"Psst, wake up."

A bony finger pokes at my cheek. I groan, not moving.

"Wake her up."

"How?" A new voice adds.

"Oh, I know," one whispers. "If you wake up, I'll teach you how to drive in my car."

My eyes shoot open, meeting a smug Audrey. "You better let me," I mumble, sitting up.

Drew smiles at me, his eyes scanning my face. 

Audrey's blunt as usual. "You look like literal shit."

I roll my eyes and push out of bed, going to my mirror. She's not wrong. My perfectly curled hair now looks like a bird's nest. My makeup is smudged, making me look like a raccoon. It doesn't help that I feel as shitty as I look.

Drew hides his amusement, covering his smile with his fist. 

"Wow, I need to shower." I grab a towel and throw it in the bathroom. "When I'm out, I'm expecting those driving lessons. I may not have a car but it would be nice to know how."

She groans but doesn't object. She's the one who suggested it in the first place. 

My shower feels nice. It takes a while to comb my hair, getting rid of all the tangles. Luckily, I manage to get most of them out. My face turns red as I harshly scrub at last night's makeup. 

When I finally feel clean enough, I get out and dry off. I grab some jeans and a sweatshirt, throwing it on.

"Let's go," I grin, grabbing her keys off the shelf. She groans, shaking her head as if she's mentally scolding herself.

Drew chimes in. "At least eat breakfast or something."

On cue, my stomach rumbles. He's right. I remember throwing up last night, so eating should be a priority. I nod and grab a banana. 

Audrey grabs it out of my hand and switches it with a plate. I warily look at the contents.

"Oh hush, Drew's the one who made it, okay?" She flips me off.

I look over at him and he smiles in confirmation. I happily take the plate and sit by the island, eating the crispy bacon. 

"Do I really have to take you?" Audrey whines, taking a seat next to me. I nod, my mouth full of food. She groans in annoyance but gives up arguing. "Fine. Just don't hurt my baby."

I finish my meal quickly. I don't give her time to change her mind. 

Drew doesn't hide his amusement as we walk to her mini cooper. I practically have to drag her out.

"You know, you could drive my car," he suggests, pointing to his sports car. 

"Hell no. That thing's scary," I shriek. He chuckles at my horror and scoots into the back seat. Audrey goes to sit in the driver's seat, but I pull her back. She rolls her eyes and walks around to the passenger side. 

I turn the car on, take it off park, and slowly reverse out. 

Believe it or not, I actually do well. Drew helps keep her calm, making sure she doesn't pointlessly yell at me. 

All until a stupid squirrel runs in front of the car.

I slam the breaks a little too hard, sending all three of us forward. Audrey screams, freaking out.

"You could have killed us! Fuck!"

"Calm down," I say, even though my heart's pounding. "I was going like five miles per hour." 

"Nope. I'm driving. Move." She doesn't leave room for argument. I get out, knowing at the end of the day, it's her car. 

"It's okay, we'll try with my car," Drew smiles reassuringly. 

We drive in silence back to the apartment. 

"I'm going to go for a jog," I announce when we're back. It'll be better if she calms down first. I change into a sports bra and leggings. My hair is pulled into a tight ponytail.

Drew gives me a small wave as I leave.

I jog to my favorite spot, the coffee shop. 

Noah eagerly greets me. "Ellie belly! You're late." A frown takes over his face and I laugh.

"Just make me my coffee you goof," I grin, taking a seat in front of him. His frown doesn't fade and I see where his gaze is pointed. 

Thick handprint-shaped bruises cover my arm, evidence of last night. I had felt sore in the area but completely forgot about it. 

Self-conscious, I let my hair down and attempt to cover the marks. It's too late though, he's already noticed.

"Did he do this?" His tone is threatening, but laced with concern. He doesn't even have to say who he's referring to. 

"No, of course not!" I defend Harry. I'm itching to change the topic. The last thing I want to do is relive last light. "C'mon, the coffee isn't going to make itself."  

He doesn't move. "If he did..."

