Last One Standing
Chapter Twenty
*Hannah’s POV*
Hearing Harry’s shower turn off, I quickly closed my laptop and threw it down on the bed, trying to blink and wipe away what tears were left. How could people be so cruel? I’m one person, and there’s no way that I’ve been so terrible for Harry as to be called those things. I pulled out my phone and tried to look like I was busy with something, but when Harry walked in, we both knew that I wasn’t.
“Everything okay?” I stood up from the bed and began to walk towards him, as he was still standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” A slightly troubled look came over his face as he pulled me close to his bare chest and against the towel that hung low on his hips as he kissed my nose and my forehead before kissing my lips. We both trembled slightly at the closeness. I was all that I could do not to break down and tell him that I wasn’t good enough for him.
Passing him, I walked into the bathroom and quickly yet quietly closed the door behind me. The shower was still steamy and I enjoyed the warmth as I pulled my jumper over my head once again. The mirror was foggy and I loved it. I didn’t want to see myself; not right now. I was despicable. I was pulling him away from the rest of the world, I was a slut for leaving the club with him, and I was terrible for tying him down. He was a dumb ass for taking me back, he’s too perfect to be with a low life, and he I was reaching towards the sky to touch fingertips with a man reaching down to scrape rock bottom. How many comments could one person handle?
I got into the scolding hot water and made no rush, being careful to cleanly shave my legs and underarms and let my deep rinse body scrub really sink in. I washed my face and prayed that it wouldn’t dry out my skin. Suddenly, it was all too much. There was too much steam and I felt it filling my lungs, slowly suffocating me. I sat down and, before I knew it, was sobbing lightly under the running water. I covered my mouth, trying to contain myself. Harry couldn’t hear me; as far as he knew, everything was fine, or at least that’s what he had to think.
When I thought that I was stable enough to control myself, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Putting my hair in a towel and wrapping another around my body, I slowly opened the door and found Harry, standing in front of my full length in nothing but jeans. They sat tastefully low on his hips and showed just the waist of his Jack Wills boxers; those came tastefully across his V lines. He walked up to me and held my face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?” He brushed his thumbs across my cheeks and I focused extra hard on keeping my breathing even.
“Yeah, why do you keep asking?” I swallowed everything that was bounding to bubble up.
“I’m asking because of the look on your face before you went into the bathroom and because your eyes look puffy and red. I know that it’s not allergies because you don’t have any of those.” I smiled at how well he knew me.
“I’m fine,” I falsely assured him.
“Okay, I’m picking out what you’re wearing.”
“I can dress myself Harry.”
“I don’t care. You don’t know where we’re going.” My shoulders dropped and I gave Harry an annoyed glare as he stepped into my closet.
“And you can’t just tell me?” I huffed.
“Nope, not going to happen.” He grabbed my white dress and handed it to me, pulling out the red TOMS that he had bought me the other day as well. “Here, put these on and show them off.” I stared at the dress, trying to get some hint as to where he could be taking me. It hardly had sleeves so it had to be somewhere inside; he’d never make me dress in something that would make me freeze. The dress pushed up my boobs well, had a red bow just beneath my bust line and flared only slightly. The sleeves were about three fingertips wide and the fondest memory that I had of it was when I wore it to school and they almost sent me home for not covering enough, but couldn’t deny that it really did follow all of school protocol. It came just above my knees.
“Why?”
“Don’t whine. Put them on.” I paused in my place, a semi awkward look coming over my face and body language. Silently, he grabbed my laptop off of my bed, picked his white button up shirt out of a drawer and headed out of the room, kissing my temple on his way out.
I threw on a tee shirt so that I wouldn’t get makeup all over it. I dried and put gentle curls in my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders. I wore a neutral eye shadow, but realized when I was done that I had really gone all out on the mascara. To finish it off, I dapped on my cherry lipstick, grabbed my red hand bag, and walked towards the living room.
*Harry’s POV*
Setting her laptop down on the coffee table, I opened it up and sat down on the couch. I opened up Twitter to see that she was already logged in. I could feel the anger come through my presentation as I saw what people were saying about her, and to her face! I knew that I wasn’t always the one that was most likely to keep the same girl around, but I was planning on having her forever, so that was something that people would have to get used to. I closed the computer, not even bothering to check my own account and picked up the remote.
I sat there, not bothering to actually turn the telly on. Fiddling with the remote in my hand, I thought about pressing the button, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to spend my time, this time, this night just being with her. I had the opportunity to revel in her beauty once again and that was something that I was never going to take for granted ever again.
