*One week later*

Lana's POV

"What about this one?"

"No, that's too slutty."

"Hey!"

"What? I'm just being honest!"

I roll my eyes and go back to my closet to take out a different top. Brooke is on my computer screen, helping me pick out an outfit via skype. This is what our friendship consists of lately: skype dates. It's better than losing touch, don't get me wrong, but it isn't the same. Lately I definitely feel a lot closer to Eleanor. Brooke doesn't really try all that hard to stay in touch with us. We are always the ones initiating these conversations.

"So what is he like anyway? Wait, what's his name again?"

"His name is Chase. To be honest, I don't really know him that well so I can't answer that question. He seems like a good guy, though. Louis and Niall hang out with him quite a bit, so that's a good sign. They introduced us." She hums in response. Brooke isn't really the quiet, unopiniated type, so I know she's holding something back. "What?"

"How are things with Harry?"

That. Well I managed to sneakily tell him I just wanted to be friends. I don't even know if that's what I really want; it just kind of came out while I was hugging him last weekend after the movies. I guess the sudden contact freaked me out and I needed to make sure we both knew what it was? I don't even know.

"Things are...normal."

"If things were normal you wouldn't be going on a date with another guy."

"It isn't a date. We're just...hanging out."

"Lana, you're putting way too much effort into what you're wearing for it not to be a date. Are you done with Harry?"

"I don't know. It's just really hard to actually grasp the fact that he's here, you know? I feel like it's a dream and tomorrow I'll wake up and he'll be gone again."

"Is that why you're shutting him out?"

"I never said I was shutting him out."

"Lan, I still talk to Niall. He's been telling me way more than you have. From the sounds of it Harry is there to stay. I know you still love him, so why are you doing this?"

"He hurt me, Brooke."

"And now he's back, saying he's sorry. Look, I really think-"

"Brooke, I appreciate the advice, but you really don't understand, okay? He left without a word. Why does everyone think I could just let him back into my life? It doesn't work that way. We can't just pick up where we left off and forget about the misery he put me through these last two years."

I can hear her sigh through the speakers on my laptop. I know everyone thinks me seeing Chase is a bad idea. They all want me to get back with Harry and they haven't exactly been subtle about it. Especially Niall. He's been oddly persistent, actually. Apparently he's also been recruiting Brooke to help him. Maybe it is a bad idea to go out with him, but I won't know until I do it, right?

"I just don't want you to lead this guy on and then decide down the road that you want to get back with Harry. And I really do think that's what's going to happen. You two are perfect together, regardless of your history. You do still love him, right?"

"I don't know if I could stop even if I wanted to."

"Then I don't understand what you're doing with this Chuck guy."

"Chase."

"Whatever, the point is this isn't a good idea!"

"Well, that's your opinion."

"And everyone else's."

"Look, either way I'm going tonight. I really don't want to talk about Harry anymore. I'm trying to move past all of that and be happy. Just let me figure this out for myself, okay?"

"Fine. Then I think you should wear that cami, the grey one."

"This one?" I ask, holding up one of my tank tops.

"Yeah, with that light jacket slash blazer thing you have. And just jeans and maybe some heels."

"Yeah, that'll work," I agree, throwing the selections on the bed. "These shoes?"

"Yeah, those would look perfect."

"Awesome. So you and Niall still talk?"

"Yeah, quite a bit actually." Brooke and Niall did end up dating during our senior year and into our first year of university, but after about two months they decided long distance just wasn't for them. They're still pretty close, though. He probably talks to her more than we do. "Lately he seems different though...I think maybe he likes someone else, but he won't tell me."

"Well that's understandable, you are is ex."

"Yeah, but we're friends now. He tells me everything. I know something's up, but I don't know what."

"He seems fine to me."

"Yeah. Anyway, how are things with your mom?"

"I saw her this week. We had lunch."

"That's good."

"I guess so."

"Sorry Lan, but I gotta go! I'm going out with some friends. Love you!" She says, blowing me a kiss through the screen. I make a smooching face back to her as she signs off.

When I'm dressed I go to the bathroom to do my hair and makeup. When I'm finished there's a knock on the door. I look at my phone in confusion, noting that Chase didn't want to meet for at least another half hour. I swing it open to find Harry standing there, leaning on his arm against the doorframe.

"Harry?"

"Nothing gets passed you."

I chuckle and put a hand on my hip. "What are you doing here?"

"I was bored so I though-" he stops and looks me up and down. "Are you going somewhere?"

Harry's POV

She looks really good. I mean really good. Heels and everything. She looks a little uncomfortable with my question.

"Umm, yeah. I am."

I nod and wait for her to tell me more, but she doesn't. So we both just stand there awkwardly in silence, not looking at each other's eyes.

"Did you need something?" she asks after a minute, ruffling her hand in her long, wavy hair. It's really long now; it falls down to her lower back, about three inches above her hips.

