As the night grew near, so did my anxiety. Today, I had to tell Drew that I found my soulmate and that I wouldn't get back together with him.

My heart's racing.

I distract myself by getting ready, barely knowing what to wear. I haven't gone to a party like this in a while. With Harry, it's been all fancy and posh parties. Except for that one time at the penthouse...

I push the cringe memory to the back of my head. I need to focus on tonight.

I decide to wear shorts and a crop top. Since it's Florida, it's not really cold for a February. Before I finish changing, Audrey knocks on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I yell, putting my mascara on. She comes in and groans when she realizes I'm not done yet.

"El," she whines, "Hurry! We're going to be late!" She's obviously very excited to see her soulmate tonight. A little impatient too. 

I nod, speeding up. She's giving me a ride to the party, but Harry's giving me a ride home. That way, I don't have to depend on her and she can do her own thing. 

I'm finally ready to go. I grab my phone and stuff it in my back pocket. My best friend wolf-whistles when I come out of my room. I flick her off resulting in her having a giggle fit.

The party itself is at a frat from the local college. I don't really like frats, but they do know how to party. 

We pull up into the Greek house to see it's already in full swing. Many people are scattered around the front lawn, carrying red Solo cups. 

Once we're inside, the strong smell of beer fills my nose. Before I can say anything, Audrey pulls me to the kitchen. I grab a red cup and fill it halfway. 

Better to go slow this time.

I look around for Harry, but can't find him. He blends in with the crowd. Sometimes I wonder how he'd be if he actually went to college. He seems to be the frat type. 

We spot Drew and near him. I finish my cup, knowing every ounce of alcohol helps. 

She nudges me toward him. I accidentally stumble into him, which catches his attention.

"Ellie! Hey!" He yells over the music.

"Can we talk?" I yell back, hoping he can hear me. 

He nods and grabs my arm, guiding me through the crowd. Once we're in the backyard, he stops. It isn't quiet or isolated, but it's better than the crowded house.

"What's up?" He asks, his eyes sparkling.

I keep a blank face, trying not to show any positive emotion. "Yeah, so..."

He waits for me to continue, but I hesitate. How am I going to tell him? I don't want to ruin our friendship. 

Before I know it, his face comes close to mine, pulling me into a kiss. I stay still, with shock. Once I realize what's going on, I pull away. "Drew..."

"C'mon Ellie, you felt that," he remarks, reaching for my hands. It's almost like he's pleading for me to feel the same way, but I don't. I don't feel anything with him. I take a step back, shocked at his sudden gesture.

"Stop," I order. He sobers up, staring at me blankly. "Drew, I came to tell you that I found my soulmate." His dumb actions forced me to be blunt, but I'm a little grateful. Without him kissing me, I'd probably take ten years to confess. 

"W-what?" He stares at me in utter disbelief.

I let him process my words for a few seconds before continuing. "Yeah... I need you to back off."

"Fuck, Ellie." He groans, running his hands through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?" He looks more frustrated than sad, and I'm not sure whether it's directed at me or himself. 

I stare at him with a blank face, not breaking my stance. "I just did. Besides, I just found out." I mentally scowl at my own lie. 

Why didn't I just say the truth?

Because I didn't want to hurt him more than necessary. 

"So, there's no chance?" He asks with a sad smile. I sympathetically shake my head. "I'm sorry for kissing you. I really thought you were coming out here to confess."

My brows raise in surprise. "Really?"

He nods. "Yeah, I don't think I'm totally over you yet..."

Obviously. 

"Huh, well now you know." I smile. "Friends, though, right?" I silently plead he'll agree. Although I have no romantic interest in him anymore, I want him to be in my life as a friend. 

He eagerly nods and pulls me into a hug. "Congrats," he whispers in my ear.

I'm a little taken aback by his reaction. He seemed disappointed at first, and maybe a little sad too. I was not expecting him to forgive me so quickly, let alone congratulate me. 

I know I did the right thing. Maybe this is the exact closure we both needed to finally move on in life. 

He leaves me to go back inside and I'm out here alone with my thoughts. A small part of me hopes he's going to find consolation in Audrey. She needs this more than he does.

 A couple of guys cheer nearby, winning their game of beer pong. It pulls me back into reality and I shake all thoughts away. 

