𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 {𝑯.𝑺}

Chapter Eight | The Visit

I couldn't say anything.

All I could do was blink and wonder how the hell I got myself into this predicament.

It was a thought that had been brewing in my mind ever since I woke up. Thankfully, no one had asked me why I decided to take a bullet for Harry Styles.

To be frank, I didn't believe that there was a special reason.

I wanted to help someone. I wanted to save him—like he did for me with his music. There weren't any doubts about what I did and there definitely weren't any regrets. Just disbelief that I actually had the courage to do it.

"Hi," I stammered, swallowing thickly. My mouth felt like sand paper.

He looked out of place in my hospital room, with his high-fashioned trousers, frilly sweater and stylish loafers.

He looked as if he was heading to a celebrity event, something that would require loads of press coverage and interviews—not visiting a crazy fangirl that impulsively saved his life.

"Hello," He greeted, pulling his ruby lips into a smile. It was forced, I could tell by the way it failed to reach his eyes. But I didn't blame him. This entire situation was awkward.

The air lingered with silence as I got lost in his gaze; admiring him. He looked even more gorgeous than the last time I saw him.

"I'm going to go home and shower really quick," Alice interrupted. She broke away from the door frame, walking towards me to kiss my cheek. "Text me if you need anything, okay?"

My eyebrows knitted together, deflated by her sudden departure. No! Don't leave...

But she was already collecting her purse and cellphone, giving me one last glance before heading towards the door. She whispered a few words to Harry, face turning fire truck red and hand lingering on his bicep. He chuckled at her words, nodding his head as she grinned.

And then she was out of the room, leaving us alone. I tried not to laugh at what I just witnessed—an impressive attempt of Alice's version of flirting. I couldn't blame her though. She had the looks and confidence to do it. And if anyone could pull off dating a celebrity, it would be her.

I smiled faintly as she channeled her inner model, swishing her hips as she walked away—hoping that Harry would glance after her. Unfortunately, he didn't, keeping his attention on me as he crossed his arms and leaned against the door.

When my gaze snapped to his eyes, he looked away instantly. Instead, he busied himself with inspecting my room, observing all of the balloons and gifts that I received.

"Very festive," He observed. I hung onto the words that slipped from his tongue, pleased to hear the sound of his accent in person. It made him speak slow and he also had a deep voice, which was incredibly attractive.

I didn't reply at first, too entranced by the sight of him to say anything.

Then, without further hesitation, I blurted out, "My name is Mia," allowing my tongue to override my brain. "Mia Fuller."

In less than a second, his emerald orbs darted towards me. "Hello, Mia Fuller." He laughed. "Um, I'm Harry."

"Well, of course you are," I giggled. It was cut short by the pain that followed. He grew alarmed by the hiss of my breath but I waved him off with a smile, trying to compose myself. "It's alright, Harry. It doesn't hurt that much," I blinked away from him nervously, not knowing what else to say. He was intimidating. "It's kinda gnarly to be honest," I continued, pointing at the sling connected to my left shoulder. "...Makes me look like a badass, don't you think?"

"Yes." He cracked a soft smile, growing amused. "It certainly does."

I chewed on my lower lip, feeling completely dumb in this moment. Was he laughing at me?

"I'm sorry," He apologized, picking up on my confusion. "It's just that I haven't really heard anyone use that word." He chuckled. "Gnarly."

"Oh!" My self-esteem skyrocketed at the fact that I made him laugh. "Well, it's sort of used like rad or far out..." I began to explain. "Though the last one is kind of old. But my parents always used it so I guess I just picked up on..." I trailed off, stopping myself before I let my tongue get the best of me. He was grinning again.

I rubbed my lips together, pondering deeply for a few seconds. What were we doing?

I mean, obviously we were in a hospital room and sparking up a conversation. But what exactly was the point of this? Subconsciously, we knew the reason why I was here. Yet, it seemed taboo to actually address it—like we had no other choice but to beat around the bush.

"I don't mean to be rude, Harry." I began, offering him a genial smile."But why are you here? I mean...my friend, Alice, said that you already visited me. So, I just thought that you would have continued on with your life by now."

The night of the incident was the only night Harry was supposed be in New York. Now, it was five days later and I couldn't help but be plagued by the thought of him missing his shows.

I could hear the sound of his feet shuffling as he pushed away from the door, finally taking the initiative to step inside of my hospital room. He cleared his throat, running his hands through his hair nervously as his eyes stared at the tiled floors.

Harry sat down in a loveseat that was situated a few feet away. He rubbed his palms against his thighs, Adams-Apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Well," He began, chewing his lower lip. "You saved my life, Mia. I was waiting for you to wake up properly—to meet you." He stated it as if it was the simplest answer in the world. "I can't continue on with life if I don't do that, right?"

I thought about his words for a moment before finally nodding, smiling at him. "That makes sense."

Then I sighed dramatically and gestured towards myself. "Well I'm perfectly alright, Harry. And you're safe. So, you can continue on with your life now."

His grinned widely, eyes fluttering over my face. There was a rosy color that tinted his cheeks and it traveled down his neck as seconds ticked by.

He lowered his gaze and laughed. "Yeah," He breathed. "I guess I can."

•••

Author's Note: Hey all, I hope you are enjoying ESNY so far :) This is probably one of my favorite books that I've ever written. Anyways, please comment what you think! Stay tuned for more chapters!

Happy New Year. Be kind. Spread love. Be healthy.

All the love,
—Othereafter xxx