Petal [h.s.]

Chapter 79

Violet.

"Are you okay?" Harry murmured after a few silent minutes.

My eyes had dropped close after cuddling into him, curling my arms around his midsection as I buried my nose in between his shoulder blades. It was a way of cuddling without being held, and it was exactly what I wanted right now.

Sleeping like this with Harry had always calmed me down, and I had missed him in my bed in the last few weeks. I always slept better somehow whenever he was next to me. He was warm, soft and gentle.

My eyes fluttered open when I heard his question and I smiled, "Yes. You don't have to ask me every five minutes, Harry." I teased and he breathily chuckled, "Sorry. Just wanted to make sure you didn't go out of your comfort zone too much."

"I didn't. And... I mean, out of my comfort zone might be a good thing. I think if I want to make progress, I'm going to have to step out of my comfort zone either way. I don't plan on never having sex again or to never have you touch me again." I explained.

"Are there things that I could do? To like... help?"

I smiled and pressed my lips to his back, "I don't think so. Just don't try and pull it out of me. I'll get there, on my own time."

I felt him nodding, "I'm good with that."

"It might mean you're going to have to wait a bit. If that's okay." I bit my lip. Me denying Harry and taking my distance was one of the things that had gone wrong in the past, so I was pretty nervous about doing it this time around. Obviously we were communicating a lot better, but it still felt strange.

"Of course, I'll wait for you. No pressure." He reassured me.

We were engulfed in silence again. The ticking of his clock was the only thing that could be heard besides our steady breaths and the silent hum of the aircon in his room.

"Have you... been with anyone while I was here?"

Harry's question surprised me, and I lifted my head with a frown on my face, "What?"

Harry cleared his throat, "I wouldn't blame you. I was just wondering."

"No, I haven't. I... No. God, no." I muttered, "Have you?"

"No." He responded.

I let out a breath, "Okay."

"Okay."

We stayed in silence for a little while until I noticed the time and untangled myself from Harry, "I should get going. I'm supposed to have dinner with Louis and El tonight."

"Yeah?" Harry raised his brows, "Tell them I said hi."

I smiled and nodded while reaching for my shoes, "I will. Call tomorrow? I'm working an early shift and then I can visit you again in a couple of days. Maybe Saturday?"

"Saturday works. I can't wait until I can just go to dinner with you." He sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees as he sat at the edge of the bed, watching me tie my shoes up.

"About that... Do you have any idea when you're getting out of here?"

Harry nodded, "I talked it over with Nicolas. He advised me to stay ten weeks, so that's another three."

"Ten weeks? That's it? Don't you get to go on weekends first?" I frowned.

"No, they don't do that here. You come in and you stay here for an intense program that's usually quite short. The second you walk out, you're out. They don't believe in days off and weekends."