"Ed?" I tilted my head, trying to catch his eyes despite his clear effort to avoid me. "Friends are supposed to be there for one another. I won't judge, you know that."

He exhaled sharply, staring at the table. His fingers drummed an anxious rhythm, and his leg bounced under the table.

"What happened? Did you do something to upset them?" I asked, though it seemed far-fetched. Ed was one of the kindest people I knew.

"No, Ella. They did something that upset me." Finally, his gaze met mine, and what I saw there unsettled me—disappointment, pain, anger.

I leaned in, covering his fidgeting hand with mine, stilling his nervous tapping. "Tell me, Ed. What's going on?" My voice was gentle, not from curiosity but because whatever it was, it was clearly eating him alive.

"It's Steve." He hesitated.

I furrowed my brows. "What about Steve?" His younger brother was smart and articulate, and they'd always been close. Justin, his older brother, was a different story—arrogant, self-righteous, and, frankly, a dick. But Steve? I never expected him to be the reason Ed left home.

"Steve... he's gay, Ella," Ed blurted out.

I blinked. "So?"

He exhaled like he had been holding his breath. "He made this big announcement at dinner a few nights ago."

"And?" I squeezed his hand slightly, urging him to continue.

"He said he'd known for a while. Of course, I was surprised, but I didn't care. I wasn't thrilled, but I didn't care," he said in one breath, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the memory.

"What happened next?" I pressed, sensing there was more.

Ed's jaw tightened. "My parents started shouting, and Justin..." He trailed off, clenching his fists.

"What did Justin do?" My stomach twisted in anticipation of the answer.

"He pushed him. Threw him down. Kicked him," Ed's voice darkened, each word slower, heavier. "Called him disgusting. Said we only use our ass to shit and nothing more, and that he'd rather kill him than be labelled 'the faggot's brother.'"

I inhaled sharply. "Oh my God..."

Ed continued, his voice rising slightly before he checked himself. "Steve was crying. My mom was crying. My dad just sat there. Silent. And Justin? He just kept hitting him until I stepped in and shielded Steve."

Tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them. I wiped them quickly, not wanting to make this about me. "Where is Steve now?"

"At my grandma's. Dad told him to get out until he 'came to his senses.' And my mom..." He let out a bitter chuckle. "She just cried. Didn't say a fucking thing. Didn't stop it. Didn't stand up for him."

"Ed... I'm so sorry." I got up and hugged him. At first, he stiffened, but then he exhaled, wrapping his arms around me tightly, like he needed it more than he wanted to admit.

When I pulled away, I turned his face toward me. "You're not alone, okay? You and Steve both."

He nodded, wiping his face roughly. "Thanks, Ella."

I sat back down and fished a tissue from my bag. "I'm a mess," I chuckled, dabbing my cheeks. "Did they ask you to leave, too?"

"No. I left with Steve. I couldn't stay there after that. I mean, to just let Justin be an asshole and not interfere? I couldn't stay in a house with narrow-headed, close-minded people."

"You said you weren't happy. Why?"

He sighed, meeting my gaze head-on. "Not for the reason you think. I don't give a shit who Steve wants to be with, as long as they love and respect him. But I'm not happy because of what he'll have to go through. People are cruel, Ella. If his own family treated him like this, imagine what the rest of the world will do. I'm not happy that he's going to have to face that."

I reached for his hand again. "I get it. And I'm so sorry, Ed."

A heavy silence hung between us as we both stared at our now-cold drinks.

Then, deciding we needed a shift, I asked, "So... how's it going at Jimmy's?"

Ed smirked. "The guy is a legend. You won't believe what he did the other day."

"Oh, I bet I will."

"So you know how it's a one-bedroom apartment, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, he asked Harry and me to help him add posts to his bed and put the sofa under it, so the living room became my room."

"Right, I remember Harry telling me he was helping."

"First night was fine. Next night, Jimmy comes home with a girl." He started grinning, and I knew something stupid was coming.

"Same old, same old," I rolled my eyes.

"Wait, wait," he chuckled. "They were going at it, and then I heard a thud."

