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hstyleshoney · 1 day

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Loves Me Loves Me Not - five.

“You said you were feeling a bit poorly today and I… Well, I thought maybe you could use one of those.” “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” “I know."

AU fake-dating, bartenderry // Harry is a bartender and new in town. A joke with her friends turns into reality after too much tequila, but nothing goes according to plan.

And what the hell is going on?

word count: 9.5K // language, a little bit of angst, consumption of alcohol

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Y/N had been distracted lately. Her plan to make Reece fall in love with her was somehow getting further and further down on her to-do list.

And she needed to get back on track.

It had been two weeks since her Sunday with Harry. Two weeks since she told him about her family’s tragic history. Somewhere between texting the grumpy man silly little updates about her days and dealing with Arlos teasing comments about how much she was looking at her phone - Y/N had kind of forgotten about Reece and her plan.

So much so that when the blond hunk of her dreams came stumbling into the salon, his skin glowing and glistening from sweat due to working outside in the spring sun, she was completely stunned. Not because he looked absolutely gorgeous, but because the jitters running through her reminded her of his existence. He had bought her another cup of coffee, and for the first time, it was exactly how she liked it.

She needed to get back on track.

As soon as Reece left she had texted Harry to tell him about the brief encounter, to let him know that the plan needed to keep going. To which he simply replied, “you’re insane.”

She told herself that Reece must be jealous because she hadn’t paid him much attention lately. She had been more focused on Harry and it made Reece jealous enough to finally get her a cup of coffee she could drink.

Unintentionally, her plan had been working.

Because texting Harry silly little updates hadn’t been a part of her original plan. After their day together, eating croissants and brownies, she truly felt like he was starting to open up to her and wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of being friends.

Perhaps calling them friends was a bit strong, but he always replied and had made no indication that he wanted her to stop. His replies were usually short, which was not really a surprise. While he seemingly refused to use any other emoji than the thumbs up, he never ignored her and her excessive use of different emojis. He always made sure to send her a reply, no matter how pointless her text had been.

However, something that very much took her by surprise was when Harry showed up at BLOOM, looking a little uncomfortable and holding a paper bag with Pebble’s logo printed across the front.

Y/N was busy finishing up with a client by the cash register when she heard the bell above the door chime. As soon as she looked up and saw his familiar frame her brain was scrambled. Arlo and Margot’s eyes burning gaze on her definitely didn’t help either. Her cheeks felt hot as she tried to focus on the client in front of her and make sure she put in the right amount they needed to pay for their appointment.

Harry stood awkwardly by the entrance, scratching the back of his neck while he waited for her to be done. His brown locks were a mess from the wind outside and he was dressed in the same black outfit he usually wore for work.

Suddenly the room felt a lot smaller than it had been just moments ago. Harry’s presence in the salon was astonishingly noticeable, his dark clothing and broody demeanor stood out amongst the soft colorful interior around him. Y/N had to triple-check that she hadn’t messed up on the computer in front of her. She was used to being startled by Reece while at work, but seeing Harry come in was not something she had ever expected. He had never given her the impression that he would willingly put himself in that situation.

And trying to work while he was right there, his eyes examining her every move was nerve-wracking. It was like her first day at work all over again. When the client was done paying Y/N was nearly exhausted.

But as the client was leaving, Harry finally moved forward and came up to the front desk, giving her a tight-lipped smile while greeting her with a small nod.

“Harry,” she tried to not sound as startled as she actually was. Texting him and getting short replies in return wasn’t as daunting as being around him. She found herself being less nervous when his piercing green eyes weren’t right on her.

Harry showing up unannounced at her work was something else entirely. Something she hadn’t prepared for, especially not when both Arlo and Margot were so close and could eavesdrop on the entire thing.

Then the memory of his comforting hand on her knee as she told him about her family pushed itself to the center of her mind. It dawned on her that she hadn’t actually seen him since, and she didn’t know what to say. Ideally, her two friends, who knew nothing of her scheme, wouldn’t have been right behind them when she saw him again.

Y/N leaned forward against the counter in an attempt to act casual and cool. Behind her she could hear her two friends giggling and sniggering between themselves, their eyes still clearly focused on her and the interaction that was about to take place. “Hi, what are you doing here?”

“Hey,” he spoke with a low, almost reluctant, tone. Y/N watched as the muscles in his throat moved when he paused and swallowed harshly. Her eyes followed the contour of his sharp jawline up to his face and noticed his cheeks flushed in a light color of pink. “I brought you this.”

He handed her the paper bag over the counter and Y/N raised an eyebrow questioningly as she took it from him. A smile immediately tugged at her lips as she looked inside and saw a single brownie wrapped up in a small plastic container. Harry cleared his throat before speaking again. “You said you were feeling a bit poorly today and I…” he trailed off, scrunching up his nose a little, looking for the right words before speaking again. “Well, I thought maybe you could use one of those.”

Behind her, Margot let out a not-so-subtle squeak. Y/N threw her friends a quick glare over her shoulder to shut them up before turning to Harry again.

“Thank you,” she gave him a small smile. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know,” he mumbled and shrugged lightly. “I was just passing by and got myself something, so...“

A silence fell between them and Harry diverted his eyes away from hers. He had his regular White Deer t-shirt and black trousers on. An outfit she had gotten used to seeing him in behind the bar and associated with his stoic frown, yet, there was a notable difference about him. He came across as far less intimidating in the bright lights of the salon. The way he continued to uncomfortably shift his weight from one foot to the other, not knowing where to put his hands, was a side of him she hadn’t seen before.

