Conceited [H.S.]

EIGHTY-NINE

Chapter Song: Sunlight by Hozier

...

ANDREA WILSON

I take a deep breath in as I feel my body beginning to wake up from a long night's sleep.

After a week, I was finally able to lie down on my side that wasn't bruised without struggling to breathe against my aching ribs. It may be something small, but it gives me hope that I'm starting to heal, considering I don't quite look better yet.

My eyes remain closed as I choose to let myself relish in the feeling of the comforter as it's pulled up nearly to my chin, but when I feel the faint feather-like touch of a fingertip dragging against the bridge of my nose, I can't help it when the corners of my lips begin to curl up in delight.

"I can see you trying not to smile," Harry's hoarse morning voice floods my ears.

His movement doesn't stop despite knowing I'm somewhat awake, and he drags his finger softly from the tip of my nose up until it's between my brows.

With my head still against the pillow and no efforts being made to open my eyes, I reach my hand up to rest against his forearm. It doesn't take long until I'm giving his limb a gentle tug, hoping he'll come closer, and he does with no hesitation.

He plants a soft kiss against my forehead and scoots his body closer to me. My head instinctively lifts for his arm to slither underneath, then rests back on his shoulder as my legs intertwine with his.

As the days have passed, it's become easier to go up and down the stairs. It still takes me a while, given I still get winded embarrassingly quickly, but it meant that I'd be able to sleep in a bed again.

The first time I laid down in this bed again, it didn't feel strange at all. It felt right. It was like I was finally coming home after being away for a while. I was worried that I'd lie down and feel out of place, but I didn't.

Harry seemed to be a nervous wreck when I asked him if he'd sleep in the bed with me. At first, I think he assumed I asked to sleep in his bed on my own, and he was sweet enough to say yes, of course, but that's not what I had meant.

Both of us seemed a bit nervous at first, and it didn't help that I was only able to sleep on my back and could barely look at him, but his hand stayed intertwined with mine the whole night.

Ever since we realized I could lay on my side, he insisted we switch sides of the bed for the time being because he missed seeing my face before we fell asleep and when he'd wake up in the morning.

I've woken up to his delicate touch for the past two days, and I'm starting to wonder how I went without it for so long.

His lips softly press against my eyebrow before continuing down until his kisses land across my healing eyelid.

Thankfully, the bruising on my face has started to clear up much more than my ribs. The bruise as a whole has faded to a lighter black and yellow shade for the most part, as it's taken its time to heal.

It makes me feel hideous, but Harry's been doing his best to help me push those negative thoughts of mine out of my head.

"Harry," I say through my tired giggles when he doesn't make any movements to stop planting kisses all over my face.

My voice sounds much less hoarse than it did a few days ago, managing to boost my spirits, even this early in the morning.

"Sorry, can't help it," he mumbles against my cheek.