The so-called talk with Harry hasn't happened yet.

The boys basically moved into my place. They only go back to their hotel to sleep, then come back in the morning.

Luckily, they show up after the sun rises.

Harry's fulfilling his boyfriend duties. Since he left my place, he hasn't been back. I barely got a proper goodbye from him. I could sense the annoyance from him - he was short with me and said he needs to go back to the hotel.

No doubt, to tend to Trina.

How can I hate someone I've never met?

"Get ready, we're going out tonight," Niall chirps, handing me a coffee he picked up. He doesn't know I've already stopped for coffee during my morning jog. I graciously take it anyway.

You can never have too much caffeine.

Yes, you can, don't listen to me. Please don't get addicted.

"Where are we going?"

He laughs, sitting on my bed. "You always ask the same questions."

"Sorry for wanting to be prepared."

"We're going to an event. Dress nice."

"Nice? Like party-nice? Or funeral-nice?"

He grimaces at all my questions. "I don't know. Wear a dress or something."

"When you say dress, do you mean a-"

His hand covers my mouth as he groans with exasperation. "You're annoying."

I think about licking his hand, but I don't know where it's been or when the last time he washed it was. I'm not about to risk that. 

He takes his hand off and grins. "I'll consult with my apprentice and let you know what you should wear."

"Who?"

"Is there an owl in here?" Louis grins, walking in and sitting on my bed.

Niall and I give each other looks before asking, "What?"

"You know, owls say 'who', so I was just- nevermind." Louis sighs in defeat. We don't even try to make him feel better for his lame joke. "Anyway, El, you ready for tonight?"

I smirk, then ask, "Yes, for the... ball?"

Louis laugh loudly and clarifies for me. "The party silly. This new nightclub is opening and we're all going. Exclusives only."

Niall shoots him a dirty look while I smile triumphantly. "Oh yeah, that. I'm gonna start getting ready. You guys should probably go back and shower or something."

"Oh, you think we smell?" Niall fakes hurt, resulting in Louis smacking his head.

"Let's go, dude. She's clearly trying to get rid of us."

"I am not!" I say defensively. "I'm just trying to get ready without distractions."

"Yeah, Niall, she doesn't wanna get distracted by our handsome looks. Let's leave before she falls in love with us. Harry would give us black eyes." Louis smirks, pulling the blond out of the room.

Once they're out, I call Audrey over and explain my night. She grins, pushing me to shower and start my makeup.

After the long process of getting ready, I'm almost done. My hair is effortlessly curled (thanks to Audrey, who insisted it was necessary), my face has glam makeup, and I'm dressed...

Not.

I'm still in my sweats. Audrey's scrambling around my closet, trying to find the perfect outfit.

"Aha!" She yells, coming out. "I have been looking for this damn dress." She tosses the cloth at me and I see it's the same dress that she bought for me the other day.

I'd purposefully buried it in the back of my closet. Don't get me wrong, it's super cute, just not something I'd have the confidence to wear.

As if she senses my thoughts, she sighs. "Ellie, you're going with freaking celebrities. You need to look decent, okay? The makeup needs to match the fit. Besides, I wouldn't buy it if I thought it'd look bad. I mean, I'm a mean person sometimes, but not a bitch."

"But-"

"No," she says harshly, indicating there's no room for argument. Groaning, I begin changing. I turn away from her, but I can see her playful smirk from the mirror.

The red fabric clings to my body as I try to adjust it. It's tight but breathable. It has spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline, making me feel super exposed. The length is super short, but not showing my butt or anything. Just, shorter than what I'm used to.

"Wow," she sighs dreamily, staring at me from the mirror. The look on her face eases my insecurities. "Okay, wow. You need to accessorize." She shuffles out of my room and I look at myself in the full-length mirror.

Not to be cocky, but I look good.

I barely recognize the girl staring back at me.

"Here," she chirps, handing me a set of gold bracelets. They match the pendant that my dad gifted me. I wear it almost all the time. "So beautiful," she repeats. I can't help but feel flattered.

We playfully take some pictures, me pretending to be a model.

