𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍! | harry styles

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐗

"ARE you sure you're okay with picking us up?" Bella asked as Harry parked the car in front of Union Bar. The college dive bar wasn't exactly what Bella had in mind when she and Lily made plans, but their prices were decent, and Lily insisted they go somewhere low key.

"You're not walking home drunk." The tone of Harry's voice was final. "What time do you want me to come back?"

"I don't know, midnight? What do you think, Lily?"

Harry looked at Lily in the rearview mirror. She shrugged.

"Midnight it is," he said. "I'll be at the apartment. Call me if you want to leave sooner, all right?"

Bella agreed, and Lily hopped out of the car, chanting, "Imma get my drink on!" Harry grabbed Bella's arm as she opened the door. She turned to look at him.

"Be careful, please," he said quietly. The last time Harry had been in a bar, it ended in an arrest and a 15 year prison sentence. Although he knew it was irrational to be worried about Bella finding a similar fate, the experience made him worry about her safety, nonetheless.

"I will. I promise." Bella stretched her body across the car and kissed his pouting lips. "I feel bad," she admitted.

"Don't."

"Doesn't it bother you at all?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. Aside from wanting to keep Bella safe, he had no desire to enter the bar. "It bothers me that I can't go, not because I want to." Looking outside the window, he spotted Lily bouncing on the curb. Whether it was out of impatience or an attempt to ward off the chilly February air, Harry wasn't sure. "Besides, I don't need to monopolize all of your time. You should spend it with your friends."

He waited until both girls were allowed inside the bar before driving away. It was late. He already attended his group session, and without anything else to do, he returned to the apartment.

Once inside, Bella and Lily made their way to the bar. Lily ordered four Long Island Iced Teas. "We're not fucking around tonight," she explained. They found an empty high-top table, and Lily worked her charm on the group of guys next to them to get an extra chair. As they sipped their drinks, they talked about the exam they took that morning.

"I feel good about it," Bella said. "I think I passed."

"Me, too. Studying on Wednesday definitely helped."

"Yeah. We should do it again."

"We should. At your place. When Harry's home."

Bella laughed in surprise. "What?"

"Have you seen the man? I mean, come on!" Lily slumped back in the chair and fanned her face with her hand. The alcohol was kicking in, causing her skin to have a permanent tinge of pink and her mouth to start saying whatever was on her mind. "You may get to look at him every day, but the rest of us don't."

"Oh, my god, Lily!" Bella buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"What? He's hot, in case you haven't noticed."

"I've noticed." Her muffled voice barely made it past her hands.

"He's older than us, isn't he?"

Bella nodded and answered without looking up. "He's thirty-five."

"So he's-" Lily paused, and a devilish grin spread across her face. "Experienced?"

If Bella wasn't mortified before, she definitely was now. "We are so not talking about this."