I squint my eyes to see a tall build leaning against the house. I panic slightly, realizing it's Harry. I quickly jog over to explain myself.

"He kissed me! I didn't kiss him back!" I frantically explain, nervous of his reaction. When I'm close enough, I find him with an amused smile.

"I know babe," he says before pulling me close to him. I get on my tippy toes, kissing him. He gladly welcomes the kiss and deepens it.

"Let's go inside," I pull away, grabbing his hand. We entwine our hands and walk back inside, immediately greeted by loud music. 

"Do you remember the first party we went to together?" He smirks, guiding me to the kitchen.

My cheeks heat up. Although I had little memory of that night, Harry caught me up and told me how I gave him a handjob in the backyard. Oh, and I also almost stripped. What can I say, drunk me is wild.

He pours me a cup and I notice he isn't drinking. When I give him a look, he explains. "I rather stay sober so I can control you."

I stick out my tongue but I'm secretly glad. This means I can get as drunk as I want without having to worry about doing something stupid.

My brows furrow when I remembered that it takes a lot of alcohol to make him drunk. Why is he not drinking at all?

I ignore my own questions and focus on him. He looks extra handsome under the kitchen lights and it takes everything in me to not kiss him right now.

"So, what were you telling Drew?" He pries.

I laugh, knowing he'd ask. "I just told him I found my soulmate. That way, he can move on from me to Audrey." He nods in approval, probably happy that Drew's finally out of the equation. 

"Ellie! Come on, let's go play beer pong," Audrey comes in, dragging me with her. Harry follows both of us, amused. I carefully hold my drink so it doesn't spill in all the chaos. 

When we reach outside, the table is already set up. Drew stands next to it, proudly admiring his work. He doesn't seem too beat up about the whole situation, which puts me at ease. 

"Okay, me and El versus Harry and Drew!" Audrey cheers, clapping her hands.

"No!" Both men respond. 

I roll my eyes. "Okay, Harry and I versus you two." 

Drew seems a little reluctant, but he agrees. Audrey's beaming at the idea and hastily goes to stand next to her soulmate. 

Harry turns to me. "Ready to crush them?"

I maniacally laugh. "Oh Harry, you should have teamed up with Drew."

My point is proven during the game. I'm awful. I barely made any shots. Harry, on the other hand, does amazing. He already has seven cups out. Since he's not drinking, I'd drink his cups. Lucky for me, considering I made nothing.

Drew and Audrey were trying really hard. They were both mediocre, but worse than Harry. At least they looked like a cute couple. 

By the time the game ended, my team had won. I'm the only one starting to feel really drunk. 

"Jeez Ellie, at least try to stand upright," Drew teases. Even though he isn't drunk, he had his fair share of drinks. His arm is wrapped around his soulmate's shoulder. I stop myself from cooing at them, knowing he'll be embarrassed. I do send my friend a wink though, causing her to blush.

"You know," I slur, "I'm not that bad. Maybe we should have a second round."

Everyone shouts their rejection simultaneously. I laugh, knowing I couldn't survive drinking more. I'd probably die of alcohol poisoning at this point. 

We all head back inside. I want to dance, so I drag my two friends to the dance floor. I try doing it with Harry as well, but he stays back. I remember he told me he doesn't dance. I thought maybe he would be different this time, but I guess not. I don't let my disappointment linger for too long though. 

We start a grind train. I'm in front, with Audrey behind me, then Drew. I grin, happy they're together. I eventually slip out, letting them do their own thing.

Look at me, I'm such a good matchmaker.

Someone steps behind me as I'm dancing. I look up, hoping it's Harry. To my dismay, it's just some random scum.

I begin to walk away, when he pulls my arm back, forcing me into him. 

"Well well well, I want a dance too," he sneers.

I scowl at him, trying to pull away. "Let go."

After a few more attempts, he grows frustrated. He pulls on my hair, causing me to wince. "Stop squirming and dance," he growls in my ear before forcing himself on me. 

"Fuck you," I slur, trying again.

His face twists into a smirk. "Oh, you want to fuck me? Gladly." He stops grinding and for a minute I think I'm in the clear. It isn't until I'm being pulled away that the panic settles in.

