Ecstasy [h.s.]

47

June 2, 2023

"Fine," I slowly open my eyes, still tired as Harry's voice breaks through my sleep and the darkness of my room. The soft glow of the streetlights filters through the curtains and casts a faint outline around him. His silhouette stands tall, framed against the dimly lit room. He stands with his head lowered, his torso shirtless with only sweatpants on. Harry'd stayed over the night in my bed, his presence usually comforting, but it was surprising to see him up so early.

I lay still, barely breathing, as he remains silent on the phone, his voice tight with frustration. "Fine, I told you fine, Jagger." The name hangs in the air, familiar yet unsettling. He hangs up the phone with a frustrated sigh, his silhouette turning to face me. Instinctively, I shut my eyes, feigning sleep, but I can feel his gaze lingering on me.

After a moment, I hear him move, the soft click of the door closing behind him. I wait, listening for any sign of his return, but there's only silence. What could that have been about? With Jagger? I glance at my phone, the bright screen illuminating the room. 5:02 AM. And in the middle of the night too?

I lie back down, my mind racing with unanswered questions. I know that I should at least somewhat trust him, but I don't. His stories never line up, and I know he's still a bitch at heart, right? Unable to find peace, I reach for my phone, fingers trembling slightly as I type out a message to Harry. "Everything okay?" I send it, hoping for a quick reply. Minutes tick by, but there's no response. Not even a 'read', not 'delievered'. I toss and turn, the unease creeping over me like a suffocating blanket.

Finally, I can't take it anymore. I sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My feet meet the soft carpet, grounding me in reality. I grab my laptop, hoping to distract myself with work. I open it, but the words refuse to come. The article about Ecstasy I was working on sits unfinished, taunting me with its incompleteness. I don't even know what I've been writing about on this article. Why isn't Harry back yet? Where is he? Why won't he respond to my questions?

Frustrated, I slam the laptop shut and push away from the desk, spinning aimlessly in my chair. I turn to the window, the first light of dawn painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange. I glance at the clock, the hands inching closer to morning.The digital numbers mock me, highlighting my inability to sleep. With a sigh, I realize that sleep will not come easy tonight. All of a sudden, I hear a slam against my door. "Scarlett!" I hear Zayn hiss. "Scarlett!"

"What?" I call back.

"Open the goddamn door!" He pants.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I respond, rolling my eyes. I pad over to the door and open it, just to see Zayn almost fall into the room in a panic. 

"Fuck, took you long enough." Zayn flops his hair  out of his eyes. He scrambles to move himself upright, and then locks the door behind him. He pushes me forward into the room, away from the door. 

"Zayn, what- what's going on?" I stumble as he pushes me forward. My heart begins to race, a sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach.

"Have you seen Harry?"

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of If I should reveal the fact that Harry had stayed in my room. "No, why would I have seen Harry?"

"Fucks' sake, everyone knows he stays in your room half the time. Have you seen him or not?" Zayn rolls his eyes.

I just stare at him for a moment. My mind races, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. I sigh in defiance. "Yes, fine, yeah. He was in my room but got some call in Jagger and left."

"And he didn't say anything to you?"

"No, why?" I prompt him, and when he doesn't respond, I push even harder. "Zayn! Why, what's happened?"

"Oh fuck, oh fuck," Zayn pulls his phone out, but as he does so, my phone rings. I glance at my phone, noting the unknown number with suspicion. I frown, going over to the desk to check it. My hand trembles slightly as I pick up the phone. Because it's an unknown number, I step away to ignore the call, but Zayn stops me. "It's gonna be Maddox."

My eyes widen in surprise, as I look to the phone and then back to Zayn. My mind races, trying to connect the dots. "What?!"

"Just pick it up, and tell him yes, whatever he asks for." Zayn shake his head, seeming a little distracted.

"That's horrible advice, what if he tells me to-"

"Just answer the goddamn phone." Zayn snaps, and I can hear the anger bubbling in his voice.

"Fine, fine." I answer the phone, hesitating for a moment before I speak again.  I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Hello?"

"Hey Anna." Maddox's voice cooes in such a condescending tone. "How are you?"

I glance at Zayn, who's staring at me and the phone intently. I feel a knot form in my stomach, wary of Maddox's smooth talk. "I'm fine."

"It's polite to ask how smeone's doing if they've already asked you, sweetheart."

The nickname makes my skin crawl. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks Anna. Listen, I had an invite for you."

"An invite?" I raise my eyebrows. 

"An invite." He confirms. "For tonight. We're having a little bit of an underground party tonight, and I'd like you to come."

"Um." I remember Zayn's instructions, and he nods. I bite my lip, deciding to trust him. "I'd love to come."

"Alright then. I'm sure your boyfriend knows the address, so you'll come with him, right?"

If I knew where the fuck my boyfriend was, then maybe I could come with him. My mind races, trying to figure out how to navigate this situation. "Yes, uh, we'll be there. Together. For sure." Zayn furrows his eyebrows in confusion and I shrug in panic.

"Alright, sweetheart, see you then." Maddox hangs up, and I toss the phone onto my bed.

"He wants me to come to some party."

"Tonight?" Zayn asks, raising his eyebrows.

"With Harry." I clarify.

"Oh." Zayn grimances. "I'm sure he'll show up."

"Uh huh." I groan, flopping backwards onto my bed. "So what's this event about?"

Zayn looks away, avoiding eye contact. "Who knows?"

"You look like you know." I raise my eyebrows, sitting up with my weight on one arm. "You better tell me."

"Nope, I don't know anything." Zayn shrugs. "No idea."

"Zayn!" I throw a pillow at Zayn, which only hits my door because he zooms out of my room before I can blink. I groan again, rolling my eyes. "Let's just drag Scarlett everywhere and never tell her shit." I mumble to myself.

What the fuck.

A/N: sorry about the delay in posting :( i promise more is coming soon!