I shake my head, no. "Niall and Louis are both out, so I just figured I'd come down and see if you were up to anything." Well, now I feel like an idiot. She obviously has plans, and I'm down here like a desperate loser hoping she'll spend time with me. She nods and I stand up straight, getting ready to go back upstairs. Curiosity gets the best of me. "So, what are you doing tonight"

"Harry, I don't think-"

"Lana?"

I turn to my right to see the guy from last weekend walking down the hall. Suddenly everything snaps into place. She's going out with him. Fuck.

I slowly look back at her. She's biting her lip, one of the things she does when she's nervous. She's looking back and forth between me and the new guy, clearly uncomfortable being around both of us at the same time.

"Hi, Chase," she says shyly. Fucking Chase.

"Who's this?" he asks, stopping beside me. He's a little shorter than I am and definitely smaller. I could totally take him.

"Umm, this is my...friend. Harry," she says cautiously, gesturing to me. "Harry, this is Chase." The friend thing hurts a little, but I don't dwell on it. We won't be "friends" for much longer, not if I can do anything about it.

"Nice to meet you," he says, obviously not meaning the words. He holds his hand out to shake mine, but I just look down at it and then back to his face.

"Right."

He drops his hand awkwardly and puts both in his pockets. "So, how do you two know each other?"

"Oh, we dated," I say casually, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Harry!" Lana says urgently, face turning slightly pink. I smirk at her and shrug. He's going to find out eventually, right?

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yep."

"When?"

"In high school," Lana says, stopping me before I can open my mouth again. She gives me a warning glare and I smile at her. She's telling me to behave, I can tell, but I don't really feel like it. This guy just rubs me the wrong way. Gives me a bad feeling, you know? I guess that's not really surprising...it's not like I'm going to approve of any guy Lana dates that isn't me. Especially when I'm still madly in love with her.

Chase nods and straightens up a bit, attempting to match my height. Right, like you're magically going to grow in ten seconds. What an idiot.

"Okay, we should get going," Lana says, reaching behind the door for her purse and keys. "See you later, Harry."

"Have a good night," the guy says, grinning at me. What a prick.

They're gone before I can think of something clever to say to him. Damn. I feel an ache start to grow in my chest as they walk away together. She's dating? I thought the guys said she had barely talked to guys since I left? And now I'm actually here and she starts seeing other people? Something is wrong with this picture. I should be the one taking her out on dates, treating her like a princess the way she deserves to be. Not his guy. Chase. What kind of a name is that anyway?

I head back up to Niall and Louis apartment, feeling a little rejected and disgruntled. I know for certain now that I love Lana just as much as I did when I left, if not more. I can't let her slip through my fingers. We belong together. I know it, everyone else knows it, and I would make her see it too. Whatever it takes.

When I get back upstairs I'm surprised to find Niall in the kitchen making a sandwich.

"Hey, Ni. What are you doing back?"

"My date threw up," he says, shrugging. Niall literally is the most chill person on the planet. He doesn't really have a reaction to anything. He's just always happy, carefree. Loves life. "Where were you?"

"I went to see Lana."

"Ooooh," he coos, teasing me.

"Shut up, Niall, does it look like it went well?"

"Oh," he says, face turning into a frown. "What happened?"

"She has a date," I say quietly, sitting at the kitchen table.

"She what?"

"Please don't make me say it again."

"What the....how did...are you sure?"

"Pretty fucking sure, yeah. She just left with that Chase guy we saw at the movies last weekend."

He sits down across from me. "Seriously? Wow."

"What?"

"It's just that Lana hasn't taken any interest in guys for two years. Now you're actually back and she's going on a date."

"All of my energy is going into not overanalyzing that, Niall. Thanks for pointing it out."

"Why are you being a bitch to me, I'm not the one taking her out."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. I'm so annoyed with myself. I should have tried harder, made her realize how much I still want her, still need her. What if I'm too late? What am I supposed to do then?

"So, what are you going to do about it?" he asks, taking a bite of his sandwich. I shrug and he rolls his eyes. "Please tell me you aren't giving up. Chase is a good guy I guess, but he's all wrong for her."

"What do you mean? And no, I'm not giving up."

"He's kind of..arrogant. And not in like a I've-got-confidence kind of way, but in an I-think-I'm-the-shit kind of way. But it's subtle at first, so you don't really realize until you've known him for a bit. Lana absolutely hates it when people take themselves too seriously."

How does he know that about her? "So he's a dick?"

"No, he's not a bad guy. I just didn't really expect her to show any interest. Plus, he likes to party and she knows that. Lana doesn't do that anymore."

He seems almost as disgruntled as I feel. It's weird. "I don't like it."

"That's shocking."

Lana's POV

"That was incredible!" I gush, stepping down the steps out of the coffee shop. When Chase told me he was taking me for some live music, I figured it would be in some gross club in the basement of a library playing lame high school bands. Turns out it was way better than that, and it was in this great little cafe in the city that had the best latte ever. I know they're pretty simple, but they must have had some sort of secret ingredient. It was so good. Turns out Chase is a really nice guy; he was really good at making conversation, so I never felt that weird, uncomfortable silence I was sure I would on my first date after Harry.

