I'm miserable.

There! I said it.

After having a very scandalous hotel hookup with Harry and waking up alone, my mood balances between bitchy and tranquil. I think admitting that I'm never going to let this boy go, that I'm willing to fight for him to the depths of Earth, gives me a sense of security in life. Everything might be spinning out of control, but Harry's always going to be there for me.

But every time I'm not focused on the warmth nestled into my chest, I'm thinking about Harry and how I miss him. I just want to kiss him until we both die from oxygen deprivation. I want to tie him up in his bedroom and keep him to myself.

I want to do so much with him.

God, I love him so much.

The sound of a palm slamming against wood makes me startle. I look over at Medusa, who's the cause of the noise. Her nostrils are flared in annoyance as she sends a glare my way.

"If you sigh one more time, I'm firing you."

I make a confused face, turning to Danny. He nods, silently confirming that I have been sighing like a sad damsel.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have insisted on us working in the conference room," I pointedly say to Daffodil, narrowing my eyes at her.

"I insisted on it because you were moping. I thought Daniel would help cheer you up but now he looks like he wants to cry too!"

On instinct, my eyes flicker over to my coworker. He looks as he always does. "That's his normal face."

Daff tilts her head as she scrutinizes Danny. "Hm. I must not pay attention."

"Wow," I mumble under my breath. An accidental sigh escapes my lips. I clam up when two pairs of eyes narrow in my direction. "I'm sorry! In my defense, that wasn't Harry related."

"Elizabeth, when was the last time you were in a relationship? Besides with Daniel, I mean."

I groan as I bang my head into the table. "For the millionth time, Danny and I never dated, my name isn't Elizabeth, and it was during college."

"Wait, you guys never dated? Why is there so much sexual tension between you?"

My head whips up as I stare incredulously at her. She blinks back, looking confused as ever. Daniel's making it a point to look everywhere but me, his face heating up by the second. I'm turning red too, but it isn't because of embarrassment.

Someone's looking out for either her or me because before I can go off and get fired, her office phone rings. She ignores my heated gaze as she walks out of the room and into her office, shutting the door behind her.

Danny expectantly looks up at me, knowing exactly what's coming. I stand up and slam my palms against the table, leaning forward.

"I cannot believe her! You'd think the woman would have some sympathy or something! But no! Just because she acts like she doesn't love Alex doesn't mean we all can do the same with our soulmates. I can't even focus on work because I miss him so much – that's how stupid this all is! I don't get it! What's wrong with me?"

"I thought we were talking about Medusa," Danny muses.

I narrow my eyes at him before continuing my rant. "We are! Why do we let her treat us like this? It's like she thrives on making comments about us. Why can't she do what a normal person does and read social cues? Why does she insist on mocking us? I know I think she's a great person but I wish she would just feel things like a normal person instead of acting like she does!"

"That's... that's a lot to unpack."

"It is," I sigh, running my hands through my hair. "But I already feel better. Thank you, Danny."

"No problem," he smiles softly. "But maybe we should talk about you. You really do seem off."

Defensiveness trickles up my throat as I attempt a calming breath. "I'm fine."

He scoffs, leaning back in his chair. It's a calming contrast to the way I'm tightly gripping onto the edge of the table. Realizing this, I force my hands to relax and plop my butt back onto my chair.

"You've been sighing a lot, which we've already established. There's also the fact that Medusa asked you to edit those pictures this morning and you still haven't done it. I'm also 99% sure you were supposed to call a certain talk show to confirm our appointment next week."

My eyes widen in panic. He's right! What have I been doing all day?

But he isn't done. "You've been like this since our Vegas trip, but today was the day Daffodil noticed. Don't you think it's concerning when she notices? She doesn't even know your name!"

Deciding to drop the whole pretense, I slump my shoulders. "It's hard," I whine. "And dumb. Never have I felt this lost without him, even when we dated before. It's like a million times more intense. All my motivation is gone, I keep spacing out. I feel like I'm sick, just without the temperature."

Danny solemnly nods. "I know what's wrong with you."

"What?"

He cracks a grin. "You're lovesick."

My hopeful expression drops. "You're the worst."

"I know, I know," he smiles, making me mimic his facial expression. "See? It worked though. You're already feeling better."