Before I knew it, the door to her room opened and I didn’t waste a moment with a double take. Her dress hugged her tastefully and she had done her hair and makeup, putting on red lip stick to match her shoes… only her. She was unnaturally tan, but I was the last person to complain, and it made every aspect of her appearance stand out, and not in a bad way. I was speechless. Letting my mouth gape open, I realized that I probably looked like a total fool, but I didn’t care. The remote had fallen to the floor, but I hardly noticed. I was standing in the presence of a merciful angel and she was mine. I didn’t deserve her, and she deserved better than me, but she settled to take a fool like me. She took someone known for breaking hearts and trusted that it wouldn’t turn out the same for us.
I was hardly off my feet before I was walking over to her. We were the only ones in the room, but I still pulled her into a tight embrace and I felt her arms wrap around my neck, one going up into my hair.
“You look absolutely stunning,” I whispered in her ear.
She got close to my ear as well, keeping her breathing even. “And you have a great sense of style.”
“Oh, it’s not the dress that makes you beautiful.” I paused as I felt her stiffen under my hold, becoming self conscious about her current appearance. “You make the dress look fit, not the other way around.” I chuckled slightly, as she again relaxed at my compliment.
“Is that so?” she replied slyly.
I pulled her back, holding onto her arms above her elbows, tastefully looking her up and down. “I’m positive that that’s it.” My hands slid down to her wrists and I let go of one to pull the other over her head as she spun underneath the arch that we’d created. She needed someone to make her feel like a princess; it’s what she deserved more than anything else in the world. With that thought, I pulled her back close to me, her frame shaking with laughter.
We sat there, taking each other in, swaying slightly to the silent and guilty air of her apartment. I hoped desperately that she didn’t feel the second part looming around the two of us. When we were talking, I was in complete bliss, happier than ever, but when it was quiet, when I was lying awake in her bed, when she read and I played on my mobile, when I stood alone in the shower, when I held her close in the silence of her house, all of the memories that we had made came rushing back; the memories that her drunken state had chosen for her to forget.
Eventually I ended our embrace and she retreated to her room, returning again with a red clutch. “So are you ready to take me to this surprise whatever it is?” She cocked her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders, palms facing the ceiling.
“If you don’t stop asking then we’re staying home.” I playfully glared at her as her smirk dropped and her eyebrows rose.
“Okay I’m done.” She put her hands down to her sides and quickly walked to the door, posture slouching as low as possible. Opening the door, she turned to me with an exasperated look on her face, obviously waiting for me to follow. I paced over to her, following her out, placing my hand on her lower back while using the other to close the door behind us.
Hearing Harry’s shower turn off, I quickly closed my laptop and threw it down on the bed, trying to blink and wipe away what tears were left. How could people be so cruel? I’m one person, and there’s no way that I’ve been so terrible for Harry as to be called those things. I pulled out my phone and tried to look like I was busy with something, but when Harry walked in, we both knew that I wasn’t.
“Everything okay?” I stood up from the bed and began to walk towards him, as he was still standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” A slightly troubled look came over his face as he pulled me close to his bare chest and against the towel that hung low on his hips as he kissed my nose and my forehead before kissing my lips. We both trembled slightly at the closeness. I was all that I could do not to break down and tell him that I wasn’t good enough for him.
Passing him, I walked into the bathroom and quickly yet quietly closed the door behind me. The shower was still steamy and I enjoyed the warmth as I pulled my jumper over my head once again. The mirror was foggy and I loved it. I didn’t want to see myself; not right now. I was despicable. I was pulling him away from the rest of the world, I was a slut for leaving the club with him, and I was terrible for tying him down. He was a dumb ass for taking me back, he’s too perfect to be with a low life, and he I was reaching towards the sky to touch fingertips with a man reaching down to scrape rock bottom. How many comments could one person handle?
I got into the scolding hot water and made no rush, being careful to cleanly shave my legs and underarms and let my deep rinse body scrub really sink in. I washed my face and prayed that it wouldn’t dry out my skin. Suddenly, it was all too much. There was too much steam and I felt it filling my lungs, slowly suffocating me. I sat down and, before I knew it, was sobbing lightly under the running water. I covered my mouth, trying to contain myself. Harry couldn’t hear me; as far as he knew, everything was fine, or at least that’s what he had to think.
When I thought that I was stable enough to control myself, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Putting my hair in a towel and wrapping another around my body, I slowly opened the door and found Harry, standing in front of my full length in nothing but jeans. They sat tastefully low on his hips and showed just the waist of his Jack Wills boxers; those came tastefully across his V lines. He walked up to me and held my face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?” He brushed his thumbs across my cheeks and I focused extra hard on keeping my breathing even.
“Yeah, why do you keep asking?” I swallowed everything that was bounding to bubble up.
“I’m asking because of the look on your face before you went into the bathroom and because your eyes look puffy and red. I know that it’s not allergies because you don’t have any of those.” I smiled at how well he knew me.
“I’m fine,” I falsely assured him.
“Okay, I’m picking out what you’re wearing.”