Before Y/N could dwell on it though she watched as Harry suddenly tensed up, his gaze landing on something over her shoulder, and without looking back she knew exactly what was happening.

“Aw, look at you two little lovebirds,” Arlo’s sweet voice rang out between the four of them and Y/N felt his arm fall around her shoulders as he squeezed up next to her. “Aren’t you just the cutest.”

“Arlo,” Y/N warned quietly and shoved a light elbow into her friend.

“What?” he said, his body shaking with laughter next to hers. Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Hiya! I’m Margot,” her more sensible friend cut in cheerfully and put her hand out towards Harry to shake. “I don’t think I've had the chance to introduce myself to you yet.”

Harry stood frozen for a bit before eventually reaching out to shake Margot’s hand.

“Harry,” he mumbled and Y/N watched as he took a subtle step back after shaking Margot’s hand.

“It‘s so nice to finally meet you properly,” Margot continued excitedly, not having noticed Harry moving away from them slightly. “It’s always so busy at the pub and I’ve heard so much about you from both Ruby and Y/N!”

Harry glanced at Y/N with a wary look, his green eyes already showing signs of regret about coming into the salon.

And even though his visit had brought her a brownie; a part of her wished he hadn’t shown up either. Harry being in the salon was the first time she would have to fake it right in front of her friends. They had only seen the two of them talk from a distance before. How was she supposed to keep up her scheme without a plan of action?

With no time to prepare it was bound to be a disaster.

“Have you now?” Arlo spoke up again before Y/N could protest the claim being made. “Because this one,” he squeezed Y/N closer to himself. “Won’t say a bloody thing to me. You’d think she made it all up with how secretive she’s being.”

“Well, I’ve only heard good things,” Margot argued and childishly stuck her tongue out. “Maybe if you weren’t so cheeky all the time people would actually tell you things.”

”Okay you two, please stop,” Y/N seized the opportunity to interrupt and shot Harry an apologetic look.

Being alone with Harry and texting him was one thing. They were friends, kind of, when it was only the two of them, and she could be herself. Now she had to play the role she had given herself as his potential girlfriend. Sharing the cramped bed in his flat had been less nerve-wracking than putting up an act right in front of her closest friends. They (Arlo) would see right through her if she acted even slightly suspiciously. “Harry only stopped by to bring me a brownie, not to hear you two bickering and making up lies.”

“Aw, you got her a brownie?” Margot pouted and looked at Harry with big eyes. “That’s so sweet of you! She loves those!”

“Yeah, hopefully she’ll be a bit nicer now,” Arlo started with a teasing tone and chuckled. “She can be a monster at this time of the month. You better get used to it, H-man, if you're planning on sticking around.”

“Arlo!” Y/N hissed, her cheeks getting hotter, as she pushed her friend away from her. “Could you not?”

“Only giving him a heads up Y/N. You’ve been in a grumpy mood all day,” he turned to look at Harry again. “I swear, she makes the evil step-sisters from Cinderella look nice when it’s that time of the month, but chocolate is the way to her heart. Write that down if you wanna live.”

“You’re such a prat.”

“I’m only joking Y/N,” Arlo said, his voice less teasing than it had been when he noticed how she once again rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw tightly.

“Well, it’s not funny,” she huffed and tried her best to not let her annoyance show too much. It was a good thing she wasn’t actually dating Harry. Because had it been real, she did not need the guy she had just started dating to know that the gremlin inside her took over when lady red was on a visit.

It wasn’t like she cared if Harry knew she had her period, it was only natural. But it still got her flustered that Arlo had announced it so casually to him. She just hoped he wasn’t too uncomfortable to find out that was the reason she had texted him that morning. Y/N woke up with the worst cramp in her lower abdomen, feeling bloated and agitated. She had sent him a message telling him to forget everything she said about Thursdays being the best day because she felt like shit and hated the world.

However, after having a cup of tea and a shower she felt a little better and her day had been quite pleasant. Thursdays were still her favorite day.

And she knew Arlo had no ill intentions saying the stuff he did, sometimes she just wished he would think twice about what he said.

“Um, right,” Harry started and cleared his throat. “I better get back to the pub.”

“Oh, ignore Arlo, he is just being a brat,” Margot said in an attempt to keep him in the salon for a bit longer. “Stay and hang out for a while, let us get to know you.”

“I got work,” Harry told her flatly and slowly started backing towards the door to make his escape.

“Yeah, of course, duh,” Margot laughed lightly before letting out a small gasp. “Oh! Everyone is coming over to mine tomorrow night to celebrate our friend Finn’s birthday, you should come!”

Y/N felt her blood run cold at the suggestion coming out of her friend’s mouth. She quickly looked at Harry. As always, his face was set like stone, giving away no clue as to what was going on inside his head.

It felt like hours had passed by before he eventually spoke up.

“Nah, I wouldn’t wanna intrude.”

“You wouldn’t!” Margot argued. “It’ll be fun. The more the merrier!”

“I’m not really a party-person,” Harry told her and shot Y/N a discreet glare, silently pleading for her to step in and help him.

“Nonsense,” Margot continued and waved her hand around as she spoke. “Everyone will be thrilled to see you and get to know you better. You don’t have to be a party-person.”

“Mar,” Y/N spoke up slowly and racked her brain for something to say that would help Harry get out of the situation. “I don’t th-”

“C’mon Y/N,” Arlo interrupted her before she could finish. “Tell your boyfriend to come! It’ll be a blast. We need to get to know the man who have you staring at your phone all day.”