"He didn't okay? Just leave it alone." I snap. I don't want to remember last night, and how scary it was. A shudder runs through me as I recall the bloody man lying on the floor. Noah, luckily, doesn't notice.

He finally budges, making my drink. His frown never leaves his face, probably still thinking about it. 

"I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, okay?" I smile reassuringly, hoping he lets it go. He hesitantly slides my drink over and I change the topic quickly. "So, I met bitchzilla last night."

His face morphs quickly. "You met Trina Star?!" Heads whip around and stare at us. I gesture for him to lower his voice. "Sorry. Oh my gosh, is she as pretty in real life?"

I snort. Boys. "Not really. She's so bitchy."

"Hence the nickname," he says sarcastically. "So you're not in her good graces?"

"Good graces? Hell no. She took one look at me and decided I'm not up to her standards." Then, I thoughtfully add, "Well, I guess I did the same."

"How was it, with her and him?" 

I scrunch my face. "Eh. It doesn't matter. It was a good time until the end. Can't wait to see her again."

He laughs loudly. "You'll have to introduce me one day."

"Um, yeah probably not," I laugh. 

"One day you'll start being a good friend," he sighs dramatically. I playfully roll my eyes and sip on my coffee. He wanders off, dealing with other customers. 

I pull out my phone for the first time and check my messages. Of course, they're full. Mostly spam from our little group chat. They're wondering where I am. I simply tell them I'll be home soon. 

I have a message from Harry has well. Just one, asking if everything's good. 

I understand he can't be cute because he's with someone else, but it's not like she's going through his phone and checking his messages.

At least I hope not. 

I reply with a thumbs up emoji and put my phone down. A dry message deserves a dry reply. 

I know the boys are probably waiting at the apartment by now. It's routine for them to hang out by this point. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that they can't casually go out into public without being recognized. We're the only entertainment they have. 

Holy shit.

Drew's at the apartment.

I abruptly stand up, attracting unwanted attention as my chair scrapes against the floor. 

"Everything okay?" Noah asks from across the cafe. 

"Yeah, I just need to head home. Put the drink on my tab," I reply, grabbing my stuff and running home. Hah, tab. As if he'd make me pay. 

You might be wondering why I'm so concerned. Well, the thing is, Drew and Harry don't get along. 

Drew also doesn't know that I'm friends with all of them - and I mean close friends. If Drew doesn't like Harry, who's to say he'll like his friends?

Drew won't appreciate the fact that they always playfully flirt with his soulmate.

Are you getting my point?

The apartment doesn't come fast enough and I burst through the door, looking borderline insane.

After catching my breath, I see the boys staring at me like I'm crazy. With them is Drew, sitting on the couch... laughing?

"Oh, um, hi guys," I chirp, trying not to look suspicious.

"There ya are," Niall says in his thick accent. "We were just talking about ya."

"Oh?" My brows shoot up, moving away from the doorway. "About what?"

"You didn't tell me you were friends with a whole group of guys. I'm offended, I thought I was the only man you were stringing along," Drew playfully sighs. "I guess we can't all be winners."

"You got that right," Zayn smirks. 

"You guys are dogs,"I laugh, shaking my head. Since they're getting along so well, it wouldn't hurt to leave them alone while I wash up. "I'm going to take a shower," I tell them as I head on over to my room.

I totally overreacted. There's no reason for Drew not to like them. He isn't spiteful and knows not to associate people with untrue accusations. 

Footsteps follow me and I see Louis. He looks at my arm and winces at the bruise. "Shit, does Harry know?"

"What do you think?" I flatly answer. "Don't tell him, I don't want him to get angry again."

His eyes soften. "Are you okay? I'm sorry you had to see that side of him."

"Does it happen often?"

He gives a half-smile. "Well, I guess it depends. Not too often, but enough for us to be used to it."

I wish he hadn't said that. It's the opposite of what I wanted to hear. 

"It doesn't matter," I say, gesturing to my arm. "He won't see it. We aren't seeing each other."

He hisses. "About that..."

"What?"

