I tense. Alexander has the same easygoing smile on his face.

Some dramatic people in the crowd gasp.

And Harry? Well, let's just say his glare could melt icebergs.

"Ellie here was just answering my proposal," Alex says brightly, not even caring he's seconds away from being punched in the face.

I can't bring myself to look at Harry so instead, I zero in on the ring.

Preeeety.

Apparently, it's the wrong thing to do because before I know it, the box is snatched out of Alex's hands and snapped shut.

"Aw, Harold," Alex whines, standing up and wiping the nonexistent dust off of his pants. "You ruin everything."

"And I'll continue to do it as long as you're proposing to my girlfriend," Harry growls, not exactly as playful as Alex is here. Did I expect anything less? Nope.

Then his icy glare turns to me. I quickly look away at Alex, sending him a pleading look.

"Um," the poor waitress squeaks.

Suddenly I remember there are about fifty other people staring at us, no doubt enjoying the drama. My eyes scan around casually, and just as expected, I see disappointed faces all around. Well, disappointed yet craving drama.

Jeez, even celebrities crave the one thing they have enough of.

"Harold, why don't you have a seat? Ellie and I were just staring on lunch." Without waiting for a response, Alex sits down and waves over the waitress. She rushes over and puts down the glasses before she drops them.

I sit down next, smoothing over my dress and sending Alex a glare. He only grins back, the bastard.

Then my phone rings.

As I pull it out, Harry plops down on the seat next to me, grumbling about something.

Daff's name flashes on my screen. My eyes widen in panic. Surely she can't know about this, right? Harry knows because he coincidentally happened to be here. But Daff?

Just in case, I look around to make sure she isn't among the crowd. When she isn't, I pick up the phone and bring it to my ear. "You've reached Ellie."

A pause.

"Elizabeth, when did you send me that email for the final draft of the Parkly account?"

I let out a whoosh of air as I physically relax my muscles. She doesn't know. I'm safe.

"Um... sometime last week. I can check for the exact date–"

My phone is plucked out of my hands by Alex himself. "Princess, why are you making my lunch date work while she's on break?"

At the use of the d-word, Harry tenses even more. I can't help but roll my eyes. Shouldn't he be used to Alex's shenanigans by now?

Alex and Medusa banter back and forth on the phone for a minute before he grins. "Love you too."

Then he hangs up and hands me my phone.

I blink at the mobile device and then look up at him flatly. "She did not say she loved you." Because she hates the use of a verb followed by the word "you". Unless the former word is hate. Or kill.

"She implied it," Alex says confidentially.

"Sure," I drawl, slipping my phone into my purse. Then a realization hits me. I whirl around to face Harry, momentarily forgetting I'm the subject of his glare. "Wait a second, how are you here? You weren't stalking me, were you?"

"It wasn't by choice," he grumbles, once again redirecting his glare to Alex. I raise my brows threateningly. His eyes widen as he realizes his mistake. "Wait, no. That's not what I meant. Come on, you know I love spending time with you."

Alex chuckles. "Never thought I'd see the day where Harry Styles is flustered."

"Shut up."

Alex feigns a hurt expression, gingerly touching his chest. "Harold, we used to be friends. Why is my company so horrendous to you?"

"That was before I realized all of our shenanigans were one-sided," Harry mutters. Aw! He's upset about being betrayed by his friend. I have to say, I slightly share the sentiment. Ever since I've found out Alex and Daff both knew about Harry and me, I can't help but resent them a little for meddling. They had good intentions but I hate the way Alex approached it.

"Uhhh, that doesn't answer my question," I pipe in when Alex gives Harry a bewildered look, probably due to his honesty.

"Right," Alex says quietly before looking over and mustering a weak smile. Weak! It looks soooo weird on him. "I called him. We need to have a little chat."

I groaned and nearly smashed my head into the table. "Again?! Don't tell me you've pulled another elaborate scheme."

"It's about the apartment."

My brows furrow in confusion. "I thought we already discussed this? I don't need the place. I'm moving in with Harry."

Instead of answering, Alex glances at Harry, who lets out a breath before grabbing my hand reassuringly and squeezing.

"I think you should move to your boss' place."

I blink at him. Surely the man telling me this isn't the same one who was begging for me to move in with him a week ago, is it?

"I don't... I don't understand," I say. "Are you kicking me out?"

"No! God, no. It's just..."

Alex cuts in. "Harold and I had a nice chat about you the other day. I think we're in agreement when we think you shouldn't move in together."