“I don’t do that!” She quickly defended herself firmly and looked at Harry with honest eyes, begging him to not believe her friends. Even if she was sending more texts than she usually would, she wasn’t staring at her phone all day waiting for Harry to reply. Her screen-time statistics were still the same. “It’s his choice whether he wants to come or not.”

Harry gave her a dirty look for her weak attempt to help him get out of Margot’s invitation.

“Harry, I promise you won’t be intruding,” the chirpy girl continued, blind to the tension in the grumpy man’s shoulders. Her dark curls fell across her forehead as she clasped her hands together and gave him a pleading look. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. You won’t have to mix any drinks for anyone and you can just have a good time and get to know some people.”

“Also, if it helps,” Arlo added and gave him a pointed look. “I can already imagine Reece’s face when he sees you show up and I promise you it’ll be worth it.”

Harry stayed quiet and looked between the three friends. Y/N felt a tingle in her stomach at the mention of Reece’s name and realized that, while she had been ambushed by the whole interaction between Harry and her friends, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea for Harry to come. It could be the final push she needed for her plan to be completed.

“If you’re busy it’s okay,” Y/N still tried to give him another out. Even if a large part of her thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make Reece jealous - Y/N felt bad. Harry wouldn’t exactly be thrilled about the idea of having to spend a whole night with them. There was no doubt in her mind that he could be completely interrogated by her friends.

And she knew how he felt about that better than anyone. She had been both the interrogator and the subject of the interrogation, but she would be there to help him. There was no way she was just gonna throw him to the wolves on his own. “There is no pressure, but you’re more than welcome to join us.”

Harry let his eyes linger on hers for a bit. For a moment, it was as if he saw right through her and into her brain. He knew she thought it would be a golden opportunity for her plan, and judging by the flash of annoyance behind the green in his eyes he was less than impressed with the turn his little visit had taken.

He let out a harsh breath and gave his final answer.

“Alright, I’ll be there.”

Y/N pressed her lips together to restrain the victorious grin that was threatening to take over. Margot clapped her hands together and went into another ramble about how fun it was going to be. Harry’s eyes were still on Y/N though, and she could tell he wasn’t listening to a single word leaving Margot’s mouth.

“Thank you,” Y/N mouthed quietly to him. His face didn’t move as he continued to stare her down.

Suddenly, Margot’s voice was just a faint background noise to her as well. The only thing her brain could register was the deep green color of Harry’s eyes and the clash of emotions behind them. She couldn’t tell whether he was angry with her, upset, or just disappointed.

Either way, it left a sour taste in her mouth, because the way he kept looking at her made her feel like she had betrayed him.

She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from taking back the invitation and apologize. The hole she had dug for herself was already too deep. There was no going back because there was no way she could explain her backtracking without coming clean about the whole scheme.

And that was completely off the table.

“Talk to you later, Ducky,” Harry said eventually and broke the intense eye contact between them. Next to her, Margot let out a flicker of delight, something Harry undoubtedly heard as well, and quickly turned around to leave before getting roped into another question. Y/N opened her mouth to say something to him, but nothing came out.

Instead, she watched as he used his body weight to push the door open and slip out, leaving her feeling a little empty and dumbstruck.

On one hand, she was happy he had agreed to come. It would take her whole plan to another level, and hopefully, it would be the last push Reece needed.

On the other hand, she did not like the way he had looked at her and the hollow hole it left in the pit of her stomach.

The paper bag felt heavy in her hands as guilt started to creep up on her. From her fingertips up to her heart. Harry had, for the first time, been the one to approach her and do something nice for her. And she had only thought about her plan.

“Ducky!?” Margot exclaimed with big eyes after the door fell shut behind Harry. “Gosh, you two are so cute together!”

“Ehm, yeah,” Y/N said and laughed weakly. “He’s just being stupid... It’s just... just a joke we have.”

The guilt inside of her continued to grow, along with the confusion as to why she suddenly felt so stupid about using Harry to get to Reece.

“That’s so adorable,” Margot gushed. “Honestly, I was a bit confused by what you saw in him, but I can totally see it now.”

“How?” Arlo thought out loud. “We only saw him for like five minutes.”

“I know that. He just seems like the type of person who would do anything for the people he actually cares for, you know what I mean? Like once you get to know him. Like you have Y/N.”

“You got all that from that conversation?” Arlo laughed. “He hardly said a word and when he did he was trying to turn down your offer to come hang tomorrow.”

“Ah, don’t act so surprised. I’m good at reading people,” Margot shrugged smugly. “Also, he is absolutely gorgeous! If I didn’t have a girlfriend, one look into those lush eyes would’ve had me on my knees.”

“Jesus Christ,” Arlo burst out and his body shook with his loud laughter.

“Have you kissed him yet Y/N?”

Her eyes widened at the question directed toward her. She tried to mimic her friends and let out another weak laugh to play along with their excitement.

“No, not yet,” she told them.

“You’re telling me you spent the night at his place and nothing happened?” Arlo scoffed and bumped his hips into her. “C’mon, you expect us to believe that?”

“It’s true,” Y/N said and swallowed the lump in her throat, still trying to figure out why she felt so incredibly guilty. Harry had agreed to help her out. He knew the reason she had approached him was to spark Reece into asking her out.

So why did it all of a sudden feel like she was using him? “Um, I’ll be right back,” she muttered and swiftly turned to walk to the backroom of the salon without another word. Arlo called her name, but she ignored him.

Instead, she dumped the paper bag containing the brownie on the table and hastily pulled out her phone to send Harry a text. She had to talk to him. She wasn’t even sure of what to say, she just knew she had to talk to him.

