as it is || harry styles au

fifty-one

i v o r y

     "You're such a bitch, Ivy."

     "Why am I a bitch?" I laughed. "Are you crying?"

     "I'm pregnant! Of course, I'm crying. It's all your fault."

     "Um, I think that's actually Isaiah's fault. Not mine. Although, I would so be down with having babies with you."

Zuri sobbed hard enough that it took some effort to understand what she was saying. "No, it's your fault I care about you so damn much, and you got shot. But that isn't your fault at all. That's that motherfucking, pathetic, waste of air's fault." She took a deep, shuddered breath to calm herself. "But I love you so much, and I appreciate that you'd have babies with me."

"I love you, too, Zuri. Since I only got back last night, I'm on house arrest for a couple more days—"

"House rest!" Harry shouted from the hallway.

When Zuri called, he left the room, but I didn't know he only went into the hallways. Oh, boy, did he hear me say Isaiah's name?

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry—I'm on house rest for a couple more days, so if you want to come over and keep me entertained at any point, I would love your company."

"Oh, thank god. I didn't want to invite myself over 'cause I wasn't sure how comfortable you were seeing people so soon, but I'll be there in twenty."

I smiled. "That would be lovely. Maybe we can convince Harry that you'll relieve him of his babysitting duties, so he can get out of the house."

A muffled grunt sounded from outside Mom's bedroom door.

I hung up with Zuri and called his name. The door swung open right away.

"Were you waiting in the hallway?"

"No." His eyes bounced from wall to wall. "Well, yeah, actually. I don't know why I lied right there. I wanted to be in shouting distance so you could call if you needed me."

I reached out for him, my ring sparkling in the natural light coming from the open windows. He grabbed my hand, kissed my palm and then the ring before placing my hand against his chest.

"Once Zuri gets here, you're leaving."

"Am I hovering too much?"

"No, love. You aren't hovering so much as there isn't a reason for you to be stuck around the house just because I am."

He let that point sit while staring at my face. The longer his eyes tracked over my lips, my nose, my eyes, and brows, the more...mesmorized I became with him while I did the same.

If I even thought the word horny, it would get me all worked up. So, mesmerized I was.

I couldn't wait to get these damn stitches out.

"Maybe you should see what Isaiah's up to?" I suggested.

I wanted him to let Harry on the news, so I didn't have to keep hiding it myself.