Evie | H.S |

51. Rosewood

A/N: thanks for all your kind words and comments. I love reading your reactions and thoughts to this story, it definitely motivates me to write more frequently.
So please keep commenting and keep voting and don't be a ghost reader 👻

I awoke in my empty bed around 10am. My room felt particularly empty and cold without him here. I'd slept with his arms engulfing me, one of his legs laced between mine. He held me tight for the entire few hours we slept. A cool draft came in through the ajar door and I pulled the olive-green comforter up to my chin. I didn't have time to be sad or to wallow. I was running so behind already.

The morning was a half-conscious blur.

Harry had tried to wake me gently around 5:30am. He brushed my hair off my face as I lay on my stomach with my face squished up against the pillow. "Evie, hey" I recall him whispering as he sat up in bed next to me. By that point I'd had maybe three and a bit hours sleep and was communicating solely in a combination of mumbles and groans. I gathered that he wasn't brave enough to try and wake me up properly.

"You have a huge day today Eve, just go back to sleep" he had hushed as I watched him fuss about to get ready to leave through foggy eyes.

I remember a soft, gentle kiss before he headed out the front door. Moments later he returned again, for some reason, pulling me into an all-consuming embrace and kissed me so deeply that I'd forgotten that I didn't get around to brushing my teeth before bed. I sleepily let my arms circle his neck, pinning him close as his arms enveloped my waist. I was slightly lifted off the mattress as he held me the tightest he's ever embraced me.

"I'll message you later" he murmured against my lips. One hand left my waist to clasp my chin tightly, holding my face in place before him. With my eyes still closed, I felt the intensity of his grasp. His light stubble as it brushed past my skin was a graze I knew I'd miss.

"I'll miss you..." he continued.

Another kiss.

"...and you're gonna do amazing tonight".

Another kiss.

"Thank you...", followed by another kiss, "...for everything".

As predicted, I wasn't sentient enough to respond and for that I'll kick myself for a while yet. But today, I had bigger fish to fry.

I was playing the forum and after checking my phone as I'd rolled over to grab it off the bedside... I'd been informed it had sold out.

Fuck.

I stretched out in my queen sized bed, my back arching off the mattress as I extended all four limbs to try and wake myself up. To my surprise, I'd kicked something weighted which was sat on the far end of the bed.

Sitting upright, I saw a pink rectangular box with a card stuck on top of it. It was no bigger than your average shoe-box.

Open me later.

I assumed the instructions scrawled on the envelope meant later as in after my show. It took everything in me not to rip the lid off now but I could just imagine the scolding I'd receive if I defied his orders. I smiled as my impression of his voice played out in my head.

Beside the box was a folded grey hoodie. My hand timidly reached out for it to unfold it before my eyes. It was his Kendrick Lamar hoodie, he wore it constantly. He'd left it for me. I pressed it to my face, admiring the lingering scent of his cologne and the soft fabric. I guess this was long distance.

My feet hit the cold wooden flooring as I rolled up and out of bed. The sight of my armchair void of the leopard suit he had draped over it last night hurt the heart a little, one less reminder that he was once here with me.