But as she opened her conversation with Harry her breath got stuck in her throat. Because above the small keyboard on her phone were three small bubbles, indicating that he was already typing something for her.

“Hey, you okay?”

Y/N looked up with big eyes, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, and saw Arlo standing by the doorway with a concerned frown.

“What?”

“Is everything okay?” Arlo repeated his question. She looked down at her phone again, the three bubbles still blinking on her screen sending a wave of nervous shivers down her spine.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, locking her screen and looking up at Arlo again. She gave him a small smile. He studied her for a while before sighing lightly.

“Look, I’m sorry if I came on a little strong with Harry,” he apologized.

“It’s fine,” Y/N shook her head and felt her phone vibrate in her sweaty hands. Harry had sent his message.

“I was a bit of a twat,” Arlo admitted. “I didn't mean to. I just figured you two were like solid now and I could take the piss a bit, but wasn't really fair on you.”

“Honestly, don’t worry about it,” Y/N told him and gave him another smile, wanting the conversation to be over so she could read what Harry had sent her. “Maybe just don’t mention I’m a monster when I’m on my period again.”

“You got it,” Arlo said and ran his fingers across his lips, pretending to lock them. She glanced down at her phone and the screen lit up again, the notification of Harry’s text looking back at her tauntingly.

He had brought her her favorite brownie and she had completely overlooked it and forced him into another part of her scheme. Could it be their growing friendship that made her feel a lot more treacherous about the whole thing than before? Was that the reason for the guilt spreading like wildfire inside her? “I’m happy for you by the way,” Arlo’s voice startled her out of her spiraling thoughts. “You've been happy lately. He seems like a good guy, even if he doesn’t really say much.”

“I-” she faltered and rattled her brain for an appropriate answer to Arlo’s comment. The guilt inside her instantly grew another branch. She had never lied to any of her friends before. The reality of what she was doing was slapping her in the face, and it wasn’t very nice. “...Thank you.”

“Anyways,” Arlo nodded. “I just came to tell you that your four o’clock client is here.”

“Oh, right!” She exhaled deeply as she was reminded of the fact that she was still at work. “Could you get them seated, please? I’ll be right out. Just gotta check something quick.”

Arlo simply nodded and gave her a thumbs-up before he spun around to get back out into the salon. Y/N looked down at her phone, swiping a finger across the screen to finally come face to face with the message Harry had sent her.

Harry Styles 3:59 pm Nothing bad ever happens on a Thursday yeh?

You owe me.

His words immediately added a new layer to her guilt, while simultaneously also lifting a weight off her shoulders, because at least he was still talking to her.

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“For fuck sake,” Harry muttered to himself as he glanced at the clock and realized Y/N was running late.

He never should’ve agreed to help her out. He should’ve known it was going to be a lot more than just one date. Ever since he first laid his eyes on her he knew that she was going to give him a headache. Something about Y/N kept pulling him back, even when he tried his best to keep his distance.

The silly girl had cast a spell on him. Whether it was the way she would look at him with her big puppy eyes whenever she asked him for a favor or the fact that she seemed to be genuinely interested in getting to know him - Harry didn’t know.

He felt protective over her in a way he couldn’t explain, and he hated it. It only got worse after she told him about the passing of her dad and brother. She’d given him a small glance at who she really was behind that controlled smile and carefree attitude. Harry had let himself get captivated by her pure and innocent nature, and it needed to stop.

It gnawed on his mind daily. How had he allowed himself to let her get so close? He was beyond frustrated, and yet, he still found himself picking up his phone as soon as he was alerted of a new text from her.

He really should’ve said no. Because one date had turned into letting her spend the night and now he was going to hang out with her friends. Something he had desperately been trying to avoid since arriving in the small town. He wasn’t there to make friends.

So why on earth had he agreed to help her?

Y/N had offered to meet up with him before so he wouldn’t have to arrive at Margot’s place alone. And as he stood waiting for her to show up, Harry decided he was done. He was going to tell her he no longer wanted to be a part of whatever was going on. If she wanted to be with Reece she was going to have to get him herself. The whole thing was ridiculous and he didn’t have the time nor the energy to engage in her stupid scheme anymore.

The whole thing was a mistake.

Perhaps Patrick had been right when he said Harry was a fool. He had a good life in London. A home most people could only dream of, a good job that paid more than enough, and a pretty decent future waiting for him. If he had stayed he would’ve been set for life; he never would’ve had to worry about money and whether he would afford to pay his rent.

London had everything he could ever need.

And yet, he left.

Because there was one thing that growing up in London had taught him; everyone would find a way to betray you. Even the people who were supposed to always have your back.

Any time his mother told him he was acting too much like his father he sank deeper and deeper into the dark he had first been exposed to from a young age.

Harry had never even met his real dad. He had no idea who he was or if he was even alive. As far as he knew, even to this day, his father was nothing but a scumbag. Denise had fallen pregnant with Harry at the age of 15 and his father, being a couple of years older, had left her to deal with it on her own.

His mom remarried when Harry was five and Patrick was the closest thing he had ever had to a father. Although, he couldn’t recall ever calling Patrick 'dad'.

Patrick came from a different world. A world of privilege and wealth. He was set to take over the family company and inherit millions of pounds. It took a long time for Patrick's family to accept Denise, a young single mother working as a waitress, as their son’s wife.

The Lovell family was a well-known and respected name in the upper class in London. Patrick’s parents had expected him to marry someone from their circle of the world, someone with the same status and money as them.

