Never Gonna Quit It [h.s.]

Chapter Thirty-Two:

Scarlett

Two months had passed and as expected, she had only gotten worse. It had gotten to the point that Harry would take off random days, more often than not, to just be with her.

Often times they would just lie in bed, gazing at each other and just talking, she couldn't exactly do much else considering the deteriorating state of her body from both the chemotherapy and the cancer.

The TV was playing softly in the background as they lie together, simply enjoying each other's presence.

Harry's hand had just lifted to caress her face when she decided to tell him what had been weighing on her mind for days.

Scarlett shook her head lightly, tears forming at the corners of her eyes, her voice catching as she tried to speak, "I'm-I'm not going to make it much longer Harry...I can feel it."

His face fell instantly, tears in his eyes as well as he shook his head in response, "No...I'm still not ready to lose you..."

Tightly holding her eyes shut, Scarlett let a few tears fall, "That isn't up to us, no matter how much we wish that it is."

She heard him breathe in deeply, not daring to open her eyes to see how devastated he had become and before she had the chance to, his soft, familiar lips were pressed against hers, kissing her gently before pulling away slightly.

"I just wish that you could stay, I don't know how we're going to live without you."

Scarlett shook her head, her eyes opening as she reached up to place her palm on his cheek, "I'll still be here, you just won't see me. But you'll know, I promise you will."

Harry's hand found hers and rested there, "It's still not as good as having you physically here love. How long do you think?"

She smiled softly despite that each of them were still silently crying, "I don't know Harry, but not many days."

The space between them was suddenly gone and his arms were now around her, holding her to him and neither of them wanting to let go for anything in the world.

He'd thought that by the time she told him those words that he'd be prepared to take the news in stride, holding back on the heartbreak and the tears. Only, now that she had actually said them, the ache in his chest was worse than it have ever been before and he found himself falling apart at the seams.

Harry kissed her all over her face, "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I lo-"

Scarlett's tear-filled laugh cut him off, "Harry I know." She laughed again, "You tell me every day, even if you were to ever forget I'd still know. You make it clear with every little thing you do and you know I love you too."

His arms tightened slightly around her small frame, "I just want to love you forever. Sixteen years isn't nearly enough time to spend with you."

Harry could feel her tears hitting his bare shoulders more rapidly, "I should have never agreed to be your fuck buddy, this never would've happened, I never would've broken your heart like this."

Harry forced himself to pull away, holding her delicate face in his hands, "Scarlett don't say that. You made my dreams literally come true and you turned my life around for the better. I only wish I'd known you sooner. You could break my heart a thousand times and I would still come running back to you."

"I don't wanna die Harry! I'm not even 40, I haven't seen our kids grow up, and I certainly haven't spent enough time with you." Scarlett had been crying so much that she was hiccupping and gasping to get air in.

"I know baby, I know."

* * *

Scarlett's hands were toying with Harry's hair as they lie together, hardly any space between them, clothes long since forgotten even though the kids could pop in at any moment.

"Harry?"

His fingers skimmed over her skin, trying to force his senses to remember every little detail about how she felt, "Hmm?"

He couldn't see it as she spoke but there were tears slowly falling from her eyes, "I know that you've promised to never find someone else, but I need you to listen to me right now rather than being stubborn again."

She listened as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, "Okay, I'll listen."

Scarlett took a deep, shaky breath, "I want you to be happy. You have this whole "it's replacing me" concept but Harry, I know as well as you do that you're never going to replace me. But Harry, Seraphina and Ambrose need a mother figure to look up to, especially Seraphina. Please, don't be afraid to do what you need to do. I will never be mad at you for that."

Warm lips met her forehead and lingered for a while before Harry spoke softly, "Okay. Okay Scarlett."

Soon after, they each fell asleep with tired eyes and tired hearts. Harry had woken her early in the morning to tell her that he loved her and that he'd be back as soon as he could with the kids as well.

At only three in the afternoon he was answering calls when his mother called. Thinking that she missed him and wanted to see how everyone was doing, he didn't think much of it as he answered.

"Hi Mum!"

The other end was silent, then suddenly it sounded like she was crying.

"Mum? Mum are you okay!? What happened!?" He was worried that he'd lose her too and clung to the phone.

She breathed heavily before speaking again, in a grave and very upset tone, "I'm fine Harry...It's Scarlett. You need t-to leave work right now, I've already p-picked up Seraphina and Ambrose."

Every single particle of oxygen in his body dispersed in a single moment, his heart sinking and his phone nearly falling from his grip.

"No! No she can't be-not today-we just-" He was hysterical.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. The doctor said she's only got so long now." A pause that he knew only meant worse news before she continued, "Sweetie she's not going to make it through the night."

The phone fell to the floor and he was out of the room in seconds,the door left open without a care, running to get to his wife before it was too late.