"Well, we are seeing him actually. Uh, he wanted to have like a chill hangout at the hotel." He sheepishly smiles, scared of my reaction. "Of course, you're included. He wants to see you." 

My mouth forms an 'o' shape. "And there's no way I can skip out on this?" I ask, already knowing the answer. 

"You know he'll just come to you, especially if he senses something wrong." 

He's right. Harry only gives me space when it's not wanted. Knowing him, he'll show up the minute he finds out I'm kinda avoiding him.

"Eleanor and Sophia will be there, so you won't have to deal with bitchzilla alone," he adds. I groan, completely forgetting about Trina. Not only am I dealing with Harry, but his bitchy "girlfriend" who seems to hate me already. 

Well, the feeling's mutual, honey.

"Okay," I sigh in defeat. He smiles and turns around, going back to the boys so I can finally shower.

This is the second shower I'm taking in the span of a couple hours.

After I'm done, I sneak back to the living room, making sure Drew's getting along with them. I have to admit, it's going suspiciously well. 

It seems a little too good to be true. 

"Where's Aud?" I ask Drew. 

"Work," he replies before hopping back into their conversation. 

Oof. For the first time, I feel excluded from the conversation. I get up and head to the kitchen. I wash some strawberries and eat them at the table, scrolling through my phone.

Girly girls: 

E: I cannot believe they had the nerve to invite Trina to the hangout tonight.

S: IKR??!! Also it's *bitchzilla we don't speak of her name in this house

Good to see I'm influencing them.

Me: Ladies, I love you both. Hopefully I'll see you tn?

S: hell yeah!!

E: You sure you wanna go?

Me: Don't have a choice

E: ;(

S: You don't because I would have forced you anyway mwahaha

Me: okay, sure

Me: see you tonight!

I get ready for tonight, wearing jeans and a cute top. I stare at my arm in the mirror and suck in a breath. I wrap my hand around the spot and lightly squeeze, wincing but enjoying the sensation at the same time. 

I shake my head and grab a denim jacket to wear on top. When I'm ready, the boys, minus Drew, pile out of the house. 

I think one of them rented a car. We stop in front of a big pickup truck. My thoughts are confirmed when Zayn sits in the driver's seat, obviously very excited about his new ride. Liam gets in and I scoot in after him, sitting in the middle. Niall sits to the left of me, while Louis sits shotgun.

We pull into an unfamiliar hotel. It's much fancier than the ones before and I can't help but gawk at it. Even the lobby has a chandelier. 

As soon as we head into the lobby, I'm snatched away from everyone. Sophia and Eleanor greet me with a huge group hug. One of them touches my bruise and I flinch, hoping they don't notice.

And they don't.

They finally catch up, hugging their respective girlfriends. A pang of jealousy hits me, wishing I could do the same with Harry.

If only life were that simple.

We crowd into the elevator and I have my doubts about its stability. There's seven of us in here, and it could easily collapse with our weight.

Imagine the money we'd win from the lawsuit.

Harry's suite is on the top floor. Of course, it is.

The ride takes so long, but we eventually reach. The doors open to reveal a huge penthouse. 

My brows raise up as I take in the view. All the windows are open, showing a great view of the city lights. Sophia pulls me out of the elevator, amused by my shock.

Harry, who's sitting on the couch, stands up when he sees us. Trina stays sitting, typing away on her phone. The girls and I share a look.

He does some weird bro handshake with each of the boys. When he gets to me, he awkwardly stuffs his hands in his pockets. 

We stare at each other for a brief moment before breaking eye contact. Awkward. 

A heavy arm slings around my shoulder. The leather sleeve lets me know it's Zayn, who's sporting a smirk. 

Harry's eyes darken slightly, but there's nothing either of us can do.

"Uh, Ellie, can you help me with the drinks?" Harry pleads. I nod, shrugging Zayn's arm off. I know he's only trying to get a rise out of him. I don't honestly understand their friendship.

We keep our distance, him leading me to the kitchen. It's huge in here, bigger than my apartment. 

I open the full-sized fridge, looking for drinks. I scan my options and pull out multiple things. After closing it, I feel Harry flush behind me.

