Today is Hawk Publishing's annual Christmas party. I am wearing white skinny jeans with black ankle boots with a heel that give me extra height. I am wearing a red christmas jumper with a snowman on it and snowflakes surrounding the snowman. A red lip tops off my look along with my straightened hair that falls halfway down my back. We are all dressed in christmas themed outfits and I cannot stop laughing at Zayn in his jumper. It is the Grinch because Zayn is the christmas grinch.

I walk over to Zayn who is chatting with the new intern. I still don't know his name and I haven't seen much of him apart from a couple of times I walked passed him or shared an elevator with him and we sent one another quick smile.

"Ella." Zayn places his hand on my back. "This is Niall and Niall, this is Ella."

"Hey, how are ya?" He says as he pulls me into a hug. I was just going for a handshake, but hey a simple hug can't hurt. I also notice a hint of an accent in his voice. Irish?

"I'm good thank you. It's nice to meet you." I smile kindly at him.

"It's nice to finally put a name to your face. I must say, that your name does sound awfully familiar and I feel as if I have seen your face before."

"Well we have shared an elevator together a couple of times." I laugh quietly and he does too. He too does look familiar, but I just don't know where. I guess I could have crossed him the street or something. I have been in New York for three years now.

*

A couple of hours and many drinks later I am still sitting with Niall, talking away. Zayn left the Christmas party not long ago to go be with Perrie. I am single and have no where to be, so here I am drinking away. The last time I got drunk was over a week ago with Harry. Speaking of Harry, I haven't heard from him in a week. I sent him a text thanking him again for my amazing birthday, but I never got a reply. I am mad at him. He just used me as his toy. I thought he was being the real Harry to me, but turns out he is back to boxer Harry who is a complete fuckboy. That's the first time I have cussed in a long time. Apart from when I hurt myself, I am allowed to swear but even though I didn't say it out loud it still feels wrong. Harry was beginning to change me, but I guess I probably won't be speaking to him any time soon or if not ever again.

"Ella." I break out of my thoughts when Niall is clicking his fingers infront of my face. "Are you still with me?" He asks and says something else, but I can't hear him as a group of people behind us cheer loudly as they all do shots.

"What?" I ask and Niall tries to repeat himself, but they're so loud that I can't hear him. "I can't hear you, I'm sorry."

"Come with me." I barely him him say, but I read his lips and I grab my purse and follow Niall. We end up downstairs outside the building of Hawk Publishing. It is freezing out here. "How about we go somewhere else?"

"Um" I pause, not sure what Niall means. Is he trying to take me back to his place or something, because if he is I am not in the mood to be played with-

"Not like that." He chuckles, obviously reading my mind or seeing the expression on my face. I am hoping the second option. "I mean to a bar or something."

"Sure, but I don't think I should drink anymore."

"We can have water then if you like. I'm just not ready to go home yet." He steps closer to the road and holds his arm out to hail a taxi. One pulls over and I follow him as we walks towards it.

"Neither am I." I say, but I'm not sure if he hears me as he climbs into the taxi first and I sit next to him in the back seat.

*

"So, I can't believe you're from Dublin. I knew I could hear an accent in your voice." I take another sip of my apple cider. I said I wasn't going to have another drink, but I guess I couldn't pass up another three ciders.

"I still go there every year. A few of my mates don't have good relationships with their families, but I still do. I know I am all the way in New York, but I needed a change from Dublin and get out on my own."

"Good on you, Niall." I say happily. "I can relate to you about being on your own."

"You don't have a good relationship with your family?"

"You mean, don't have any at all." I laugh, even though it isn't a laughing matter. Sober Ella would not be laughing that everyone in her family is dead.

"What do you mean?" He asks in shock, pity in his eyes.

"My whole family is dead."

"Ella." Niall leans forward and wraps his arms around me. "How are you so strong? If I ever lost my family I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"You learn to deal with it. I guess I kind of had to if I wanted a life for myself." I pull away from the hug as my phone vibrates in my purse. "Excuse me for a second" I say to Niall as I pull out my phone and a picture of Harry lights up my screen. "So he finally decides to contact me." I whisper to myself and Niall sends me a confused look.

"Are you going to answer it?" Niall asks and I shake my head no. "Is it a guy?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it could be important, so I suggest you answer it." He says. I do as he says and answer the phone.

"H-hello" I say mid cough. I guess all the drinks i've had today are hitting me hard.

"Ella." His familiar voice fills my ear. "I'm so sorry I didn't reply, David-"

"I don't care what David said Harry. You should have replied." I look at Niall and he almost falls off his chair. "Are you okay Niall?" I ask and he nods his head, coughing uncomfortably.

"Niall? What, who are you with Ella and have you been drinking?" Harry sounds mad. It mazes me how so quickly the topic can change from him to me. He is the one who hasn't replied to me all week, but yet I am the one in the wrong because I am out having a good time.

"Yes I have been drinking. It was my work Christmas party today. You would know if you kept in contact with me."

"David had my phone. He said I was focussing too much on you and not my fighting. I can explain in more detail which is why I want to see you. Where are you and are you with Niall Horan?"

"I don't know his last name." I say honestly. It also startles me how Harry knows a Niall too. That isn't a very common name in New York. "And you have a lot of explaining to do. You're Harry Styles, I am sure you have more than one phone."

"You're drunk Ella." He says and I laugh to myself.

"Sure am. Goodbye Harry."

