Unedited :)

I wait around my phone for the next couple of days. Harry hasn't mentioned our proposition since that day, I'm assuming he's thinking it over.

I hope I didn't sound desperate or clingy when I told him.

I am.

Maybe he forgot about it?

There's a slim chance of that. I knew what I was doing when I offered to come. I knew it was something he couldn't deny.

To clear my mind, I walk to that coffee shop. I'm no longer sick, and I'm so grateful for that. Luckily, today is bright and sunny, so the chances of me getting rained on are low.

I open the door and find my good friend working again today. At first, he seems disinterested in his new customer, but his face lights up when he notices me.

"Ellie! I was beginning to think you succumbed to pneumonia!" He cries, jumping over the counter and pulling me into a hug.

I'm taken aback by his affection, but I gladly welcome it. "Me? Please, it'll take more than pneumonia to get rid of me." He smiles and pulls away. Instead of jumping over the counter, he goes through the gate like a normal person.

"What will you have today?" He asks sweetly.

"Hmm..." I think it over. "You're not going to deny me service this time, right?"

"Well, it depends on what you're getting."

"Iced coffee?" I ask, more than state. "Vanilla and cream as well."

He nods and types my order into the register. I patiently wait, card in hand. "Okay, I'll make it right now. Don't worry about that," he gestures to my debit card.

"What? No, I can't. Won't you get fired for giving free drinks?" I hate the idea of not paying.

"Nah, they can't fire me."

"Oh? Why not?"

He sheepishly smiles. "My parents own the shop."

My mouth forms an o-shape. "Well, that gives me more reason to pay. I don't want your sweet parents to go into debt."

He grimaces at my words. "They're hardly sweet. Putting them in debt would be a favor for me."

"Don't say that!" I argue, overly sensitive. I know what it's like to constantly worry about money. My mom has gone through enough shit to last a lifetime.

I shove my card toward him and he reluctantly takes it. "Okay, jeez. Someone's passionate." He swipes it and hands it back to me. When he's turned around, I pull out a $5 bill and shove it in the tip jar.

"Wait!" I call. He turns around fakes annoyance. "Can someone that's not you make it?"

He seems offended that I've even suggested such a thing. "What? Was my coffee not good last time?"

"I've had better." This results in a glare thrown my way. "I just feel like you're going to poison me. I want another barista to make it."

He rolls his eyes but one of his coworkers grabs the cup out of his hand and winks at me. She goes and starts on my drink while I take a seat at the bar.

"You're annoying," Noah huffs, leaning across from me.

I grin at him and dramatically toss my hair over my shoulder. "What can I say? You bring out the worst in me."

"Here you go!" The other barista eagerly places my drink in front of me. I thank her and she goes to the back room. It's definitely more crowded today. No wonder they have more than one person on shift.

"I bet I could have made it better," Noah mumbles under his breath. I take a sip and hold back a moan. It tastes like heaven in a cup.

"If you promise to not poison me, you can make it next time," I say between sips. "If you think this is mediocre, I can't even imagine how yours would taste."

He beams at me and pretends to clean the counter with a rag. I laugh, knowing he's just pretending to work.

"So, where's Mr. Testostorone today?"

I nearly spit out my coffee. "What?"

"You know, your boyfriend?"

I giggle at his nickname. He really does show a lot of primal instincts. We should work on that. I'll definitely be using that nickname from now on though.

"He's out of town. He went back home."

"Home? As in England?"

"How do you know?" I ask suspiciously. It never occurred to me that Noah could know who Harry is. Him showing up here may not have been the best decision. 

Noah looks at me like I have two heads. "Honey, his accent is more distinguishable than me at my parent's functions."

His accent! Of course, how could I forget about that? I'm a little embarrassed at my stupidity.

"Yeah, England," I clarify. "So, your parents are rich?" I want to change the topic. My nerves about Harry are already at an all-time high, and I rather not talk about it.

He sighs before sitting on the bar. I make a face, thinking about how unsanitary that is. I'm sure if his parents didn't own the place, he wouldn't get away with half the shit he does.

"They're loaded. They own multiple businesses. This shop was the first business they ever opened. They've moved on to bigger and better things, and gave it to me to run." Bitterness and resentment are laced in his voice. I want to pester him about it, to find out about his backstory, but I restrain myself. I shouldn't be nosy. He can tell me if he wants.

"Oh," is all I say.

"Yeah," he sighs again. "That's just life. What about you? Your parents?"

"My mom's a nurse. We're definitely not rich," I laugh. "Yet, I'm surrounded by rich people, so it's a fun perk." I think about the people around me. Audrey and Harry are both loaded, and without them, I wouldn't have attended all the extravagant events I have. Drew isn't poor, but he isn't rich like them. I'd say he's upper-middle class.

"Then you've experienced the boring parties?"

"Hell no! The opposite actually. They're the most fun I've ever had."

He grimaces. "Well, I'm hanging around the wrong crowd then."

An older couple walks into the shop and Noah smirks at me with wild eyes before attending to them. I groan and smack my head against the counter, not wanting to see their interaction. I hear shameless giggling from the old lady, which proves my point.

Once they're all rung up, they walk to a booth in the far corner and take a seat. I feel Noah's presence in front of me, but I really don't want to see his smug smile.

My iced coffee is being dragged across the counter and my head snaps up. I grab it before he can push it further. I cradle it in my hands, protecting it from the evil barista.

