This Love

Chapter 86

SCARLETT STYLES

From my second nap of the day, I wake up to the sensation of Harry's hand sliding over my belly and his chest against my back. I can tell he was trying to be sly and not wake me up, but I've turned into a pretty light sleeper these days and I was only half-asleep anyway. Part of me was conscious of the fact that I needed to get up and get ready for all our friends to arrive so we can officially reveal the pregnancy news today. It's also going to be the first real party we're going to have at the house. All our friends have seen it, but we've never held a gathering for any special occasion before.

"How are you feeling?" Harry mumbles into my hair, sensing that I'm awake as I shift my legs under the throw blanket.

"Okay," I reply honestly. "It's like I'm not physically tired, but my eyes want to stay closed."

"Hm," he kisses my shoulder over my shirt and rubs my belly again. "We can always cancel."

"No, I'm ready to tell everyone," I insist. "I think Seth might be hurt that he wasn't the first person I told and that I waited for three months to say anything."

"I don't think so," he retorts. "I think he's going to be so excited to learn that he's about to be an uncle that he won't have any bad thoughts about it at all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," he presses his lips to my cheek when I turn my head back to see him better. "Everyone is going to be so happy for you."

"For us," I quickly correct him. "This is our thing to celebrate."

"You're right," he rests his head on my pillow as I roll over to face him, but his focus is down on my belly. "How do you think our lives are going to change the most once he or she is here?"

I feel my expression contort into a frown as I consider that, but I'm not sure it's a coincidence that I haven't thought about it before. It's a bit of a stressful topic to explore. "I think our sleeping patterns are going to be wild, and even though we haven't done this in a while anyway, I think our nights of going out and getting drunk are pretty much over, and...I guess everything changes, doesn't it? Our whole world will revolve around him or her."

He nods with the same concentrated look on his face. "Is that okay with you? I mean...not like we have much of a choice."

I laugh at the way he mumbled the last part. "To be honest...I'm kind of okay with most of it. I am not looking forward to being woken up all the time to breastfeed while that's still going on, and I'm already dreading the crying because I'm not patient with stuff like that, but as far as the partying goes, I haven't had much of a desire to do that anymore anyway. Like, if I wasn't pregnant right now, I can't imagine feeling like dressing up and going to some club to get fucked up and wake up with an awful hangover tomorrow, y'know?"

A small smile of relief replaces his deep frown. "I agree completely. We spent so much of our young adult lives doing that, and I wouldn't take any of those nights back because they were some of my favorites with you, but if I could choose between going out to a pub or staying in and watching a movie with you, I'd choose you every single time."

That was such a simply sweet thing for him to stay, but I still feel goosebumps erupt all over my body as butterflies swarm in my stomach. I know he loves me, but sometimes I always appreciate having him express it in different ways like that.

"I'm so excited that they'll be born right before the holidays so we can just be cozy in our house for the whole winter," I place my hand on top of his over my belly.

"I'm thinking that once we tell my mum, she's going to insist on coming to see us for Christmas this year rather than having us make the trip to her. Gemma and Michal will want to be with us too."