I keep my eyes trained on my boyfriend. "But you were hellbent on this as soon as I moved in?"

"Yes, well," Harry hesitates. "I've been doing some thinking. A part of me thinks you made the decision too irrationally. I mean, like minutes before, you were all set on living apart. You just got caught up in the moment." He isn't saying it judgementally, just staring a fact.

"Plus, Gina's place is much closer to your office so you won't have to drive," Alex chimes in. "And it's just more convenient. And practically free. And I really need someone to stay there."

Still ignoring him, I tilt my head at Harry. "What's going on?"

He lets out a deep exhale and closes his eyes, meaning he's about to be vulnerable. "I'm choosing not to be selfish. I don't want you to regret anything, and I know you made a spontaneous decision but I'm making a well-thought-out decision. Stay at your boss' place, we'll see how everything rolls once we're public, and we'll go from there."

I could hug him. Or cry. Or both.

Without words, he somehow knows exactly what I'm thinking. It's like he can stare into my soul.

He probably can.

Deep, deep down, I knew I would maybe regret this if I did choose to move in with him. The fact that he's caught on so early warms my heart. He knows me so well.

I manage to squeeze out a choked, "thank you," instead of jumping his bones like I want to. I don't think the chefs would appreciate that, although I know the crowd would, especially after that lackluster proposal.

Harry smiles, although tightly. Even though he's doing this for me, I can tell he isn't too happy about it.

Well, too bad.

Still, I feel so warm and fuzzy. Enough to cup his cheek and sincerely gaze into his eyes. "Thank you," I repeat, much more confident this time. "I love you."

His smile quickly shifts to genuine. "I love you more."

Alex nearly chokes on his drink.

Right. Almost forgot he's here.

"Weird," he mutters under his breath before putting his glass down to get our attention. "So... about my engagement..."