Wow, this is my first date since Harry.

I shake off the thought quickly, getting distracted by the warmth now surrounding my hand. I look down to see that Chase has laced his fingers with mine as we walk down the sidewalk. I look up at him and he's smiling at me. I raise an eyebrow.

"What?" he asks innocently, looking in front of him. I chuckle and look down at our hands again, then back up at his face. He laughs and shrugs. "Figured it was about time I made some sort of move."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. Is that a problem?"

Hmm. It's not like I feel uncomfortable holding his hand, it's just that there's not a lot of...sparks. He's really cute, so it's not like I don't feel anything, but it's nothing compared to-

"Nope," I say coolly, shaking off my thought. "So how do you know about that place?"

"I've been going there ever since I came to the city. I was walking down here to get to this party and I heard the music, so I went in."

"So adventurous," I tease.

"I know, I'm like Indiana Jones."

"What?"

"Please tell me you've seen that movie."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Wow!" he says, throwing his free hand up in the air. "That's what we'll be doing next time."

"Next time?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him again.

"Did you like how I snuck that in there?" he asks, clearly proud of himself.

"Yes, it was very clever," I say, laughing a little.

"Well, look who it is!" I follow Lou's voice and look in front of us to see El and Louis walking towards us hand in hand. El waves excitedly and walks a little faster towards us, pulling him along with her. She looks down at our hands as they get closer and winks at me.

"Well, look at this Lou," she says, eyeing our hands again.

"What are you guys up to?" Louis asks suggestively.

"Oh my gosh," I breathe, covering my eyes with my free hand. Chase chuckles beside me and lets go of my hand to wrap his arm around my waist, squeezing my side to comfort me.

"Do you guys want to come to the bar with us?"

"I'm not in the mood for that," I say, wrinkling my nose. Chase laughs again. I look up at him. "What?"

"You're cute," he says, tapping my nose. I blush a little and look down.

"We aren't going to a club, we're going to that place by the mall. It's more of a restaurant. We just want to have a drink or two."

"That could be fun," Chase says, agreeing for both of us. "Let's go."

Niall's POV

L: Ran into Chase and Lana.

I frown at the text and respond quickly,

N: And?"

L: Doesn't look good mate.

N: Shit. What do I tell Harry?

L: Just keep him up there. We're heading back to the girls place now.

N: I'm on it.

"Niall, you want to get a beer or something?" Harry asks, coming out of his room and shrugging on a jacket.

"We have beer here," I say opening the fridge. "Just kidding, we don't." I shut it again and rub my hands together, trying to think of something else. "Let's play some FIFA!" I shout, a little too excited.

He gives me a weird look and takes his phone off the counter. "I'm in the mood for a drink, mate."

"It's late, Harry. Let's just chill here."

"Niall it's not that late."

"It's almost midnight."

"So? What's going on?"

"Nothing, why would anything be going on, everything's fine," I babble. He narrows his eyes at me.

"Niall. Seriously."

"What! We just need to stay here."

"Why are you trying to keep me here?" I look away. I am the worst liar in the entire world. Literally. "Oh, I get it."

"You do?"

"When are they coming back?"

"Soon," I say, giving in. He talked me into a corner!

"I see. Look, you guys don't need to protect me from this. I'm a big boy, I can handle it. Besides, I don't plan on letting that get anywhere." He seems strangely confident for a guy that just watched his girl go on a date with another guy. He pats my shoulder. "Let's get a drink, Niall."

"Alright," I shrug, taking my coat and following him out of the apartment. I lock it behind me and we walk down the stairs and out of the building. Just my luck. There they are. "Oh hey guys!" I say, waving at them. Lana looks ahead at us and her eyes go wide. She quickly takes her hand out of Chase's, leaving him looking slightly confused. El looks excited, as per usual. Louis is glaring at me. As they get closer his eyes narrow.

"Niall, what are you doing? What did I say!" he says, speaking quietly but harshly.

"What! I tried, honest!"

"He's no match for me Lou," Harry says, clamping a hand on my shoulder. He looks over at Chase and Lana and I feel his grip tighten a little.

"What are you guys doing? It's like midnight," Lou says, looking at his watch.

"You guys got boring while I was gone," Harry says, laughing a little. There's tension in it though, it sounds forced.

I look at Lana, who's locked eyes with Harry. She looks...confused? Yeah, I guess that would be the way to describe it. Everyone gets uncomfortable while they just stare at each other, not saying anything. After a minute or two El claps her hands, startling everyone out of the silence.

"So as fun as this is," she says sarcastically, "we're going up to our apartment."

I look at Harry, whose face suddenly looks pained. I look back at Lana, who looks a little guilty. She's still staring at him. El takes Louis' hand and pulls him past us, but not before Louis glares at me again. Lana looks at Harry for a few more seconds before she steps past us as well, Chase following close behind her.

"Well that was uncomfortable," I mumble, continuing to walk down the street.

He nods his head. "She looks so beautiful."

Oh boy.

Notes

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