Chapter Four.

*Grace’s POV*

As I shut the door, I leaned back up against it in thought. My hands were behind me, and my bum rested on them. I looked down and blushed uncontrollably, which of course turned into a wild smile. I heard my phone buzz from the kitchen, and then followed by Lillian yelling that it was ringing.

When I walked in she handed me my phone. It was form Harry.

From: Harry <3
Thanks for breakfast love. It was truly great :)

I replied almost immediately.

To: Harry <3
You are most welcome :) I can’t wait to catch up later :)

Send.

“Who was that?” Lillian asked smirking.

“Who do you think, smartass?” I replied looking at her with a smile spread across my face.

“Harry!” She yelled in excitement. “Do you think he has any single friends?” she asked cheekily and completely changing the subject from him and I, to her and possibly future love with one of his friends. Oh, Lillian.

“I don’t know actually, maybe? I’ll ask him sometime.” I said back with hint of slight disregard.

“Im sorry,” She said, “but honestly, I really just need to get laid. I know that sounds so bad, but ugh, the feels.” When she finished speaking her face looked like she was in agony. Maybe she did really need to get laid.

“It’s okay,” I smiled “I will ask him.”

The truth is that I would still be a virgin to this day, only that that part of me was taken away. When I was dating Jack, he thought I was ready for sex. I wasn’t. One night, we were both a little drunk, but I wasn’t so far gone that I lost my conscience. We had begun to get super heated in our make-out session, which was normal, but then he took everything farther than we had ever been. Eventually it was so far down the road, I couldn’t stop him. I begged and pleaded for it to stop but he just kept going. I broke up with Jack after that. Later I found out he was cheating on me with same rando girl who opened her legs for any male creature that walked by. I always told everyone that was why we weren’t together anymore; when in all reality it was because he took something from me that I could never get back.

Lillian is the person who knows what happened between Jack and I, and I plan on keeping it that way. As much as it wasn’t my fault, I somehow feel like I could have stopped it. I guess I just couldn’t.

“Thank you Gracie.” she smiled and came over from her place by the sink, and gave me a small hug.

“No problem lady.” I said with playfulness.

“What do you suppose we shall do today?” Lillian said sounding most proper, and bringing out her thick british accent.

“Well, I was thinking we could go out job hunting..? You know, earlier the better?”

“Yeah, we could do that. But where do we even start?” She said looking frazzled already.

“Well, I got an email from Vogue magazine. They said something about needing a back-up photographer and stylist, we could start there?” I said putting it simply. I didn’t think much of it. Lillian on the other hand...

“What!? Why didn’t you say anything before?! That is amazing! When do they want you?” she said absolutely exasperated.

“That’s, the catch, they need a two-person team. That means you would be with me.” I sad with a bright smile.

“Holy crap!” she said. She was in complete awe at this point and clearly at a loss for words.

“Yeah! I am super pumped to start. I found out just recently but I didn’t want to tell you because I wasn’t sure if it was a done deal. I didn’t want it to be one of things we got all hyped about and then it doesn’t work out, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that. When do we start?”

“We-”

I was about to reply when my phone rang. The caller ID said Harry, so I showed it to Lil who told me to take it.... Obviously!

I pushed accept.

“Hello Harry, couldn’t stand the morning without hearing my voice?” I said jokingly.

“Hello Miss Grace Anthony,” Said a voice that was definitely not Harry’s. “This is WIlliam Fredericks, from St. Thomas Hospital. I am calling to inform you that Harry Styles has been emitted due to a severe car accident. If you would please come at your soonest convenience, that would be best. Goodbye.”

My mouth fell open. There is no way he is hurt. In this moment my train of thought went from complete and utter happiness to complete and utter confusion and sadness.There is absolutely no way he is in the hospital.

Fortunately, the phone was loud enough Lillian heard every word said. So thankfully, I didn’t have to repeat.

“Come on.” she said understanding the look on my face. “We’re going now.”

“Wait! Were not dressed!” I yelled frantically.

We were about to run up the stairs to find clothing when she spotted a box of clothing near the door. We both ended up just throwing on a pair of sweats and sandals.

Lillian turned to grab her keys from the table Harry had left them on the night before and we ran out the door to the car. As soon as we rounded the corner from our house, we saw the accident. The taxi Harry got in earlier was crushed. Of course it was though. When I looked to my far left, I saw the taxi was hit by a semi-truck.

