Sorry for the wait, I ended up rewriting this too. Please point out typos :)

My heart's pounding hard against my ribcage. All the little hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. It feels like someone's hands are trailing up my body and slowly suffocating me.

But he's here.

And there is an undeniable sense of longing running through me.

Part of me wants to run up to him right now. Grab him by the shirt and ask him what took so long. I want to kiss him so hard that my lips go numb and I taste blood.

The more logical part tells me to stay where I am and work this through.

This can't be fucking happening right now.

"So, Ellie, you care to share why he was standing outside and asking people if he knew who you were?" Sonia asks, gesturing to Harry on the other side of the room. I make it a point to look anywhere but his face, because if I do, I know all logic will be clouded.

"That's... that's Harry Styles," Macy lets out a noise somewhere between a dreamy sigh and a girlish squeal. Even though I don't have the right, jealousy immediately starts pumping through my blood.

Think, Ellie, think! Is there any way you can get out of this? Can you lie your way out of this?

Before I can even begin sorting out my thoughts, Sonia's eyes widen on a spot on my neck. I give her a puzzled look before ducking down to look at the mirror that hangs above her desk.

Holy shit! Laine's left a killer hickey on my neck. It's painfully obvious against my pale skin, not to mention that my hair's not long enough to cover it.

I'm going to kill him.

"Wait a second," Macy gasps as she clumsily hops off of Sonia's bed and approaches me. "Is that a hickey? Damn, didn't know Laine-"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Harry's head tilt in interest.

Sonia cuts her off before she can finish her sentence. "No, you idiot. I wanted to curl her hair but I forgot how short it was and accidentally burned her. Macy, your head's always in the gutter."

I could kiss her right now.

"Oh," Macy sighs, disappointment etched over her face. She trudges over to Macy's desk chair and plops down.

Harry awkwardly clears his throat. "Right, so..."

"Wait," I cut him off before he can utter a single word. It's not his choice on how to handle this and I need a few minutes to sort my brain out. "You just let a random stranger waltz into our room?"

"He knew your name!" Macy says defensively. Her eyes flicker back to them and a softness takes over. It makes me want to punch her in the face. "And this isn't a random man. This is Harry freaking Styles!"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time." Irritation seeps into my tone and I have to take calming breaths to not lash out, even though I desperately want to.

How did this go from being the best night ever to the worst?

Really, El? The worst?

"So, we'll leave you two alone..." Sonia's eyes dart between us skeptically.

"No need," I quickly interject. "I, uh, need to shower." When I pass Sonia, I mouth 'get him out of here'. She nods, regardless of her confusion and dying curiosity.

As I step into the shower, I can't help but wonder how this happened. I've worked hard to prevent this. I never overshared, I dropped everyone who could bridge the gap between Harry and I. Except...

Niall.

My two worlds are colliding at this very moment and I cannot be more panicked. There's nothing that can be done now.

When my shower finishes, I'm surprised to see Harry pacing in the hallway. My first thought is, damn, he looks good. My second thought is that he's a gigantic idiot for parading around campus. Does he not care about his safety?

As soon as he notices me he stands in front of me, blocking any escape routes.

And suddenly I'm fully aware that I'm only in a towel.

"Hey, El," he says, amusement shining through his voice.

"Not now," I hiss. How dare he show up out of the blue? And to the point where he somehow finds my building address AND manipulates my friends to come in?

He ignores my hostility. He grabs a strand of my hair and lets it slip through his long fingers. "You cut your hair."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," I snap, taking a step away from him. Lord knows if I stay any closer, I won't be able to resist him.

"Still snarky, I see." His face has a nostalgic look. "We need to talk."

"Harry," I sigh, feeling dejected at this point. Why isn't he taking the hint? "It's one in the morning and I'm exhausted."

The furrow in his brows showcases the beginning of his frustrations. "When, then?"

"I don't know, okay? You can't just show up out of the blue and expect me to adjust my whole schedule for you," I exasperatedly huff.