Oh boy, here we go.

~~~

After an almost filling meal – let's be honest, the higher the price, the lower the quantity – and a very detailed idea about Alex's impending proposal, we all walk out of the restaurant unscathed. The waitress even gives us free dessert, probably out of pity.

"I'll give you a ride," Harry demands more than offers.

Alex throws up his hands in surrender. "I was going to suggest that anyway."

"Sure."

I roll my eyes. I guess I don't even have a say in the matter anymore. It doesn't seem so as Harry grabs my hand and tugs me toward his car.

"Wait!" I freeze, making him stop as well. "We need to stop somewhere. Maybe like a burger place or something."

"You're not full?" Harry asks, not sounding too surprised. Those restaurant proportions were laughable if I'm being honest.

"No," I snort. "But also I want to grab something for Danny."

Harry tenses at the mention of him but I brush it off. He has no right to act like a baby about this. Danny's someone special in my life and I'm not planning on unfriending him just because some man told me not to.

Except Harry isn't some man and I know deep down he has reasons for asking... but hopefully he won't. If he can give up living with me, surely he isn't selfish enough to ask me that.

We drive back to the office, and a quick food stop, in silence. At first, I think it's a thoughtful silence but when Harry pulls into a spot in the garage, I realize we both aren't having the same serene thoughts.

"Are you going to tell me why I walked in on another man proposing to you?"

I resist the strong urge to roll my eyes. He's just insecure, I remind myself. It's not like Alex didn't pretend to lead me on. Fake or not, he wasn't the most subtle.

"Well, Alex pulled out Medusa's ring to show me and the waitress thought he was proposing and got a lot of attention. He felt awkward and didn't want to disappoint them so he played along," I say as casually as I can.

His jaw works. "Why'd he have to get down on one knee then?"

"Because that's what one does during proposing?" I tilt my head in confusion.

He sighs, running his hands through his hair. "Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just Alex is so..."

"Charming?" I boldly suggest.

He throws me a dirty look. "Manwhore-ish."

"He has a girlfriend."

"But he flirts! With you!"

"And I have a boyfriend," I remind him, then with a considerably soft voice I add, "Harry, it's just harmless fun. I promise Alex is the last guy I'd get whisked away by."

His eyes scan my face, looking for any trace of lies. When he comes up empty, he sighs. "Fuck, I'm annoying."

I gravely nod. No need to sugarcoat it. "You are. But you're also insecure, so I get it."

"I'm not insecure!" he says defensively.

I pat his shoulder with a thin smile. "Sure."

Before I can escape his car, he pulls at my arm. As I turn to face him, his hand reaches out to my face and he's kissing me.

I melt into the kiss. Jealousy or not, he's quite... unreal. It's hard to resist him. I've grown fond of the way I can always relax around him and the way my heart pounds against my ribcage. The way the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as soon as he's near. The safety I feel with him is incomparable to the most high security bunkers in the world.

I am utterly in love with him.

Pulling away, I stroke my fingers against his cheek. "Are you really sure about me moving out?"

"You want the real answer?"

"Always."

He pauses, giving me a look that could definitely pass as infatuated, before replying. "I'm not happy about it, and you'll probably be spending a lot of nights at my place anyway, but I think it'll be good for you to live alone for a little. You've never done it before, if I'm not wrong. It's an experience to have." Then, on a lighter note, he adds, "Besides, my place is more of a bachelor pad. If we were to live together, I'd want it to be a place we pick out together."

My heart tightens in the best way possible. Without hesitation, I urgently kiss him with all my feelings. Things I can't communicate with words. These past four years things have been so hectic that I haven't allowed myself to feel anything. Like how Daff doesn't smile because she thinks it makes her seem weak, I do the same with emotions. But with Harry here, I have nothing to be afraid of.

He pulls away, only slightly breathless. "I'll pick you up at five for our meeting with Tom."

I nod, still dazed by that kiss. Then I float out of the car, up the building, into our office, all without awareness.

Goddamn, I need to kiss him more often. Like a lot more. I think I'm seriously addicted to him.

However, as I enter the threshold of our office, that daze snaps out of me. I walk over to Danny's desk and plop the food bag down.

He looks at it, then me. "Bringing food is supposed to be my job."

"I know," I grin.

"You didn't have to–"

"God, now I know how annoying I sound when I say that."

He rolls his eyes at that.

"Besides, I know me taking a lunch break made you my replacement, meaning you haven't eaten yet. We can't have two starving people in the office now, can we? Also there are some fries in there for me," I add.

"Expensive restaurant?"

I nod. "Oh, yeah."

Smiling apologetically, he opens the paper bag and pushes it toward me. I pluck out the fries, leaving him with a burger, his own fries, and a Dr. Pepper. Instead of going back to my desk, I lean against his and pop a fry in my mouth. He starts on his own lunch.

"So, we never talked about that date," I say, looking down just in time to see his red ears. By date, I'm referring to a week ago at the club when he was magically set up by Cupid (me) with a cute girl. They were supposed to have a date over the weekend.

"Yeah, um, I canceled."

I pause mid-chew to stare at him with wide eyes. "You did what?!"

"Cancel?" He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. "You weren't here! I needed help picking out an outfit!"

"Geez, you sound like a girl."

"That's not very feminist of you," he points out. He's right. "But... I was nervous! I needed your help but you just had to go to Florida–"

"For good reason."

"–so I called her and asked if we could do another day."

I sigh in relief. He didn't cancel, he took a rain check. That's good! We can work with that.

"Oh, Danny, you're so incredibly adorable. I kinda wished I snagged you up before that model sunk her claws into you," I wistfully say. His cheeks tint pink the same time he chokes on his burger. Snickering, I pat his back like this is routine – because it is.

And I enjoy every minute of it.

After a long sip from his dreadful Dr. Pepper, he finally clears his throat. "W-what makes you say that?"

"Oooh, Danny fishing for compliments?" I tease.

"What? No–"

Losing the amusement from my smile, I ruffle his hair. "Sometimes you're so shy it's adorable. But you're also so kind and caring. You were my first LA friend, you know?"

His flushed cheeks neutralize as he gapes at me. "I was? But you're so..."

"So what?"

"Cool," he mumbles, embarrassed.

I blink at him in shock. "You think I'm cool?"

That sheepishness quickly turns into a flat look. "You have rooftop parties with strangers in your building, you can make everyone in a room love you within seconds of meeting you, you can walk into a room of models and you'd still be the prettiest girl in the room." His mouth abruptly clamps shut from the unintentional compliment.

My heart swells. I never realized he thought so highly of me.

It's not fun when he embarrasses himself though. Taking the pressure off, I lightheartedly reply with, "Now, now, Danny. Don't boost my ego too much. My head barely fits in the office." When he looks relieved at the aversion, I continue on. "I wouldn't really call all that stuff cool. And coolness doesn't really matter either. Let's be honest, all those people either want to bone me or hire me or ruin me. That doesn't seem very cool to me."

