Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 31

I wake up in bed with a large arm thrown over my waist.  Tattoos litter the person’s wristand I don’t need to turn around to figure out who it belongs to.  I snuggle into his chest, listening to his heavy breathing and light snores.

Last night had been long.  It wasn’t that we did much, but the excessive amount of tears pays a toll. Crying always makes me tired.

During the night, Alice had somehow managed to fit me in the pink dress she had brought over yesterday, and after crying with us for quite some time, she finally left to mend it for me.

I turn around slowly in Harry’s arm to look at his face.  His snoring stops momentarily and my breathing hitches in my throat, afraid that I woke him up by accident.  When his snores return, I let out a sigh of relief and gently caress his cheek, running over the small bit of stubble he has on his chin.

It seems weird to see him this way.  He’s usually well groomed but now his hair is disheveled and his clothes are wrinkled.  His eyes look puffy, although they’re still closed, and dark bags droop down to his cheeks.

I like being able to admire at him like this without him knowing.  I wouldn’t mind waking up to this sight every morning.

“I’m awake you know,” Harry says in a deep morning voice.

My heart flutters from his voice for a second before it’s quickly replaced with anxiety and embarrassment.  I quickly pull my hand away from his face and playfully slap his arm.

“Why didn’t you tell that earlier?” I whine.  My voice sounds hoarse due to the hands that were around my neck.  I’m thankful that it doesn’t hurt to talk.  I took painkillers in the middle of the night to help me sleep and I guess it's still in effect.

His eyes open and his mouth pulls up into a smirk that I’ve grown to love.  He shrugs his shoulders lazily before sitting up in bed, fiddling with the blankets between his fingers.  His smirk quickly vanishes only to be replaced with a worried expression.

“I, uh, hope you didn’t mind that we slept in the same bed,” he mumbles.  He runs his hands through his hair before letting them slide down his neck.  “I, um, wanted to spend as much time with you as I could,” he added sheepishly.

His gaze never lifts to meet mine, but I’m not complaining.  If he’s looking at me then he would see the idiotic smile that’s taking over of my face.

“I liked waking up beside you,” I whisper.

I bite my lip as I look downwards, suddenly embarrassed by my confession.  Our roles have been flipped all of a sudden.  He’s looking at me now, waiting for me to say more, while I look everywhere but him.

His hand nervously brushes my hair back behind my ear, occasionally making contact with my skin.  His fingers are cold and it sends an electric shock down my spine that makes my toes curl with excitement.  His hand moves slowly and hesitantly before it rests on my cheek.  He pauses before lifting his eyes to meet mine before fleeing back to my face.  I can hear him take in a deep breath before he slowly brushes his thumb over my lips.

My heart beats faster underneath his simple touch.  His fingertips quiver, making every part of me tickle from his light touch.

“Jackie?” he whispers suddenly.

He’s looking at me with wide eyes and a longing expression.

“Yeah?”

He swallows thickly, then clears his throat.

“Um…I really…uh…”

He quickly leans into me, pecking my lips so fast that I didn’t have any time to kiss him back.  He pulls away at lightning speed, his eyes bulging out as he realizes what he’s done.  His face slowly turns red as he backs away from me, ready to make a beeline for the door.