habits of my heart (h.s.)

twenty-two

I had never seen Harry so drunk.

I wasn't sure if it was because of all the time I had spent in the library lately, but alcohol was not as familiar as it used to be. I was tispy, but nowhere near drunk. In contrast, Harry seemed to be taking home the prize for the most intoxicated, which I could tell the second he slid up to me on the couch later that night.

"'M so druuuuuuunk," he sang. His hair was mussed up, like someone had just spent the past few minutes running their hands through it. I was met with the sudden temptation to do the same.

"I can see that," I said. Even sitting down, he still towered above me. "Where's everyone else?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "They're drunk too. How're you....how're you not drunk?"

I laughed nervously. "I'm tipsy, but....just wasn't feeling it tonight, I guess."

He leaned in close to me, and I forgot how to breathe. He smelled like tequila and citrus and bad news, all at the same time. "I think I've talked to every single girl in this room tonight," he whispered.

I tried not to flinch. "That's nice." I wasn't sure what else I was supposed to say to that.

Harry's eyes slipped up and down my body, until they landed on the slit in my skirt. "That skirt...fuck," he breathed. "I've been thinking 'bout you and this fucking skirt all night."

My heart was suddenly going a million beats per second. "This old thing?" I asked, because apparently I talked like a sitcom character from the eighties now. "I mean...thanks. I think."

He giggled. It was a straight-up giggle, like a little girl, and it made me laugh too. "You're so cute, Alyson. How can someone be so cute....and sexy....at the same time?"

My cheeks burned bright red. "I...." I had no idea what to say to that, so I simply ended with, "You're so drunk."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Can you take me home, Alyson?"

I looked at him for a minute before nodding my head. "Yeah. Just....let me order the Uber on your phone. Remember?"

"Oh yeaaaah," he laughed, handing me his phone. "You never told me why you were banned."

I hesitated. Drew (4.7 stars) is 2 minutes away. "I had sex in the back of the Uber," I admitted.

Harry's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "You're joking."

"Well, not sex," I blushed. "But...close to it. Like, second base."

He laughed again. "You're so cute. Second base." Then his eyes darkened for a minute as he licked his lips slightly. "Fuck. Now I'm thinking of you..."

"Harry!" I squealed, shoving him in the arm. "Stop it!"

He grinned at me, showing off all his teeth. "The thing about thinking about you in my head....is you can never know if I've actually stopped or not." He leaned in so close that I could feel his lips on my neck before murmuring, "If it makes you feel better, it is a very pretty picture."

The only thing that got me to pull away was the notification on his phone telling us that the Uber was here.

"Now I'll never be able to get into an Uber without thinking of you," he groaned once we had slid into the car. "Thanks a lot, Alyson."

"It's a really embarrassing story," I ducked my head. "I never tell it. It makes me sound so trashy."

"It's just funny cos you act so innocent....but I guess when it comes to these things, you're a little devil," he grinned. "Trust me, I remember."