His brows crease as his gaze scrutinizes me through his thick-rimmed glasses. "You're really oblivious sometimes, aren't you?"

I shrug, popping another fry into my mouth. "They say ignorance is bliss." As soon as the words leave me, Daff calls me from her office. We both pause to look at the wooden door before looking at each other. I push myself off of his desk and wink. "Besides, maybe not caring about other people's opinions is what makes me so cool."

With that, I drop my fries on to his desk and saunter into Medusa's office. If she catches me snorting food right after I've eaten a very expensive meal that her boyfriend paid her, she'll kill me on the spot. Or body-shame me. Ironically, I don't know what's worse.

Her desk is empty when I walk in and shut the door behind me. My eyes slowly draw to the floor and silently curse myself for not remembering it's her yoga hour. The last thing I needed was to see a pretzel-shaped Daffodil on the floor with her pink yoga mat.

"You called?" I sweetly ask, trying my hardest to look at her face and none of her other twisted body parts.

She changes positions, lying on her back and pulling her knees up to her forehead. I'm momentarily fascinated that she has the capability to do that, whereas I can't even touch my toes. She hardly breaks a sweat as she holds the pose.

"Yes," she finally says, releasing her hold and spreading out like a starfish. Then, abruptly, she sits up and gives me a look. The same look she gives when she's trying to figure out her client's strategy. How exactly to break them down so she can piece them back together using her exclusive Daffodil glue. "What is Alex planning?"

I almost tense before realizing that Daff can detect the smallest of movements. She'd eat me up if I react, so I don't. Keeping my face as impassive as I can, I say, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes you do," she declares. "I just know he's planning something and I know you're in on it."

One of my fingers twitch, begging to grab the door handle and make my great escape. That would be too obvious, so I settle for crossing my arms over my chest.

"Nope. No clue."

"Then why does he keep borrowing you? He has his own assistant." Her voice is calm and steady and honestly, it sends shivers down my spine.

I hate Interrogation Medusa.

"Maybe he just enjoys my company? Maybe he realizes I'm a capable assistant?"

One of her perfectly manicured brows arch. "Sass."

I immediately bite my tongue. "Sorry."

"Back to the subject... Alex?"

"He's not cheating on you," I blurt out.

Her mouth opens then closes again. We awkwardly wait in a tense silence before she conjures up the correct words. "I didn't think he was."

"Oh. Good! Because he's not."

"You're making me think he is."

"Sorry," I cringe. I'm really bad at this, aren't I?

"What is he planning?" she asks again, her voice demanding this time. I almost flinch.

"If he wanted to tell you, he would," I answer as calmly as I can. There's no way I'm about to rat out Alex's proposal. Nope. I cannot be that person, no matter how many holes she's drilling into the back of my head with her gaze alone.

"Look," she softens for a very small second. "If it's a romantic gesture, I'd like to know. I'm not... I'm not very good with them. I like to be prepared beforehand."

I nearly choke on air for two reasons. First of all, I've never heard Daff this vulnerable before. It feels like I've been abducted by aliens and this is some weird form of torture for the both of us. Second, she's dead on. Well, almost. Proposing is one of the ultimate romantic gestures. I can't exactly say yes. She'll catch on.

So I do the second dumbest thing.

"No! No, no, no! It's the complete opposite, actually. It's... an unromantic gesture. Yeah! He's breaking up with you."

"He's what?"

My mouth snaps shut as I mentally facepalm. Smooth, Ellie.

"No!" I quickly add in a panic. "Er... he's not breaking up with you. Sorry, I don't know why I said that. He's not planning a gesture of any kind. Hah. No gesture here."

Is there an Oscar for the worst actress? I'd win that.

Her face is void of all emotion once again, but I swear I see amusement twinkling in her perfectly done eyes. "So which is it?"

"Daff," I say, taking a bracing breath. "Look, I respect you as my boss–"

"You better."

I pause to give her a glare that's nothing compared to hers. She doesn't even blink. "As I was saying, I respect you as a boss but I also respect Alex's privacy. If you want to know, you need to go through him."

She takes a deep breath. To calm her nerves or simply because she hasn't breathed – who knows? Then she looks back up at me with placid eyes. Not a single hint of emotion on her face. She scarily resembles a robot. A beautiful robot, but a robot nonetheless.

"I respect that."

I can tell it takes a massive effort for her to say those three words. It may not be much, but it feels like fucking Christmas to me. By saying she respects my actions, she's indirectly saying she respects me. Me! Daff, the person who never even says 'thank you' is telling me she respects me.

Why does this day feel like a million years?

Instead of acknowledging it, I simply nod. She rolls her eyes at the obvious grin playing on my lips. I just can't help it!

"Alrighty then. Anything else?" I rock on my heels, slightly amused that Daff could be sprawled on the floor in athleisure and she's still one of the most intimidating people I know.

A moment of contemplation flashes on her face. "If you tell me what Alex's planning, I'll give you a raise."

"Daff!"

"Fine, fine. It was worth a try."

Making a not-so-nice face, I back out of her office. When she doesn't stop me, I disappear behind the thick wood and never look back.

Immediately, I rush over to my desk and grab my phone, dialing Alex's number. He picks up on the third ring. I don't even waste time with greetings.

"Alex, Alex, Alex," I hiss into the phone. "She's suspicious. She bribed me into telling her."

Silence.

And then, "Did you tell her?"

"No!" I answer, genuinely appalled. "Jeez, I have loyalty."

"She's your boss so technically your loyalty– Fuck this, nevermind. Thanks for letting me know. I owe you a fat Christmas check."

"You better. I skimped out on a raise," I grumble. "Okay, that's all. She'll probably ask you. Keep me updated on a cover story."

"Will do, my little prodigy. Now, run along to my fiancée and fetch her smoothies."

"You're the worst," I mutter before hanging up. The weird thing is I'm smiling. Smiling! From a minute phone call.

Jesus.

I sidle up to Danny's desk, grabbing my warm fries. "So, we never finished complimenting you."

"Ellie, I don't think I can handle it coming from you."

"Why? Because I'm so cool?"

"Hey! Remember when we used to talk on Skype? Let's do that," he says with a fakely sweet tone before swirling around to face his desk.

I snicker. "Sorry for bothering you. I'll just be over there... doing my work... nonexistent work..."

"Go!"

I lightly smack the back of his head before letting him be the productive one.

Then I proceed to do as he says.

Skype:

>> Ellie (super cool): helllllloo Daniel

>> Ellie (super cool): i'm bored

>> Ellie (super cool): entertain me

<< Daniel: i have work to do. unlike someone.

<< Daniel: your ego is inflated now. i never should've called you cool

>> Ellie (super cool): ohh i'm SUPER cool though

<< Daniel: whatever

>> Ellie (super cool): whatever

>> Ellie (super cool): i'm so bored and i have nothing to do

>> Ellie (super cool): you said you wanted to skype so we're skyping

<< Daniel: why did medusa call you in?

>> Ellie (super cool): she's sus about alex

>> Ellie (super cool): she interrogated me

>> Ellie (super cool): i almost blew cover

<< Daniel: dear me! lying to your boss? worst PA ever

I snort.

<< Daniel: im sure alex appreciates it though

<< Daniel: youre a great friend :)

