Stuck » h.s. (UNDER EDITING)

twelve

Songs for this chapter:

•Miss Jackson-Panic! At the Disco

•Medicine-Daughter

"Emma, you've got to relax. Just stop stressing yourself out and talk to me. I'm here as your friend," he says. I watch him grab a box of bandaids that I just put in the cabinet and he wipes the blood off, wrapping the bandaid around it. "You're just constantly hurting yourself, aren't you?" he chuckles sadly, kissing my finger. "There. All better," he grins and grabs my hand, taking me to my bedroom.

I pull back the sheets on my bed that I just made and crawl into it, shutting my eyes. "Get some rest," Harry says.

I know this is wrong to ask since we've only just met, but I don't want to be alone right now and he's all that I've got. "Harry?" I call his name weakly. He stops, looking back at me. "Will you... will you stay with me?"

****

He blinks a couple of times in surprise and suddenly I feel silly. Harry won't want to stay with me, the disgusting girl who throws up all over the place, snots on his jeans, and cuts her finger on a knife. I'm probably just some charity case to him.

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah- yes of course I'll stay," his words stumble over each other and I smile sadly. He sits awkwardly on the side of my bed.

"Take your boots off and lay with me," I whisper, twirling a piece of my own hair between my fingers. He sighs and complies to my demand, his boots clashing to the floor. His weight causes the bed to dip and I let him slide under the duvet with me. Again, he's stiff. He just lies on his back and stares at the fan, watching it go around and around and around.

"Harry..."

"Hmm?"

"You can hold me, you know. I kind of need some comfort right now."

He breathes in deeply. I thought for sure he'd make some sexual comment and try to get in my pants, but no, he seems... shy.

I gasp a little when his strong arms snake around me and pull my trembling body into his safe and secure one. His warm breath fans over the back of my neck, chills erupting from my back all the way down to my toes. I move slightly with each rise and fall of his chest, the movement calming me.

"Harry," I practically whine.

"Huh," he grunts.

"I-I just wanted to say that what you saw on that video... I.. it wasn't my fault.. I've never been all the way with someone ever.. And that video was some sick joke from my high school years and--" my words start to become jumbled and I'm blubbering, snot threatening to race down my nose again. My body is heating up due to that confession I just made (you don't normally just blurt you're a virgin to someone randomly) and Harry's close proximity. Harry's beautiful, warm hand runs up and down my arm. I don't know why he's being so nice to me or why my stomach is doing somersaults with each wisp of his hand across my skin, or his chest pushed into my back.

"Shhh, you don't have to say anything right now. I won't push you until you're ready. Just sleep, EmmaBear. Just sleep," he coos. The nickname actually spreads warmth to my heart this time instead of spreading fury to my brain. I want to tell him that I can't sleep.

This feels so..strange? I've only known him for what, a month at the most? And now he's seen me at my worst, yet he's still here comforting me when most of this month, he's been nothing but a complete and total jerk. I was expecting him to see me in total meltdown mode and just laugh hysterically while I puked my guts out. That seems like something the Harry I've come to know would do, but this Harry, he's a thoroughly different person.