The car window was completely shattered and there blood stains on the parts that were still intact. The side of the car was bent concave and scratched. The truck’s front fender was only bent out of shape and the hood was steaming. I looked to the ground to see a blue tarp covering something. It looked like the outline of a body. Harry. Harry? No, it wasn’t Harry; he was in the hospital. It had to have been the cab driver then, there was no way the semi-truck driver could have been even cut. I had to look away. I was going to be sick.

As we drove to the hospital, a million things ran through my mind. I wanted to know if he was okay. I needed to know if he was okay. I thought back to this morning when I woke to find him gazing at me. The way his hair glistened in the sunlight that filtered through the large windows, and the way he held me. He kept me warm with his hands, his body, his eyes. His eyes. How wonderfully green they are. The way they sparkle when he is excited about something and the way his dimples grow deeper as his smile gets wider. Harry.

Not even realising we had pulled up outside of the ER entrance, I jumped out of the car and turned back frantically to look at Lil who was still seated.

“What do I do?” I asked in a hurry
“Tell them you are family- or his girlfriend or fiance or something. If you don’t they may not let you see him.” she said quickly. “I am going to go and park, go inside now.”

I nodded unsure about what I was about to do.

She drove off the other way and I sprinted inside the large white sliding doors. There were rows of chairs inside, some with people sitting in them. I pushed passed them in a hurry to the reception desk

I was greeted by an older nurse at the desk.

“Hello Miss, is this an emergency?”

“Hi, uhm- yes, they just brought in a boy, he has uhm- dark curly hair and green eyes... uh he was just in an accident- his name is Harry.” I said without breathing.

“Oh, yes! Are you family?” She asked me, eyeing my tragic looking state. I was still covered in chocolate and flour. Luckily before we left I was able to throw on some sort of clothing.

Lillian was right about the family thing.

“Yes.” I lied.

“Okay, right this way Miss... ?” She asked leading me to board with all sorts of medical terms on it before stopping.

“Anthony.” I replied quickly.

She looked to the board and began to read some things on it before turning back to me.

“Miss Anthony, he is in surgery right now, I believe he has just gone in. You can wait out here, or you can wait back there where his room is located?”

“I will wait here. M-our friend is coming. Do you by chance have his phone, I am sure the rest of his family would like to know what happened.” I said to her pleadingly.

She looked at me like she was unsure if she was allowed to give it to me or not. We walked back in the other direction toward her desk but then turned right. There on a desk in front of us laid his phone with other belongings. She picked up the phone.

“Here. Go and call whoever you think you need. But know that not all of you will be able to go back and see him at once, maybe even at all.”

I took the phone from her hands, “Thank you so much.” I said and scrambled out and to a seat nearby and went to sit. Unfortunately there was a lock on his phone and I had no clue what it was. Great. Just Great. What am I supposed to do know? The doors to the front opened and in came Lillian. She scanned the room before she found me and came and sat down in the chair next to me.

“What did they say?” she asked.

“He is in surgery right now... I didn’t ask if was okay or not. I don’t really think I want to know if he will be okay or not.” I expressed truthfully.

“I am sure he will be fine.” she said trying to convince herself.

“Yeah. I guess so..... I was going to call his friends and maybe his mum, but I don’t know his passcode so it’s sort of useless.”

“This might be a little weird, but, I know his passcode...” She squinted with one eye and brought up the corner of her mouth in apprehension.

“Wait ho- oh never mind that doesn’t matter, here.” I gave her the phone.

“Let’s see if I saw correctly, eh?” she said.

After a two wrong tries we finally unlocked his phone and went to recents. Myself, Liam, and Louis were on the list. Just as soon as I saw this, Liam called. Crap.

“Hello.” I quickly answered.

“Who is this?” He said confused.

“Uhm, I’m Grace. Harry is in the hospital.” I said, spitting it out.

“What? Is he okay? Shit. I am on my way. Which hospital?”

“St. Thomas, is there anything I can do?”

“Uh, yeah call his mum, her name is Anne.” he said.

Shit.

“Okay got it.” Tears formed in the brim of my eyes. They came out of nowhere. They came in a flood threatening to spill over at any moment.

“See you soon.” he said in a heavy tone.

I hung up. That wasn’t exactly the way I would have preferred to meet one of Harry’s friends, but I guess it doesn’t matter now. I had to call his mum.