~~~

When the time comes for Harry to pick me up, I find him ominously stalking the alley. It brings back fond memories and I find myself smiling as I trot down the stairs. Danny flashes me a bewildered look, still not used to me actually leaving work,  let alone before him.

"Hey, handsome," I grin as I walk up to Harry and wrap my arms around his neck. Without hesitating, he crushes his lips to mine. Before I know it, I'm being spun around and pushed into the wall.

I'm literally between a rock and a hard place.

"Someone's missed me," I murmur against his lips.

His response is to tighten his hold on my waist.

After his hands hitch to dangerous territory, I pull away and flash him a disapproving look. He cheekily smiles. "Tom can wait."

"Harry," I frown. He needs to start being nicer to his manager. As a neglected employee, I know how it feels. It hurt a little. I know Daff loves–likes? No... tolerates me, but I also know Harry loves his manager. Tom's a great guy and does all the work. How could Harry not like him?

"I'll stop if you let me help you move into your new place."

My face drops in feigned surprise. "The Harry Styles wants to help a mere peasant move into her new apartment? What a scandal!"

"Something like that," he smirks, confusing me. Before I can even think about questioning him, he whisks me away to his car, and the next thing I know, I'm being driven straight to Tom's building.

And then we're here.

As soon as we step into the office, Tom's awaiting us. Harry doesn't let go of my hand as his manager attempts to hug him. When it comes to me, I drop Harry's hand and give Tom a short, polite hug.

He seems positively overjoyed at my manners. I wonder why.