"You're weird," he crinkles his nose, pouring two mugs of hot coffee. "Why can't you support my choice in women?"

I can't help but scoff at him. "Old and taken ladies? You could do much better than that."

I begin to wonder if he has a soulmate or even a significant other in his life. I don't know how old he is exactly, but he seems to be around my age. He isn't too old. He either dropped out of high school or finished it because he works during school time.

"Did you just compliment me?" He gasps. "Wow, now I know she's not out of my league. I guess I have to shoot my shot." He grins as he carries the tray with the mugs toward the couple.

I turn away, not wanting to experience more second-hand embarrassment. I've already gotten a lot from him.

To my luck, my phone screen lights up. Harry's sleeping face shows, a contact picture I had sneakily taken.

"Hey," I smile. His breath is heavy and uneven. "What's wrong?"

He takes a couple of seconds to answer. "I don't know what to do."

"Well, about what?" Noah's back and grinning, until he sees my serious expression. He tensely watches me, feeding off my mood.

"About you, damn it." I hear a crash in the background and I'm assuming he's punched something. So, he's very angry.

"Baby, calm down," I say in my most soothing voice. "Can you please explain?"

"You just had to give me an ultimatum. Shit, I'm so conflicted."

Oh, so this is what it's about. If I had known he'd be so overworked, I would have never made it in the first place.

"Hey," I sigh. "That was dumb, I'm sorry. Please don't take my words to heart." And it truly was. I didn't know what I was thinking when I just invited myself to England. It was irresponsible and unrealistic. 

"But I want you here so bad," he groans. "I don't want to pull this stupid stunt, but I really just need to see your face."

"Why don't you come here then? I'm sure Tom wouldn't mind, as long as you do what he wants. Your arrangement could just be here. All you have to do is be seen with her, right?" The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

Confusion is all over Noah's face and I know he's going to ask me to explain later.

"That way, it's a middle ground. I won't have to pause my life and you can still carry out your deal," I add, trying to make my point. I wait for his breathing to even out.

"Compromise, I like that."

"I know, I'm a genius," I break the thick tension between us. His chuckle, even through the phone, makes me smile.

"You are baby. Thank you," he genuinely responds. 

"Of course! Anything else you need to get off your chest?" I half tease.

"You wish. Do you?"

"Nope," I shake my head.

"Where are you? It sounds loud," he points out. I debate telling him, but I don't want to make him angrier.

"I'm just out getting coffee." Technically it's not a lie. He just doesn't need to know I'm with Noah, who he seems to hate for no reason.

"No wonder your head is so clear." I roll my eyes. "I'm going to ask Tom about this. I'll keep you updated. Maybe not, maybe I'll surprise you."

"Wouldn't be the first time." My cheeks heat up at all the times Harry's shown up at my door unexpectedly.

"Bye love," he chirps, ending the conversation. When I finally put the phone down, Drew has his brow raised.

"You didn't say I love you." He points out nosily.

"So?"

"You obviously do. You two haven't said it yet?"

I stick my tongue out at him. "It's none of your business."

He laughs at my annoyance. "Amateurs."

I almost pry in his life, asking if he's ever said it, but I hold back. Instead, I let him tease me. I down my coffee and we talk about the customers.

He even generously provides me with a free refill. His version isn't as good as the previous barista, but I don't dare tell him. Instead, I drink it with a smile.

Time flies by and I realize I should get back home. I need to do some work. I've been applying for colleges in my downtime and I need to work on my applications.

Actually, that was my original intent for going to the cute coffee shop, but Noah completely distracted me. I don't mind though, I'm glad for the company. As nosy as he is, he isn't judgemental. He's really sweet under his sarcastic tone.

I toss my cup away and leave the cafe after saying a long and dramatic goodbye to Noah. The other barista finds amusement in our antics, which just adds fuel to the fire.

When I'm back home, Audrey's on the couch. She's all dressed up like she's about to go out.

"Hey girl," I say when I enter. She looks up from her phone and anxiously smiles. "What's wrong?" I feel like I've asked his question too many times.

"I'm just nervous. I'm going on a date."

My smile drops. "With who? You're just dropping Drew?" Anger is slowly rising within me, but I try to control it.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I'll have you know it's actually Drew who I'm going out with."

"What!" I gasp out of excitement. It's about time. 

"Yeah," she smugly smiles. "I convinced him to go on a date with me. I just hope I don't screw it up." Her anxiety comes back and she twiddles with her fingers.

"Hey, don't worry. This will be good for you. Don't forget to be emotionally vulnerable, okay? He needs to see that side of you."

She gives me a sly smile. "Harry said the same thing."

"Huh?"

"I may or may not have had a small chat with him about you both. He's good at giving advice."

"He is," I beam, proud that they're getting along for once. "When are you leaving?"

"We're meeting there, so I'm not sure. Maybe a couple of minutes?"

"Stupid," I sit on the couch next to her. "The key to having a quality time is the car ride. Text him and tell him your car broke down. That way you guys are forced to spend more time together and he can't bail early."

She nods and eagerly types. "But what if I make him mad and I'm stranded for the rest of the night?"

"He wouldn't. He's not that type of guy. If he does, uber exists. I'll cut off his dick too, but that's between him and me." I smile. She grimaces at the thought but resumes texting him.

"Okay, he'll be here in ten minutes! Eeek!" She squeals and frantically pulls her stuff together.

"Good luck," I laugh, heading to my room. I need a nice shower to focus, then I can work on these stupid college applications.