I searched through his contacts.

“Finally.” I said finding her name.

I pressed the number and it began dialling. Moments later...

“Hello?” Said a happy sounding woman.

Damn I thought. What a way to ruin someone’s day. Tell them that their son is in the hospital.

“Hi, Anne?” I said into the speaker.

“Yes?” she said a little surprised to hear a female voice instead of her sons deep, raspy one.

“I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but, Harry is in the hospital. He was in a severe car accident.”

There was a long pause. I can only imagine what was going through her mind. Was her son okay? Is he going to live? How bad is it? Harry’s strong. He’ll get through this. Won’t he?

“Where? What hospital?” She asked all at once after the silence had passed.

“St. Thomas.” I said willingly and trying to fight back the tears once more.

“Okay thank you so much.... ? What is your name dear?” she asked me.

“My name is Grace.” I told her.

“Okay Grace, I will be over as soon as possible.”

She hung up the phone.

I pressed end. I couldn’t take it any longer. The tears that I hoped to stay behind the lids of my eyes began to pour over like a waterfall. Never ceasing.

Even ten minutes later there was still no word on Harry. It made me even more anxious than I had previously been.

A boy no older than twenty-two walked through the sliding doors to the hospital. He looked frantic. I assumed this was Liam. He walked briskly over to the reception desk to talk to the nurse that I had previously talked to. I got up from my seat and was about half way there before she pointed behind him directly at me. As soon as he turned, I noticed his eyes were piercing with angst. He moved toward me in a fast pace, it frightened me at first, then I felt a strong hold around my body. He embraced me tighter than anyone had done before.

He had begun to sob lightly into the crook of my neck. Listening to someone whom looked so strong cry, launched me into my own episode of hysterics. I began to cry with him.

We stood there for what seemed like forever. This was okay because we both have something to reason over. Someone we care about. It didn’t matter if we didn’t know each other. We had to stick together.

We were broken out of out embrace by a lovely looking woman with dark brown, mid length, hair. Liam immediately recognised her turned to embrace her in a hug.

“It is so good to see you again Anne.” Liam said breathlessly, drying his freshly fallen tears.

“It is nice to see you too Liam.” Anne said letting go of the taller boy.

She had tears in her eyes too. I think we all did.

Liam turned to me. “I’m sorry.” He said, “I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Liam.” he said sniffling.

I let out a small laugh. “I’m Grace.” I wiped my tears. “but I am going to assume you know that now.” I said speaking to Liam.

“Hi, I am Anne.” said Harry’s mum speaking up. She held out her hand for a shake and I took it graciously. “I’m Grace, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you too. Though, I wish it wasn’t like this..” She said trailing off.

Not before long, Lillian stepped up from behind our little triangle, and introduced herself.

She shook hands with Anne and gave her a hug. When she got to Liam however, she just couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was a sight to see. I won’t lie; but jeez. She was in awe of this man. When she stepped away she seemed to step back into reality.

At that moment a different nurse from the one before walked up to our little circle.

“Which one of you is Grace?” She asked.

My eyes widened at her question.

“Me.” I said shyly, slightly raising my hand.

“Harry has been asking for you. Will you come with me please?” It was more of a statement than a question. I hesitated and looked over to Anne. She looked a little sad that it wasn’t her name her son was calling and it was mine. Someone he had just met. I looked to her for approval. Luckily she gave a slight nod so I followed the nurse through two large white doors just beyond the group we had assembled in the middle of the walkway.

After turning several corners, walking down many hallways, we arrived at a door. The nurse stopped me abruptly.

“Before you go in, I need to brief you on his surgery. When the truck hit the taxi he was in, it hit on his side. A part of the door was lodged into his side from impact. That is what we were removing from his side, as well as repairing it. Glass was embedded in his skin in result to impact as well. He has a serious concussion and may have some slight brain damage. He also has a broken arm and two of his right ribs are broken. When you go in, it would be better if you kept it quiet. One thing that might help is to hold his hand and talk to him. Sound happy, even though it may be hard. He is sleeping and like I said, just rub his hand and maybe hum. Make him comfortable.” With that, she ended.

After hearing everything she had just told me, I was at a loss for words. She noticed and let a small smile play on her lips and patted my back. She then opened the door for me to go in.