“I can dress myself Harry.”
“I don’t care. You don’t know where we’re going.” My shoulders dropped and I gave Harry an annoyed glare as he stepped into my closet.
“And you can’t just tell me?” I huffed.
“Nope, not going to happen.” He grabbed my white dress and handed it to me, pulling out the red TOMS that he had bought me the other day as well. “Here, put these on and show them off.” I stared at the dress, trying to get some hint as to where he could be taking me. It hardly had sleeves so it had to be somewhere inside; he’d never make me dress in something that would make me freeze. The dress pushed up my boobs well, had a red bow just beneath my bust line and flared only slightly. The sleeves were about three fingertips wide and the fondest memory that I had of it was when I wore it to school and they almost sent me home for not covering enough, but couldn’t deny that it really did follow all of school protocol. It came just above my knees.
“Why?”
“Don’t whine. Put them on.” I paused in my place, a semi awkward look coming over my face and body language. Silently, he grabbed my laptop off of my bed, picked his white button up shirt out of a drawer and headed out of the room, kissing my temple on his way out.
I threw on a tee shirt so that I wouldn’t get makeup all over it. I dried and put gentle curls in my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders. I wore a neutral eye shadow, but realized when I was done that I had really gone all out on the mascara. To finish it off, I dapped on my cherry lipstick, grabbed my red hand bag, and walked towards the living room.
*Harry’s POV*
Setting her laptop down on the coffee table, I opened it up and sat down on the couch. I opened up Twitter to see that she was already logged in. I could feel the anger come through my presentation as I saw what people were saying about her, and to her face! I knew that I wasn’t always the one that was most likely to keep the same girl around, but I was planning on having her forever, so that was something that people would have to get used to. I closed the computer, not even bothering to check my own account and picked up the remote.
I sat there, not bothering to actually turn the telly on. Fiddling with the remote in my hand, I thought about pressing the button, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to spend my time, this time, this night just being with her. I had the opportunity to revel in her beauty once again and that was something that I was never going to take for granted ever again.
Before I knew it, the door to her room opened and I didn’t waste a moment with a double take. Her dress hugged her tastefully and she had done her hair and makeup, putting on red lip stick to match her shoes… only her. She was unnaturally tan, but I was the last person to complain, and it made every aspect of her appearance stand out, and not in a bad way. I was speechless. Letting my mouth gape open, I realized that I probably looked like a total fool, but I didn’t care. The remote had fallen to the floor, but I hardly noticed. I was standing in the presence of a merciful angel and she was mine. I didn’t deserve her, and she deserved better than me, but she settled to take a fool like me. She took someone known for breaking hearts and trusted that it wouldn’t turn out the same for us.
I was hardly off my feet before I was walking over to her. We were the only ones in the room, but I still pulled her into a tight embrace and I felt her arms wrap around my neck, one going up into my hair.
“You look absolutely stunning,” I whispered in her ear.
She got close to my ear as well, keeping her breathing even. “And you have a great sense of style.”
“Oh, it’s not the dress that makes you beautiful.” I paused as I felt her stiffen under my hold, becoming self conscious about her current appearance. “You make the dress look fit, not the other way around.” I chuckled slightly, as she again relaxed at my compliment.
“Is that so?” she replied slyly.
I pulled her back, holding onto her arms above her elbows, tastefully looking her up and down. “I’m positive that that’s it.” My hands slid down to her wrists and I let go of one to pull the other over her head as she spun underneath the arch that we’d created. She needed someone to make her feel like a princess; it’s what she deserved more than anything else in the world. With that thought, I pulled her back close to me, her frame shaking with laughter.
We sat there, taking each other in, swaying slightly to the silent and guilty air of her apartment. I hoped desperately that she didn’t feel the second part looming around the two of us. When we were talking, I was in complete bliss, happier than ever, but when it was quiet, when I was lying awake in her bed, when she read and I played on my mobile, when I stood alone in the shower, when I held her close in the silence of her house, all of the memories that we had made came rushing back; the memories that her drunken state had chosen for her to forget.
Eventually I ended our embrace and she retreated to her room, returning again with a red clutch. “So are you ready to take me to this surprise whatever it is?” She cocked her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders, palms facing the ceiling.
“If you don’t stop asking then we’re staying home.” I playfully glared at her as her smirk dropped and her eyebrows rose.
“Okay I’m done.” She put her hands down to her sides and quickly walked to the door, posture slouching as low as possible. Opening the door, she turned to me with an exasperated look on her face, obviously waiting for me to follow. I paced over to her, following her out, placing my hand on her lower back while using the other to close the door behind us.
Notes
Okay everyone, we can tell that they are individually starting to fall apart... Will they be able to stay strong together? Let's hope so :)xoxo Hannah <3
so in love with this one !!! update soon!!!
10/20/16