Message in a Bottle

Headache (20)

Chapter 20

*Ciara's POV*

"Ciara," I hear somebody say in a soothing tone. I can feel my hair being stroked back, I weakly open up my eyes, it takes all the energy out of me to do so. It's Harry, he looks relieved once he sees me awake.

"Where's Mason?" I jerk up, searching around the room. Harry hushes me quietly, laying me back down on the bed. My head's pounding, it feels like I have a new heartbeat in my skull right

against my temples.

"He's safe. Don't worry," Harry whispers.

"What happened?" I didn't remember anything from the party, I only recall getting ready and preparing to leave Harry and Louis' house. Other than that, it was swiped blank. It's almost as if my memory had been erased.

"There was a fire, but that was caused by a lamp against some curtain's. But you passed out. I don't know why." He carefully watches for a reaction, but I remain neutral.

"Oh. Me either."

"Did anybody give you a drink?" Harry asks.

"I don't remember. I'm fine though." I smile weakly.

"Everyone's worried about you, especially me," Harry takes a seat down next to me. I feel the bed shift in weight, I inch over so he has more room to sit.

"Mason's okay, right?" I bring him up once more. I hope he isn't scared and left alone with some stranger. Hopefully Louis or somebody familiar is taking care of him, I have a lot of trust in Louis.

"Ciara," Harry pauses, "Mason is fine! He's with Perrie, Louis and Zayn in the living room! Everything is alright with him! It's you we're worried about!" Perrie, the next sparks up a few foggy memories.

I breath out, kneading my fingers into the side of my head. The pain's decreasing, but it's still there. "Can you get me a cold washcloth?" I request. Harry nods and walks out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts and killer headache.

I try to remember what had happened but I just couldn't put the pieces together. I wouldn't have done anything stupid while I was with Mason, so what could have made me pass out? Was I holding Mason while I fell, is he injured also? Harry would have told me if he was, so that fear escapes my mind. My arms are throbbing, I could barely hold them above my head.

Harry comes back into the room, a small pink towel in his left hand. "Here you go," he says as he places it on my heated forehead.

"Thank you," I shut my eyes and enjoy the short time without the continuous pain. The coldness of the water seems to take away the pain in my head, but barely. Harry begins to dab the cloth on my face, I open up my eyes and wear an amused smile. "You're like my dad."

"Don't ever think of me as your father," he replies.

"You do so much stuff a father would do. I never had a good father figure in my life either, so you're kind of like mine." I whisper quietly. He stops what he's doing and runs his fingers through his hair, standing up from the bed.

"I'm more like a caring friend. Or a protective boyfriend. Not a father. Daughters end up leaving their father when they can care for themselves. I don't want you to picture me like that, because

what if you leave me once you're ready to live your life? Where do I fit into that picture? Exactly, I don't." I couldn't believe the words that were pouring out of Harry's mouth. He looks hurt.

"Harry, we have Mason together. You'll never be out of my life, whether I like it or not, I'm stuck with you." I smile and say before sitting up and crossing my legs.