I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, nervously fixing my hair.

"You're just going to the movies, Y/N. Relax," Ash says, watching me freak out.

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been on a date? Actually, I've never been on a real date. I've had one night stands and a brief high school relationship. That's it. Ash, what am I supposed to do?!"

"Watch the movie. Eat some popcorn. Maybe go out for a casual dinner. You already know Willow. In fact, you've already seen each other naked."

"Don't remind me of those days."

"Whatever. The point is, this should be easy. Just be you, okay? Besides, you've practically already gone on a date with her."

"We got drunk. That's it," I deadpan.

"Exactly my point. It'll be fine. Just let me know if you aren't coming back home tonight, yeah? And I'll make sure Syd is in bed by ten."

"Thank you, Ash. Seriously, you do too much for me."

"We're family," she shrugs, "Don't worry about it."

"I love you, bitch."

"Love you, asshole."

I nod at myself in the mirror, pretending to have any scrap of confidence. Fake it till you make it.

Walking out into the living room, I squat in front of the couch, kissing Syd's forehead. "I love you, Satanist. Be good for Ash, okay?"

"I love you too, Momma. And I'm always good."

"I know you are." I stand up and head to the kitchen where Ash is. "Text me if she gets a headache. They've been getting more frequent," I tell Ash quietly.

"You got it. Have fun."

"I'll do my best. See you later."

Leaving the apartment, I try the calm my nerves. It's just a date. And it's Willow. I've known Willow since I was seventeen. It'll be fine. My phone vibrates as I get a text.

Lizzie (aka your favorite actress)🥰: Good luck on your date! ;)

I laugh at the way she saved her contact. I reply, thanking her, as I get in my car. Willow and I agreed to meet at the theatre.

When I get there, I head inside and immediately spot her standing in the lobby. "Hey," I say nervously as I approach.

"Hey! I got our tickets. Popcorn?"

"Well obviously. What kind of monster goes to the movies and doesn't get popcorn?"

We got our snacks and went into the theatre. We decided to watch a horror movie, and somehow we ended up holding hands with Willow partially hiding behind me. When it was over, we walked out laughing despite being slightly spooked by the film.

"I'm kinda hungry still. You wanna get pizza? I know a great place near here," I suggest.

"Ooh, yes. I'm always down for food. I took an Uber here, though."

"That's fine. I'll drive."

After her briefly marveling at my car, we drove to a small pizza joint and got into a heated debate over what pizza to order.

"I'm telling you, deep dish is the move," I state.

"No no no. Thin crust all the way," Willow argues.

Eventually I gave in and we ordered New York style pizza. I'm kind of surprised by how much fun I'm having, but my mind occasionally drifts back to Florence. Which is crazy because I don't owe her anything.

After agreeing that I'll give her a ride, we drive back to Willow's apartment in relative silence, but it's comfortable. I feel like she wants to say something, but she doesn't. I park in front of her building and she smiles out the window, nervously fiddling with her hands. "Would you, like, totally mind if I kissed you again?"

"Not at all," I reply with a smile. She leans over the center console, pausing to look between my eyes and my lips. I finish closing the gap, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. It's slow at first, careful as we explore new terrain. I lift my hand to tangle in her hair as the kiss quickly becomes heated. She rests her hand at the base of my neck, moaning as I slip my tongue into her mouth.

"Do you wanna come up?" she whispers against my lips, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"Yeah, yeah I do," I whisper back, molding our lips together once more.

She giggles, pulling away and saying "Come on, then," as she gets out of the car. I unbuckle my seatbelt and quickly follow her into the building. Getting in the elevator behind her, I push her back against the wall and kiss her hungrily. I grip and the back of her thighs and lift her, prompting her to wrap her legs around my body. She moans, grinding against my front as my mouth moves down her neck, licking and sucking at her pulse point.

The elevator door dings, opening up to reveal the hallway on her floor. I set her down, following her to her door. She gets out her keys and I push her against the door, marking her neck as she laughs, trying to unlock it. She finally manages to turn the key and we stumble inside.

She kicks the door shut and saunters to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of tequila from the cabinet. She takes a swig directly from the bottle, holding eye contact the whole time. I cross the kitchen calmly, taking the bottle from her hands and taking a sip. She pulls my lips back to hers and pushes the jacket off my shoulders. I run my hands up her sides, slipping them under her shirt to cup her breasts through her lace bra.

Willow pushes me away before pulling her shirt over her head, revealing the black lace beneath. Grabbing my hand, she pulls me toward her bedroom and impatiently removes my shirt. Our pants quickly follow and she pushes me down on the bed, hovering over my exposed body.

In all our haste, I fail to notice the vibrations of my phone, and the unknown contact lighting up the screen.

I know you didn't want Lizzie to give me your number, but I talked her into it. Please don't go with this girl, Y/N. Just cancel the date.

Y/N?

Please tell me you're not with her.

This is stupid. Just forget it.