Ardently |h.s|

twenty eight

Pacing the garden, I wait for Harry to come out. Of course I am nervous to be alone with him, but I am more afraid someone will catch us and start spreading rumors. Even if nothing improper happens between us, just being alone with a man is scandalous enough.

It would ruin the Payne family's reputation. Liam would surely hate Harry for the rest of their lives, under the assumption he has stolen my virtue. Our fates lay in the hands of Gemma, who I am afraid is not the most reliable of chaperones to begin with.

"You know, you look absolutely flawless in the moonlight." Harry's voice rings out. I turn to face him, all my nerves melting away at the sight of his gorgeous figure. He looks so elegant and handsome.

"I believe we are tempting scandal, my lord." I remind him, biting my lip slightly as he steps closer.

His lips turn up in a quick smile as he nods, "I would have to agree with you, Miss Pembroke. However, I have faith in us that we shall remain appropriate." He stops walking once he is inches away, his fingers gently reaching down to touch mine.

My breath catches slightly, my wide, doe eyes looking up into his endless green ones. "Lord Styles, I do believe we are already in a compromising position." I whisper.

He is captivated, taking in every inch of my face before he clears his throat, nodding, "You are right, I am very sorry Charlotte, truly." he apologizes, stepping back slightly. It feels as though I can breathe again, but I miss the feeling of his fingers against mine.

"What did you need to discuss? We should not be long, people will start to realize." I remind him.

He breaks out into a big smile, putting his hands behind his back. "Liam has apologized."

My eyes widen in shock at his words. Liam apologized? What has changed? "Apologized? In what way? Was it genuine?" I question, eager to know more.

He nods quickly, "I believe it to be genuine. He acknowledged that it was wrong of him to be so enraged and that he wants to make amends as he can sense that this is not a ruse but a real relationship that seems to be getting serious."

Every word that comes out of his mouth sends my heart rate skyrocketing. Liam genuinely apologized. He wants to move on and be more accepting. Harry acknowledged that this is a real relationship and that engagement is impending. All of it is making my head spin.

"Charlotte, he misses you deeply and regrets being the cause of your estrangement. He wants to make it up to you and feels as though the first step is making things right with me. He will be apologizing to you for all the stress and pain he has caused you." Harry continues, his hands gently holding the bare skin of my upper arms.

His wild smile is captivating, and the gleam in his eye is brilliant. He is happy, genuinely happy about Liam wanting to fix things. It is the last boundary we may have needed to cross before moving on to bigger milestones. If Liam is onboard with our courtship, there is less a chance that our engagement will be viewed as a mistake by him.

"Harry... I just- He's really apologized? I mean, it makes sense as he's made an effort to talk to me today, but I just didn't expect this to happen so suddenly!" I shake my head in disbelief, my eyes locked in his.

"Char, he's really apologized. You may get your brother back after all. I know it will never be the same, as he has done some unforgivable things these past few weeks, but you deserve to have your family." he says, earnestly. His eyes bore into mine, one of his hands moving off my arm to hold my cheek.

I lean into his touch, gazing up at him, "Harry... I am just so... I do not even know." I whisper, unable to describe the emotions I am feeling.

He chuckles softly, nodding. His smile reaches his eyes, his teeth on full display and his dimples deeper than ever. "My Charlotte, just be happy. Smile. For you will have your brother back in no time."