And I am. Not the best, but better.

~~~

"Okay, I know I'm gay and we're both no longer single, but would it kill you to put in some effort once in a while?"

I look down at my outfit, a navy pantsuit, and cock my head in confusion. What about this says no effort? If I can wear this to work, I can very well wear it to dinner.

Looking back at Laine, I see the teasing smile and realize he's messing with me. He stands and I lean across the table, kissing his cheek, before settling across from him. We're at a cute diner, something that would be considered a small business if it were anywhere but LA.

Laine and I have decided to catch up over dinner. Since it's been almost a month since we've last seen each other – which is a big difference from living together – we thought an effort needed to be made.

"You look like a businesswoman," he tells me as I skim over the menu.

"Is that code word for being a prude?" I ask, eyes never leaving the menu as I decide what looks the best to eat.

"You are one," he snorts. My eyes finally lift up to see the moment realization dawns on his face. "No! You were one! Holy shit, you're fucking Ha–"

I slap my hand over his mouth before he can finish that sentence. He sheepishly smiles under my palm and I let go, hoping it's safe.

"Thank you for the reminder."

"Is he here right now? I get the feeling he doesn't like me. He has surveillance on us, right?" As if he's looking for Harry, he spins his head around the diner.

"He's in England right now," I tell Laine, hating the fact. It's been five whole days without him. He's supposed to be back in two days, which is two days too many.

God, I miss him.

"But the surveillance part, I'm sketchy about. Anything's possible with him," I add.

His eyes narrow at me. "No wonder you're so sad."

"I am not!" I say defensively. I mean, I am, but I didn't think it was visible. I've been with Laine for five minutes.

"You are," he nods.

"Laine," I frustratedly grumble, only to be interrupted by a stick-thin waitress on rollerskates. She looks at Laine with lustful eyes as she takes our orders, impressively skimming over my presence.

Keep dreaming, honey.

Once she skates away, Laine rests his elbow on the table, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. "Alright, you were saying?"

"I'm fine," I stubbornly respond, jutting out my chin.

He rolls his eyes and drops his inquisitive position, opting to lean back in the booth instead. "I think you underestimate our friendship. We've dated and lived together, so I know you like the back of my hand." I open my mouth to argue, but he lifts his hand, silencing me. "You can't say you look shitty because of work. Normally the worst I'd see is some bags under your eyes. But right now you literally look like you've had the soul sucked out of you. Your eyes are dull, your skin pale, and your new smile lines have disappeared."

I'm stuck between smacking him for insulting my appearance and applauding him for his impressive observations.

"Ellie, it's okay to miss him," Laine says softly, throwing all my anger for him away.

"God," I groan, throwing my head back. "It sucks ass. We barely see each other as is and now our schedules are even weirder. I miss him, which is so pathetic because we just saw each other. And when I say miss, I mean I literally feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest and stomped on."

Laine blinks at me.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"Nothing," he vigorously shakes his head. "It's just–I never thought you'd have a romantic bone in your body."

My jaw drops as I incredulously stare at him. "We dated! How could you say that?"

He snorts, covering it up with his mug of coffee. "Babe, I hardly call that being romantic. We were there and we had fun, but we never loved each other. You both have something special. I can see it in the way your entire face lights when you talk about him, even when you're complaining. And there's no mistaking how much he loves you. I swear the guy looks at you like you're a priceless David Bowie collection."

"Interesting comparison," I muse. "And I guess you're right. It may be the whole soulmate thing but either way, I'm slowly dying here."

"Yeah, you look it."

"Thanks," I sarcastically drawl. "Anyway, how's the job? The new place?"