I clamped a hand over my mouth, already regretting asking. "Oh no. Someone fell?"

"That's what I thought. But then there was another thud. And another. And another. Like something was hitting the wall."

"Oh, dear Lord."

"Next day, the girl leaves, and Jimmy calls Harry, asking for a saw."

I stared at him. "A saw? Why the hell would he—Oh my fucking God."

Ed was already in stitches. "Yep. He cut a square in the ceiling. Said the girl kept bumping her head while riding him, so he 'took care of it.'"

I doubled over, laughing so hard my stomach hurt. "He's lost it. He's completely lost it."

"And you know what his hiding place for money is?" Ed wiped his tears of laughter away.

"Dare I ask?"

"A tiny see-through children's purse. With Hello Kitty on it. In his first drawer next to his socks. Right there. Just a plastic purse full of cash."

I gasped between fits of laughter. "Dear Lord, he needs help."

Ed wiped his eyes, his mood finally lighter. "He's a good friend, though. You all are."

"Yeah, we are," I agreed, smiling at him. "We're family now."

***

"This is awesome, Harry," I murmured,flipping through the photos from his Yves Saint Laurent shoot. Brenda had beenright—walking away from Manhunt was the best thing he ever did. The offers hadbeen pouring in, and now here he was, working with some of the biggest fashionhouses in the world. God, he looked incredible.

"And this one, too. I love it!" I added, holding up another shot.

"Enough with the photos. Come'ere," he whined, snatching them from my hands and tossing them onto the coffee table. Before I could protest, he pulled me onto his lap, his lips finding mine effortlessly. His fingers tangled in my hair as he deepened the kiss, the taste of chocolate and mint lingering between us. The half-eaten Hershey's wrapper on the counter gave him away.

"I could never get tired of kissing you," he muttered against my lips, diving in for another. His tongue teased mine, sending a familiar rush of heat coursing through my body.

"Harry..." I mumbled, breaking the kiss, trying to regain control.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're taking it slow," he sighed dramatically, but his smile never faded. I cupped his face and traced my thumb over his cheek.

"I actually have an idea for an article for the uni gazette," he said suddenly, his tone serious.

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"It's about this guy I know."

"A guy you know?" I played along.

"Yeah."

"And what's so special about him?" I asked, suspicious.

"He's been suffering for... how long have we known each other?" he pretended to think.

"Harryyyy."

"Four months. That's four months of a hard-on, Ella. His balls have gone from blue to purple... possibly green at this point," he smirked.

"Stop it!" I gasped, grabbing a cushion and swatting him with it.

"You hit like a girl, baby," he teased, dodging effortlessly.

"I am a girl!" I huffed, launching another cushion at him. He threw one back, and soon we were engaged in a full-blown pillow war. I ducked behind the armchair, using it as a shield, while he threw another that barely missed me. The room fell silent for a moment, and just as I leaned forward to grab a stray cushion, he crept up from behind and startled me. In one swift move, he scooped me up and tossed me onto the sofa, making me giggle uncontrollably.

"I love it when you giggle like that. You're so cute," he murmured, hovering over me, his fingers lightly pinching my sides.

"Cute?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Cute, and beautiful, and sexy, and kind, and beautiful."

"You already said beautiful," I teased, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Can't say it enough," he smirked.

"Remember the first time we met here?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Yeah."

"You accused me of checking out your boobs."

"You were checking out my boobs."

"Guilty," he admitted with no shame. "I thought you wouldn't even give me the time of day."

"And yet... here we are," I mused.

"Yep. Here we are." His voice softened. "I thought you were too good for me."

"Stop making me blush," I whispered just as the sound of an incoming text broke the moment. His phone, buzzing on the coffee table, demanded attention.

"It's mine. It's right behind you, baby. Can you grab it?" he asked. I twisted around, picked it up, and handed it to him. Just as he unlocked the screen, another message came through. His entire body tensed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"It's Gemma. She's on a date. Says she's having a good time, no need for a rescue mission," he muttered, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Yeah? And the other one?" I pressed, propping myself up on my elbows. His jaw clenched as he read.

"It's from Charlie."