As soon as Harry sets the drink down in front of me I take a huge gulp through the straw. If I'm going to have to spend the rest of the night with Harry's friends I'm going to need some alcoholic confidence. I never have been one to drink much, but I guess I've changed.

"What did I miss?" Harry eyes me while I take huge gulps of my drink.

"Nothing much." I shrug and give Harry a fake smile. His friends agree with my statement and I have to stop myself from shooting daggers toward them. Harry furrows his brows, clearly not believing the act.

"So how's the new job?" Harry questions in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Actually it’s really great. I've been given the opportunity to write my own book and also edit in between. I'm still deciding what I should write though. Also there's this old man, Jacob, who checks up on me. It's sweet I guess." I shrug and take a sip of my drink in an attempt to pace myself.

"That sounds great. They must really like you if they gave you the opportunity to write your own book?" Harry questions.

"Not really. Rebecca, my superior, said that I was simply at the right place at the right time." I mumble and play with my fingers.

"Sounds familiar." Tom grunts catching my attention.

"What do you mean?" I sit up straight and pick up my cocktail to take another drink.

"Well don't you thi-" Harry accidentally bumps the table causing their drinks to spill and cutting Tom's explanation short.

"Dammit Harry." James mutters under his breath as he jumps off of his chair to avoid the liquid.

"Sorry." Harry sighs and glares at Tom. I shake my head and get up from the table.

"Let's just move to another table and then you guys go get yourself some new drinks." I suggest and all of them silently agree.

We quickly pick another table and set down our belongings. The guys slowly walk toward the bar to get themselves new drinks while I sit alone by the table. I squint my eyes as I try to remember what we were talking about but I can't remember. I frown and angrily eye my now empty   cocktail glass. I don't know how much alcohol was in that damn drink but I can already feel my body starting to tingle from the alcohol.

"Here."Harry places another drink in front of me. My eyes widen slowly as I debate with my subconscious on whether or not I should continue drinking this poison.

I notice that Harry has not taken his seat yet which causes me to glance up at him. I find him already looking at me. My breath hitches in my throat as I stare into his striking green eyes. He looks somewhat flustered as he looks at me. I smile up at him and pat the seat next to me. He takes a deep breath before sitting down next to me. His friends soon join us, all of them except Tom also looking flustered. Tom looks pissed. I roll my eyes   and take a sip of the cocktail.

"Anyway, what do you guys do for a living?" I try to make conversation as I had completely forgotten what we were speaking of.

"Well I'm a therapist." Lee says and I almost spit my drink back through the straw.

"Seriously?' I stare at him wide eyed.

"Yeah.' He nods and I subconsciously shrink away from him. I purse my lips, nod and shift my gaze to James.

"I'm a soccer coach." He shrugs and grins.

'That's cool, for what age group?" I pry.

"Teenagers. They're crazy." He widens his eyes slightly and chuckles. I chuckle with him and look over to Tom.

"I work with James, I'm also a coach but for the younger kids." Tom mumbles.

"How did you guys meet then?" I question as all of them clearly work at non-related job environments except for James and Tom.

"We met in high school. We all auditioned for some kids band, but just decided to start our own band. It failed horribly, but we've been friends ever since." James explains and I smile. It's nice to get to know them on a more personal level.

"Why'd the band fail?" I question eagerly.

"Well all of us could play an instrument but none of us could sing." Lee shrugs and takes a swig of his drink.

"We did hold auditions for a lead singer, but no one wanted to join a group of hormonal teenagers playing instruments." Harry chuckles and I laugh.

After minutes of bickering amongst each other I grow bored and end up drinking my drink faster. I am now by my forth drink and I can honestly say that I'm struggling to focus. I force myself to only talk when necessary because I know that I'm way passed sober. I feel myself swing a little bit in my seat as I absentmindedly listen to the conversation the guys are having.

"Are you alright Ash?" Harry chuckles and steadies me on my seat. He looks way more sober than I feel.

"Y-Yeah." I stutter and wipe a hand over my face.

"I've never been good at handling alcohol."  I smile guiltily at him.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He places a hand on my cheek. Before I can enjoy his gentle touch he removes his hand causing me to frown.

"It's fine." I wave him off and lean onto the table. After another few minutes and a new drink I can't sit still anymore and decide to get up to dance.

I walk over to the dance floor, which is very small, and gently sway my hips to the music. I feel the alcohol flowing through my veins, giving me the confidence I need.  I close my eyes and let the music guide me. After the song ends I walk back to the table, almost toppling over a few times.  I meet Harry's gaze as I draw closer to the table. The green in his eyes seem darker. I break eye contact with Harry and slowly draw my drink to my lips, too thirsty to attempt drinking out of the straw. I notice the absence of the rest of the guys which makes me stop drinking.

"They left?' I say somewhat breathlessly.

"They're at the bar." Harry says simply and I widen my eyes.

"I can't drink any more, Harry. I'm already way over what I can handle." I whine and heavily sit down on my seat.

"I told them not to get you anything. Your drink was still full." He gestures to my half empty cup. I bite my lip and look at Harry.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight." I smile.

