Eight | W2S

THIRTY TWO.

Harry's face lights up at my words, and I have to physically hold myself back from wanting to jump up and kiss him, to feel his mouth on my own, a feeling I thought I might never have felt again.

"You do?" He asks, the smile remaining on his face but a slight hesitancy in his tone.

"I do," I tell him firmly, more sure of myself now, finding the confidence to finally open up. "I have for a while, it was just so difficult for me to actually say it out loud, to process what I was feeling."

He nods his head, remaining quiet, sensing that I wasn't quite finished.

"I was so terrified of openly loving you, of starting something serious because — well, you know why. But visiting mum's grave...it just reminded me how she always told me to be brave. To love freely, to live vicariously. And it just made me realise that there are some things that are worth being terrified for. You are worth it, and if you ever wanted to give this — us, another go, I'd be there in a heartbeat," I say, trying my best to voice my feelings calmly, but my free hand is clenched, trying to hide how it shakes.

Although I've opened up my entire heart up to him, he doesn't reply with words, instead directing his own free hand to my shaking one, carefully opening it up and intertwining our fingers. It stops it from shaking immediately.

"Ken —" he begins to speak my name, but then pauses, a tender look in his eyes. "Of course I do."

He gently releases my hands, rising from his chair with a determined grace. Closing the distance between us, he leans in, and his lips meet mine in a kiss that feels like the world falling away. It's soft and warm, and sends shivers down my spine, and it's this moment that reaffirms everything for me.

This is where I'm meant to be.

He breaks away, but his face lingers close to mine, eyes taking in my face, like I'm everything to him.

"I haven't even played you the song yet," I laugh, holding his face with both of my hands.

"Play it to me later, I can wait," he murmurs, kissing my cheek.

"It might have to be later...my song premieres in two minutes!" I say, my phone pinging as a reminder I'd set earlier. "I'm supposed to be hosting a livestream for it, shit," I panic, picking up my phone.

"You'll still make it, don't worry. I can chill in another room whilst you do it," he offers, revisiting my stance on keeping our relationship quiet.

"Harry —" I say slowly, because although I'd become more open with loving him, it was still a sore subject about going public.

"Kenzie, you've given more of yourself today than I'd ever expected. My frustration wasn't so much with keeping us private, I can be on board with that, I promise. We can navigate it together, but right now is your moment. Where do you want me to go?" He asks, his tone remaining calm, and neutral.

"Bedroom, if that's okay. I love you, thank you," I tell him, the words itself feeling weird coming from my mouth, but so natural at the same time with him.

The grin on his face is enough to make me melt, and he jogs off towards my bedroom, the door shutting giving me the all clear to start a livestream, with just under a minute until midnight.

"Hello! I'm so, so sorry I'm late. Release night is busier than I thought!" I speak into my phone, setting it up against a packet of pasta.

"I hope all of you are ready for this, because I'm not going to lie I'm slightly terrified. But I really hope you're going to like the song."

The comments came flooding in, and before I knew it I was counting down the seconds until my song wouldn't be just mine anymore. It would be everyone's.