When I walked in, Harry laid there looking lifeless. So different from the bubbly person I had seen only and hour or so earlier. His face was bruised and purple. He had bandages and tape on his neck, and parts of his face. There was an IV hooked into his arm; he was also hooked to a breathing machine.

What the hell happened?

I walked slowly to the massive bed he lay in. I pulled up a chair from the corner and sat next to him. I looked at soft features which now looked more rugged with the previous events. Like the nurse recommended, I grabbed for his hand. It was warm. His hand was soft too. Slowly, I traced small circles into his skin.

“Grace...” He said almost un-audible. I looked at him ever so slightly.

“I’m here Harry. Don’t worry.” I said trying to comfort him as much as possible.
Watching him sleep, and thinking about what happened, and the fact that he was saying my name, made tears fill my eyes once more. They pricked, and stung, threatening to spill over. Trying my hardest not to let them win. But they did. I bent over onto his hand and began to quietly sob. I was, crouched in a fetal position, in a hospital chair, sobbing into the hand of someone who tried to protect me before. Suddenly I felt guilty for not being there to save him from harm. From hurting; from possibly dying. I think I love him. Is that crazy?

Around the same time I fell into deep thought, my crying slowed and I began to quietly hum into his hand. I wasn’t humming any particular song; only one that would keep me from bursting into tears. It was toward the end of my humming that his hand twitched slightly. I looked up to see him awake. He didn’t look at me; only straight ahead. His hand slowly tightened in mine, but relaxed when he couldn’t hold it any longer.

“Harry?” I said quietly, breaking the dried tear stains on my cheeks.

He turned his head over slowly to make eye contact with me. Slowly, but surely, a smile spread across his precious lips.

“Hi,” He whispered, “This is the second time I have awoken to you,” he paused to breathe, then finished, “I quite like it.”

I blushed like a madman. He chuckled deeply and squeezed my hand.

“How do you feel?” I asked even though it was quite obvious.

“I feel... fantastic.” Sarcasm never seems to fail him. Even when he could have been on the brink of death.

“Good.” I smiled. “Your mum is here, and Liam.” I said remembering.

“Okay.” He said simply. “I’m just glad you are here.”

I let out a small sigh. I was glad I was here too. If it be anyone else, it wouldn’t be the same.

“I’m glad I am here to.” I told him.

There was calm silence between us. I looked down at where our bodies met and realised I was still holding his hand with both of mine. When I looked a little closer, I could see a faint outline of where I drew circles into his skin. I chuckled to myself. I assumed Harry felt the vibrations from my laugh, and I could feel him look down at me.

“Grace, can I ask you something?” he looked a little worried as he asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes, of course.” I said smiling and trying to cheer him up. If that was even possible.

“Would you ever like someone who has done things in their pasts that they are ashamed of, but now try to live past them, and be a better person?” His eyes were full wonder.

I was full of wonder, and a bit taken aback by the sudden change in conversation.

“Well, uhm, yeah. Yeah I definitely believe I would.” I said honestly.

“Why?” he replied still in wonder.

I wasn’t expecting this. I pondered over his question until I came with a reason that I felt was both truthful and how I felt. Then it hit me.

“Well, I would because everyone has a past. Everyone, whether they want to admit it or not, has done things that they regret. I think judging anyone because of things that have happened in their past is hypocritical. I know I wouldn’t want anyone judging me for things that I have done, or things have been done to me. I also think along with that, anyone who is trying to change, or has owned up to the things of there past is most definitely someone worth getting to know.” I finished feeling completely confident in my answer.

I looked to Harry. During my small rant, tears had formed in Harry’s eyes. At that moment, everything I had felt for Harry came flooding back and felt more real than they had. Harry stopped looking at me lied back further into his pillows. He stared into the white ceiling as if he was searching for something. An answer maybe? I don’t know. What I did know though, was that I like him. I like him a lot. Yes, it worries me that I have only known him for a day and a half. At this point, that doesn’t even matter. I want to be there for him. I don’t know what he is holding onto but I am willing to stay around to find out.

“Harry?,” I said after the small silence, “do you like me?”

He came out of his trance and just looked at me. Then, a smile spread across his lips.

“Yes.”

That was all he had to say before I leant into his body, being careful of his broken ribs, and kissed him. He kissed back passionately; not hungrily. Our mouths didn’t fight for dominance; just love.

Notes

Hi guyssssss so, thanks for reading! I hope yall like it as much as I love writing it :)
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Mekole Xxx