Different 33 (Patreon)

Author's note: Hello my lovely people! I hope you are all doing well! Here is a new chapter of Different. This one has hurt me bc I think about my boyfriend doing something similar and the feeling it's devastating. So, if you have ever gone through a similar situation then I am so sorry.

This one is a bit shorter than the rest, but it is with intent, so the next chapter can be much longer. I'll post that one this weekend! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

 Y/N walked back inside, the heavy warmth of the party contrasting sharply with the cold reality she’d just faced. She forced herself to take a steadying breath, though her heart felt like it was racing in a thousand directions. Her gaze swept over the room until it settled on James and Sebastian by the kitchen, the two of them tossing back shots with unrestrained laughter. It was like nothing had happened, like her heart hadn’t just shattered all over again.

But tonight, she didn’t want to feel that pain. She wanted to drown it, to let it sink until it was buried beneath everything else.

Steeling herself, she strode over to James and Sebastian, catching their attention just as they were setting down their empty shot glasses.

“Hey, look who’s back!” Sebastian grinned, holding up a bottle as if offering her a golden ticket to forget. “You alright?”

“Better now,” she lied, reaching for a shot glass and filling it to the brim. Her voice was steady, but inside, anger was simmering, twisting her sadness into something fiercer. She was mad. Mad at Harry for his empty words, for thinking she’d keep forgiving his nonsense without ever proving a damn thing to her. She wanted to wash it all away, wanted to stop feeling the sting of his apologies that never amounted to anything real.

James studied her for a moment, sensing the shift in her demeanor. “Are you sure about this?” he asked gently, his eyes searching hers.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, not wanting to reveal too much. “It’s just one night,” she murmured, clinking her glass against his. “Let’s make it count.”

And with that, she tossed the shot back, letting the burn drown out everything else. The bitterness of the alcohol was almost cathartic, like it matched the resentment bubbling up inside her. She felt James and Sebastian exchange a glance, but she didn’t care. Tonight, she didn’t want anyone’s sympathy or caution.

Tonight, she wanted to forget.

The music pulsed around them, a steady beat that matched Y/N’s tipsy steps as she swayed between James and Sebastian on the crowded dance floor. The lights blurred around her, casting colorful shadows, and she could feel the warmth of the room rising, filling her senses. She’d lost count of how many drinks she’d had; the night felt like one long blur of laughter and distraction. But now, as her awareness crept back in, she felt the thickness of the air, the sweat on her skin, the thirst clawing its way up her throat.

With a deep breath, she wove her way off the dance floor and into the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge in search of water. Her hands were slightly unsteady as she opened it, rummaging past bottles and mixers, only to find that someone had already cleaned out any trace of anything cold and refreshing.

“Looking for something, or are you just lost?” The voice was cold, cutting through the haze, and Y/N froze.

Ivy leaned against the counter, her arms folded, eyes sharp and gleaming with malice. Her mouth curled in a smug smile, her gaze traveling over Y/N with thinly veiled contempt.

Y/N straightened, her jaw tightening. “Just grabbing water,” she replied flatly, trying to keep her voice even. She didn’t want to engage—not now, not ever. But Ivy’s presence brought a familiar tension, an unwelcome reminder of all that had gone wrong.

Ivy let out a mocking laugh, tilting her head. “Right. Because you’re such a picture of health, stumbling around like this.” She eyed Y/N’s flushed face and disheveled hair with disdain. “Didn’t peg you for the type to drown her sorrows, though I guess I’m not surprised.”

Y/N’s lips pressed together as she fought to keep her composure. She didn’t owe Ivy anything—not a response, not an explanation. But Ivy continued, her tone dripping with venom.

“I mean, I can see why you’d need a few drinks to forget how things turned out.” Ivy’s smile widened, her eyes narrowing. “It must be pretty humiliating, knowing you weren’t enough for him.”

Y/N felt the sting of those words, the familiar ache that Ivy knew how to dig into so well. Her pulse quickened, but she clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm. She wouldn’t give Ivy the satisfaction of seeing her break.

Ivy’s smirk deepened as she stepped closer, her voice lowering to a near-whisper. “Face it, Y/N. You’re nothing but a placeholder. The girl who was good enough to pass the time but never enough to keep.”

Y/N’s fingers dug into the edge of the counter as she felt a surge of anger rising. She was done holding back. Done letting Ivy have the last word. Taking a slow breath, she met Ivy’s gaze with a steady, unyielding stare.

“If being enough means turning into someone like you,” Y/N replied calmly, “then I think I’m just fine.”

Ivy’s smirk faltered, her eyes narrowing, but Y/N didn’t linger to see her reaction. She turned on her heel and walked back toward the crowd, every step a silent act of defiance. She wouldn’t let Ivy’s words cling to her. Not tonight.

