'm a little annoyed at myself.

Instead of taking the hands of the lovely boys - Harry, Alex, and Danny - I fold my arms around the edge of the pool and pull myself up instead. I shoot a glare at Danny, who seems to be the cause of my annoyance.

No, he's not. But he is the target.

"Ellie," Danny calls out as I walk away from him.

And then I meet Medusa.

Fuck me.

"Elizabeth," she says in a composed voice. "Why are you dripping wet?"

I look down at my soaked clothes and back at her face. She looks calm on the outside but her eyes are hardened, nostrils flaring, and jaw clenched.

She's pissed.

Fuck. Me.

"It was me," Danny quickly interjects. She glances at him before looking back at me, asking for silent confirmation. I clench my teeth and nod.

Normally I wouldn't throw Danny under the bus but damn, am I annoyed.

A warm hand clamps down on my shoulder from behind. "Don't worry Daff, I have some towels in the room," Harry says. Her eyes immediately soften.

Damn it, I'm kinda pissed at Harry too but he's always saving my ass.

She nods and gestures for Daniel to go with me. As soon as we're indoors, I turn to him and slap Danny's arm. "This is all your fault," I hiss.

He rubs his arm. "What did I do?" We both follow Harry upstairs.

"You... You didn't come when I called you!"

He makes a confused face. "But you didn't call me? You just stood far away and made cute faces." He blushes when he realized he used the c-word.

"Because you wouldn't stop flirting with that girl!" I sigh and soften. "But I'll forgive you because you just called me cute."

He begins choking on his spit. Or air, I don't know.

I playfully narrow my eyes at him. "Are you taking back your words? Because then I'll be pissed–"

"No, no!" Danny quickly interjects.

I smirk. "So you do think I'm cute?" I'm terrible. I shouldn't be teasing him like this.

"Of course," he mumbles, his face burning. I snicker but don't torture him further. So much for being annoyed with him.

Eh, I could never be annoyed at him for too long. He's too cute for that.

"Thanks, Danny boy," I pat the top of his head.

"Does that mean you're not mad anymore?"

"For now. Also sorry for throwing you under the bus. I don't think she believes me though," I guiltily murmur.

"Oh my God," Harry's voice rings out. Both our heads snap to him. "You guys make me want to puke. Come on El, I have a towel in the bathroom." I nod and go to follow him. When Daniel does the same, Harry stands in front of the doorframe, blocking him in. "Nope. Not you."

"Why not?" Danny huffs, standing up straighter to seem taller. It doesn't do him that good considering Harry has a few inches on him.

"Have some class, Daniel," Harry shakes his head disapprovingly, making Danny think he's actually doing something wrong.

"You're going in there," Danny points out.

Harry smugly smiles. "It's my place. Bugger off."

"Harry!" I gasp and smack his chest before turning to Daniel. "Just wait in the hall, okay?" I lean in and whisper in his ear, "And you're on Elena duty. If she's coming this way, you better warn me, okay?"

He gives me a questioning look but obliges nonetheless.

Thank god.

"Jesus, you look pissed," Harry comments as I stalk him into the ensuite bathroom. I attempt to scowl before realizing I already am.

Guess he's right.

"Of course I'm pissed! I'm fucking drenched because I'm an idiot," I seethe more at myself. Am I really upset about this?

Or am I upset that there was a whole conversation revolving around me that I wasn't a part of?

Or is it because Elena's here?

I grip the counter top as Harry digs through the linen closet for a towel. Sighing, I close my eyes. "I'm sorry. You're the one clearly having girlfriend issues and I'm here bitching about my normal life."

I feel something touch my hair and I soon realize Harry's running the towel through it. I don't dare open my eyes because it'll make it so much more real. And if I realize he's doing it, I have to make him stop.

I'm a terrible person.

"What's wrong, El?" he softly asks. His hands accidentally brush the back of my neck. A shiver of pleasure runs through me.

So much for getting over him.

"I don't know," I admit. And I don't. I don't know what's wrong with me.

"Ellie," he says in a low voice, almost a whisper. I pry my eyes open and stare at him in the reflection of the mirror. My breath hitches as I realize he's already staring at me.

I can't look away. Neither can he.

Girlfriend! He has a girlfriend!

My eyes widen and I stand up straighter, grabbing the towel from his hands. What am I doing? I can't do this.

I put some distance between us and dry off my arms. My clothes uncomfortably cling to my body and I hate it. It's a bad day to wear jeans. Ugh, why did I have to be a klutz?

My hair falls in stringy strands but there's not much I can do. Unless I have a hairbrush, it's going to look like this.

