January 21st.

My apartment emanates of fresh foods and honeyed aromas with a touch of vanilla from the candles that are lit on my dining table.

I spent my day plotting and not for evil, but for good. Elise and I have stayed in contact and I can't help but continue to keep trying with her. She's the sweetest girl I have come across, she can light up a room with her electrifying smile. When I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring this morning at eight in the morning, I knew. I knew today was the day I was going to formally ask Elise to date me, to be my girlfriend.

After my classes, I travelled around town to do everything I required to do, buying groceries, candles, a few decorations to make my apartment homier and buying the perfect bouquet of roses. I scoured all over town for them, every single florist I stopped by didn't have the bouquet I required, of course, I didn't know what I was looking for until I found it. I couldn't put them down when I saw them even though I knew they would overdraw my account.

With the cost of dinner and the flowers, I definitely overdrew, but that doesn't matter; I don't have much to offer besides my love, affection, sweet words and actions. Me overdrawing my bank is nothing, she deserves the dinner and flowers, I just wish I could give her more than just a dinner in my apartment and roses. She deserves a five-course meal at a restaurant in the heart of London accompanied by a lovely walk by the river. But, this will have to do for now until I get some money behind me.

I convinced her earlier that I needed some help with decorating my apartment and really needed a girls' outlook, thankfully she eventually agreed and said she'd be over after her last class that ends at five.

Here I am, at five-fifteen, tapping my foot against my flooring as I nervously await the sound of her knocking at my door. I arrange the candles differently for the hundredth time just as I hear the knock at my door that puts me out of my misery.

I reach the door and my roguish smile disappears to grey as I see someone I hadn't expected, Logan. "What are you doing here?" I immediately challenge, feeling overwhelmed and anxious about him being at my door.

"I need help, Harry," Logan informs me and part of me just wants to slam the door in his face. I don't know why I haven't already.

He is nothing to me besides the man who shows up unannounced and destroys things.

"Your first step would be to find another college to study at because I don't want you near me," I give him a sarcastic grin, trying my hardest not to be a complete asshole. I have this issue with being a dickhead when it comes to him and my father and I'm trying my best to work on it. Mainly because I know karma will bite me in the fucking ass.

"I'm here to study, get over it," he mutters, "do you have a restraining order?"

"If I Did, you wouldn't be at my bloody door. Now, go. This isn't the right time." I mutter, needing to hurry him along so Elise doesn't need to bear witness to me and Logan.

I don't plan to express to her how my family and life is a bit of a fucked up concoction.

Logan rolls his blue eyes at me and lets out a heavy huff, clearly not too fond of me, "against our father."

"No. He wouldn't abide by it, now leave me alone. I have company coming." I firmly instruct, gesturing for him to wander back towards the elevators.

He may be my brother by blood, but he broke my family and I will never forgive him for his role in my heartache.

As I watch Logan stroll down the hallway, I notice Elise round her way around the corner and come into view and I can't help but beam as she shuffles closer, her swirls of caramel-brown hair falling over her shoulders in waterfall curls.

"Hello," I greet her with a cherubic smile, watching as her raspberry-red lips curl up into a grin.

"Hi, I'm so sorry I'm late, my professor went over time and then the walk here took longer than expected because I broke the strap on my shoe," Elise informs me a little out of breath as she seems flustered.

If I had known she was going to walk, I would have been more than delighted to have escorted her.

I don't like the idea of her walking around on her own.

"Hey, it's okay, relax, love. Not a big deal," I chuckle, assuring her that her being late isn't an issue. "Let's get you inside," I usher her into my apartment.

She steps in and I close the door, "you can take your shoes off, I'm sure they're not comfy being broken. I wish I had shoes for you, but my sister hasn't left any of her stuff here like usual."

"It's fine, this smells lovely whatever you're cooking... I'm sensing that you don't need help decorating," she turns on her heel to face me and I give her my charming megastar smile.

This isn't what she bargained for and I can't tell from the expression on her face whether she's pleased or disappointed.

I lift my shoulders into a shrug, "busted, well kinda, my apartment does need decorating, but I'd prefer if you'd have dinner with me." ... "I know it isn't a five-course meal or anything fancy, I know you probably had something else in mind, like decorating, but I'd really like to have dinner with you if you're okay with that."

"Are you done babbling?" Elise snickers and I nod, "I'd love to have dinner with you. Is there anything I can help with?" Elise softly challenges with such poise to her as she gazes up at me with a ladylike temperament.

God damn, she's beautiful, she's everything.

"Nope, just take a seat," I assure her, pulling her seat out for her.

"You really are a gentleman, aren't you?" Elise questions as she steps closer and sits down.

My mother would be appalled with me if I wasn't a gentleman to a lady. She raised me right, I can say that.

She may not talk to me as much at the moment because of the hardship we are battling, more so the emotional turmoil she is battling.

"I try to be," I respond to Elise as I take a deep breath, my nerves once again kicking in and reminding me that I can not fuck up.

I desperately want to open a bottle of wine or grab me a glass of whiskey, but I can't.

"It's appreciated."