"Don't mind me," he whispers, reaching above me. "Just grabbing some glasses." Even though my back's turned to him, I can picture his smirk. 

He lowers his arms and I turn around to face him, making sure I don't bump into him and knock the cups out of his hand. He notices my dilemma and sets them on the counter, along with the drinks I'm holding.

"How are you?" he whispers, his breath tickling my ear. My heart flutters at our proximity. 

It takes me a minute to find my voice. "Good," I squeak then clear my throat to help stabilize my voice. 

He tilts my chin up, forcing me to make eye contact with him. I notice his dimples appear, along with a cheeky grin. 

"I miss you," he says before giving me a sweet kiss. It doesn't last long, but we stand like that for a minute.

Someone clears their throat and we jump away from each other as quickly as possible. 

"Was I interrupting something?" Eleanor smirks. 

I sigh out of relief. For a second, I feared it was Trina who caught us, ruining the whole plan. 

"Just grabbing the glasses," he says cooly, reaching around me and showing them to her. She winks and grabs one of the bottles I took out of the fridge. She zips her lips and pretends to throw the key, then walks out with a huge smile on her face.

I slip away from him, grabbing the other drinks. He slumps down, obviously disappointed. Before I can leave, his hand grasps my arm. I bite my tongue to stop myself from hissing out in pain.

He holds on to the exact spot. I turn around to face him again, hoping he'll let go. 

Instead, he pulls me closer to him. I blink away the tears forming in my eyes. 

He gives me a lingering forehead kiss, then pulls me into a hug, letting go of the spot. I lie my head on his chest, trying to control the wetness in my eyes before he can see.

It hurts like a bitch.

He doesn't mind, holding on for as long as possible. When I feel like it's under control, I pull away. I simply hold up the drinks, indicating we should get back. He nods and grabs the cups, following me out.

We meet the group again, Zayn flashing me a smirk. I roll my eyes, knowing Eleanor has told the whole group already. The rest don't react, engrossed in conversation. Trina's sitting in the corner of the couch, acrylics tapping on her phone.

"So," I say, taking a seat next to Zayn. He grins, pulling me into him. I push myself away, but he sits in close proximity anyway. "Are you two like staying in the same place or...?"

Trina looks up from her phone, mischievously grinning. "What, are you jealous?"

I scoff, while Sophia breaks into laughter. "No," I deny. "I'm just asking. What, are you insecure?" I mock, earning me a disapproving look from Eleanor.

"Oh honey, I don't have to be insecure. I'm perfect the way I am," she retorts.

"Yeah, perfectly plastic," I say under my breath. She catches that, opening her mouth to fire back, but she's interrupted by someone else.

"Ladies, put the claws away," Zayn laughs. I can tell his sadistic side is enjoying this. "Let's drink."

"What, is he your boyfriend?" Trina gestures at both of us. 

Before I can answer, he beats me too it. "Yes."

Harry tenses up again, even Trina notices. She casually puts her hand on his knee, narrowing her eyes at me. "You two? No way!" 

"Why not?" I ask, getting defensive.

She rolls her eyes and points at us. "Look at you and look at him. He's like a Greek God and you're like a rat."

A small laugh escapes my lips. Rat? That's a new one. 

"Your boyfriend's right there," Sophia says blandly. I know she's dying to retort back, but she's holding herself off.

Trina simply leans into Harry, a content smile on her face. 

"I'm going to be right back. Zayn, mind coming with?" I plaster a smile on my face.

Zayn nods and gets up, hot on my trail. One of the boys cheers, "get some!" as we leave. 

As soon as we're out of hearing distance, I grab his ear and pull him to the kitchen. He yelps in pain, but I don't let go until we're far enough.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hiss, smacking him on the back of his head. 

He rubs his ear and shrugs. "Just trying to help you out."

"Yeah sure," sarcasm heavy in my tone, "you just had to help me out by making me your pretend girlfriend. You do know what this means right? Do you know what you just did?"

"What?"