The waitress reappears, skillfully balancing our plates as she skates around. I don't miss the way she practically shoves her cleavage in Laine's face. I almost want to out him right in front of her but realize this is much more amusing.

Once she finally leaves, we talk over our meals. He tells me all about his boyfriend and how they're in their honeymoon stage, literally having sex everywhere. It reminds me of Harry and me, but I keep my mouth shut. I don't need Laine to have those images in his head. He tells me about his job, and how he hardly ever sees his boss anymore. I desperately want to make a comment about how it's because Alex's always hanging out with my boss, but bite my tongue. I'm not sure they'll appreciate me spreading the news and Laine has a big mouth sometimes.

I catch him up on my back and forth journey about the apartment and how I'm currently living in one of Daffodil's vacant apartments. He goes slack-jawed at the news.

"You're not even living with Harry? No wonder you're so miserable."

I roll my eyes and tell him about last weekend. About how romantic it felt that Harry hopped on a plane to see me for a few hours. Even Laine has an approving glint in his eyes.

We wrap up the evening with promises to keep in touch.

Once we've split, I sit in my car and drum my fingers as I wait in LA traffic. One of the annoying things about Daff's place is having to take the highway practically everywhere that's not the office. With my old place, I could always use backroads and such.

Then an idea strikes. It's a little bit psycho but it's an idea.

I take the next exit off the highway, my knee anxiously bouncing. Once I realize I truly have nothing to worry about, I force myself to calm down. It's not like I'm robbing anyone, damn it.

Besides, he'll never know.

Harry's magnificent apartment building comes into view. The doorman's at his usual post, standing as straight as the stick up his ass. When he sees me skipping toward the door, his eyes narrow in the slightest. I tip my imaginary hat as I brush past, never forgetting to thank him.

Once I'm at the door of Harry's place, I mentally curse myself for not checking earlier. I pat my pockets, then dig through my purse.

Aha! At the very bottom is a shiny silver key. The very same key to his apartment. He never asked for it back since I moved out so I figure what I'm doing is okay, right?

Right?

Shrugging, I enter his place and make sure to lock it behind me. Right away I'm engulfed by the smell of him. An involuntary smile adorns my face as I take a deep breath.

I miss him. And boy, do I got it bad if I'm going to his apartment when he's not here so I can smell him.

Snickering, my first destination is his bedroom. Like always, his bed is nice and tidy. If I hadn't been here before, I wouldn't believe this is his place. Although his penthouse is very nice, it lacks his personality. The only things that seem to match are the dark color schemes.

My fingers skim his drawers before opening a random one. Nope. All boxers. Tempting, but not practical.

I squat as my fingers fumble with the lowest drawer. When I'm greeted with a vast array of ratty t-shirts, I triumphantly grin. After picking out one of my favorites, I shuffle through his wardrobe until I find a pair of sweatpants. As much as I'd love to wear only his shirts, it's freezing in here and my pants aren't the most comfortable.

Once I'm swallowed by his clothes, I pad into the kitchen with my socked feet barely making a noise. His food supply is low, probably because of his trip, so I don't have much to work with. However, like the true British man he is, he has a large stock of tea.

I find the one that sounds the most appealing and brew a mug for me, adding sugar as needed. The leaf water has a surprisingly nice aroma and I'm glad Harry isn't here to watch me inhale the scent. He'd never let me live it down.

After all that fuss, I settle on to his couch and wrap myself up in a throw blanket, shamelessly inhaling the scent of his lingering cologne.

A few channels in, I see a crappy romance movie playing on the TV. I grin, knowing this is perfect. Not only am I feeling particularly sappy, but if I do manage to fall asleep here, Harry would never know! Then I won't come across as stalkerish and we can live our lives like normal.

My limbs stretch out into the couch as I bundle myself into a burrito. Warmth settles through me, but because of the blanket or Harry, I'm unsure.