Then a knock comes from the door.

"I'll get it!" Audrey practically runs out of my room and opens the front door. I take a deep breath, trying to control my nerves.

Something about celebrity parties really makes me anxious.

"Ellie, your prom dates are here!" She calls out. I roll my eyes and grab the clutch from my bed. I stumble out, trying to walk in these heels. In all honesty, it does feel like prom.

I balance myself and walk out as confident as possible.

"Wow," is all I hear.

I anxiously look up to see the four boys staring at me with wide eyes. Shock and surprise are plastered on their faces.

"You look..." Zayn begins.

"Like..." Niall adds.

"Okay, gross. Wipe your drool up," Audrey teases. Their faces flush with embarrassment and I give Audrey a disapproving look. She backs off, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Shall we?" I say, trying to end the silence. They all snap out of their dazes and nod.

When we arrive at the venue, Zayn and Niall stand on either side of me, looping their arms with mine. It's a way to stop rumors from spreading. I can't be dating two guys at once.

Well...

Eleanor and Liam's girlfriend, Sophia, are supposedly supposed to meet us here. I'm surprised they're coming from Europe for a club opening.

Then I learn that Sophia was already in LA so the trip wasn't bad for her. Eleanor flew in from Milan! Louis said she insisted that she wanted to see me again.

I attempt to look as confident as possible when the cameras flash in my face. I can just imagine the headlines appearing tomorrow, but it's not a today problem.

Niall gives my hand a gentle squeeze, reassuring me. We push past the crowd and are instantly granted access. The bouncer doesn't even look twice at me.

A couple of grimy men stare, making the boys walk faster, dragging me along. Along the two standing beside me, Liam trails behind and Louis leads us. I feel like London Tipton's Dad from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

We reach a private area near the back with a second bouncer. He lets us through and I see a small room with a huge couch. It's like a private corner, but we can still see the whole club.

"I'm going to get us drinks," Zayn explains, pulling away.

"Wait," I grab his arm, stopping him. "I'll come with you." He seems hesitant but I walk toward the bar, not giving him an option. He catches up and walks in step with me.

This is the type of club that doesn't care if you're 21, so I know that's not an issue. However, this is also the type of club that rips people off with its expensive drinks. Not that the boys need to worry about money but still.

I stop him before reaching the bar, telling him to stay put. He looks confused but keeps his eyes on me as I strut toward the bartender.

"Hey," I smile, leaning against the bar. My cleavage makes a dramatic appearance, and I know I've got his attention when his eyes wander to my chest.

Now, normally I'd be totally against this, but I'm not paying $15 for a shot of vodka.

His eyes meet mine and he smirks. "What can I do ya for?"

"Can I have," I pause, twirling my hair. "Um, can I have bottomless shots for me and my friends back there?" I bite my lip, adding the extra oomph to my performance.

He glances over to where I pointed and nods. "Sure, anything else?"

"Not right now. I'll probably back soon though," I give him a flirty smile. His eyes trail over to my chest again. "How much?"

"If I can see your pretty face again, it's on me."

I grin, nodding. "Sounds good."

He pours a tray of shot glasses and lets me know a waitress will check up on us for refills. I blow him an air kiss, which he finds very flattering, and balance the tray in my hands. Once I'm close enough, Zayn takes it from me and smiles.

"That was so impressive, holy shit!"

I laugh, agreeing. I wasn't so sure it would work. This dress really does do wonders.

When we make it back to our area, I stop in my tracks.

Harry's there now, along with the bimbo he calls his girlfriend.

Zayn looks at me to make sure I'm okay. I take a deep breath before nodding, walking in.

Zayn puts the tray on the table and grins, slinging his arm around me. "Mates, you should have seen her! We got unlimited shots for free!"

They all holler like savages. I roll my eyes with a playful smile. "Guys, it was nothing." Although I'm not facing him, I can feel Harry's gaze on me, scanning my body. Thinking about it makes me involuntarily shiver.

I take a seat between Niall and Zayn, Harry on the couch to the left of me.

