Rhapsody (Part 2 of Medley).

33: HEARTBREAK WARFARE.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Repeat.

I can't keep delaying the inevitable. I have to see him. I want to see him. I just don't want to face the reality that might come with it.

According to William, Harry doesn't even remember that someone else was in the car with him when the accident happened, they had to tell him. How am I going to get my answers?

Inhale.

Exhale.

One last time.

I step into the room and everyone stops talking abruptly. All eyes are on me. His eyes burn a hole in my heart when they sparkle at me, for me. He sighs and then smiles as if relieved that I'm finally there with him.

"Look who decided to show up!" Harry says, jokingly.

"Look who decided to give everyone a heart attack!" I respond as I walk around the bed to get closer to him.

"See the lengths I have to go to get you to come visit me on the road?"

He's one charming son of a bitch. I give him that.

"Next time, why don't you just try asking nicely?"

I don't know why, but instead of taking the chair closest to his bed (which Anne and Will seemed to have reserved for me) I end up sitting on the edge of his bed next by his hip. I guess I need to see him up-close and make sure he's indeed in one piece.

We stare into each other's eyes for a minute or two, probably making our spectators feel uncomfortable for being in the middle of such an intimate moment.

Instinctively, I lift my hand and run my fingers across his cheek, looking to make sure he's real.

God! I love this man so much.
If something bad would've happened to him, I don't know what I'd done.

To everyone's surprise but Harry's, I close my arms behind his back and hold him tightly close to me. The idea of him ceasing to exist is way more painful than anything he could ever do to me.

"For fuck's sake, Har! If something happened to you I would've-"

"Shhh. Don't worry, baby. I'm here. I'm here with you." He interrupts. It's funny how he's the one consoling me. "But if you keep squeezing me this hard, I might not live much longer."

To the sound of Anne and Will's chuckles, I let go of Harry and his hands look for mine instinctively, not ready to relinquish his hold on me.

For what feels like a lifetime, his eyes lock on mine and I know what they're asking of me, but I hesitate to give him what he wants.

Do I want to kiss him? Do I want the bitter taste of betrayal lingering in my mouth for the rest of the night? Could I reject him?

I don't know.

All I know is that we aren't alone. His mother and friend are here, and I won't start a fight in front of them. Besides, we're in a hospital. This is hardly the place to confront him.

When our lips connect, I wait for the sourness to overpower any other flavor, but that never happens. His mouth tastes as sweet as always and the kiss reminds me of the first one he ever gave me, in which I detected for the first time all the wonders living at the tip of his tongue: sunsets and rainbows and rain and unicorns.

How can it be?

How can his kiss feel as magical as all the others before this one?

How can it be possible after he went searching for someone else's lips?