~~~

I'm already on my second movie, tea long gone, when I hear the ping of the elevator in the hallway. Since Harry's is the only place on the floor, I immediately stiffen.

The last time this happened, Elena walked in and claimed her territory. That really wasn't the best night for me...

How many girls have a key to this place?!

Sighing, I wonder if I should even make the effort to confront whoever this new chick is. I mean, I'm very obviously comfortable in his clothes and house. If they can't take the hint, I'm not sure what good words would do.

Plus getting up is so much effort and I'm so warm.

Deciding on that, I snuggle back into the couch in my blanket burrito. Still, my heart's on high alert, waiting for whatever's outside those doors.

When the key is shoved into the lock, I expect a young woman, furious to know that someone has stolen her claim.

Crap.

"Ellie?"

Let's just say, my expectations were way off.

~~~

H a r r y

"Mum, this is absolutely ridiculous."

My mother stares back at me, indignantly huffing. Before her hands can reach out to twist my ear–her favorite method of scolding–I take a step back, forced into the corner of the elevator.

"It's your fault that you prioritize work over your own mum and motherland. Why do you insist on staying in California? Make Tom move back to London."

Tom's not the reason I'm choosing to stay, Ellie is. She's also the reason I've decided to come back early. But I'm tired and jet-lagged and want a hot shower, so I don't have the patience to have this conversation again.

I want my girl.

The elevator dings at my floor. Instinctively, I grab mum's suitcases and roll them into the hall. She follows, continuing her rambling. How does she have this much energy? It's nearly three a.m. in England.

"You work too much, yet I don't see you going on tours or making more albums. What even are you doing here? An English boy like you doesn't belong here."

"Mum," I impatiently growl as I shove the key into the lock.

"Oi, don't take that tone with me," she says in a stern tone that automatically has me apologizing even though I don't mean it. I'm exhausted and the quicker we get inside, the quicker I'm met with my bed.

And the quicker I fall asleep, the quicker I can see Ellie.

When the door finally opens, I freeze.

For a second, I blink. The sleep deprivation must be getting to my head. I'm hallucinating.

Then, my mum confirms she's seeing the same thing. "Ellie?" she whispers in disbelief. It doesn't occur to me that she doesn't know we're back together, or I've even been seeing her. It doesn't matter at the moment.

But she's here and she's perfect and she's adorably curled into my couch in my clothes practically swallowing her whole.

I'm going to marry this girl so I can see her like this forever.

Before I know it, mum's bag lands on the floor in a loud thunk as I stride over to the couch and grab Ellie's body, hugging her like I've been craving since the moment I left her in Vegas.

"I've missed you so much," I mumble against her hair, feeling the tension leave both of our bodies. I didn't realize exactly how badly I needed to see her until now.

She's here. She's fucking here!

Wait... why is she here?

Panicked, I pull away and scan her face for any hints of distress. I linger on her doe eyes staring back at me in disbelief.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Oh," she awkwardly laughs. "This is going to sound incredibly stupid but... I missed you so I figured I'd stay here while you're gone so I can – mmph."

I cut her off my smashing my lips to hers in a searing kiss. The entire time my chest is swelling with how much I love her, because I really do.

After a moment of shock, she gently pulls away. At first, I'm confused, but when her eyes trail to my mother, I realize just how fucked I am. Mum is standing at the doorway, gaping at Ellie in disbelief. I mentally cringe, knowing my poor ears are not safe from her torturous hand.

"I'm sorry," El suddenly blurts out. "Sorry to intrude, I mean. Anne, I had no idea you were coming. I'm just gonna..."

Before she can make a move, I tightly latch on to her wrist. There's no way I'm letting her leave, especially when she looks like that. At the same time, mum quickly rushes out, "Stay."

Ellie still looks unsure.

Mum can sense this too because she drones on. "No, it's my apologies. Actually, Harry insisted that he had to come back to the States early for work and I was upset, so I demanded he bring me along. But now I see his work has also been missing him." She has a coy smile on as she stares at Ellie. But her eyes reflect a motherly love that shows her thoughts on the situation. She's elated.

And she has every right to be. Mum's seen the girls I've been hanging around with before Ellie. To say she dislikes them is putting it lightly. I knew she always wondered what happened after the Trina stuff, but I never told her because, hell, I was confused too.

And she'd kill me if she found out that I had selfishly abandoned El when she needed me the most. I still want to beat myself up because of it.

Ellie giggles and all my annoyance at mum's embarrassing talks fades away. Instead I focus on my girl. My soul. Her laugh is so radiant, I want to hear it forever.

"I'm sorry," she sheepishly apologizes again when she calms down. "I really had no idea either of you was coming home so early. I promise I don't normally break into my boyfriends' houses and wear their clothes when they're not here."

Her cheeks flush the slightest shade of pink and she's positively glowing.

"You better not," I mutter. Unless it's me.

Mum waves a dismissive hand like this is a daily reoccurrence. "Oh, El! I'm so glad to see you again. I must say, I've been thinking of you a lot lately. Especially during a certain day in May."

Confused, I look between both the ladies. Ellie's eyes widen before she sheepishly ducks her head down. Mum goes absolutely wild as she laughs and pulls Ellie into a tight hug.

I didn't realize how much mum liked her.

Mum pulls her back and holds her at arms' length. "I hope we can hang out soon. I've been dying to know what my boy's been up to."

"Me too," Ellie warmly smiles. "When are you going back?"

"Oh, I'm only here for a few days."

"We'll plan something," El smiles warmly.

For fuck's sake! Jesus, can these women take any longer?

"I'll go drop your bags off at the guest room," I huff, grabbing mum's discarded suitcases and tugging them to the guest room. Luckily I had some cleaning people stop by before my trip. The last thing I wanted was to come back to a messy apartment.