Trina makes a face and I instantly know we're not going to get along. "Hi," she fake smiles, putting her hand out.

"Ellie," I smile back, shaking it.

"Trina. How do you guys know each other?" She pulls her hand away, almost in disgust. I can't help but roll my eyes. Luckily, no one catches it.

We all stare at her in silence, thinking of a good cover story. We probably should have thought about this beforehand.

"Louis!" someone calls out. We all turn our heads to see Eleanor and Sophia standing by the bouncer. They gesture for him to let the girls in.

I find myself standing up to go hug Eleanor. We don't know each other well, but she's so sweet. She dealt with me during a hard time and never acted condescending.

"Ellie!" She laughs, pulling me into a hug. "You look amazing!"

"You too! Wow, Milan is treating you well!" I smile, looking at her appearance. She's the type of person to look stunning even if she's wearing only a trash bag.

Louis has to pry me off her before he has a turn. "Ellie, I'd like to kiss my girlfriend please."

I roll my eyes and reluctantly let go. My eyes meet Sophia's, who's pulled into Liam's side.

"Hey, Ellie!" I smile, going straight for a hug. I've seen her, but we've never been introduced.

"Girl I know! You're all this dude talks about," she hugs me back. "Nice to finally meet you." Relief flows through me as I realize she's nice.

"Likewise."

Trina scoffs and we look at her. She plays it off by pretending to look at her acrylics. I see her subtly leaning in Harry. I turn away before I can see anything else.

Both the girls notice my change in mood. They each grab a shot and hand one to me. "We're going to the bathroom," Eleanor announces. We all take the shot, or so I think. When Sophia and I are done, we notice she didn't take hers. She sympathetically hands her cup to me and I smile before taking it down.

We push through the crowds and finally make it to the bathrooms. "Spill," she demands once we're in.

"I'm sure Louis told you," I smile sheepishly.

She nods. "He has, but are you insane? Saying yes to a fake girlfriend? Especially Trina?"

Sophia voices her agreement. "You're crazy. There's no way that'll end well."

"Ladies, I'd rather talk about it drunk. Instead, I need you guys to help me forget that she's literally crawling all over my boyfriend, okay?"

They both nod, grinning. "We're in for a wild night," Sophia laughs, pulling us out.

Harry bumps into us in the hallway. The girls give me a reassuring look before abandoning me. Some friends.

It's just us in this dark hallway. He uses this to his advantage, backing me into the wall. I stand against it, not trusting my own legs.

He leans in, his breath tickling my ear. "You look so sexy."

I shiver at the sensation.

He pulls away and shamelessly scans my body up and down. If it was anyone else, I'd feel like I'm being molested. Since it's Harry, it's flattering.

"There you are babe," a shrill voice calls. I slump down, upset that she had to show up. For a second, I forgot she existed. She reaches us and doesn't even glance at me.

Before she can speak, I slip away from the two. I'd rather not see her flirt with him like that.

The bouncer lets me through and I go straight for another shot. The room is much emptier than when I left.

"Where is everyone?" I ask Zayn.

He looks around. "Liam and Louis went dancing with their girlfriends, Harry ran off and Trina went after him."

I nod. "Either of you guys want to dance?"

"Yeah," Zayn smiles. Niall says yes too, but narrows his eyes at the person who spoke quicker. "You can dance with her after," Zayn smirks. I roll my eyes and give a reassuring smile to Niall before grabbing his hand and dragging him to the floor. It's super crowded and filled with sweaty people.

We dance for a while before Zayn gets distracted by a random girl. At first, I don't mind because I'm vibing, but when he starts sucking her face off, it's my cue to leave.

Gagging, I make my way back to the room. The waitress who's meant to refill our shots is here, chatting up a storm with Niall. He grins, listening to her every word.

I sigh out of relief. I came to collect him to dance, but I'm grateful for the break. My feet are starting to kill me.

Taking another shot, I observe the two. Niall seems genuinely interested in her. She seems oblivious to his stardom, or she simply doesn't care.

"Ugh," someone whines. I glance over to see Trina trudging in, Harry following behind. She sits really close to me, and I scoot over. "Why not?"