"Anytime." He smiles back at me and brushes the hair out of my face.

I feel my skin igniting at his touch. I gently lean into his hands and feel the heat intensifying. Harry's gaze breaks from mine as he notices someone behind me. His touch easily slips from my face and returns to his side. I frown and turn my head to look into the direction where Harry's gaze was. My face falls as I see James, Lee and Tom walking toward us. Can Harry really be ashamed of touching me around them?

"Please take me home." I mumble my voice void of all emotion. If he's really so ashamed of showing affection in front of his friends then I don't think I want to spend time with him anymore. Why be with someone who's ashamed of you? I feel my stomach churn and stifle a groan. Of all the times the alcohol can make me feel bad, it chooses to happen now.

"Why?" Harry questions and notices my sudden mood change. The guys take their seat, too busy talking to notice the tension in the air.

"I don't feel so good." I mumble. At least I'm not completely lying. I slowly stand up and pick up my handbag.

"Alright." He nods and gathers his things.  The guys give us a questioning look and I can't find the strength to answer.

"I'm taking her home, she doesn't feel too good." Harry shrugs apologetically.

"Hope you feel better Ash." James says sympathetically.

"Good luck." Tom says and I cringe when I realize he probably knows that I want to throw up.

"Drink a lot of water." Lee smiles and I nod. I turn and hastily walk out of the building, eager to get home.

"Ashley, wait up." Harry exclaims from behind me. Anger bubbles inside of me which makes me walk faster. Somehow I make it to his car without falling or even stumbling.

"What the hell?" Harry questions once he catches up with me. I roll my eyes  and shake my head.

"What the hell is right, Harry. You've been leading me on the whole damn night and I'm sick of it! Just open the damn door or I'll find my own way home!" I yell into his face and cross my arms.

He widens his eyes and takes a step back before unlocking the door. I don't wait for him to open the door as I harshly rip open the door, get in and slam it shut. I glare at him through the window and notice how he runs a hand through his hair before walking to the other side. He gets into the car and drives without saying a word. The silence in the car on the way home is killing me and I can feel the adrenaline of the alcohol slowly wearing off, making me feel sick to my stomach. I cover my mouth as I feel my nausea building in my stomach.

"Pull over." I mumble through my hand.

Harry looks at me and quickly slams the brakes. The car is still slightly moving when I open the door just in time. I feel my body convulse as I empty my stomachs contents onto the road. I groan as the acid of my stomach and the alcohol burns my mouth.  Harry's hand gently runs circles on my back which doesn't really help the nausea. After I'm sure I won't throw up in his car I wipe my mouth clean and lean back into the car. I gently close the door and lean my head in my hand.

"I'm not going drinking with you lot ever again." I groan and close my eyes.

"Because you don't want to see me again or because of the actual drinking?" Harry enquires in a soft voice and I feel myself frown. I don't answer him and he sighs.

He gently pulls away and continues driving toward my house. I wonder if Harry is actually aware of what he's doing to me. I'm so pissed at the fact that he's to ashamed to be 'seen' with me but the other side of me feels bad for being so harsh. Maybe I was just overreacting.

"Because of the drinking." I whisper, not sure if Harry hears me. I open my eyes and see him looking at me which indicates that he heard me.

 I feel my stomach churn and start to feel queasy. Luckily when I glance outside I notice Harry pulling into the driveway of my apartment. I quickly jump out of the car, not caring if Harry follows me or not. I struggle with the keys to my door and when it finally opens I rush toward my bathroom. I make it just in time. Once again I convulse into the toilet. I feel my hair gently being pulled back. At first I panic but then I hear Harry quietly asking me whether or not I am okay.

"Fine." I whimper and continue throwing up.

After several minutes I dry heave into the toilet and decide that it’s safe to remove myself from my toilet. I glance back at Harry who is patiently waiting on me. Our eyes meet and I give him a weak smile which he returns. I sigh and get up while flushing the toilet. I silently make my way to my bathroom basin and brush my teeth, ridding myself from the awful taste in my mouth. Once I'm done I notice Harry still intently watching me.

"Do you, uh, would you like some water?" Harry offers. I nod and follow him toward my kitchen.

"Glasses?" He asks as I take a seat on one of the bar stools.

I look at him through the opening on the wall and point toward the cabinet on top of the sink. He nods and fills a glass of water before handing it to me. I thank him and gulp the water down.

"I'm sorry for leading you on. I- I just don't know what to expect." His shoulders slump as he confesses.

"I'm not really good at this. I'm just not sure what is happening. This wasn't supposed to happen." He mumbles and scratches the back of his neck. I study him, but remain quiet. He briefly looks at me and sighs.

"I guess I'm going to go now. I really hope you feel better." He gives me a tight smile before turning to leave. I feel my heart thump in my throat. He can't leave like that. Will we ever speak again?

"Harry," I call and get up from my seat. I turn the corner to see him standing by the door.

"J-Just stay. Let's talk about it?" I stammer and fiddle with my fingers. He smiles sadly at me.

"You should get some rest Ashley."  He says and with that he exits my apartment and possibly the rest of my life.

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