When I've done the best I can, I look back up at him. He's looking at me intensely, way too intensely to be normal.

I tilt my head. "Harry?"

In a sweeping motion, he grabs my wrist and tugs me toward his chest. I'm trapped between his body and the sink. The wind is practically knocked out of me as he's left me breathless. The towel falls out of my limp hand and to the floor.

"Ellie," he whispers. My breath hitches as I look into his eyes.

Then, before I can process, his lips are on mine.

I stand there in shock. No way. There's no way this is happening.

But it feels so good.

So good.

He pulls away as quickly as he came but he makes no move to let go. His eyes scan my face, looking for any trace of emotion. I just stand there in shock.

What just happened?

"Ellie," Danny's voice comes from the bedroom. "She's coming up the stairs!"

She?

Oh.

OH.

Fuck me. Elena's coming. And she has every right to be pissed.

I tug away from Harry's grip and storm out of the bathroom, passing Danny as I do. Well shit, now I'm pissed. Even more than before. And I can't tell if it's at Harry or myself. "Tell Daff I've caught a cold or something," I tell him in a rush.

I'm guilty, sad, exhilarated, disappointed all at once.

I don't know what I'm feeling but I know I can't stay.

So I run away.

H a r r y

My hands touch my lips in disbelief. 

I kissed her.

And holy shit did it start a fire in my heart. I never thought a simple peck would satisfy me that much. It satisfied me more than all my one night stands combined.

Imagine if she kissed me back...

Imagine if we did more...

Fuck, I want her bad.

It's clear I can't move on from her. Every day, for the last five years, I thought of her. I dreamed of her. I pictured her every damn second with every damn girl.

Why else would I date Elena? Because I could get away with moaning 'El' and not having it suspicious.

"Why was she wet...?"

My head snaps up to see Elena standing in the doorway of the bathroom, arms crossed. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under.

Oh fuck, I kissed her while I have a girlfriend.

"Harry! I asked you a question," Elena screeches, snapping her fingers in my face.

"I... I have to go," I say, realizing this is what I want. What we want.

I hope.

When I'm halfway out the door, I turn back to Elena. "I'm sorry, but we're over."

"Over?!"

I'm already in the hallway by the time the bitching starts. I see the nerd in the hallway, looking confused. But when he sees me, his eyes harden and he stands up straighter.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" His voice is filled with venom. I've never seen him like this before.

Damn, he must really love her.

I admire his effort, I really do. If I didn't love her so damn much, she would've been in good hands with him. It's obvious he cares a great deal for her. He brings out a good side in her, one I crave to see.

But I can squish him under my boot and feel zero remorse. I'm selfish. I don't want to share her. The only thing stopping me is Ellie. She'd be crushed if I hurt her little nerd.

So, I stalk toward him and put my hands on his shoulders. "Where. Is. She?"

He shrugs off my hands, leaving me in momentary awe. I definitely didn't expect that. He has a lot of balls for someone so... scrawny.

"Harry!" Elena shouts from behind me. I groan. I don't have time to deal with her and Ellie at the same time and the latter definitely takes priority. Always.

I spin on my heel to face her and give her a harsh glare that makes her shrink back. "Je ne l'aime pas. Je l'adore."*******

I should feel guilty for the way her face crumbles or the hot tears that stream down her face but I can't. I only picture Ellie's shocked face after I kissed her. Her eyes flashed a million emotions.

All I know is that I can't do this friends shit. I need more. And maybe if I tell her that, she'll understand.

Maybe, just maybe, she'll feel the same way.

I decide the nerd isn't useful so I ditch them both in the hall and run downstairs. The first place I think about is near her boss. They're usually joined by the hip.

The fierce brunette comes into view, hovering by the pool talking with a model. Her face falls when she sees me. "Where's Ellie?"

Hell if I know.

"No idea," I rush out, surveying the area to find her.

But I already know she's not here. My skin isn't tingling like it does when she's near.

Fuck.

"Harry!" Tom calls out, walking toward me.

"Not now Tom," I grumble. "Ellie-"

"Ellie," he repeats with a laugh. He puts an arm around my shoulders and begins guiding me back inside. "That girl's a mess today, isn't she? No matter. Come on, we're ready for your shots."

"No, Tom, I have to find her," I say as I wiggle out of his grip.

He holds on tighter. He stops walking and faces me with a serious glint in his eyes. "Later, Harry. We don't have all day for this."

"Tom–" I start with urgency. I need to get to her right now. For all I know, she's fuming. She could hate me. She was pretty adamant about remaining friends. Last time I checked, friends don't kiss each other.

What if she despises me?

