A/N: I skipped over Valentine's Day in Between the Good so I thought I'd have some fun with the upcoming holiday. Enjoy xx Mariah

The words to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" pour from the stereo of Olivia's beat-up old Chevy. Katie stared glumly out at the scenery that flashed by the window and sigh.

"But baby now!" Olivia and Hannah scream-sing along with the singer.

She cringed at their crude attempt at vocalization. Olivia placed a hand on her shoulder and continues to aggravate her. She knew her friend sensed it, which was why she doesn't stop.

"Oh, come on, Katie!" Olivia begged. "Tonight will be fun, I promise! Ned will be here later, right?"

She nodded and swatted her arm away. She was in no mood for the nagging she'd been subjected to all night.

"I'll believe it when I see it, Livy," she responded playfully.

When they pulled into the parking lot, Olivia slowed the car to a stop to accommodate the valet that approached our car. The cute valet, she might add.

"Ohmygod," Hannah whispered, the low volume quite unnecessary. Olivia hasn't even lowered the window yet. "Katie, he's totally checking your boobs out."

With this, her best friend captured her attention immediately and she snapped her head up size the guy up and slightly turn away. "I am not okay with that," she sighed.

Olivia rolled down the window. "Good evening," Liv mused and the man gave her a ridiculously perfect smile.

"Good evening, ladies," the man replied, actually leaning into the car just to get a better look at all of them. "I'm Nick. If you'll just shut off the car and hand me your keys, I can take care of it for you." His grin widened when both front doors opened.

Liv handed him some cash and her keys, and they all stepped out of the car and toward the club. She and Hannah turned to walk into the building until they realized Liv had stayed behind to flirt with the valet driver, a permanent smile playing across both of their features.

When they're done talking, Liv scampered back over to them, practically bursting with giggling joy. "What? If you weren't going to, I was."

She and Hannah gave her a pair of extremely inquisitive looks, neither of them having to say a word to get their message across.

"He said that when his shift is over in thirty minutes and he wants to hang with us at the bar," Liv said. "I got him to agree to buy us drinks."

All three of us exchange excited smiles, but inwardly Katie was not excited for tonight. Well, at least not until Ned got here.

After an hour of loud music and fruity drinks, Katie was ready to get drunk so Ned would be obligated to take her home the second he got here.

"Vodka tonic, please," she shouted to the bartender over the pulsating music, really needing this drink.

Don't get her wrong, she loved Olivia and partying with the girls, but taking her alone to this stupid Valentine's Day club night was the worst thing she could have done to me.

"But Katie, it'll be so much fun!"

Yeah, right. she needed this party like she wanted a double shift on a Saturday night.

It was not the party itself that bothered her. Its location was beautiful, actually- right under the glittering city lights of New York City. But come on, people. She just wanted a night in with her boyfriend like she'd had last year. Instead, she was spending this Valentine's Day devastatingly lonely in a bar while she waited for her boyfriend.

She glanced back over to where Hannah, Nick, and a love-struck Olivia sat, chatting and laughing. Her silver cross necklace twirled absentmindedly in her fingers, its light, shiny surface cool against her angry-red and sweating skin. Why was this place so damn hot?

Ten minutes later and she was still waiting on her drink. This bar's really crowded.

Finally, the bartender slid her glass over to her. She smiled her thanks and handed him some cash. No use waiting for him again to scan her card.

Suddenly she gasped in surprise. A pair of beefy hands have found purchase on her ass. She immediately elbowed him in the chest and whirled around, disgusted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A clearly-intoxicated idiot gave her a lopsided grin. "How's it hanging, cupcake?" he slurred, swaying slightly as he tried to inch closer to the bar.

"Not interested," she responded in annoyance.

He looked shocked for a moment, but regained his confident, and somewhat pervy, attitude. "Hey, now. Let's not be that way." The drunk guy slung an arm over her shoulder.

"I said I'm not interested." She slid out of his grasp, grabbing her drink and turning to go, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I said," he asserted, now becoming slightly ominous, "let's not be that way."

This won't end well. She knew that for a fact. She opened her mouth to fire back a retort something about having a boyfriend, but it turned out not to be necessary.

"I'd get your hand off my girlfriend." The guy's clammy fingers were detached from her arm by another, stronger, hand. She didn't even have to second guess that it was Ned. She looked up just as he slid his arm around her waist.

The would-be stalker swallowed hard and looked up. So does she. Her eyes traveled up his strong, lean body, with a black t-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders.

Ned stared down the creep before them. "Hey. Why don't I buy you a beer and you leave us alone." He gave him a five dollar bill. "There. Go."

By now she had forgotten the drink in her hand, its ice melting.

The embarrassingly-drunk imbecile gulped again. "O-Okay," the guy stuttered, sobering up a little. He grabbed the money and scurried away.

"Sorry, I was stuck in a little traffic." Ned sighed and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Has your night even been somewhat good?"

"Not really," she said, slightly laughing. "I'm just glad you're here. Can we go and just get something from the liquor store? It's so loud and crowded in here. I'd much rather be drunk and alone with you."

He shot her a pearly smile. "Sure," he responded. "I like that idea."