He steps back, finally feeling the full force from my attitude. It sends me back to the day I had broken up with him. A pang of self-hatred hits me hard and it takes everything in me to not crumble on the floor right now.

I selfishly take his shock as an opening to maneuver around him and slip into my room. One hand braces on the doorframe while the other tightly grips my towel.

"And Harry? Visiting hours are over so unless you want to be blacklisted, I'd recommend you leave before the RA sees you," I lie before closing the door behind me and locking it. We don't really have visiting hours but I doubt he knows that. I just need him as far away as possible so I can fucking think for once.

I let out a shaky exhale as I rest my forehead against the door. Suddenly I feel drained.

I jump when I hear two sharp intakes of breath. Slowly turning around, Sonia and Macy are both gaping at me. It completely slipped my mind that they're still here.

"Let me change and then I'll explain." And think of a plausible lie.

They both slowly nod and I wonder if they're still drunk. Now that would work in my favor. We could chalk it up as a big fever dream.

Once I'm in comfortable clothes, I settle on my bed and face them. It's sure going to be a long night.

Lying wouldn't be too bad. There are a few reasonable explanations for Harry Styles showing up at my college dorm at midnight. I could say I worked for him and now we're friends. That sounds much more believable than me being his soulmate.

I think we're all surprised when I blurt out, "He's my soulmate."

Silence. Silence and blank stares.

"I don't believe you," Macy says after much deliberation.

Sonia eventually breaks from her shocked state, a shit-eating grin spreading over her face. "He found you," she says in complete awe.

Oh fuck.

"No, don't go there," I warn. The last thing I want is to crush her spirits but I can't stand the hopeful look on her face. "Just because he decided to pop in doesn't mean anything's changed. Maybe he needed a favor or, like, for me to sign an NDA."

Although, I'm not exactly sure why he's back. I'm pretty sure I hurt us enough to last a lifetime. I knew the breakup hurt him just as bad. If anything, he should be happy he's rid of me and childishness.

"Well, you won't find out unless you talk with him," Sonia emphasizes. Her enthusiasm for the subject is starting to worry me. Something tells me she won't easily let this go.

"Right now," I say slowly so they understand, "I'm going to bed. You should do the same." The warmth of my covers encompasses me and I let out a tiny sigh. It's so warm and comfy. Totally not because I can smell a hint of Harry's lingering cologne. Definitely not.

"Wait," Macy whines. "That's all you're going to tell us?"

"Yes," I yawn and turn to face the wall. "Sones, turn off the light."

All I want to do is forget about this night.

But I can't. Once sleep eventually reaches me, it's hijacked by Harry.