"Jesus, fuck Harry! Do as your told for once! You can find her later!"

But I fear that 'later' will be too late.

E l l i e

I'm curled on the couch, a throw blanket messily tossed over me. I'm also wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.

Maybe feeling warm on the outside will help me feel the same on the inside.

I should feel warm. I should.

But I don't.

Harry kissed me. I've been dreaming about this moment since I realized I was starting to like him again.

He kissed me while he was dating someone else.

Which brings me to this point: I don't know where we stand.

If he was single, I'd juggle the possibility that we could be a thing.

But he's not. It worries me. Harry's been sleeping with more people than the population of Greenland. He's a player. If he kissed me while he was dating another girl, that means he was caught up in the moment, right? It was just an intimate moment. He didn't mean it, just like his harmless flirting.

I feel cold. He kissed me while he's dating Elena.

"Oh God," I groan into the phone.

Perrie's - yes, Zayn's soulmate - laugh rings through the phone. After Harry kissed me, I knew the best thing would be to talk it out. For some reason, I was itching to call her. She's the only one who really understands my predicament.

And no, I still don't know what's going on between her and Zayn. I haven't brought it up yet.

"I cannot believe he kissed you," she giggles on the line.

"Perrie, be serious!" I whine, curling into a fetal position. "He has a girlfriend! Do you know how shitty I feel? I'm everything she pegged me out to be."

"Ellie, you didn't kiss him back," she reminds me.

"But I wanted to!"

"But you didn't," she repeats with emphasis. "You're not at fault. In fact, the fact that you pushed back your own feelings for their happiness says a lot about you. Besides, soulmates trump normal relationships."

"Oh?" I sit up, the blanket pooling around my waist. "Does that mean things are good between you and Zayn?"

A pause.

"They're better. We have a lot of repairing to do but at least we're clear on our feelings."

As happy as I am for them, I can't help but fall back into the couch. My head hits the arm rest. "You're so lucky. Sometimes I wish Harry wasn't such a damn flirt. You know, once we were hanging out, and this girl walked up to him and kissed him! In front of us!"

"What happened next? Did you bitch slap her?"

A loud laugh escapes my throat. "No! Turns out the girl recognized me and we had a good conversation."

"Ohmygod," she gasps before cackling. "I bet Harry was upset."

"A little annoyed, yes," I snicker. "She chose me over him. It was flattering, to say the least."

"That's so badass."

I mentally bow. "You know, talking it out really helps."

"So does ice cream. And moping." I look down at my state and realize I'm doing the latter. She continues, "Ooh, we could kill the bitch! That way, nothing's in your way."

"Perrie, where have you been my entire life," I laugh so hard I'm pretty sure I'm getting abs. Cool.

Perrie's so refreshing. She's fun. I need fun in my life.

And I'm happy Zayn's working things out. That means I get to keep her. Mwahahaha.

There's some shuffling on the line before I hear a new voice. I instantly perk up. "Zayn! Give the phone to him!"

"Alright," Perrie chuckles before handing it off.

"How's it going?" I grin.

Zayn coughs something along the lines of 'shut up.' I roll my eyes and wait for a proper answer.

"Good," he finally grumbles. I squeal into the phone and pull it away from my mouth for his ears' sake. When I'm done, he finally speaks again. "I thought you're supposed to be sad or something."

"Aw, Zayn," I groan, abandoning my temporary excitement for him. "You ruined the mood."

"He's going crazy, you know," he tells me. He's talking about Harry. I soften a little, knowing we're feeling the same thing. "I love to see it."

"I'll never understand your friendship," I mumble, trying not to overthink his words. When he says 'crazy,' does he mean upset because he cheated or crazy because he feels something toward me?

I'm so overthinking it.

"Fuck if I know. Did you see how jealous he got?" Zayn snickers, probably recalling the night at the club when he basically crushed my hand.

I don't know if that jealousy is toward Zayn or us.

I'm overthinking it again.

There's a knock on my door. Frowning, I sit up. Laine's at work and he wouldn't knock anyway. Danny, maybe? I did leave abruptly.

Medusa's going to kill me.

"Zayn, I have to go. Keep me updated. Love you, bye," I say into the phone before hanging up.

I drop the blanket on the couch and shove my hands in my hoodie pocket as I make my way over to the front door. I peep through the peephole and my breath hitches.

Harry. Fuck!

I did not expect him out of all people. I mean, he kissed me hours ago.

I look down and groan. I look like a fucking mess. But I can't keep him waiting either.

Sighing, I swing open the door.

"Ellie," he greets. "We need to talk."

"Yikes, you breaking up with me Styles?" I tease. My smile falters when I see his dead serious expression. I gulp and step aside so he can come inside.