I take another shot, cringing as it goes down. "What's wrong?"

She looks at me for a second before replying. "He won't dance!"

I stifle a laugh, knowing he doesn't dance at all. Not even for me.

"I told you, I don't dance," he huffs, taking a seat further away from us.

"Who doesn't dance? You're at a club for fuck's sake." She reaches for a shot glass and takes it down without even making a face.

Kinda impressive.

"You never told me how you know all of them," her body turns toward me. I mentally groan, not thinking of a story.

"We're old friends," I give a tight smile. "I was also his assistant for like a month. I live here so you'll be seeing a lot of me."

She makes a face and I hold myself back from punching her. Who does she think she is?

"And are you like from an agency?"

"Modeling? Nope. I'm just a regular girl."

This is enough for her to scoot away from me, almost crawling into Harry's lap. I hide my disgust and turn back to the waitress and Niall. They're still animatedly chatting and I feel bad interrupting.

I get up and walk out. I hear Harry ask where I'm going, but I don't respond.

The bartender smirks when he sees me. "Back for more?"

I take a seat on the barstool, pulling the hem of my dress down. "I'm in need of a strong drink." I don't even bother flattering him.

"Margarita?"

"Uh..."

"I make them strong, don't worry."

I gratefully nod and watch him make it. He gets interrupted several times, making drinks for others. He eventually finishes and slides the pink drink over.

The first sip tastes like heaven. You can barely even taste the alcohol, which I prefer. "Mhh," I moan. "This is so good!"

"And you'll be drunk by glass two." He says proudly.

I watch him pour drinks for others. Girls come up and flirt with him, earning free drinks.

"You know, you shouldn't be so easy," I yell over the music. He furrows his brows, prompting me to explain. "You give every flirty girl a free drink. You'll lose business."

He laughs, leaning over the counter. "I know what they're doing. I just figured better a free drink from me than some random perv who can drug it." I look at him in shock, unaware that he was conscious of his innocence. "You're a different story."

"I bet you tell that to all the girls," I tease, playing with my straw.

He glances behind me from time to time, but I don't think much of it.

Later, he leans in again. "Hey, you have a stalker at 9 o'clock. You know him?"

My head turns to see Harry staring at me. He's no longer in the room, but rather leaning against a wall. Trina's dancing with some randos about five feet away.

Sighing, I turn around and face the bartender again. "I do. He's fine, don't worry about it." I pass him my glass, indicating I want a refill.

"What's going on?" He asks while he makes my drink.

"Super complicated, don't worry. He's not a creep."

He warily nods before passing the glass back. I thank him and begin sipping. His brows shoot up in surprise, glancing behind me again. "He's with a girl now."

"Of course he is," I mumble under my breath. "Yeah, that's his girlfriend."

His brows furrow and I can see the confusion behind his eyes. "Then why is he looking at you like that?"

"Because people stare. It's nothing new."

"But- ugh. Nevermind, you wouldn't understand. As a bartender, you learn how to read people."

He moves the opposite side of the bar and I watch him give five girls free drinks. I want to roll my eyes, but really appreciate his thinking behind it.

The drinks take a toll on my bladder. I get up and attempt to go to the bathroom, pushing through the crowd. It's very hard, especially when you're by yourself.

I finally manage to make it through, sighing in relief once I'm behind the door. I fan myself, super sweaty.

After peeing and washing my hands, I quickly get out. Instead of forcing myself through the mass of people, I slip out of a back entrance, leading me outside. I'll probably regret this later.

I lean against the wall, appreciating the breeze on my skin, cooling me down.

The door opens and I go into high alert. I don't make a move to see who came out, hoping they'll leave.

"Hey pretty gal, I saw you alone in there," a voice slurs. I turn to face the man, seeing it's obvious he isn't leaving. He's stumbling, holding on to the wall for support. "You want some company?"

"Uh, no thanks. I'm going to find my friends. They're probably looking for me." I attempt to talk away, but the slimy man's hand grabs my arm. I attempt to move out of his grasp, making him squeeze tighter. "You're hurting me."

