"Why am I going to this party again?" I ask Harry as he makes a right turn down another street, and I can already feel the music thumping from a block away.
"Because the boys and I are celebrating the end of another tour, and I want you to be there to celebrate with me."
"Okay," I reply quietly, crossing my arms over my chest.
The both of us remain quiet the rest of the way as Harry parks on the street, the driveway and the adjacent curbs already overflowing with cars. Harry and I step out of the car and I glance down at my feet, wishing I had worn different shoes.
I sigh and follow Harry to the oversized house, his boots and my heels clicking against the pavement, creating a steady rhythm with our footsteps.
As we approach the house, Harry grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers, making sure to keep me close as we get closer to the blaring music and the large crowd of guests.
We walk through the front door, the loud music only growing stronger the closer we get to the source. Harry and I weave our way through the many groups of people, with Harry leading the way, his hand still wrapped firmly around mine.
"Harry! There ya are!" Niall roars over the music, clapping a hand onto Harry's shoulder. "The lads and I are out back." He pauses to glance around the house. "Way too many people in here."
"Who are all these people? I thought it was just going to be us and the boys," I ask Harry.
"We can't celebrate without the crew," Harry says and starts leading me toward the backyard.
We step through the patio door, the cool air of the night washing over me again and I fight off a shiver running down my spine.
Niall reaches into a cooler and pulls out two beers and offers one to Harry who accepts it by taking a long pull from the bottle.
"No thanks," I say when Niall offers me the second bottle. He shrugs and takes a drink.
Harry walks us over to an empty chair where he sits down and pulls me onto his lap.
Niall begins to engage Harry in conversation about tour, the last derby match he watched and anything else really, but I stopped listening a long time ago.
Instead, I watch the careful way Harry's mouth forms around his words, and the smooth way they fall from his lips so effortlessly. I watch the way Harry smiles every so often when Niall breaks into a laugh. I watch the way the corners of Harry's mouth cut into his cheeks to reveal his dimples as Niall relives some prank the two of them pulled on some unsuspecting crew member.
Harry catches me staring at him and I smile at him fondly, thinking I could stare at him forever.
Niall and Harry both finish their first beers and Niall passes out another round as Louis starts up another conversation about his last football match. I zone out again, fiddling with one of the buttons on Harry's shirt and smiling to myself when he chest shakes with laughter every few minutes. It's always nice to see him this way - relaxed and happy.
Niall eventually hands Harry a third beer, and I know I'll have to cut him off after his fourth to keep him out of trouble. Liam and Louis have disappeared back into the house somewhere and Zayn sits silently in the corner, staring at his phone.
"I'm gonna go get some water," I tell Harry before climbing off his lap. He gives me a small nod before breaking into another laugh at whatever Niall just said.
I adjust my dress and walk into the kitchen. I walk over to the fridge sitting against the wall and open the door in search of a bottle of water - surprise, there is none. There's only beer. I turn my attention to the cabinets above the sink in search of a glass and find one easily, placing it under the faucet and letting the water fall into the glass. I bring the glass to my lips and gulp it down.