When he does, he doesn't sit down, which makes things weirdly tense.

If him kissing me was actually harmless, he wouldn't have come here.

Oh god, it's time, isn't it? Time to tell him how I feel?

"Do you want some water?" I ask when I notice how flushed he is. His breathing is slightly heavy, like he ran all the way here.

He didn't... did he?

No. No way.

"No," he responds, coming to stand right in front of me. His hands clamp down on my shoulders, holding me at arms' length. His eyes smolder into my own with fierce intensity. "No distractions. No avoiding the topic. Only straightforwardness."

I can only nod.

"Ellie, I-"

"I like you," I blurt out, realizing I need to tell him now. Before he says something that'll make me hold my tongue. "I like you, a lot. And I know you have a girlfriend–"

His lips crash into mine for a searing kiss.

I pull away, slightly annoyed. "Let me finish!"

His eyes sparkle with amusement as he throws up his hands in surrender. "Go ahead."

"I like you. I have for a while now. And I don't expect you to return the feelings because I friendzoned you and you moved on so I totally get it if you're doing all this to humor me-"

He kisses me again.

Once again, I pull away and glare at him.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it," he grins.

Oh, fuck me.

Literally. Heh.

No! Bad Ellie! Talk first.

"Like I was saying," I let out a breath, "you have a girlfriend-"

This time he interrupts me, but not with a kiss. "I broke up with Elena."

"-and... Huh?"

"I broke up with her. Today. And I would've come sooner but-"

This time I don't hesitate. I hungrily crash my lips into his. He freezes for a second before eagerly kissing me back. My hands thread into his hair and the mere gesture makes him release a throaty groan.

His hands slowly trail down my sides, taking everything in. His tongue swipes on my bottom lip and I open up my mouth without thinking twice. His tongue explores my mouth in a way to make up for lost time. My toes curl and butterflies erupt in my belly.

Oh my god, this is good.

We pull away, steadying our breathing.

"Ellie, I want to be with you. Exclusively. Not friends. More."

I bite my lip as I look away. I'm blushing at his words. Blushing! What am I, a preteen?

His thumb brushes against my lip, forcing me to stop biting it. He looks at me with lust. A moment of contemplation flickers in his eyes before he leans down to kiss me again. He lightly bites my bottom lip, making me gasp.

Wow.

"Harry," I pant, pulling away before we get too far. "We should talk first."

He nods but I can see the reluctance on his face. I hide my grin as I pull him down on the couch. Truth is, I'm so happy right now. Like, cloud nine happy.

I giggle, using my arm to cover my eyes as I lean back on the couch.

"What?" he asks.

"You know when you're in grade school and you find out your crush likes you back? That's what I feel like." It's an absolutely amateur comparison but I feel giddy right now. I guess years without love does that to you.

He gently pries my arm away so I can look at him. His gaze bores into my eyes. "You have no idea how long I've waited to get you. Even when I wanted to hate you, I couldn't. God, I missed you so much."

His words warm me yet confuse me at the same time.

"But you've been with so many girls," I whisper. I don't mean it in a jealous way, but I'm curious.

"Oh God, El," he groans, dropping his head in his palms. "You have no idea. I just kept imagining they were you."

"Should I be flattered or...?" I genuinely don't know how to take that. "You know what, nevermind."

"I can't believe you like me," he sings in a teasing voice.

I make a face. "You liked me first."

He shrugs, not denying it one bit. "True."

I snort.

"Okay, so I guess we should probably talk about what we are," I prompt. Look at me! I'm so mature. Wow.

He nods. "You already know what I want."

"I think we should take it slow..." I trail, gauging his reaction. His face falls slightly, giving me the urge to explain. "Well, I haven't done this dating thing in a while. My last boyfriend turned out to be gay," I grimace. I'm over the whole thing now but it does a number on your self-esteem. "I just... I need time to get back into it. Can we restart? A clean slate?"

For a second, I'm scared he isn't going to agree. I mean, he can have sex with any random girl right now. Is he willing to wait for me?

I nearly jump his bones when he nods. "I like that. A clean slate."

A wave of relief washes over me. Everything feels so weird. I can't believe this is happening.

"I don't have to chase you again, do I?" Harry frowns. "Because as fun as it is, I enjoy kissing you a lot more."

I laugh, covering my mouth. "No, you already have me," I hum contently.

"I missed your laugh, and your smile, and your teasing, and... and this isn't taking it slow, is it?"

I turn to face him. "It's okay, I'm always open for compliments."

"Oh yeah?" Mischief sparks in his eyes. "Where are mine?"