"Commitment. She's going to tell all her friends, even her hot ones. You won't have a chance with them."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I roll my eyes, smacking him in the end again. "Stupid. Now she thinks we're a couple."

Realization dawns on his face. "Oh... you know, I never thought about the consequences." 

"Should I tell her we're not?"

He shakes his head, his eyes wide. "Nope. It'll be fun, c'mon. Maybe she'll get off your back."

"I doubt it."

"Okay, well if you tell her we aren't dating, you'll just confirm her suspicions. She'll think I'm too good for you or something..." he trails off, knowing he's caught my attention.

Fuck me.

"Fine," I huff. "But, I'm not confirming anything with anyone and I'm sure as hell not having PDA with you. She can think what she wants."

He proudly smiles, nodding his head. "Deal."

I stomp back to the living area, still annoyed. Trina's still laying on Harry, who seems uninterested in everything. 

"C'mon, let's do something," I say. Zayn walks in and hugs me from behind, his arms wrapping around my waist. I go to push him away until I see Trina's eyes flick to where his arms touch my skin. Then, his words echo in my brain.

"What do you wanna do?" Eleanor asks, warily eyeing Zayn, then Harry. Sophia does the same, but with a teasing smirk. She's enjoying this a lot. I bet she'd be munching on some popcorn right now if she had any. 

"How about we go eat or something? I'm starving," Niall chirps in, getting everyone's attention. I take the distraction as the perfect time to step on Zayn's foot. He groans and his arms release. 

Harry's the only one who notices. He tries to hide his grin, but I catch it before it disappears. 

"I could eat," Sophia agrees, earning the same response from Liam. There's a general consensus that we should, but then comes where?

"McDonalds."

"No, ew. Have some class. Taco bell?"

"Chick Fil A!"

"It's Sunday. How about Olive Garden?"

"Too public and also not worth the money."

"Excuse me? Not worth the money? Olive Garden is auth-"

"Pizza."

"How ab- yeah. Pizza sounds good."

Everyone mumbles their agreement and I pull out my phone, trying to order the pizza from the app. "What does everyone want?"

"Cheese."

"Pepperoni."

"Pineapple."

I crinkle my nose at that.

"I'm vegan," Trina whines. I hold back an eye-roll. Of course she is.

"Well this isn't LA. Should we just order you a salad or something?" Sophia snaps, really getting sick of her.

Trina thinks about it, but cringes. "I'll just order room service." 

We're all content with her answer and I order multiples pies, each with their requested toppings. 

"Aw shoot," I groan when I click the checkout button. "They're not doing delivery so we'd have to pick it up."

"That's fine, we can go together," Zayn grins. Harry opens his mouth to object, but glances at the girl laying on top of him. He doesn't say anything but sends daggers to Zayn.

I shrug and order the pizzas. We can decide on the details later.

Someone turns on the TV and we watch some random reality TV show. I later learn it's The Bachelor, and near the season finale.

"I can't believe Madi would ask him to do that," Sophia groans, throwing a pillow near the TV. I have no idea what's going on in the show, but there are only three girls left and one's being sent home today.

My phone buzzes and I see that the pizzas are ready for pickup. "Ooh, pizzas are done!"

Zayn hops up and holds his hand out to me. "Let's go."

I hesitantly grab it, then glance over to see Trina eyeing us closely. I straighten up, acting confident. "Okay."

"Maybe someone else should come with you guys. There's a lot of pizza's to carry," Harry says gruffly. "I don't mind coming."

Trina's head snaps up toward him. She pouts and gives him puppy dog eyes, silently begging him to stay. It takes everything in me to not gag.

Eleanor gets up to join, but Louis abruptly pulls her down. She apologizes with her eyes. I reassure her that it's fine.

"I would but this show is getting really good," Niall says, focusing only on the television. I give Harry the most reassuring face I can muster and follow Zayn out to his car.

Once we're seated in his truck, I face him. "Why'd you volunteer me?!" 

"Because you seemed the most bored," he grins before throwing it in reverse and driving to the pizza store.

"So," I mumble, not sure if I should bring it up. "How are you and your soulmate?"