Whereas they eventually warmed up to Denise, they never truly recognized Harry as a part of their family.

His mother took the name Lovell after getting married, but Harry still had her maiden name. He wasn’t Patrick’s real son, and all of them often liked to remind him of that as he grew up.

The twins were born a couple of years later, and while Harry was struggling to fit in, his siblings got everything handed to them on a silver platter. He did everything he could think of to finally get accepted into the Lovell family. He got the highest grades in school, always kept his room tidy, played tennis (even though he hated it - the Lovells loved it), and spent all his free time reading instead of playing video games.

Eventually, he went to university, got his degree, and started working for Patrick, hoping that would finally earn him the approval he had been chasing for so long.

And it worked, kind of, but in the end, Harry found out it meant nothing. He hated his job and all the pretentious people surrounding him. It was all about who had the biggest house or the fanciest car. He found himself faking it to make his mother proud. He turned into someone he didn’t recognize and slowly started to despite the reflection staring back at him in the mirror as he got ready for work.

Then Tamara came along and for a short while Harry thought he had finally found the love he had been yearning for all those years.

Unfortunately, like most things in his life, it turned out it was too good to be true.

“Harry!”

Y/N’s voice snapped him back to reality and he looked up to see her running towards him frantically. “I’m so sorry I’m late! I had a nap after work and didn’t realize what time it was. Then my bike had a flat tire and I couldn’t find the pump to fix it and I thought I was gonna have to walk all the way into town, but then I-”

“I could’ve picked you up,” He interrupted her rambling with a frown.

Fuck.

Why did he say that?

He couldn’t keep helping her.

“Well, I figured I was already making you do enough,” she said and bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m sorry for this whole thing. I didn’t know Margot was going to invite you.”

“You didn’t exactly stop her,” Harry scoffed, his annoyance about everything accidentally slipping through. He hadn’t meant for it to sound so harsh, and when he noticed the small smile on her lips falter he instantly felt bad.

Fuck.

“I know,” she mumbled. “I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

Harry sighed, running a hand over his face tiredly. She had that look on her again. The same one that had left a sour taste in his mouth at the restaurant during their “date”.

Before she showed up he had been fully determined to tell her it was the last time he would be helping her. The whole thing was starting to be too much. The quiet life he had pictured for himself did not involve helping some girl he had pretty much just met make another guy jealous.

The phrase ‘I’m done’ was on the tip of his tongue, but as she looked up at him through her dark lashes he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Y/N, with her stupid plan and bewitching smile, had gotten under his skin.

That was what bothered him the most. He had made a promise to himself and he was already failing. He never should’ve had dinner with her or let her stay the night, and he most certainly never should’ve bought her a brownie. What the fuck was he thinking?

“Don’t worry about it,” he ended up telling her and let a multitude of profanities soar through his head.

He had to end the plan.

He would end the plan.

“It’s just one night and there will be a lot of food and drinks and it’s all for free, you just need to pretend you’re having a good time... and maybe hold my hand or something.”

There was no way it could continue. It was stupid. The plan was so incredibly fucking stupid. The only thing stupider than her crush on Reece was Reece himself. Everything Harry had learned about the guy was against his will and he would pay good money to never hear that name ever again. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was that bothered him so much, but Reece frankly just reminded him far too much of the people he was trying to leave behind.

Which was another reason why the plan had to end. He had left London to get away from people like Reece and now he was suddenly going to spend an entire evening with him. If Y/N could just remove the rose-colored glasses she saw him through, and see his true colors, Harry would feel a lot better about quitting on her.

Maybe Y/N would give up on her own accord after tonight, Harry thought.

Maybe it was the last push she needed to see that her plan was pointless.

He could only hope.

If she did, Harry would have his hands clean. He wouldn’t have to see the disappointment in her eyes and he could continue pretending nothing had ever happened.

And if she didn’t, he would just tell her that he was done later.

One more night couldn’t hurt, he reassured himself. There was no reason to potentially upset her right before meeting up with her friends. No matter how much he hated the plan, he hated the idea of upsetting her even more.

So he walked with her to Margot’s flat, desperately trying to ignore the small boy inside him still longing for acceptance.

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Y/N’s brain was having a malfunction. Not a single coherent thought was running through her mind as she sat squished between Harry and Arlo on Margot’s small couch. Kiara had squeezed down next to Arlo on the other side, making Y/N scoot over and nearly end up in Harry’s lap. Everyone was talking loudly around her, but the only thing she could think about was the hard muscle of his thigh underneath hers.

To make things worse, Reece was sitting right across from her on a small plastic stool. His blue eyes made her head swirl ten times more whenever they landed on her. Despite wearing a skirt and a short-sleeved bodysuit, Y/N was burning up from the inside. Harry’s body was so hot next to hers.

And when Reece focused his eyes on her thigh resting on top of Harry’s, a flash of resentment flicking by behind the deep blue, Y/N nearly collapsed.

It wasn't until Arlo snapped his fingers in front of her face that she finally came back down to earth.

“Hello?” He mocked and lightly flicked her nose. “Are you in there?”

“What?” she flinched, accidentally jabbing her elbow into Harry’s side, causing him to let out a soft grunt. His hand unintentionally caught the arm that had dug into him. If Y/N hadn’t already been lost in thought, having Harry's long fingers wrapped around her wrist made her last brain cell vanish with the rest of them.

And the blue eyes glaring in their direction didn’t help bring any of them back to life.

“Well, Kiara here just asked you a question,” Arlo told her and nodded his head toward the dark-haired girl to his left. “Have you even been listening?”