However, I definitely didn't mind coming back to Ellie. I can still picture her in my mind, lips slightly parted in shock as she stares at the door. She's swaddled in my clothes and a blanket, the epitome of innocence.

It makes me want to do some not-so-innocent things to her.

She's worn my clothes before, I love her in my clothes. But seeing her tonight, choosing this place as her safe space when she misses me, makes something coil in my chest. Something wrapped so tightly around my heart that I'm afraid that if it were to disappear, my heart would forget how to beat.

A few minutes later, both girls come tumbling into the guest room. Ellie looks more relaxed than she did when my mum first came in, and mum looks absolutely delighted. The fear of her scolding lessens. She can't be that mad at me for not telling her, right?

"Alright, I'm exhausted," mum sighs and I silently thank her for finally giving me my girl back. "I'll head to bed now. Ellie, it was lovely seeing you again."

"You too, Anne."

"Harry, can I speak to you for a minute?"

I freeze, glancing back at my mum. Although she still has a smile on her face, her eyes dangerously glint as she states me down. I numbly nod, realizing this is it. She's going to kill me now.

I turn back to Ellie and quietly mumble, "Stay tonight?"

She nervously bites her lips and nods, eyes flickering back to mum. She can't possibly be embarrassed now, can she? It's not like mum thinks we're the Virgin Marys of couples.

"Go to my room, I'll be there in a sec."

"Okay," she nods. As if she can sense what's about to happen, her eyes soften in sympathy. "And good luck."

I gulp and nod, pretending that I'm not terrified out of my wits.

As soon as the door softly clicks, mum strides to me, her smile dropping instantly. "Harry Edward Styles!"

I wince, then flinch when she reaches up and twists my ear.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

She drags me over to the bed and finally lets my throbbing ear go. "Have I not raised you right? Am I a bad mother?"

Oh, so now we've resorted to guilt-tripping.

"Why don't you tell me things? Have I done something to lessen your trust in me?"

I scoot away from her and throw up my hands in surrender. "Mum, it's nothing personal! It just slipped my mind."

"Slipped your mind?" she echoes in disbelief. "No. Nothing about that girl is mind slipping! Why did you keep this from me? You know I love Ellie like my own. She's the perfect girl for you. I don't understand why you wouldn't tell me."

"This!" I stand up and wave my hands frantically around. "This is why! Because then you'd get too excited and be absolutely crushed when it all went to shit."

A dark emotion crosses over her face as she stands up to face me. Even though she's much shorter than me, her stance is enough to make me shrink back. She doesn't often give me her infamous 'mum' look, but when she does it freaks me the fuck out.

"Mister, it better not go to shit, you hear me? You will cherish that girl until the grave."

"How do you even know it would be my fault?" I ask, slightly exasperated.

"It's always your fault," she brushes off. "Whatever. The blame game isn't important here. If I catch you breaking that poor girl's heart, I won't hesitate to disown you."

As upset as I should be that my own mum supports Ellie over me, it gives me a swell of pride instead. She likes my girl. She's accepted her into the family. What more could I want?

"Don't worry, mum," I say with a newfound determination. "I'm never letting her go."

I'll do whatever it takes to keep her with me.

She breaks out into an easy smile, a stark contrast to her fuming only moments ago. "Good. Now, go to her. I can tell she missed you."

"You think?" I laugh, picturing Ellie dancing around my house without me here. The sight warms my core.

"Oh, shut up. You clearly missed her too. Now go."

With a slight push, I walk out of the room and into my own. My giddiness returns as I see Ellie sitting on the bed, playing with her fingers. At the sound of the door shutting, she looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Everything okay?"

I walk over to her and scoop her into my arms before I can stop myself. "Perfect. She was just reminding me of what a treasure I have."

She giggles against my chest. Her body melts into mine and I just hold her, breathe her in, feel that she's actually here with me.

"Okay, I need to shower. I still have the smell of plane on me," I tell her as I reluctantly pull away. "Join me?"

"Harry," she whines, jerking her head in the direction of the guest room.

I roll my eyes. "First of all, I'm pretty sure she doesn't think we're saving ourselves for marriage. Second, we don't have to have sex," I squeeze out, even though I'm dying to have my hands all over her body.

"No, if I go in there with you, we'd definitely have sex," she grins before bringing her mouth to my ear. "I wouldn't be able to stop myself."

Oh fuck.

When I look down at her, she's wearing a cheeky smile.

"You little minx," I whisper under my breath, planting a chaste kiss on her lips before I can deepen the situation.

"Go shower," she grins, pushing me in the direction of the en-suite. "I'll be waiting."

"Naked?"

She smacks the back of my head. "Clothed. Now go. I miss cuddling with you."

"I knew you only wanted me for my body," I tease, a wide grin on my face. She can't see my face but I'm assuming she knows exactly what she does to me. How she can change my mood in an instant. How she can make me fully awake after a 14-hour flight?

After a quick, cold shower – because let's face it, Ellie gets me hard for simply existing – I change into sweatpants but keep my upper half bare. The pants are only because it's surprisingly freezing for early December in California.

A little to my disappointment, Ellie is fast asleep on the bed when I walk in. I'm only half upset that we can't talk because she looks so at peace here, in my bed. I couldn't ever be upset that she's feeling at home in my space.

Slowly, I pad over to the bed and get into my spot. She stirs, looking up at me with half-asleep eyes.

"Harry?"

"I'm here. Go to sleep," I whisper, pulling her close to my chest. Her cold hands freeze against my skin but I don't mind a bit.

"I thought tea was supposed to have caffeine," she sleepily mutters.

My brows can't help but raise in amusement. "You drank tea?"

"Mhm."

The cord wrapped around my heart squeezes tighter, threatening to burst the organ at any given second.

It's such a small thing, her drinking tea. Except it's not. She could've had coffee or hot chocolate. Both would've kept her warm. But she chose something she knew I'd like.

"Ellie?"

"Hm?" she hums, on the brink of falling into a blissful slumber.

"I'm so fucking in love with you."