And let's just say the dream isn't very PG.

~~~

I wake up in a cold sweat. My entire body protests as the visions of a very delicious and naked Harry fade away. For a second, I lay with my face to the ceiling, my breathing heavy.

Normally a cold shower first thing in the morning is the last thing I want, but it seems to the perfect solution to the buzz in my veins. Once that's over, I change into a flowy dress.

The hickey Laine gave me last night is absurdly noticeable. What's worse is that I never even realized he gave me one. If I had known, I would've stopped him.

The realization that I've been paraded around town with this thing on me fuel my next actions.

In all honesty, I'll regret it later, but I have to address the problem now.

I step into the hallway, careful not to wake my roommate, and pull out my phone. My fingers hover over Niall's contact and press down before I can chicken out.

He picks up on the last ring and I don't wait for him to speak.

"Niall, you son of a bitch," I hiss into the phone.

"What's wrong?" His voice is the epitome of innocence.

"What's wrong?" A bitter laugh escapes my lips as I pace the hallway, shadowed by fluorescent lights. "Gee, Niall, I thought I could trust you. Then you go and do the one thing I didn't want."

"What are you talking about?"

Oh, so we're playing that game, are we? Lucky for him, I don't mind explaining the full course of his actions.

"Don't play dumb! Do you think it's a coincidence that I start talking to you again and a few weeks later, Harry shows up at my door? Or how about the fact that it's right after your girlfriend told you about my new relationship? From what I see, you're the only common link here."

The curse he mutters under his breath only proves my accusations true. "How do you know about Sydney?"

That's all he got from this?

"Maybe you shouldn't be airing your dirty laundry in public," I flare. "You know, I knew this would happen. I knew you would report back to your little boss. This is why I stopped talking to you guys." My voice is bordering on hysterics but I couldn't care less.

"Ellie, I–"

"Don't. I always knew this would be a mistake. Don't call me again and tell your friend that if he shows up again, I won't hesitate to call security," I sharpy say into the phone before hanging up.

I slide against the floor until I'm sitting. A dull headache is making itself known and I want to die.

"Fuck me," I groan, hitting the back of my head against the cool wall.

As time passes, people begin swarming out of their rooms and into the bathrooms. I decide to get up before they deem me crazier than I already am.

Fresh air seems like the best medicine. I slip outside and sigh contently when the bright sun warms my skin. Without putting much thought into it, my legs lead me to the closest Starbucks.

Better coffee than alcohol, right?

Once my order's in, I wait at one of the small tables scattered around. My phone's constantly buzzing in my hand. Niall's stupid smiling overtakes my screen. It gets to the point where I block his number.

"Iced coffee for Ellie," the barista calls out. I get up to grab it, but when I reach the counter, it's void of any drinks. I furrow my brows and glance around.

Much to my surprise, Laine leans against one of the walls, holding an iced coffee that suspiciously looks like my drink. He grins at me and takes a sip through the straw. I notice my name messily scribbled on the cup and narrow my eyes.

"Didn't realize you're a fan of iced coffees," I muse as I approach him.

He responds by taking a painfully long sip. My heart hurts with the loss of coffee. He pulls the cup away and makes a sour face. "This is so sweet."

I snatch it from his hand and properly mix it, then hold it out to him. "Try now."

He ducks his head down and wraps his pretty little mouth around the straw, never breaking eye contact as he sucks. I'm entranced by how hot he looks.

"Better, but still sweet," he says as he licks his lips.

I decide to judge for myself. Once the cool liquid hits my tongue, I nearly moan. "Oh my god, this is so good. I've missed having coffee."

"You don't drink it anymore?"

"Not as much as before. I used to have a serious caffeine addiction and figured I should stop while I'm ahead."

He nods and grabs my free hand. "You here to study?" he asks, nodding toward the library space.

"No," I snort. "Who studies during the weekend?"

"Nerds do," he teases.

I roll my eyes. The realization of my lifted mood hits me like a jolt. Laine's the one to thank for that.

"I have a group project so I'm meeting them here," he goes on to explain.

"Well well well, how the tables have turned."

"Yeah, yeah. Call me a nerd or whatever."

"Nerd." I stick out my tongue. He responds by grinning and pulling me closer. After a quick peck, I lean my head against his chest.

"Why are you here then?"

"Coffee."

"Duh." He playfully smacks his head and loosens his hold on me. "My group's gonna be here soon. I should probably get going."

"Have fun!" I detach myself from him and stand on my tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek. "You owe me other coffee."

He chuckles as I walk away.

As the distance between us grows, the anxious feeling in my gut increases. Now I'm just a weird mix of irritation and sadness.

I'm definitely not ready to go home yet. Instead, I find a table in the middle of the Plaza. I stay there for a while, just people watching. Not many people are around. Campus is basically a ghost town on the weekends and I don't understand why. 