“Of course,” she lied and chuckled lightly, hoping it would help her case. As soon as Kiara had sat down and Y/N was forced to mold her body into Harry’s she had stopped hearing a single thing anyone said.

To be fair, she couldn’t remember much from before that either.

On their way up the stairs to Margot’s flat her heart had been beating so fast she thought it was going to pop out of her chest. Everyone, besides Kiara, was already there so they had arrived to everyone staring at them. Most of them had looked at the pair with gaping mouths as if they had just seen a ghost when they noticed Harry hovering behind her.

Y/N tried her best to lighten the mood almost immediately, panic already rising inside her, by telling them all a joke. It didn’t work very well, but, thankfully, Margot’s enthusiastic spirit came to the rescue.

She was on her feet the moment she heard the front door open, welcoming them with open arms and repeating how happy she was that Harry had decided to come. Y/N still couldn’t believe that Harry had agreed to spend an entire evening with them, and as Margot threw herself at him to embrace him in a hug Y/N was sure he would turn right around and leave.

Harry didn’t necessarily hug Margot back. Y/N watched as the usual line between his brows appeared and how his jaw tightened. She had texted him back earlier, before tending to her client, and apologized profusely. She promised she'd meet up with him beforehand and that they wouldn’t have to stay long. Harry had only replied with a simple thumbs up, saying it didn’t matter, and the guilt running through her fizzled out for a moment. She just convinced herself that he wouldn’t have agreed if he truly didn’t want to.

Then she was late and saw him standing, waiting for her, with a tired face and slumped shoulders. The guilt flared back up almost immediately. He told her not to worry about it. She tried not to. But as the shock of Harry showing up had settled, everyone started blasting him with questions about his past life. Y/N felt so bad.

She did her best to change the topic and tell her friends to back off. They did eventually. Not because she attempted to help him though. It was more due to Harry being Harry. He didn’t really answer any of their questions. As soon as they realized he wasn’t interested in talking much, they quickly returned to whatever topic they had discussed before.

Nevertheless, Harry hadn’t pushed Margot away when she hugged him, and most importantly... he hadn’t left.

Instead, he sat squished next to her, quietly sipping his beer, and observed the group of friends as they got drunker by the minute.

“Uh-huh,” Arlo smirked. “Why don’t you go ahead and answer Kiara’s question then.”

“I...” Y/N started, quickly realizing there was no point in lying. She gave Kiara an apologetic smile. “Sorry, could you repeat that, please?”

Arlo laughed and raised his glass in triumph.

“I was just saying you two are quite the unexpected match,” Kiara told her and took a sip from the sparkling wine she was drinking, looking between Y/N and Harry. “I don’t think you ever told me how you two met. Was it at the pub?”

“Oh,” Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah... The pub, yeah.”

“I’m still impressed you’ve gotten enough out of him to go on a date,” Finn winked at Y/N and then shot Harry a quick look. “No offense, Bro.”

Harry only shook his head, completely unfazed by the birthday boy’s words.

“What can I say,” Y/N laughed nervously. “Sometimes it’s just easy.”

And she’s not sure what she was thinking, but the next thing she knew, she was reaching for Harry’s hand. He tried to resist, but Y/N ignored it as she gently lifted his hand from his lap and laced her fingers between his. Y/N didn’t dare to look at him, dreading whatever expression he had on his face. Despite resisting at first, his strong fingers wrapped around hers, warm and strong. The large ring on his index finger pressed firmly into her skin.

“You guys are honestly so adorable,” Margot cooed and cupped her cheeks, staring at the two of them lovingly. “I love Love.”

“God, M,” Reece cringed, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like they’re getting married.”

“Did you guys know he calls her Ducky?!” Margot continued, completely ignoring the comment thrown at her, and pointed a finger at the couple on the couch. “Adorable I say!”

“Alright babe,” Ruby laughed and gave her girlfriend a light pat on her thigh. “Maybe you should have some water.”

The discussion quickly moved on after that, but Harry’s hand was still in hers. She couldn’t bring herself to let go. Mostly because she didn’t want it to look like she was only holding his hand to convince them they were dating.

The other reason they were still holding hands was more because Y/N felt like she could breathe again. Even with the deep blue eyes watching her closely.

And as the air was finally making it down to her lungs again Y/N found the courage to lift her gaze to the man sitting on the opposite side of the table, only to realize that the blue eyes were not on her.

Instead, blue was meeting green. Reece’s focus was solely on the man sitting next to her. The man whose hand was still currently resting delicately in hers.

Y/N carefully looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed the two men staring each other down.

Fortunately, they were all busy chatting mindlessly about something new. The topic of her love life was completely left in the dust. Ruby had managed to get her girlfriend to drink a glass of water and was whispering something in her ear that made Margot giggle like a little schoolgirl.

No one had noticed the sneer on Reece’s lips and the way his chest suddenly puffed out. Holding her breath she found the courage to discreetly glance to her right and saw Harry staring back at the blonde man with the same narrowed eyes. Both men refused to accept defeat and be the first ones to look away first.

And Y/N regretted not being the one to run out.

For the first time, she looked at Reece and found herself feeling a little put-off. His usual charismatic demeanor was buried deep beneath the dark that had taken over his bright blue eyes. Harry, on the other hand, looked just like he always did. She had gotten so used to the stoic look on his face and the way his brows would knit together in a scowl. It didn’t surprise her to see him meeting Reece’s harsh glare and staring him down the same way.

The only thing that really took her off guard was the pressure on her hand. Whether it was intentional or not, Harry squeezed her hand in his.

