Dare You To Move [t.h.]

Chapter 8 - Just Friends

Elli's eyes are wide just like a deer in headlights and everything around her has seemed to still. Did Harrison really ask her on a date? She had no idea Harrison even saw her like that, they're friends. They've always been friends. It's who they are and they've cuddled a few times while watching a film or spending a night together but nothing more. And it hasn't happened since her thing with Tom started.

As far as Elli knows, he's never even flirted with her. But, Elli never knows when anyone is flirting with her, nonetheless, she's seen Harrison around other girls he's liked and she could swear up and down she wasn't one of them. Not until this exact moment with her mouth completely dry and her mind running a mile a minute, questioning how she's supposed to answer.

"Y-you...w-wh...what?" Elli stammers, trying to wrap her mind around how she could have been so oblivious. "I mean, it's not that-- it's just...I, uh--"

"It's okay." Harrison blushes, trying to hide the hurt and disappointment in his voice. "You don't have to. I've just liked you for a bit and figured the worst you could say is no, figured it'd best to just ask." Harrison sucks in a breath and forces a smile to his face, trying to show Elli that it's okay if she doesn't want to. "It's okay."

Elli shakes her head frantically. "No, no, it's not that I don't want to, it's just...I, ya know, just didn't know you liked me and I just, wow."

Harrison lets out a dry chuckle as he scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, 've liked you for a bit but I thought you and Tom had somethin' going on." Harrison admits, his eyes going to the stage where Tom was sat on a stool playing his guitar and starting to sing the first song of his set. "Said you didn't so..." Harrison looks back to Elli.

"Yeah, no we don't." Elli huffs through a small smile, trying to ignore the pinking of her own cheeks.

Of course, she lies because that's the deal with Tom. They lie to anyone who asks and that's just how it is but this feels different. She's lied to Harrison before, plenty of times even because he's asked about random hickies and he's had his suspicion but it's been a while since he's asked her. And maybe this is why. Maybe he hasn't asked her because if she says yes, it'll hurt. It'll hurt hearing that her and Tom are the two with something going on and his feelings aren't being reciprocated. But, nonetheless, Elli finds herself blushing because It's Harrison. And he's a sweetheart and good friend and the idea of a date with him doesn't sound bad, not even a little bit.

The corners of Harrison's mouth can't help but pull into a sheepish smile as he looks at her. "Cool," He says, biting his lip. "So, do you want to? We could see a movie, maybe?" His brows raise slightly, hope in his eyes and more confidence in his voice.

Elli looks to the stage and Tom is looking at them, singing the cover of the song and strumming his guitar. The red and white jacket compliments his skin and the low lights hit him in just the right way making him look effortlessly beautiful. His eyes are on Elli and she has to turn back to Harrison because if she doesn't, she'll fall. The waves singing Tom's name over and over in the most beautiful and exquisite melody will pull her in and she'll fall harder for him than anyone she's ever met and she can't. So, she looks away.