"And you're hurting me by not even giving me a chance," he wickedly grins, making me uneasy.

"Like I said, my friends are looking for me," I grit through my teeth.

"Aw, well they won't miss you for a couple minutes, that's all it'll take."

The door opens again and I see Harry there, looking enraged.

I've never felt so relieved in my life.

"Let her go," he growls deeply. It doesn't phase the man at all.

"Aw, is this one of your friends? You could do better," the drunk cackles, tightening his grip more. I wince, knowing there's going to be a bruise forming.

"I'm telling you one more time. Let. Her. Go." Harry says again, his tone making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. No one's stupid enough to compete with his threatening tone. No one except this stupid guy.

Harry's large hand pries off the man's grip. I stumble toward the wall, not wanting to be in the middle of this.

He takes no time in raising his fist and punching the guy in the face. The drunk stumbles back, holding his nose. Blood's rushing out of it.

Of course, it's not enough for him. Harry punches him again, knocking him over. When he's on the ground, Harry straddles him, punching him repeatedly.

The sight of blood makes me nauseous. There's so much and the man seems to almost be unconscious.

The door opens again, the boys, their girlfriends, and a security guard running out. The girls run toward me, who's unable to move.

The boys and security attempt to pull Harry off the man, barely escaping his wrath.

"Harry, please," I sob. His eyes meet mine and he slowly lowers his fist. Liam manages to pull him away and security begins tending to the drunk. "I think I'm going to be sick," I whisper before running toward the nearest bush and puking.

When I'm done, a jacket is slung around my shoulders. I give a thankful smile to Zayn and grab the water bottle out of Sophia's hand.

Harry reappears, his anger still visible. He walks toward me with purpose. Without leaving my eyes, he says "take Trina home." He then grabs my hand and begins pulling me away. Louis shoots me a concerned look but I nod my head, telling him I'm fine.

The man in front of me is writhing with anger. I've never seen him so mad in my life. Sure, there were times where he was upset, but never like this.

To be honest, it's scary.

I don't put up a fight as he forces me into his car. While driving, his knuckles turn white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.

"Harry..." I try breaking the silence. I notice the blood on his knuckles and shudder, unsure if it's his or the man's.

"Are you okay?" He asks, focused only on the road.

"I'm fine," I mumble awkwardly. It wasn't the encounter with the man that has me so shaken up. We pull into an isolated parking lot. Harry barely puts the car in park before getting out and kicking his tire repeatedly.

He paces back and forth, tugging on his hair.

I force myself out of the car and lean against it, deciding it's better for him to get his anger out.

"Fuck fuck fuck," he yells into the void, kicking his tire again. He doesn't hesitate as he steps up to me and kisses me angrily. I'm taken aback, but welcome it. He needs to get his energy out and this is a much safer way to do it.

My hands cup his face, greedily pulling him in closer. His hands rest on my waist, pulling me toward him.

We pull away to breathe, and he rests his forehead on mine.

"I'm so sorry," he huffs, catching his breath.

"For what?"

He distances himself, a look of disbelief on his face. "This all happened because I wasn't there for you. Someone should have been with you tonight."

"Harry-" I object, but he continues.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you. I'm sorry I was with her. Fuck, I hate this so much. I hate not being able to be with you."

My hands cup his face. "Stop, none of this is your fault okay?"

He gently pries my hands away and goes back to pacing. I sigh, leaning against the car. His anger had faded but as he recalls tonight, I can see it coming back.

"And it doesn't help that all those guys were looking at you like pervs. That bartender was ogling your boobs," he rambles. I don't argue because I'm hyperaware of all the male attention I've gotten tonight.

He walks toward me once again, reaching for my face. I reflexively flinch.

Fuck.

Hurt is obvious on his face. He steps back, looking at me.

"Do I scare you?"

"No, Harry-"

He kicks the poor tire once again. "Fuck." He turns around and stands right in front of me. "Do I scare you? Be honest."

"A little," I whisper. My heart breaks at his face.