~~~

Last night, I had the best sleep of my life.

Somehow, I still manage to be achingly aware of the girl sleeping in my arms. The girl who puts on a brave face, even when she has a storm of emotion brewing inside her. The girl who trusts me to guard her at her more vulnerable state: when she's asleep.

I'll protect her with my life.

She looks angelic. The soft glow of sunshine is illuminating her face. Her breath comes out in even puffs, not once deviating from the steady rhythm. My eyes trace over the curve of her neck, the dip in her cheekbones, the way her lashes curl on her cheek.

I really need to do something about her moving back in with me. She'll kill me for changing my mind over and over, but it would be so worth it if I could wake up with her waking up next to me.

It feels like hours later when her eyes flutter open. For a moment she looks confused before a lazy smile settles on her face.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I grin, leaning down to kiss her. Much to my surprise, she doesn't pull away like she usually does. You know, morning breath and all. Instead she lightly kisses me back, still half asleep. "Well. Hello, then."

As if she knows what I'm thinking, she smiles at me. Her hand curls around my upper jaw, her thumb brushing the shell of my ear. "I only let those whom I'm staying with forever kiss me in the morning."

"Well, I sure hope I'm the only one," I say lightly before brushing my lips against her. The usual pit of self-consciousness seems to have disappeared. The feeling's weird. For once, the nasty voice in my head isn't telling me I'm going to hurt her.

I like it. I'm confused, but I like it.

She playfully rolls her eyes. "Alright, that's enough. I need to brush before I kill myself."

"Baby if you die, we're going down together."

Her face breaks out into a grin that compares to the sun outside. "That's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."

My brows furrow in disbelief. "Is it? I really need to up my game."

She laughs, gently skimming my ear with her soft fingers. "You've said cheesy things but you know I cringe at that stuff."

I tilt my head, intensely looking at her. "You don't have to pretend with me," I say softly. She claims she hates over-the-top gestures but I know secretly she craves them just as much as any other closeted romantic.

Something flashes in her eyes. Vulnerability, maybe. Maybe understanding. I don't have time to tell because she lifts her head up to me, crashing our lips together.

"Have I ever told you that I love you? Because I really do."

I crack an easy smile. I'm not sure I'll ever be used to those words. "Don't flatter me too much."

"Don't worry, I won't," she grins before rolling out of bed before I can hold her back. "C'mon! Your mom's here and I need to figure out how to hang out with her and work at the same time."

"Wait," I yelp, making her freeze. "What was she talking about last night? Something to do with the month of May?"

"Oh, I have no idea," Ellie lies before slipping into the en-suite. Confusion rumbles through me. Why wouldn't she tell me?

Perhaps she and my mum have been keeping in touch? If that's the case, I'd hardly be mad.

But, no. It can't be. Mum looked way too shocked for someone who regularly kept in touch with Ellie. Something was up. Something Ellie didn't want to tell me.