It was Finn who eventually made the two men break.

“Alright, since it’s my birthday I think it’s time for some beer-pong!” The drunk man announced, slurring slightly and throwing his arms up in the air.

“Good luck sinking any of those cups, Mate,” Arlo laughed loudly. “Can you even see straight anymore?”

Finn raised his hand and middle finger.

“First of all, fuck you,” he said, chugging the rest of his beer. “Second, that’s why I’ll be the judge. It’s my birthday and that means I make the rules.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Ruby whined. “I’m not taking a shot every time I miss again. I want to make it home alive.”

“Yeah, that was rough,” Kiara agreed. “I spent the entire day on the bathroom floor after that.”

“Make sure you don’t miss then,” Jack teased and Finn pointed at him with a large grin.

“Listen to Jacky ladies!”

“Nahh, I’m not playing if that is a rule,” Ruby argued and shrugged. “Sorry, not sorry.”

“Fine,” Finn pouted. “But just know there might be something worse waiting for you.”

“We doing teams of two as always?” Arlo asked and looked at Y/N with a mischievous grin, hoping to team up with his usual partner to protect their winning streak.

“Hmm,” Finn paused for a moment and looked between the two friends, undoubtedly catching the smug glance Arlo had given Y/N. “Yeah, teams of two, but Arlo and Y/N cannot play together.”

“What!?”

“I make the rules,” Finn smiled proudly. “You two are annoying.”

“Try working with them,” Margot giggled and Finn raised his beer, clinking it against her wine glass.

“You guys suck,” Arlo declared and sank further into the couch. “It’s not my fault you don’t know how to play.”

“Yeah yeah, go cry about it.”

“Angel, wanna team up?”

“What?” Y/N blurted out, looking back to the blonde man who had been shooting daggers at her ‘date’ just moments ago.

“Gotta make sure I get the best player when she’s available,” Reece winked at her, seemingly forgetting all about Harry and the staring contest. Y/N found herself not knowing what to say for the hundredth time that evening. It should’ve been an easy yes because it was exactly what she wanted. Reece wanted her to be on his team, just the two of them, playing together as one.

It should’ve been an easy yes, but the warm hand currently wrapped around hers made that yes get stuck in her throat on its way up.

When she didn’t immediately reply Reece continued. “C’mon, make me the happiest man in the room and say yes.”

Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment it was as if the whole room slowed down. Like it was only the two of them still there. She could feel herself getting flustered by his sweet words, her whole body growing hotter all over again.

Unknowingly Y/N let her lips curve into a bright smile.

However, the warm feeling got an abrupt end when Harry suddenly released her hand. It was done smoothly, without anyone noticing, but she felt a cold shiver run through her as soon as he carefully slid his hand out of hers.

“This is unfair! You can’t just take my partner away from me like this. You all suck at this, how am I supposed to keep my beautiful winning streak with any of you on my team?!” Arlo sulked and shook his head in disbelief. Then his eyes widened, sparkling with enthusiasm, and he looked at the new addition to the group. “Harry, are you any good? I call dibs on the bartender!”

“Ohhhh, yes!” Finn burst out with a big grin and slammed his hand down against the table. A couple of empty bottles fell over. “The two champions against each other, let the game begin! Reece and Y/N against Arlo and Harry - let’s go!”

Y/N looked at Harry, her mouth falling open, ready to apologize for getting him involved in a stupid game of beer-pong. Nothing came out. Because how could she give him an apology in front of all her friends without making it weird?

Instead, she watched as Harry drank the last of his beer and got up to join Arlo, not sparing her a single glance.

Fuck.

“C’mon Angel, let’s go show them losers who are the true champions,” Reece said and stood up, reaching his hand out towards her to help her up.

Y/N stared at the large hand being offered to her before timidly reaching out and taking it. With the memory of Harry’s much softer hand still so vivid in her mind it was hard not to compare the two. Reece’s hand felt rough and cold in comparison to the one that had just been wrapped delicately around hers.

It was obvious Reece’s hand was a lot more calloused due to his tough occupation as a construction worker, and usually, it would light a flicker of arousal in her to have him so close. The only thing her body could pick up on now, as she took his hand in hers, was the lack of warmth.

What had she gotten herself into?

As she waited and watched her friends prepare for the game, Y/N tried to catch Harry’s attention. He kept himself busy by looking down at his phone, avoiding her gaze at all costs. Before she could get a clue as to what was running through his head Finn handed her the small ping-pong ball.

“Ladies first,” he announced and waved his arm towards the table. “Let’s go.”

Y/N really should’ve known that a game of beer-pong between two males who had just been staring each other down fiercely wouldn’t end well.

It started as any other game of the stupid drinking game. She threw the ball across the table and it landed right in the cup in the middle. Finn cheered loudly and announced his first rule; everyone not playing would have to drink as well when someone got the ball in a cup. Ruby protested and said it was unfair. Finn changed it and let everyone place bets on who was winning and had to drink when that team lost a cup.

The game continued and Arlo repeated what Y/N had done, letting the ball fly through the air and gracefully land in the cup in the middle. Reece missed his first shot. Harry too.

Y/N ended up missing her second attempt... and her third... and her fourth. She nearly got it on her fifth, but the ball ended up spinning out of the cup.

On her seventh attempt, she finally managed to score another cup, but it usually didn’t take her that long. She was far too unfocused. Reece was standing far too close behind her, his chest nearly pressing against her back, and whenever it was Arlo and Harry’s turn his hand would linger just beside her hip. Her head was in shambles.

