Love Slow - h.s.

19. A Shit Show

*Not Edited*

Stella Rose Wilder

My heart was beating at a hundred miles a second as Harry's lips brushed mine, our eyes staring straight into one another's. Our lashes were fluttering together. My chest was heaving. My brain was still trying to process if he had just said that, or if the alcohol was getting to my head, making me hear what I wanted.

I'd been battling with admitting my feelings to him for a few weeks now. I'd been worried that if I told him first, it could scare him off or make things awkward.

"W-what?" I managed to stutter out, neither of us still taking our eyes off each other.

He visibly gulped, his hands gently moving to grip my waist a little bit tighter, as if he was scared I would make a run for it at his declaration. "I love you." He murmured, this time more confident.

His eyes searched mine for some kind of hint at what was going through my head.

If I'm being honest, I didn't even know what was going through my head in that moment. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, but at that same time so jumbled up I could barely focus on a single thing to say. "I-"

"You don't have to feel pressured to say it back right now. I know that was kinda out of nowhere, so I-"

Before I could let him finish it was like suddenly everything caught up and sped forward. My instinct took over and my hands slid from where they rested on the back of his neck to cup his red cheeks before I pressed my lips to his. I felt him slowly melt back into me, his muscles relaxing from their tensed position after he'd blurred out his confession.

I pulled back barely enough to speak, our lips still helplessly brushing against one another eager to return to the activity they paused from, "I love you."

A cheesy smile broke out across his face, his eyes twinkling with joy as he continued to stare back into my own, "Say it again."

I giggled, "I love you."

"I love you." He echoed back.

We both just stood there, reveling in the moment, until it was as though Harry was shocked with electricity and suddenly had all the energy in the world.

"C'mon." He murmured, entwining our fingers as he tugged me over to the bar, tossing a few bills to the bartender and grabbing my jacket off the back of a chair before dragging me out of the pub behind him as I giggled at his sudden energy.

As he hurried down the sidewalk back toward our rental, he paused at each street corner, pressing a quick kiss to my lips as we both struggled not to laugh into it, before once again dragging me along behind him. Others would have thought we were crazy people if the sidewalks weren't so bare due to the late time of night. The sun had long since set and I was shocked we weren't exhausted.

Soon we were stumbling through the front door and past the living area to the bedroom at the back of the house.

Harry's hands held onto my hips as mine tugged at his curls and he lowered us both onto the bed. I tugged his jacket off of his shoulders as his hand began to cup my jaw, thumb brushing over my cheek bones.

I felt my phone begin to buzz in my back pocket as his lips moved to press along my jaw. "Shit," I murmured, ignoring the call and tossing my phone to the other side of the bed. Almost immediately it began to ring again.

"Answer it." Harry said, still tugging me closer and kissing along my collar bone.

"No it's fine I'll call them back." I hurried as it stopped ringing, my breath heaving. Only seconds later it started again, "Dammit!"