I need to go to the source.

In the kitchen, mum's standing by the stove. An egg sizzles in the pan as she hums under her breath. I look at her in awe. It's been too bloody long since I've seen her singing in the kitchen.

Maybe I should visit more.

"I wasn't sure if Ellie liked eggs," mum says, her back still turned to me. I'm curious to know how she even knew it was me who silently entered but I never question it.

"She does," I reply, eyeing the ingredients laid out on the island. "Where did you get all this food from?"

"Oh, your fridge was dreadfully empty so I just popped down to the grocery 'round the corner."

"Mum!" I exasperatedly groan. "You shouldn't be running around like that without security."

"Oh, hush. I wanted the two of you to eat a good breakfast. The poor girl is all bones. Not to mention, no fans of yours would attack me. They all respect me so much for raising a girl such as Gemma."

The frustration I feel makes me bristle. "It's not just about attacks! Mum, those fans can be intense sometimes. I don't need you to put yourself under stress like that! Next time you want to go out, tell me. Tom will arrange for extra security."

"Sure," she replies in an unconvincing tone. I don't even think she's been listening to me.

Before I can remind her of all the threats her existence poses, Ellie walks into the kitchen. Her damp hair rests on her shoulder. She's changed into one of my hoodies, along with sweatpants.

"Mm, this smells good," she beams as she walks in.

My arms wrap around her like it's the most natural thing in the world. She meets me halfway for a chaste kiss, painfully aware of my mother.

I swear I'm second away from kicking out my bloody birth give–

"This is all so lovely, Anne. You really didn't have to," El says to mum. I want to roll my eyes at her attempt of arse-kissing but one look at her makes me realize she's being genuine.

I have to admit, it's still shocking to see. Of all the girls that had the pleasure of meeting my mum, none of them carried themselves with dignity. They would either kiss mum's arse for approval or completely ignore her. Both equally pissed me off.

And I know Ellie isn't like any girl. I knew that the moment she found out she was soulmates with me and chose not to pursue it. It's not about her behavior toward my mum. It's about her behavior toward my mum. As if she were her daughter.

We all sit down at the table, Ellie practically wiggling with excitement at all the food. It makes me feel guilty that I don't cook enough for her. She's probably sick of all the takeout.

Halfway through the meal, Ellie looks up at mum with a wondering gaze. "How did you know it was me?"

I suddenly realize they're talking about whatever happened in May, and how I was supposed to ask mum what that was about. So I do.

"What happens in May?"

"Ellie sends me mother's day flowers."

My jaw drops in complete shock. She what?

"And I know it was you because mother's day is held in March in England. The May tradition is American," mum continues, amusement shining in her eyes. "Besides, my kids stopped sending me things years ago. And who else from the States would send me a bouquet every year?"

"I..." Ellie flusters.

I'd help her out but I'm so lost in processing everything. Ellie sends flowers to my mother every year? Even when we weren't talking?

The coiling around my heart squeezes tighter.

"Ellie, it was very thoughtful of you," mum says warmly.

"It's just you did so much for me, and you birthed your son, which is probably the best out of all of it and it's not a designer gown or expensive jewelry but I figured you could see how much I appreciated you," Ellie blurts out frantically.

I can't do anything but gape at her.

Mum laughs, the sound echoing in the dining hall. It's something I never expected to hear here. Then again, I never expected Ellie and mum to be sitting at the table over homemade breakfast, talking about mother's day gifts either.

"I'm so glad you're sticking with Harry. Ellie, you're such a delight."

Ellie flusters at the compliment.

I want to tell her I agree. I want to kiss her senseless and pop down on one knee.

But it's not what she needs right now.

"Excuse me," I say, standing up and leaving two very confused women behind. I head straight to my room, on the balcony, and shut the door behind me.

I know what I need to do.

The earlier Harry would've jumped into this with no thought. He would've felt a selfish claim on Ellie. He would've made decisions without her.

Not anymore.

The phone doesn't even feel heavy in my hand as I dial a number. One I never thought I'd call for help. Ironically, it doesn't even feel like I'm handing over my pride. If anything, Ellie's worth it. She's always been.

"Alex? I need you to send me a list of properties that Ellie and I can look at this evening. Preferably something with a lot of bedrooms and a nice yard. And it has to be ready for move-in."

~

This is one of my favorite chapters but I feel like I say that a lot. Anyway, it was crazy long, so sorry (or you're welcome)!