"Come to my office, guys." Tom gestures to a door at the end of the hall before making his way over. He sounds eager which makes me wonder exactly how much Harry tortures him.

We sit in the office, a very formal occasion. Unlike Daffodil's office, Tom's is dark. The furniture is dark wood. The walls are a maroon shade. There are no remnants of personality anywhere. It's sad.

"Ellie, I'm so glad you've finally decided to go public," Tom grins.

I decide to not explain it wasn't my choice. No need to throw Harry under the bus, I'm sure Tom hates him enough. "Well, I'm not a hundred percent sure I want to," I mumble under my breath.

He doesn't hear. He wears a delighted expression, eyes flickering between the two of us. I can see the questions swimming in his eyes. How did Harry manage to score such a plain girl?

"Alright, so we have plenty of options."

"Options?" I parrot with a squeak.

Tom nods, blissfully unaware of my panic. "So, you guys need to first decide whether you want to announce it or just continue to do what you're doing and simply confirm you are dating when asked."

Right away I'm overwhelmed with the sliver of information he's provided.

"Of course, there's pros and cons of each," he continues on. "And different methods, too. For example, if you choose to not make a big deal of it, we can stage some public events where paparazzi are bound to be. They'll catch you two being romantic and the pictures will be in a magazine the next day. We could also stage our own photographer so the pictures are something you approve of. No one wants an unflattering photo of them plastered onto a magazine."

I blink, still caught up with the fact that there are different methods.

"But, as I've mentioned, there are pros and cons for both. For example: if you choose not to confirm it, lots of people will speculate. They'll convince the world you're another one of his, er, fuck buddies. Most likely they'll have their gossip and rumors, nothing concrete. If you do choose to confirm, you run the risk of scandals. People may make up rumors about their time with Harry, some might dig into your past, some would be really aggressive. I'm talking about death threats, stalking, probably even hounding your friends and family for information."

I pale, the words scandal and death threats echoing in my mind. Would it really be that intense? I thought the worst I'd get is more hateful stares directed my way.

But, did I really? This is Harry Styles we're talking about. I've seen the extent of his fans – I've lived with several. Some can be really intense, especially when it comes to his love life. Can I handle that? And it's not even only about me. My loved ones play a role in this too. They won't leave them alone.

"Tom," Harry says in a threatening tone before grabbing my hand and squeezing reassuringly. "Hey, we don't have to talk about this right now." Then his eyes harden back at his manager. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Tom throws up his hands defensively. "Sorry! I never had to do this before! It's not like you've ever been in this situation." Regardless of the heated stare, Tom throws Harry an amused look. "Oh, speaking of, do we want to disclose the whole soulmate thing or...?"

"Tom, shut up."

I meet his manager's apologetic gaze. "Can... Can I have some time to think about this?"

"Of course! Until then, I'd encourage you two to be as subtle as possible if you want this to happen on your own terms."

I meekly nod, very overwhelmed by the influx of information.

"Come on, El," Harry says as he abruptly stands up. I take his offered hand, not feeling as strong as him. He throws Tom another nasty look before tugging my hand out of the office in quick strides.

He's pissed.

"Never should've fucking hired him," he mutters under his breath. His jaw is pulsing and his grip on my hand tightens almost painfully.

When we reach his Range Rover, he spins me around and squeezes me into a tight hug, our bodies shielded by the car. I melt in his arms, allowing myself to finally take a breath. All the stress I felt a minute ago slowly disappears from my body, leaving me in a puddle of ecstasy.

Safe. Harry is safe.

"I don't want you to think about this right now," Harry mumbles against my hair. "We have all the time in the world. You've had a rough few days. We're going to relax, okay? No stress."

I nod against his chest. Grateful doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling toward him. Grateful that he's so understanding. Grateful that he knows my limits. Grateful that he puts up with me.

Grateful that he stays.

"Come, we'll order some Chinese takeout and then we'll take a shower."

"Together?" I give him a demure look under my lashes.

He laughs, eyes darkening with lust. "Oh, Ellie, sometimes I feel like I've corrupted you."

I nod. "You have. Now let's go."

"Eager, are we?"

Suddenly feeling bold, I push my body against his and runs my palms from his chest to his navel. His breath hitches as his lips part ever so slightly.

"Yes."

He lets out a soft groan before encapturing my wrists. "You'll be the death of me."

"And you, me."

~

That little scene in Medusa's office cracks me up when I visualize it