"Oh, Harry," I grin, patting his stomach. "We both know I never used to compliment you."

His chuckle makes me weak in the knees. "I guess so."

We fall into a silence. Not an awkward one, but a thoughtful one.

Is this real? Is shit really this easy?

"Ellie?" He nervously clears his throat. "Are we... are we allowed to tell people?"

I gulp. This one of the things that broke us apart the first time. I've learned from my mistakes.

"How about when you officially ask me to be your girlfriend?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he rushes out.

I laugh while rolling my eyes. "Harry, be serious. I want to make sure everything's set between us first. Of course you can tell your friends," I pause, "except Alex."

Right away, his eyes harden. "Why?"

"Because I feel bad," I admit, straying my eyes. "I'm not interested in him at all but he kept going on about how I'm one of the few girls that don't prefer you over him – but that was before I had feelings for you," I add when he gives me an offended look.

"Princess, Alex doesn't have feelings. It's sweet of you to think so though," he says, cupping my face. His calloused thumb brushes over my cheek, making my eyes flutter. "I want you all to myself. I don't want him to even think of you."

A laugh escapes me. "Harry, you can't wipe me from his brain."

"I don't... I don't like how he talks about you," he mutters.

"And how does he talk about me?" I arch a brow.

His eyes darken. "Like he's going to have you."

His jealousy brings warmth to my heart. God, I missed being cared for.

"Harry." I lean close and brush my lips against his. "He's not. I'm yours."

He closes the distance and kisses me, needing the reassurance. I find myself needing to get close. I scoot closer until I'm practically sitting on him. My knees land on either side of his body as I straddle him. His hands hold me down at my waist, his fingers painfully digging into my skin.

He closes his eyes and leans his head back. "El, fuck we can't take it slow if you keep doing this." My eyes widen and I quickly scramble off his body before he gets an erection.

I settle for tracing my knuckles across his cheek. "I promise I won't hold back this time. We can tell the whole world soon. Just..."

"Don't worry baby," he grins, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. "We're in LA now. I can take you on as many dates as you want. I know we didn't get to do that much before-"

I cover his mouth with my palm. "Clean slate, remember?"

"Right." He nods and kisses my palm. I pull away, feeling the tingling sensation.

He wraps an arm around me and we end up cuddling on the couch. "I can't believe you have feelings for me. I truly thought it was out of the question," I say in awe, focusing on the black TV screen.

His deep chuckle rumbles through his body. "I think I made it pretty obvious. But I really didn't know you had feelings for me. I was terrified after I kissed you." Using his free hand, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I ran to your office because I knew that's where you'd go. Then I went back to my place on the off chance that you were there. Then I realized your apartment is obviously where you'd be."

"Office was a good guess," I hum, putting my head on his chest. He knows me well. "Harry, what were you and Elena fighting about today?"

He lets out a sharp exhale. "You."

I knew it!

He goes on to elaborate. "She could tell I felt something for you. I have no idea how. She was jealous."

"Hm."

"I mean, if I'm being honest with you, I totally forgot about her. We dated months ago before she went to Europe. I thought we had broken off things but I guess not."

"So that day when she came back... you really didn't know?" When he nods, I laugh. "You know, I was going to tell you that day. Everything felt so... perfect. I was going to tell you and then she walked in."

"Were you jealous?" His voice has a hint of teasing but seems eager to know my answer.

"Yes and no," I admit. "On one hand, I accepted the fact that you moved on. I mean, it's only fair. But at the same time, I still hated her. I think I hated myself more for screwing up everything."

He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You did not fuck anything up."

"I did! If I wasn't so selfish-"

He kisses me to shut me up. I might have to ramble more often.

"You did not," he says in a final tone. "You're acting like I wasn't being a baby. Put some blame on me. In fact, it's my fault for not even seeing you deteriorate."

I groan knowing we'll never come to terms with this. After all, it's hard to tell. It's not like I completely cut off communication. Nether did he. The calls just happened less often until they stopped altogether.

We just faded. Not my fault. Not his fault.

"How about we say it's mutual?" I suggest, hoping he'd compromise.

And he does.

A/N:

More google translations (I'm sorry if they're grammatically incorrect. Hopefully you get the point :)

*You like her, don't you?
**I knew it! Do I mean nothing to you, Harry?
***You do.
****Relax. I like her a lot.
*****Stay away from her.
******Stay!
*******I don't like her. I love her.

Eek, okay! This chapter was eventful but FINALLY!!! Was it too soon? I feel like it had been dragging on for forever and I missed them together.

But this doesn't mean everything's done in the Hellie world. Lots more drama to come.