"The same," he says bluntly, all playfulness gone from the conversation. 

"You haven't attempted to fix things?"

He scoffs, as if I've said the dumbest thing in the world. "No. Why should I?"

"It's your soulmate!"

We stop at a red light. He turns and looks at me in the eyes. "So?" Someone honks and we see the green light, him breaking eye contact with me. 

"What do you mean?" I sound exasperated. "Why wouldn't you try to salvage that relationship?"

"Why can't you wrap your head around the fact that not everyone needs one?"

His words give me a sharp pang in my heart. Not needing a soulmate? Then what's the whole point of it?

We pull in front of the store and I drop the topic. The tension is thick as we go inside and he pays for the pizzas. The cashier is an old woman who doesn't give two shits about Zayn, so we're lucky. He grabs all the boxes and I follow him back. When we're in the car, I keep the boxes on my lap and appreciate the warmth from it. 

The ride home is silent, aside from the radio quietly playing. Zayn throws in some comments about shitty drivers but nothing too serious.

He carries all of the boxes by himself and I push the elevator buttons and open the doors.

No one notices the awkwardness and tension as we walk back in. Zayn aggressively puts the boxes on the coffee table and sits on the couch. I sit on the floor next to Eleanor and Louis.

"What happened?" She whispers, eyeing him. 

I shrug. "I pried too much."

I can't stop thinking about his words. Soulmates are supposed to be there for you. They give you a sense of completeness. Why wouldn't anyone want that?

I never even thought this mindset existed. Does Harry feel this way? Am I truly just another girl in his life, one that's easily replaceable?

"Are you okay?" Her hand rests on my leg. I shake out of my trance and nod. She gives me a concerned look but doesn't pry. 

"I'm going to get a drink, anyone want something?" I stand up and look around. No one answers so I make my way back into the kitchen, trying to find something I'd like. 

"Are you okay?" A deep voice asks from the doorway. I jump at the suddenness. Harry leans against the wall, scanning my features.

I nod and go back to the fridge, looking to see if it has any white claws. He steps closer and lightly grabs my arm.

Just to my luck, it's the exact bruised spot. 

Even though his touch is light, I still wince. He notices my tense posture and lets go right away.

He proceeds to pull off my jacket from behind. He sucks in a breath when his eyes set sight on the mark. I don't dare turn around, not wanting to face him.

"El," he whispers in slight shock. 

Gaining courage, I turn around and grab the jacket out of his hands. I quickly put it back on before he can stare at it longer. I finally find the drink and grab it. I try to escape the kitchen, but he blocks me from doing so.

"Why didn't you tell me it was so bad?" His anger slowly returns. I don't meet his hardened eyes. "Ellie."

"We should go back before anyone gets suspicious." I try to escape but he grabs my arm before I can. When I yelp in pain, he immediately let's go. Regret and hurt floods his face.

"Fuck, sorry. I didn't mean to..." he runs his hand through his curls.

I slowly back away from him, not wanting to even discuss it. The look of hurt on his face breaks my heart, but I don't stop and comfort him. 

Zayn's words and Harry's sudden anger are overwhelming for me, not to mention I have to pretend like my soulmate isn't fucking five feet away from me. The whole situation is finally catching up to me and I hate it. I can't be here any longer. 

Going back into the living room, I announce that I have to leave. Zayn offers to drive me, but I insist that I'm fine. Everyone, minus Trina, is concerned but I lie and tell them that something happened to Audrey. 

After finally managing to leave, I head down to the lobby. No one takes a second glance at me as I trudge through, obviously not fitting in. 

I find myself calling Drew. He picks up quickly and he agrees to a ride, no questions asked. I wait on a bench outside the hotel.

He pulls up in his sports car and I find myself grateful he didn't bring Audrey along. I love her, but she can be a handful sometimes. I know she'd ask questions, and I don't feel like talking.

How can I explain something that I don't even know the reasoning behind?

A/N: 

Hey guys! If you like teen fiction, check out my other book called Unexpected :) In my opinion it's better written than this book. 

Comment and vote <3