"Wait."

"What?" I am seriously too drunk to deal with his crap right now.

"That Niall that you're with. Is he blonde, blue eyes-"

"Irish" we both say at the same time.

"Where are you Ella?" He asks and I can tell he is losing his patients with me.

"At a pub-" before I can finish my sentence Harry cuts me off.

"I know where you are." He says and hangs up the phone. Goodbye to you too Harry. I look at Niall who looks like he has seen a ghost.

"Are you okay Niall?"

"So you're Harry's Ella. Fuck he is going to kill me." He says nervously.

"I am not Harry's anything. Why is he going to kill you and how do you know him?"

"We are best mates. He always talks about this Ella girl and now I know why you are so familiar. You guys met at my party." He says and it all makes sense to me why he is so familiar to me. I was so drunk that night that I was too out of it to remember who I seen there, but it all adds up. "He was describing how beautiful you are and I thought he was lying, but my goodness he certainly wasn't."

"Thanks." I blush slightly. "Harry talks about me to his friends?"

"A little bit too much, but he said he would never introduce us to you or show us any photos for your benefit."

"Wow." I shake my head. He is way too controlling. "You aren't anything like Harry. I mean, he has his nice side but you seem way too nice and innocent to be friends with him."

"Trust me, I wish I were innocent. Us boys, we do have our wild sides."

"Us boys? It sounds like you're a gang or something."

"No." Niall tilts his head back in laughter. "We aren't dangerous, but we just aren't innocent. We are all good mates. Harry, Louis and I lived together before he got rich on us."

*

Niall and I continue to talk about Harry, work and the party that night until Niall's eyes flicker behind me. I don't even have to ask who it is because I instantly know. A protective arm wraps around my body and I push it away. I can't even look at him.

"Harry." Niall holds his hand out to his best mate and Harry ignores it.

"What the fuck Niall." He spits. "You need to stay the fuck away from Ella and Ella, why are you with him?"

"We aren't dating Harry, you don't own me." I turn to face him and that's when my heart skips a beat. He has black and purple surrounding his right eye and he has a cut on his left cheek, forehead and bottom lip. His lips are swollen too and slightly purple.

Niall doesn't react to it, so I take it he is used to Harry looking like this.

"What happened to you?" I ask him, pity in my voice. When he doesn't reply to me, I move my hand to his cheek and he just pushes my hand away. He does it gently though, I know he would never hurt me.

"Niall. I will speak to you another time. Just stay away from Ella." He says through gritted teeth and grabs my arm, yanking me up from my seat.

"Harry" I try to escape from his grasp, but he is holding my arm too tightly. A few people begin to look at us.

"You're causing a scene. Stop fidgeting." He says and I oblige, following him outside and into his black Range Rover. I sit in the passenger seat and can't stop staring at his beaten up face.

"You're staring." He says as he drives, not looking at me once since we got into the car.

"Can you blame me?"

"I know I'm hot Elouise, but please contain yourself a little." He smirks and I want to hit him over the head, but I don't.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To a forest where I will kill you and-"

"Harry."

"To my house."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because we have a lot of talking to do."

*

When we arrive back at Harry's place nothing has changed. It is furnished in black furniture, it is neat and looks more and more expensive every time I come here.

"You speak first." He tells me. "Why were you with Niall?"

"I didn't know you were friends with Niall, Harry. He is the new intern at where I work and we were having a friendly drink."

"You're lucky Niall wasn't as shit faced as you because believe me he would have tried something on you. I'm glad I got there when I did."

"You're such a hero Harry, thank you so much for saving me from the criminal Niall Horan who has done nothing but keep me company this afternoon. He is a friend Harry, get over it."

"Okay, I overreacted and I am sorry." He takes my hand and brings it to his lips. "I just know what my friends are like. I was mad because I thought Niall tried something on you."

"Well he didn't."

"He won't now that he knows that-"

"That I am the Ella you always talk about to your friends." I smirk at him and his cheeks turn pink.

"Shut up Ella, now about these bruises."

"Oh change of topic hey?" I say playfully and he laughs at me. "But please, do tell me how you got these awful bruises and cuts."

"I had another fight."

"And you didn't tell me?" I shriek. "Harry!"

"I didn't want to worry you and like I said David took my phone. He said he didn't want me seeing you anymore."

"And what did you say to him?"

"What do you think I said?"

"Go eff yourself?" I guess and Harry nods his head.

"Correct."

"Does he know you're with me now?" I ask. It's so stupid how David has this much control over Harry. All this time I was angry at him and being so self centred thinking about myself, but really I have it easy. I am finally free and living my life how I want to with my dream job whilst Harry is being forced to a career he doesn't want to be in and if he doesn't do as his boss says then his life is on the line."

"Probably and he isn't going to be happy about it, but I don't care. I enjoy spending time with you El and I will continue to do that for as long as I can."

"For as long as you can?"

"Until the day I die Ella or until you get sick of me."

"Promise?" I stand up and move to straddle his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and cuddle into him.

"I promise." He kisses the top of my head and holds me tighter. I could stay like this forever in Harry's warmness smelling the scent of his Hugo Boss cologne.

A/N: Yay for an extra long chapter. I don't know if you guys would prefer longer chapters and not as many update or more regular updates which are not as long. Also Niall has got a role in the story, it won't be just Harry and Zayn. Liam and Louis will also come into it in the next few chapters so stay tuned!