Eve's POV
The first wave of nausea hit me, waking me up from my uneasy sleep and causing me to groan loudly and press myself further against the mattress. The bed that I was in was a lot softer than I remembered the one at Niall's to be, the mattress a lot more plusher, dipping comfortably against my restless body. The pillow that my head was buried into smelt faintly of mint and green apples, a scent that seemed familiar but I just couldn't remember where it was from.
Another wave of nausea washed through me, this time the bile rising slowly up my throat. I shook my head in protest, despite the fact that this did nothing except make the throbbing in my head more painful. My eyes were blurred as I shot up from my bed, climbing out from under the sheets and clambering to what looked like a bathroom on the other side of the room.
I fell to my knees and lowered my head over the toilet, releasing the contents of my stomach into the bowl. There wasn't much, but I couldn't seem to stop the relentless gagging and heaving my body was giving out, my arms clutched tightly around the bowl for support.
"Jesus Eve" I heard an all too familiar voice call from behind me. My brows knotted in confusion before I gagged once more, and I felt Harry pull my hair back and out of my face to secure it with an elastic, probably with the one that he kept around his wrist from time to time.
"Harry, what are you do-" I started, before my stomach wrenched and I was spluttering back into the toilet bowl. Harry's hand landed on my back, skating up and down the t-shirt that was stuck to my back due to my clammy skin, his voice soft and comforting, but the words not making sense as they bounced around my aching head.
Once I was sure that was all I could give, I reached weakly up to flush the toilet, before falling backwards and scooting over to press my back against the wall, my head lulling back as I tried to steady my breathing. I heard Harry shuffle in front of me, falling to the floor as well.
"What am I doing here?" I croaked, my throat raw and burning after every word that slipped through my lips. My eyes jarred open to find Harry sitting cross legged in front of me, wearing a pair of athletic shorts and trainers and nothing else. What happened to look like his shirt was slung over his shoulder, his torso bare and glistening, a thick layer of sweat dripping down over the ridges on his hard stomach. His hair was sodden, sticking to his forehead and a dark green bandana was entwined in his hair, doing a lousy job to keep the hair off his face. He must have been working out.
"You don't remember?" he asked.
"Remember what?"
He sighed, casting his eyes down and furrowing his brows slightly, "You called me last night to come pick you up, so I brought you here and put you to bed, you really don't remember?"
I usually wouldn't drink that much, not to the point where I wouldn't be able to remember anything from the night before. I had my fair share of alcohol induced adventures, from skinny dipping in someone's pool, to taking shots off of random people's bodies, to sneaking into one of the most exclusive clubs in the middle of the city. Alcohol helped me cope, it took me to a place where I needn't worry about anything, where everything that was affecting me could easily be forgotten after just a few drinks.
But I never let it get out of control, because that's what I craved. I liked to be in control, to still have some say in what I was doing, even with the extreme amount of alcohol flowing through me. Not being able to remember a whole night was daunting to me, because it meant that I lost that control at some point and anything could've happened. A shiver ran up my spine at all the things that might've happened, but I'm sure Harry would be happy to help with the gaps that I so desperately needed filling.
I shook my head in response to his question, and he pushed himself off the ground to stand, reaching his hand out to me and pulling me up as well. I stumbled slightly at the head rush, Harry's palm pressing sternly to my hip to balance me, letting go a second later after I was standing upright.
"There's a new toothbrush for you there" He informed, nudging his head towards the sink, before retreating from the room and closing the door behind me.
I got to work at brushing my teeth and cleaning myself up. I noticed my makeup had all been removed, quite impeccably actually, so there was absolutely no way I would have done that myself. I was also dressed in a t-shirt, the hem falling halfway down my thighs and brushing softly against my skin, the material smelling like fresh laundry and lemons. I wondered for a second if Harry dressed me, a bright blush surely creeping up my face and staining my cheeks.
I exited the bathroom a few moments later, my mouth refreshed and the cold water I had splashed on my face waking me up slightly. Harry was sitting on his newly made bed, a soft smile stretched on his face as his eyes landed on my legs, before flitting up to meet my gaze.
"Were you working out?" I queried, cocking my head to the side.
"Yes, I went for a run on the treadmill. How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts, but other than that I'm fine" I reassured him, and a look of relief settled on his face at my words.
"I need to shower. Your clothes from yesterday are in the lounge drying since I washed them last night after you changed. My t-shirts are in the top drawer and my sweats are in the third drawer, if you want to change again" he said, pointing to his dresser, "and my jumpers are in my closet if you're feeling cold. I want you to go and have something to eat. I didn't make anything since I wasn't sure what you would feel like, but please eat something, and take some painkillers for your head, okay?"
I nodded at his long request, smiling shyly at how determined he was to make me feel looked after. It was sweet, and it beats all the other times he's acted lousy towards me.
"I shouldn't be too long in the shower, and once I'm out I'll drive you home- or you can stay here, for as long as you'd like" he rushed the last past of the sentence, his hand curling around the back of his neck and rubbing it nervously, but my smile only grew wider at his accommodation towards me.