Groups of friends and couples linger around. I watch as small huddles sit in the grass with picnic blankets, chatting up a storm. A couple is sitting against a tree, the boy's head on the girl's lap. She plays with his hair and he sneaks a few kisses in.

I wonder who here has their soulmate. Are they here with them, or back home? That couple looks so in love, I'm tempted to ask.

Socially, it's considered rude to ask someone if they found theirs. It's like pointing out someone's acne or weight. I'm assuming it's because many couples aren't soulmates, and when asked, they're faced with the inevitable truth that they're not meant for each other, no matter how compatible.

A feeling of loneliness is starting to settle in so I search for a distraction. My first instinct is to call Audrey and catch her up, so I do.

"Hey," I breathe out when she answers.

"Hey, El," she responds, her voice muffled. "What's up?"

"The craziest thing happened to me last night!"

"Ooh, tell me!"

The thing I love about Audrey is that I don't have to concoct some crazy lie explaining why I'm calling her so early in the morning. I don't have to fake being someone else with a different past. I'm just me.

"Let's start with the good stuff first." I explain everything that happened with Laine. How he left his own party for me, how he asked me out. I even tell her about the adorable diner scene and how perfect everything was.

Throughout my monologue, she makes appreciative comments and sounds. When I finish up, she says, "Your night sounded perfect! What bad thing happened?"

I hesitate. How should I go about this? I'm going to tell her the truth, obviously, but I don't want her to freak out on me. I need to ease into this.

But before I can get a single word in, her voice breaks through. "Oh, sorry babe. I have to go, Drew needs help with something. I'll call you later, 'kay?"

"Okay. Love you." I attempt to hide my disappointment as I hang up. All I needed was someone who knew me to talk. It feels like I'm overflowing with pent up frustration that's threatening to burst. 

If Drew wasn't caught up with Audrey, he'd be next on my call list. He gives great advice and usually remains unbiased.

Okay, what would he say if he was here?

Probably something along the lines of Ellie, you already did the deed. You got what you wanted, life to be like before. What's stopping you? Harry and Niall are out, you have a boyfriend, everything's back to how it was at the beginning of the semester. What's the problem? You did it, you reversed the curse.

I imagine the dialogue in his voice and laugh at how spot on it must be. And you know, hypothetical Drew is right. What do I have to complain about now?

But deep down, I know Harry. He's not the type to give up easily.

Who knows? Maybe this time will be different. Maybe they're sick of me.

I just hope I don't see Sydney any time soon. I have a major bone to pick with her and things won't be pretty, especially because I'm sure the hatred is mutual.

Don't worry girly, I'm out of your soulmate's life for good now.

After I drink the last sips of my guilty pleasure, I toss it in the nearest trashcan and start on my way home. I don't have much to do today, so it's gonna be hard to not mope around. 

But what good is a boyfriend in a frat if I can't use him as a distraction?

When I reach my room, Sonia's not there. Her stuff is lying around so I assume she's nearby. I settle on my bed with my laptop and do random tasks to occupy my anxious hands.

She stumbles into the room with her body wrapped in a towel and shower caddy in her hands. She jumps when she sees me, clutching the left side of her chest. "Jesus, you scared me!"

"Sorry," I mumble, eyes never leaving the screen.

"You okay?" 

When I look up, she's looking at me with doe-like eyes. Now I feel guilty for hiding everything from her.

"Yup."

"Yup," she mimics. "Shut up. I can tell that you're not."

"I don't really wanna talk about it." With you. 

She sighs as if she didn't expect anything else. "You never do. So, what? You're just going to laze around all day?"

"Hey," I say defensively. "Just because I skipped a party last night doesn't mean I can't go out tonight." And that's where Laine comes in.

Her face lights up, almost mischievously. "Really?!"

"Hell yeah, babes! I'll even play Barbie and let you dress me up." Thank God Audrey isn't here or she'd kill me. She's been dying to get me dolled up for the longest time but I didn't feel like it. Hell, I still don't feel like it but it's important that Sonia thinks I'm okay. It's the only way things will go back to normal.

"Yay! I'll text Macy and let her know," she excitedly chirps as she pulls out her phone.

"Until then, I'm chilling," I remind her. She has a terrible habit of getting ready hours before we leave to leave. I'm still feeling lazy so I'll take all the bed-time that I can.

"Wash your hair if you want. I'm going to straighten it later," she excitedly tells me. It's crazy how excited she gets about these things. It's like all's well in Sonia-World once again.

Ah, to be carefree and not burdened with self-imposed baggage.

"Already did," I say. She nods and starts pulling out a plethora of cosmetics. I take that as my cue to pop my headphones in and stay ignorant of the world around me for a few more hours.