Love in Photographs

10. Numb

May 27, 2015

I woke up with my right leg feeling somewhat numb. I tried moving it, but there was something on top of it. I moved my hand and felt skin, which immediately made me stop moving. I finally opened my eyes, begrudgingly, to find Harry trapping my right leg between his. He was facing me, lying on his stomach, but I was laying halfway on top of him, my head laying next to one of my arms, which was draped across his back with my hand tangled in his hair. My other hand was somehow laying across his to the left of my body, our fingers sloppily tangled together.

"Good morning, beautiful." I hear him say with a groggy, husky, way-too sexy morning voice. I smile so wide I almost laugh audibly.

"Good morning, yourself, handsome." I grin.

I tilt my head up and look at him, his messy hair all over his forehead, smiling down at me.

"I could get used to this." He smiles, moving his hand to my hair.

"What?" I ask.

"Waking up to you. Falling asleep with you, laughing with you, watching you smile, watching the little wrinkles that show up between your eyebrows when you take pictures." He says, and I feel my cheeks heat up.

"I could get used to this, too, but-" I say, feeling my heart pound out of my chest.

"But what?" He asks frantically, sitting up immediately.

I pull the covers up over my bare chest and sit up beside him.

"I need answers, Harry." I explain, knotting my fingers together.

"Like what?" He asks.

"I want to know what... this is. And it's okay if you don't want it to be, like, a thing... or whatever... But, I don't think I have enough emotional detachment to just be friends who... you know." I explain.

He just looks at me, not answering. In a way, his face does the talking. And like I feared it would, reality hits me.

He doesn't want me. He doesn't want a relationship. Why would he?

"I-" He begins, but I cut him off.

"It's fine, Harry." I blurt, feeling tears threaten to come up.

I scoot to the edge of the bed, trying my best to conceal myself. I cover my back until I find my underwear and shorts. I stand up and grab his t-shirt, almost subconsciously grabbing it to put it on. I grab my pajama shirt and put it on instead, throwing my bra in my purse and walking to the door.

"Rhiannon, wait..." Harry calls out, and I turn around.

"What?" I ask, emotionless, not looking at him.

"Don't go." He says, trying to put off the inevitable.

I raise my head to look at him once more. His face is dull, mirroring mine.

"You don't want me, Harry," I scoff. "Believe me. This is for the best. You deserve better than me. I'm sorry."

And with that, I leave.

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Before returning to the room, I find a vacant stairway to cry my eyes out in, making sure there's no trace of tears before I head back to my room.

I slide my key in the door and open it, finding Niall standing by Grace, his hand on her forearm in a rather close embrace.