"Thank you" I nodded, and he grinned boyishly before heading into the bathroom.
**
"So what exactly happened last night?" I asked cautiously, snuggling my body against the car door to try and get myself comfy. I was adorned in a pair of Harry's sweatpants, the drawstring pulled as tight as possible around my waist, and his large brown jumper hanging loosely from my torso.
Harry was very vague when asked to recount the events that took place last night, like something had happened that he didn't want to tell me. He took extreme caution in what he did let out, his brows pulled down, lips pursed and his face looking like he was concentrating very hard on something. He would hardly talk to me after he got out of the shower, making sure I had eaten properly and taken painkillers for my headache, before asking multiple times if I was alright and if I wanted to hang around at his place or if I needed anything.
It was refreshing to see how worried he was for me, when he wouldn't stop fidgeting and mulling around until I assured him that I was absolutely fine and he needn't be concerned. It was nothing like how he treated me in the past, the way we just used each other physically and then brushed each other off afterwards, pretending like nothing ever happened. What he was doing today, it showed me that he did care, that he was capable of feeling something towards me other than a physical attraction.
"I've already told you" he replied sternly, the car coming to a halt once we neared the edge of the city, traffic congesting the streets for as far as we could see ahead. He groaned at the sight of the busy streets, raking a hand through his freshly washed hair then resting his elbow against the car door.
Harry only mentioned that he came to pick me up from the party, took me home and then put me to bed. That was it. He didn't mention what time he came, what we did back at our house, hell, what about Alice?
"Where's Alice?" I asked, my heart starting to beat erratically when I had realized I had completely forgotten about her this whole morning.
"I had a work dinner last night, so she's at a friends house. I will go get her once we drop you off" Harry replied nonchalantly.
I raised my eyebrow at his casual tone, "I've already asked that question, haven't I?"
"You have" he smiled, an amused look settling over his features.
I groaned in confusion, absolutely nothing was coming back to me from the night before. All I remember was driving to Niall's house then having a good cry against his shoulder after the conversation with my Mum. After that, everything else was just a huge blur.
"I honestly cannot remember anything" I huffed, my fingers tapping against my forehead to try and wrack my brain for any memories.
"You shouldn't have been drinking that much in the first place, Eve. I can condone a few drinks, but finding you throwing up in the gutter when I came to get you... Why were you even drinking so much?" he inquired, his head turning to me. His eyes were hidden behind his dark sunglasses, but it was easy to tell that his green irises were surely glaring at me.
I gulped at his question, I couldn't remember what I was drinking or how much I was drinking, let alone why I drunk so much in the first place. But I was definitely sure it had something to do with the argument I had with Mum, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell Harry about my family problems. Sure, he would care and offer advice, but I didn't want to make the relationship that we had more complicated by dumping everything bad that was going on in my life onto him.
"I don't know" I breathed, giving up on trying to find a reasonable answer that would satisfy him. He only shook his head in response and turned back to watch the unmoving traffic, the car moving agonizingly slow before stopping to a complete halt.
"Did you take my makeup off? I questioned.
"I did"
"Did you undress me?" My cheeks starting to burn at the thought.
"No" he breathed, "You did that yourself."
I was a little disappointed to hear him say that, but nonetheless, he took my makeup off. I wouldn't have thought of doing that to be completely honest. I mean, if I was called up in the middle of the night to pick up a drunken teenager, I would've put them straight to bed, clothes and all.
My chest warmed at the sight, my eyes drifting shut and imagining Harry standing in front of me, his brows pulled down in concentration and his tongue sitting through slightly parted lips. His hands would be ever so gentle, moving skillfully across my skin to rid the makeup and leaving me bare. The pressure he'd apply would be so soft, not wanting to hurt me, the sheer attentiveness of getting it right clearly etched on his face.
"Where did you sleep?" I asked, coming back from my daydream.
"On the couch in my bedroom"
"You know you have a guest bedroom, right? Why didn't you sleep in there?" I jeered, probing him with questions to understand what his motives were. If he wasn't going to tell me, I was going to have to interrogate.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay, just incase you woke up during the night and needed to throw up or something. I didn't want you by yourself" he spoke calmly, his facial expression stony and giving nothing away.
He could have just brought me back to his and put me to bed, or he could've just taken me home and left me on the doorstep, but he didn't. He took me back to his house, took my makeup off, gave me something to sleep in, washed my clothes, made sure I was okay and comfortable, before proceeding to sleep in the same room as me incase something happened during the night. I couldn't help the smile that was forming, my lips breaking out into a grin at how much he really did care.
The next few minutes were silent, the traffic still moving at a slow rate and Harry's fingers tapping impatiently against the steering wheel. The silence between us surprisingly wasn't thick with tension or awkwardness, it was comfortable, both of us somewhat enjoying being in each others presence while we had the chance.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, but could you please take me to Niall's?" I asked in a panic, remembering that I was going to be staying there for a few days due to the situation at home.
"Sure, why are we going there?" he countered, looking over his shoulder to switch lanes.
"I'm staying there at the moment" I let out cautiously, hoping he wouldn't think too much of it.
