stand here with me || h.s

27.

Surprise, lovelies :)
#sayyouloveme

Twenty-seven : Hallie

May 1st, 2023

It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles. The sun was shining and it wasn't terribly warm, a slight breeze blew through the backyard deck and I sat drinking my tea like it was just a normal day...but it wasn't a normal day. A normal day should have been me running around, doing errands, cleaning out the rest of Miles' things and maybe taking the dogs for a walk. But I wasn't doing any of that. I was in my pajamas, drinking tea on my back deck because today the man that I was absolutely in love with, was marrying somebody else. Maybe he already had, seeing as how it was eight hours ahead in England. He was probably at his reception, dancing with her and she was so, so lucky. I had been in need of a good cry, I mean, if anything was overdue, it was that. But I couldn't seem to make it happen. I had a lump in my throat that made everything a little bit more painful and that wasn't going away. I wasn't even sure if it ever would. I regretted never telling him to leave her, but at the same time, it wouldn't have been fair of me. She deserved to marry a man who would treat her like a queen, and god knows, Harry Styles was that man. He was a gentleman and and lover and a perfect, perfect best friend. Any woman would be lucky to have him. I had been so lucky to have been given the chance to love him and be loved by him. It was an honor. Being his for a little while was an absolute honor. The buzz of my phone on the tabletop dragged me away from my thoughts and I picked it up, confused by the number. "Hello?"

"Is this Hallie?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"It's Gemma, Harry's sister, love..."

"Oh." I felt my throat constrict a little bit more. "Um...hi?"

"How are you?"

"I'm fine...how are you?"

"Um...I'm doing alright, yeah. Been better."

"I'm not trying to be rude, Gemma, but is there a reason you called me?"

"Well...yes and no. Did you know what today was?" I took a deep breath.

"Yeah-yeah, I did. How did it go?"

"It...I'm not really sure how to explain that to you."

"I don't really want to know details, honestly."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to give them to you." I scoffed, feeling annoyed by the conversation. "Do you love him, Hallie?"

"I-I..." I wasn't sure if this was a trick question or not.

"Cause if you do, then why haven't you bloody fought for him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, lovey, you heard me."

"I...he deserves this. To be happy. He deserves to live a life with the woman he proposed to, Gemma, I can't fight him on that."

"You think that him ending up with some girl, instead of you, is going to bring him happiness?"

"I don't know, I really don't." The ring of the doorbell got the dogs to jump up and run inside. "Listen, Gemma, it was good talking with you, but I have to go. Take care."

"Hallie?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't give up on him. He hasn't given up on you." She ended the call before I could and then the bell was ringing again and the dogs were barking louder and I was frustrated and confused and Harry was married so why was she calling me? The answer to all of my questions was not a simple one, nor was it expected, but the feeling inside my chest was inexplicable. I looked three more times to see if it was real or if I had been dreaming, and to my knowledge, it was real. So far, it was real. I opened up the door slowly, still taking it in. Still taking him in.

"Hi..."

"Hi." I struggled to even say the two letter word. We stood staring at one another for a bit and I couldn't breathe. "Your wedding was today."

"It was supposed to be, yes."

"Why are you in LA and not Cheshire?" He stepped forward.

"I couldn't marry Beth. I would have been lying to her and to you and to myself and I just...I couldn't. Told her yesterday morning and we called off the wedding."

"Why are you here...at my door? Why?" The tears were coming fast.

"Because I promised you so many years ago that I've only ever loved one person. One girl. I'm not going to give up on you. I told you I'd marry you and I keep my promises, Hallie. You know I keep my promises."

"But you're here..."

"I'm here, yes." He took me into his arms now and I thought for sure I'd go into cardiac arrest.

"But...but you-"

"I love you, Hallie. I'm here and I'm not getting married to that woman because I love you. I love you. You and only you."

"You love me."

"I do, yeah. M'gonna marry you too. Gonna give you everything in this bloody world, if you want it-if you want me." I wanted him so badly, but I still could barely speak. "Say you want me, Hallie. Tell me that you want me. Say yes because I'm going to marry you come hell or high water, I'm going to marry your scrawny little bum and I'll do it a million times over, again and again, but baby, I need you to say yes. Say yes, Hallie." I found myself nodding frantically and then I was saying yes and Harry Styles was kissing me and I loved him with every fiber of my being. I loved him more than anything in the world and we had done it. We had found our way back. "Tell me that you love me..."

"I love you."

"Again." He bit my lip playfully.

"I love you, Harry."

"Marry me, Hallie Mantegna."

"Yes-yes, a thousand times, yes."