"I'm glad." ... "so, I am not the best cook so I am sorry if this is horrible, it's nothing fancy, jus' a simple roast, some potatoes, veggies and I cheated and bought dessert from the freezer section of the supermarket," I inform Elise as I swiftly make my way to the kitchen where I grab our two plates and make my way back to the table.

"You don't give yourself a lot of credit, do you?" Elise questions the moment I rest down in front of her. I glance up and stare at her, taking in her features for a brief moment.

She has sherbet sweet lips that look pillow soft that compliment her languorous eyelashes of feather-black atop the beautiful shade of her ungulate shaped eyes.

I'm not quite sure what she means by how I don't give myself much credit, so I bite the bullet and ask, "what do you mean?"

She cocks her head to the side and part of her hair falls with the swift move, "you just... never mind, this smells lovely and I'm starving," Elise trails off as she shakes away her thoughts but leaves me hanging.

I want to know her thoughts, I want to know what they entail. I debate whether to ask her more on the topic but I decide not to. Instead, I go with the typical question of, "how was your day?"

I'm probably not smooth like half my friends who seem to pick up women all the bloody time, but I'd rather take the time to ask about her day than to say some shitty pickup line in an attempt to be coy and smooth.

✿✿✿

Dinner was flourishing and the conversation didn't manage to die, thank the heavens. Elise is exquisite, she's fascinating on so many different levels and I don't think I could ever get bored of hearing her dulcimer sweet voice or listening to every single bloody word that leaves her kiss-inspiring and satin soft lips.

Elise excuses herself and I explain to her the directions of the bathroom as I begin to clean up.

There's something I have been wanting to ask Elise, something that has been raging inside me from the moment I woke up this morning. I should probably know better than to ask what is following, but I can't help myself. There's something about her that I can't put my finger on, something that keeps me longing for more.

Elise distracts me from my thoughts as she comes into view. I attempt to banish her from helping clean up, but she refuses to listen and insists on helping. Stubborn, I can see.

"I can feel you staring at me," Elise laughs before she turns to glance over her shoulder, catching me as I gaze over at her while leaning on the countertop.

"It's not every day a lady washes my dishes, gotta soak it in," I respond with a cheeky grin, "I'd stare less if you'd let me help."

"Not a chance, you cooked, it's only polite and necessary I wash the dishes."

"At what point do I tell you the dishwasher isn't just for good looks, love?" I challenge, fascinated by her grace with such a simple task.

I never thought I'd be quite turned on and attracted to a woman doing dishes.

"I can see you rolling your eyes," I add, well aware that she's more than likely rolling her eyes, I can tell just by her character.

"I'm not even facing you," Elise giggles, placing a plate on the drying rack before she flicks the faucet and turns around to face me. "Wasn't that hard to jus' let me do it, now was it?" She questions as I throw her a tea towel for her to dry her hands.

I lift my shoulders into a shrug, "wasn't necessary, the dishwasher works just fine."

"Oh, nonsense. Maybe next time I'll use the dishwasher," she cheekily winks and my heart gallops in my chest.

I raise a brow, "oh, so there's going to be a next time?" I challenge playfully, my eyes already eyeing the bouquet of roses that I specifically scoured the city for earlier today.

Elise licks her lips subtly and lifts her shoulders into a modest shrug, "dunno, you going to lure me here to decorate your apartment again?"

"I just might, you never know." ... "I do have something for you though." I trail off as I feel my nerves beginning to pulsate. I don't know whether she is going to turn me down again or if she is going to give me the answer that I am desperately wanting.

I take a breath and I wrap my hands around the bouquet of flowers that have been remaining on the counter. I'm sure she has observed them, she seems like a very observant person like I am, but I could be reading her all wrong and painting a picture of her in my mind of what I want her to be.

"I got you these roses and I know I can't offer you much, I'm just a twenty year old trying to make his way through college, but I will do my best to be the best guy I can be if you'll give me the chance to take you out and to be your boyfriend. I know you've said no to a date a few times and you're not going to give in easily, but I'm trying. If you just give me a few more weeks I can give you the five-course dinner you deserve with romance..."

"Harry," Elise begins, "I don't need fancy dinners or for you to spend money on dates or anything, all I need is you."

For a moment, I pause in an attempt to make sure this is reality and not some sort of parallel universe of a daydream. "Is that a yes? You'll date me?"

Elise smiles, "I'll do you one better, I'll be your girlfriend," Elise whispers as she steps closer to me.

"Can I kiss you?" I question as I hand her the roses and she glances down at them, admiring them for a moment before her dreamy eyes are locked back on my own.

She nods her head and my hand caresses her cheek as I lean down and drive my lips to her succulent, sultry and velvet soft lips.

No amount of words can describe her kiss, but if I had to describe it, I would say it is honey sweet and lilac soft.

She feels like a soft place to land after falling for so long; she's a warmth breath of air and a smooth shot of whiskey.

I don't want to say that in this moment, I know she's the one. But I'm damn certain she's the one. She's going to be the one to help me run my empire, she's going to be the one I marry one day.