Ivy’s voice followed Y/N before she’d even made it halfway back to the party. “Oh, please. You think you can just walk away?”

Y/N turned, her expression steely as she faced Ivy again. “What do you want from me, Ivy? Do you really get that much pleasure out of dragging me down?”

Ivy shrugged, her eyes glinting. “Someone’s got to show you reality, Y/N. You keep clinging to this fantasy that Harry ever cared about you. Pathetic, really.”

Y/N let out a sharp laugh, the frustration boiling over. “And you think you’re any better? You throw yourself at him, shamelessly, like he owes you something. I may not have everything figured out, but at least I have some dignity.”

“Dignity?” Ivy’s voice was laced with disdain as she took a step closer. “You’re living in a dream world if you think you have any control over this. Harry’s with me tonight, and he’ll keep coming back to me. You don’t stand a chance.”

Y/N clenched her fists, refusing to let Ivy see the hurt she was causing. “You keep saying that, but I don’t see him claiming you. It’s all a game to him, and you’re nothing more than a temporary thrill. You’re not winning anything, Ivy.”

Ivy’s face hardened, the smug smile dropping. “Is that so?” She looked Y/N up and down with a sneer. “Because from where I’m standing, he chose me. So keep lying to yourself if it helps you sleep at night.”

“Keep deluding yourself if you need to,” Y/N shot back, feeling her anger sharpen. “Harry might be confused, but he’s not as lost as you think. He’ll see you for what you are sooner or later, and you’ll have nothing.”

Ivy scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re nothing but a momentary distraction. Harry only went to you because he was bored. But when he’s ready for something real, he’ll come back to me.”

“You can keep telling yourself that,” Y/N replied, her tone icy, “but deep down, we both know he’d never settle for someone like you.”

Ivy’s jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with rage. “You’re just a sad, desperate little girl. The more you push, the more he’ll pull away. Maybe if you knew how to keep someone, you wouldn’t be so alone.”

“Better alone than bitter and desperate,” Y/N said, her voice cold and unwavering.

Ivy’s expression wavered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly replaced it with a venomous smirk. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Y/N. Maybe next time you’ll learn not to mess with me.”

Y/N held Ivy’s gaze for a beat longer, her expression calm and defiant. Then, without another word, she turned and walked back toward the crowd, feeling her anger slowly dissolve into something fiercer—a determination not to let Ivy’s taunts define her.

Y/N watched Ivy slink through the crowd, her gaze sharp as she leaned in toward Harry, her hand brushing his arm as she whispered something close to his ear. Harry, serious and withdrawn, barely reacted, but he took the drink she offered, letting her linger beside him.

James noticed Y/N’s look of distress and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked gently.

Y/N tore her gaze away, nodding a little too quickly. “I’m fine. I just… ran into her in the kitchen,” she admitted, frustration lingering in her voice.

Sebastian, catching the tension in her expression, raised a brow. “What did she say to you?”

Y/N shook her head, fighting the knot in her throat. “Nothing worth repeating. Just… stirring things up like she does.”

They exchanged looks, and then all three glanced back toward the kitchen area. Ivy was laughing at something Harry had muttered, her hand now resting casually on his shoulder. Y/N’s stomach twisted as she watched Ivy practically lean into him, as if they were sharing some private joke that no one else could hear.

James grimaced. “It’s like she’s got him under some weird spell. You’re sure you’re alright?”

Y/N’s fingers tightened around the rim of her glass. “Yeah. Just wish he’d see through her for what she really is,” she muttered, the vulnerability slipping through.

Y/N threw herself into the music, letting the beat drown out her thoughts. She swayed and spun, pushing the ache to the back of her mind, pretending not to notice Harry and Ivy in the corner. They lingered together, half-hidden from the crowd, an unwelcome reminder of everything she’d lost.

Sebastian appeared beside her, nudging a shot into her hand with an encouraging smile. She downed it quickly, grateful for the burn, hoping it would numb the ache even a little. But as her gaze drifted across the room again, her heart stilled. Ivy was reaching for Harry’s hand, her laugh loud enough to carry, her expression triumphant as she pulled him toward the stairs.

Y/N’s chest tightened as she tried to look away, but the sight was too much to ignore. They were going upstairs. She tried to smile, to pretend the hollow feeling inside wasn’t growing, but it was impossible. She loved him; that truth hit her with a force she couldn’t ignore. Every memory, every moment she’d spent with him, crashed over her, making it hurt all the more. He was about to disappear with Ivy, and there was nothing she could do.

Because he wasn’t hers anymore.