He leads me down a dark hall, probably to his room. He seems like a frat boy, so it would make sense.

I struggle to free myself, but his strength mixed with my inebriated state doesn't help.

He pulls me into a room and shuts the door with a wicked smile. 

I try to scream, but he covers my mouth before I can. He pushes me onto his bed and brings his lips to my neck. I wince, a tear falling down my face. I feel so helpless. 

I try squirming under him, but both his hands are pressed against my shoulders, constricting me.

His hands rub on my exposed stomach and I shudder from disgust.

My eyes feel heavy. I need to stay awake. I can't let him do this.

The door bursts open and Harry storms in. I sigh of relief, glad someone found me.

The boy is pulled off of me. I hear a loud thud, followed by a crack.

I let my eyes close, knowing I can trust Harry. Peace takes over my whole body as I fall asleep. 

Of course, that doesn't really happen. I feel a light tap on my cheek and my eyes shoot open.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I'm met with a set of piercing green eyes. I nod and close my eyes again, wanting to sleep on this comfortable bed.

"Okay, El. I just did something stupid and we have to leave before I get in trouble," the voice says slowly.

"Come to bed," I whisper, attempting to grab his arm. I miss and give up. 

"I'm going to pick you up now, okay?" The voice informs. I nod, not wanting to walk. I feel my body being lifted into the air, like I'm floating. 

"Wee!" I squeal, then start giggling. 

Harry walks out, carrying me bridal style. I notice he's trying to be inconspicuous, but I don't really realize why.

Once we reach his rental, he groans. "Okay, you need to stand so I can open the door, okay?"

I nod, and he gently places me on my feet. However, I don't let go of his neck. I lean against his car, pulling him in. 

He smiles as I kiss him. Some chaos begins inside and his face morphs into panic.

He quickly opens the door and helps me in. Then, he jogs to his side of the car and hops in. He speeds off quickly, obviously trying to avoid something.

I lean against the cool window. The bumpy road surprisingly doesn't bother me. I just hop in my seat every time we hit a pothole. Harry notices out of the corner of his eye and looks amused. 

When we pull into my apartment complex, he pulls into a parking spot and stares at me. 

"Are you okay?" He asks, concern etched in his voice.

I nod. Even though I was drunk, that shook me up pretty bad. What was I supposed to do if Harry wasn't there? He saved me from that creep.

I guess tears begin to fall because he goes to wipe them away. "You don't have to lie, we'll talk about it when you're sober, okay? Right now, I just want to be with you." 

A sigh escapes my lips. I'm so lucky to have him. 

"You're the best boyfriend ever," I slur, giving him a thumbs up.

He chuckles before helping me out the car. "Well, you're the best girlfriend ever." He has a cheesy grin on his face, as if he's enjoying saying that word. 

And I enjoy hearing it. 

He carries me up to my apartment, asking permission to spend the night. 

"No," I deadpan. 

His face drops and he frowns, obviously hurt. "Oh."

I burst into giggles. "I'm kidding. Of course, you can stay, dreamy boy."

"Dreamy boy?" He laughs with amusement. 

Once we get inside and I'm laying on the bed, I look up at him. "I used to dream about you a lot. Therefore, dreamy boy."

"Used to?" 

I roll my eyes. Of course, that's the only thing he notices. "Yeah, I don't need to dream if I have the real thing right here," I poke his hard stomach.

He chuckles again. "Go to sleep, El."

"Don't leave me," I whisper in desperation. My eyes are closing, but I hear him whisper one last thing.

"I love you, I'd never leave."

A/N:

Helllloooo!!! At first, I didn't like this chapter but as I was editing it, it grew on me. 

First of all, thank you for 10K reads! Holy cow! When I first started this, I wrote it out of pure boredom. Well, actually I saw an edit of Harry and I remembered how much I missed his Wattpad persona. I think quarantine is forcing everyone back into their One Direction phase, so it explains it LOL.

Second, I'm a little worried that the view to read ratio is small. I want to know if there's something wrong, or if you're just forgetting to vote! If that's the case, please hit that star ;) (if you want!!) If there's room for improvement, please always feel free to comment or message me! 

Thank you guys for sticking with me so far! Much appreciated.