"You know," his voice cracks with desperation, "you know I'd never hurt you, right?"

I nod, unable to speak. He takes my silence in a negative way. The pacing and hair tugging resumes.

After some time, I'm able to speak. "You're only scary when you're angry."

He stops walking and faces me. I adjust Zayn's jacket, pulling it tight against me.

His face softens. "I'm sorry, I just get so fucking angry I can't control it. And it's worse because it has to deal with you."

"Well, you need to work on it."

He nods, stepping closer. I notice how slow his movements are, almost as he's assuring me that he's not going to hurt me. I already know though. He'd never hurt me.

He's centimeters away, and I pull myself closer, not being able to handle the suspense. This is all he needs to dominate the kiss, taking full control.

His tongue swipes against my bottom lip and I open my mouth, giving him access. He groans from the back of his throat, giving me goosebumps.

My hands find his hair, but I don't pull. Instead, I massage his scalp, knowing he's tugged at his curls very hard. He seems to like this because, for a second, his knees buckle.

We pull away, catching our breath. His eyes are still dark, but not from anger. Now it's lust.

His lips meet my jaw and he trails kisses downward, my breath hitching in my throat. He meets my sweet spot and I moan his name. He smiles on my skin, planting a gentle kiss there.

"We can't..." I say hesitantly. As much as I want this, we can't do this.

He frustratedly groans, pulling away. I immediately feel his heat leaving my system. I pull the jacket tight.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

He nods and holds my hand, leading me to my door. He opens it and I thank him by kissing him on the cheek.

I'm not sure where we're going, but I'm relieved when we go back to my apartment. After unlocking the door, I see six concerned faces meeting mine.

Audrey, along with the boys, is sitting on the couch. They all look worried, but relieved when they see us.

"Thank God," Audrey sighs, getting up and pulling me into a hug.

"Trina?" Harry asks them.

Louis smiles wistfully. "I sent her back with the girls. Eleanor's going to text me when they're back."

Harry appreciatively nods and sits down, running his hand through his hair. I cringe at the blood, which reminds me of why we came back here.

I go to the bathroom, Audrey hot on my heels. I begin shifting through my cabinets, looking for everything I need.

"What the fuck happened? You look like shit, and I don't mean a good kind."

I stop and look at her. "Harry beat someone up."

Her eyebrows shoot up in shock. "Shit. Are you okay?"

"Why me?"

"Well, if he beat someone up I'm assuming it's because of you." I resume my search. "Am I right?"

"Yeah." I pull out the last thing I need. "It was bad Audrey, so bad. There was blood everywhere."

She gives me a quick hug. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to. I can do it." She gestures at the antiseptic supplies in my hands.

"Yes please," I sigh, giving her the stuff. I'm exhausted, mentally and physically. "I'm just gonna sit here for a second. Call me if you need anything."

She nods and leaves to tend to him. I sit on the floor, next to the toilet. I feel like I'm gonna hurl at any moment. Closing my eyes, I take deep breaths

I hear footsteps and squint. A pair of black boots stop in front of me. Harry kneels down, becoming eye-level with me.

"Are you okay?"

I shake my head no.

"C'mon, let's get you into bed." I'm lifted by a strong pair of arms and carried to my bed.

"Your hands," I mumble, falling asleep.

"No, I need to take care of you first. I'm going to undress you, okay?"

I nod, too tired to speak. My dress is lifted over my head and tossed to the side. I hear shuffling and my drawers opening and closing. A t-shirt is pulled over my head and I recognize it as one of Harry's that he's left here.

I lie down in bed, pulling the covers up.

He kneels next to me again, pushing my hair away from my face. "Goodnight baby." He kisses my forehead.

Much to my disappointment, he doesn't crawl into the bed with me. He tiptoes out of the room, turning off my light and slowly closing the door.

A/N:

My longest chapter yet, holy shit! It was surprisingly easy to write, even though it's the span of one night. Usually, it's hard for me to write one day for a long time. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Is Ellie annoying? Bc as I think about her, I start getting annoyed LOL. She's just an insecure girl, okay? Let her live!!