"Staying there? Has something happened at home?"
"No, no, everything's fine at home" I lie, pressing myself further against the car door. I see Harry frown in the corner of my eye, blowing out a breathe and continuing to drive at a now steadier pace. I can tell that he knows something's up, I'm terrible at lying.
"Evie, if something's the matter, you can always talk to me about it. You know that right?" he said, his voice syrupy and comforting as he spoke.
He spoke as if he knew something that I didn't, "What are you implying?" I spat, the words coming out a lot harsher than I intended them too.
I heard him groan low in his throat, his lips parting before he closes them, battling internally about whether he should say what he wants to say. "You told me what happened last night... With your Mum and all"
The silence that surrounds us, is now, thick with undeniable tension. I didn't want to tell him because I didn't want this relationship between us to turn into anything weird. Riddling it with my problems would only make this all more personal, it would make me confide in him and I'd soon start relying on him to be there for me when things were bad. I didn't want that to happen, I didn't want to have to rely on him.
We drove in complete silence until we reached Niall's house, Harry pulling up swiftly to the curb and turning the engine off. I wasn't sure how to end this conversation, and I knew he wouldn't let me leave without explaining why I blatantly lied to his face and didn't tell him about my family issues. I was about to speak, to tell him the truth, until his lips parted and bet me to it.
"I'm annoyed that you lied to me, you know you can trust me Evie, and you know that I'm always here for you, so please, use me" he stated, sliding his glasses off his eyes and through his hair.
"Use you?" I asked, confusion evident in my tone.
"Yes, use me. You're one of the very few people who have me at their disposal. If it were any other person calling me to come pick them up in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have, but I would, for you. I'm here for you Evie, I'll always be here. Why didn't you tell me before about what happened with your Mum?" He asked, his eyes soft as he gazed at me.
"I don't want to have to rely on you" I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "If I tell you, then I'm going to start relying on you helping me and being there for me when things get rough, and I don't want to add anything more to what we have now. It's too personal. I don't want anything to change between us because of all my problems."
"You're not just a physical partner Eve" he muttered, "The relationship we have, I'm sure you agree that it's more that just physical" He pauses, and I nod in agreement, before he carries on.
"You're a friend, first and foremost Evie. I care about you, a lot, and I just want you to know that you can always come to me about anything. Please don't be afraid to talk to me. I'm a good listener, and it makes me feel good when you confide in me. If anything is wrong, just come and tell me what's bothering you, got it?"
I nodded my head slowly, but I couldn't help but feel that he was also referring to something else that I may have said in my drunken state during his little speech.
"Did I say anything else, last night?" I whispered, praying that the answer would be no.
"You did" he stated. "You said you didn't like it when we parted ways so abruptly after we'd been intimate."
I sighed in annoyance, he wasn't supposed to know that. That was what a physical relationship was, just the pleasure and nothing else. I was just being a baby about it, I knew that I would have to adapt to the way we treated each other, hoping that the feeling of being used would pass by after a few more times we were together. I just needed to hold out a bit longer, just until I got the hang of things.
"You should have told me you were feeling that way Evie, the last thing I want is for you to be unhappy in this agreement." He scolded.
"I'm sorry, I just... need a little time to get used to it is all" I mumbled back, gnawing on the inside of my cheek.
"I want you to be comfortable and happy with our agreement, so we'll work something out okay? I'm sure we'll be allowed to break a few rules. I just want you to enjoy this as much as I do" He smiled, running his thumb across his lip. "And if anything else about this is bothering you, please tell me"
"Thank you Harry" I nodded, his understanding of everything was truly humbling. I thought he would call it all off, that he would realize just how unprepared I was for this type of thing and would think it was all too much hard work to keep me. But this, him wanting to bend some rules, him wanting to talk and work things out between us just shows how much he wants this, how much he wants this to work, how much he wants me to stay.
"Right, so is that everything?" He let out with a breathe, his voice sounding a lot more softer and relieved than it had a few moments ago.
"Yes, and thank you for last night too, for picking me up and letting me stay the night"
"I didn't mind at all, you were very good company, Drunk Eve is adorable" Harry smirked, before cracking a beaming grin at me. I laughed at his words, embarrassment flushing through me and to my cheeks as I got out of the car.
*****
hiiii
omg harry is such a sweetheart in this chapter im so in love with him
please vote if you enjoyed! it helps me out a lot to make sure i'm doing everything right
also comment below what you thought of this chapter (im sorry it was mostly dialogue) - tbh this was probably one of my fave chapters to write so im keen to hear your thoughts on Harry & Eve and what you think will come from this
also i just want to put out there that alcohol/drugs aren't the solution to your problems!!! I, in no way, promote alcohol/drugs to be a healthy coping mechanism, and i am only using it in this story as a means for the plot line. Just because I write about it, doesn't mean I support it. If you have some problems, please don't turn to alcohol/drugs for help, please talk someone, anyone, and try to sort it out in a comfortable and safe manner. I love you all and i really don't want to see any of you get hurt.
i hope you all have a lovely day
byeeee xx