Roman Holiday | h.s

Sixteen

Today was the day Harry had decided to tell all. To fully explain to Anna who he truly was and what his real occupation was. He hadn't lied to her at all thus far, but it was an incredibly big secret to keep. The guilt was eating him up the longer their night drew on, even though it was a magical evening that he would never forget.

His mind was running wild with possible outcomes that could occur after he tells her. He wondered if she would hate him, if she would never want to see him again – all of these things he tried to come to terms with while they sat under the stars eating chocolate dipped strawberries and drinking champagne.

"What's up, girasole? You're awfully quiet." Anna asked after Harry had spent a few minutes with his head resting in the crook of her neck making very little response to what she was saying. Truthfully, he hadn't heard much of what she was saying as the sound of his heartbeat rushed around in his ears and he was drinking in as much of her as he could before it was potentially torn away.

"Nothing. Just thinking, is all." Harry replied softly and turned his head to press a soft kiss to her collar bone.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, running her hand through his soft hair which had grown longer, that long it began to fall in his eyes sometimes and it had begun to curl at the ends.

"More than anything. I just don't know what to say." He spoke cryptically which began to worry Anna, who now had a bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach that was making her feel sick. Now her mind was reeling with possibilities of what he wanted to but couldn't say.

Did he not love her? Was he leaving her? Did he have to leave Italy early?

"Just say whatever comes to mind?" Her voice wobbled as she tried to offer a solution.

"Not here," he whispered, peeking up at her through his tear-soaked lashes. The gondola had stopped back where they started and they both rose at the same time – arms linked as they thanked the gondolier and headed back to Harry's car.

"Do you mind if we go to my place?" He asked timidly, he had never invited Anna over to his apartment, just incase she happened to notice anything that would give him away. In a way, Anna was excited at the prospect of finally seeing where her boyfriend lived – she just wished it wasn't under these terms where the nervous feeling was spreading throughout her body.

"Of course," She replied when they sat in the car.

"I love you?" She whispered, scared incase he didn't respond.

"I love you more."

•

When they arrived at Harry's apartment, Harry held Anna's hand as they walked up the path but dropped it when they got to the door.

"I have something kind of big to tell you," he began nervously as he twiddled with his keys. Anna nodded with wide eyes.

"But no matter how tonight goes...I just need you to know that I really do love you, and I'd never want you to get hurt." He told her, she was scanning his face for a clue but all she could see was sincerity and almost embarrassment? He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, savouring it as though it were the last.

"Whatever it is, I love you too. You're scaring me, though." She whispered the last part which made his eyes widen and he felt a bit sick. He was so caught up in his own emotions and how to emulate them that he hadn't considered how she would be feeling at his suspicious behaviour.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I don't want to scare you, I'm just nervous is all. I'm not good at expressing things through talking." He said and turned the key in the lock. As he did so it swung open to reveal a tall blonde person who looked as equally shocked to see them as Anna was shocked to see them.