Not only from Reece. No. There was a lot more adding to Little Y/N running around like a maniac inside her. The two men had picked up their staring contest and Reece took every chance he got to throw little digs at the other team, who were currently losing the game.

“What’s with the frown Henry?” he snickered when Harry got up to take another shot. “Can’t handle losing? You didn’t play beer pong in the big city? Was it not posh enough for you?”

Harry rolled his eyes, it was subtle enough that no one picked up on it, apart from Y/N. It was enough to make her want to call it quits on the game and drag him out of there.

Harry raised his arm and threw the ball across the table and it landed right in one of the cups in the back row. Arlo jumped in excitement, pumping his fists in the air, while Finn and Jack let out a roar of laughter.

“Just trying to go easy on you, Mate,” Harry told him and shrugged casually. While everyone was preoccupied toasting to Harry’s comeback Y/N picked up on the, to her, very obvious hostile tone of his voice.

“Ah, that’s more like it,” Reece countered and clicked his tongue behind his teeth. “Why don’t we make this a little more interesting... how ‘bout a bet?”

“I’m good,” Harry scoffed lightly. Even with a table between them, Y/N could see the tension gradually growing in him.

“C’mon, don’t be a pussy,” Reece continued to taunt him, his chest puffed out and a smirk playing on his lips. “Loser gets the first round for everyone at the pub.”

“He works at the bloody pub,” Finn laughed at the bet. “He can probably get us a round for free!”

“Great, then he has nothing to worry about has he?” Reece replied and looked at Harry with raised brows, waiting for him to accept.

“I’m not playing for a bet,” Harry repeated firmly, the corner of his lips twitching slightly as the lower part of his jaw shifted forward.

“Who the hell put a stick up your arse?” Reece mocked. “Loosen up, Man. It’s only a bit of fun”

“Then play against someone else,” Harry replied coldly. Y/N shared a concerned glance with Arlo, who seemed to have picked up on the bitter direction the conversation was going. “Or are you just desperate to swing your dick around and show off to the new guy?”

“What the fuck did you say?” Reece retorted and pointed an accusing finger right at him after tossing the small ping-pong ball to the side. The playful smirk was long gone, replaced by an angry scowl. The sudden change in his demeanor seemed to alert the rest of the group that the mood between the two men had changed. They all stood by, watching awkwardly, as Harry let out a dry laugh and shook his head.

“What’s your problem, Mate?”

“It’s my boy Finn’s birthday,” Reece began and took a deep breath through his nose. His chest puffed out further as he straightened his posture, taking a step forward to get closer to where Harry was standing.

Ruby reached out to put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to hold her brother back. Reece shrugged his sister's hand off of him and took another step forward. “I’m trying to have a good fucking night and you’re bumming everyone out and ruining the night. What’s your fucking problem?”

“Right now,” Harry started and mimicked Reece’s actions, getting closer. “You are.”

Arlo looked at Y/N again, eyes wide as he nodded his head towards the two men sizing each other up, silently telling her to step in and do something.

“O-okay,” Y/N interrupted with a shaky voice, her hand clutching the glass in her hand tightly. “Let’s just get back to playing, yeah? Like you said, Reece, it’s Finn’s birthday. Let’s just have some fun.”

Her head was swirling and she was sure her knees were going to give out if whatever was happening escalated any further. An awkward silence fell across the room, but Reece and Harry didn’t take a step back from each other.

She had known it was going to be a bit tricky having the two of them in the same room again. Harry had made it clear he wasn’t the biggest fan of the blonde man. Reece had also made it known he didn’t think very highly of the new bartender. She never could’ve imagined things would take the turn that they had. It was the most Harry had spoken all night, and she feared it would only get worse if she didn’t get them to back down.

Her body moved on its own as she rushed past Reece and put a gentle hand on Harry’s chest to push him back. “Ignore him,” she mumbled only loud enough for him to hear. “Please.”

Harry dropped his gaze down to her, his eyes getting softer almost immediately.

When she felt his body relax under her touch her knees finally gave out from the relief running through her. She stumbled a little and Harry was quick to catch her, placing his large hand on her hip to keep her steady.

Instead of getting herself lost in the deep green eyes looking down at her, Y/N quickly spun around and forced a big smile to ease the tension. “First round is on me, everyone,” she announced and tried to stop her regret from shining through. “No need for a bet!”

“See! This is what I want to hear,” Finn boasted. “Y/N automatically wins this round on her own!”

And that was the end of it.

Everyone moved on as if nothing had happened.

Margot and Ruby got up to play against Kiara and Jack. Finn continued making up rules as the game went on and had everyone downing a shot of tequila when Margot and Ruby were crowned as the new champions.

But even though the stand-off between Harry and Reece had been declared over and dealt with by everyone else, Y/N didn’t miss the harsh glances still being exchanged between the two.

It was going to be a long night.

Fuck.

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A/N: IM SORRY! It’s been forever I know!!! Life got in the way of writing unfortunately, but part five is finally here! I hope you liked it and is still interested to follow along on this journey! <3 I’m praying it won’t be as long until part six. Im gonna do my best to get it up soon, but I don’t want to rush anything either and post something I’m not happy with.

Please do tell me your thoughts on this though! I’m actually so nervous because it’s been so long since I posted something and I’m scared. I hope you all enjoyed it, things are definitely changing with all of them. I can’t tell you enough how much your feedback means to me and your support is what gets me motivated to find time to write. And PLEASE share if you liked it. I LOVE YOU!

Until next time, be safe and do things that make you happy<3

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