Can't Remember To Forget You

Chapter 16

Second update today bc ily <3

**

“Avery, I feel better today. Can’t we just stay here? Or I can take you out to lunch or something?”

“No, Harry. I’m taking you to the hospital to get looked at.” I tell him for the fiftieth time since he got home. “You crashed your motorcycle; you can’t be sure that you didn’t break something.”

I think it’s more for my piece of mind that I’m so persistent on bringing him, but I really just want to make sure he’s really okay. He only told me he got into an accident, and I believe him, but I don’t really know what or how it happened. Once the doctor says he just needs to let his wounds heal, I’ll back off.

“Well then let’s go get this shit done with.” He groans and heads out to the garage to get in the car.

I sigh once I’m alone in the house. Once I know he’s okay, we can move on from this horrific weekend and get on with our lives.

**

“Okay, Mr. Styles, why don’t you explain to me what happened, then we can get some X-rays done and see what’s going on.” The doctor asks Harry.

I take Harry’s hand and hold it as he explains. “I was driving my motorcycle and I lost control on a turn. Nothing really to explain.” Harry shrugs. His knee is bouncing up and down.

“Were you wearing a helmet?” The doctor asks, typing something on his tablet.

Harry hesitates for a moment before saying, “No.”

My stomach clenches with the realization of how lucky he is. He could have been hurt so much more if he hit his head even just a little harder. And then I start to feel angry… Angry that he was being so careless and not wearing a helmet. I make a mental note to yell at him when we get back home.

“All right, well let’s get some X-rays done, and then we’ll go from there. Ready?”

“Yeah.” Harry nods and stands up.

The doctor leaves the room and asks Harry to follow, but before Harry walks out with him, he stops and looks at me. “I’m sorry.” He says quietly and wraps his arms around my neck, pulling me close to his body.

“You should go.” I offer him a small smile and kiss him briefly. He nods and takes a deep breath before he’s out the door.

I sit in the room for about twenty minutes while Harry’s having his X-rays done, and I can hardly stay still. I’m shaking and shivering as I try to focus on this damn magazine. I thank God when the door knob jiggles and Dr. Landry is walking back into the room with Harry behind him.

“It’ll just take a couple minutes until we can get the X-rays. I’ll give you two some time and come back when they’re ready.”

“Thanks.” I tell him. Dr. Landry smiles and leaves again.

I take a deep breath and look at Harry. “Why weren’t you wearing a helmet?”

He looks at me and then looks away, buying time before he answers. “I don’t know. I was angry, I didn’t think to wear it.”

“Harry, you could have killed yourself!” I want to scream, but I don’t want to cause a scene.

An odd look washes over Harry’s face when he looks back at me. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a frightening sight. “I’m sorry, Ave.”

“I don’t like those things, Harry.” I sigh. “And I don’t like thinking that it’s capable of taking you from me.” A stubborn tear spills from my eye.

“Baby,” Harry sighs and moves so he’s kneeling in front of me. “I’m sorry. I’m not going anywhere, okay?” He takes my face in his hands and wipes away the tear. “You haven’t gotten rid of me yet.” He smiles.

“Sorry.” I mutter an apology for my damn emotions.

“Stop, Avery. Don’t say that, not to me. I’m the one who’s sorry, and I’ll make it up to you, okay? Now let me see that beautiful smile of yours.” He smiles himself and pokes my cheeks.

I fail miserably at trying to hide my smile, and Harry chuckles when he finally gets me to laugh. “There it is.” He kisses my cheek and moves back to his chair when Dr. Landry comes back in the room.

“Okay, I have the results here.” He announces and puts the transparent x-rays against a light board on the wall. “There’s good news, and there’s bad news.”

“Not too bad, don’t worry,” He adds when I wince at the ‘bad news’ part.

“Just spit it out, doc.” Harry says. I nudge him for being rude, but he doesn’t say anything.

“All right, well if you look here,” he points to the x-ray of Harry’s torso. “it looks like you have two bruised ribs, and over here we can see you’ve fractured your left wrist. For your ribs, all we can do is prescribe you something for the pain, but you’ll have to take it easy and let it heal by itself.” Harry and I nod. “For the wrist, pretty much the same thing. We can give you a splint, but it’ll just need to be rested and it will heal eventually.”

“What’s the bad news?” Harry asks and puts his arms around my shoulder.

“You’re showing all the signs of a concussion. It’s not a huge deal, but if it happens again, it can become a problem. You really need to take it easy the next few days and get some rest. And wear your helmet, Harry.”

“I will,” Harry says and kisses my temple. “Is that it?”

“Yes,” Dr. Landry says as he writes up something on a sheet of paper. “Go get this filled, and take it when the pain becomes unbearable.”

“Thanks.” Harry says and grabs the paper before stuffing it into my purse.

The doctor stands up to shake our hands and walks us out of the room. “Have a nice afternoon.”

I smile at him while Harry nods and the doctor walks away. We leave the hospital, and I hope we won’t have to come back here anytime soon.

“Let’s grab lunch.” Harry says and takes my hand to lead me outside. “I’m starving.”

“Harry.” I stop and pull his arm towards me. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but this overwhelming feeling runs through me, and I just get emotional over the fact that he’s still here, and he’ll be okay.

We stand in the middle of the parking lot in a tight embrace for a minute. “Come on, baby,” Harry says into my ear and leads me to the car.

**

{ Harry’s POV }

We go to the pharmacy to fill the prescription of pain killers Doctor Landry gave me, and then I take Avery to our favorite Italian restaurant on the pier. She hasn’t let go of my hand since the hospital, and even though I love it, I feel guilty for putting her through this. I know she’s still shaken up at the fact that I wasn’t wearing my helmet, but I’d rather her be upset over that other than the other facts I’ve kept from her.

“What do you want?” I ask her as she studies the menu. We’ve been here a million times, but she’s always so indecisive, and it’s the cutest thing.

“I don’t know. Maybe the Fettuccine Alfredo? Or the Lasagna?” She frowns.

I laugh and let her keep deciding. I can’t help but bring her soft hand to my mouth and kiss the back of it. I can’t get enough of her.

Once we finally order, we sit back in the booth and wait for our food to come out. I pull her close to me and soak up her presence. God, I’m a douche bag for leaving her. I’m an idiot for leaving her. I fucked up… but then again, that’s no surprise. All I know is that I’m about to work my ass off to be a better man for Avery, someone she deserves. I’m falling in love with her, and this is something I can’t fuck up again. She’s my life, and the fact that she's taken me back makes me thankful I made it out with just a concussion and a few bruised ribs.

“What did you do when I was gone?” I reluctantly ask. I can’t decide if I want to know, because I can probably guess by the bags under her tired eyes and her thin body, but Ineed to know.

“It sucked Harry.” She sighs. “I don’t even remember, it was all a blur. I was so upset, scared, worried, heartbroken…”

“I’m sorry,”

“I know.” She assures me. “Those three days were so terrible, Harry, but you’re back, and you’re going to be okay, so let’s forget about it. I don’t want to talk about it anymore, it hurts too much.” Avery admits, and I mentally kick myself in the balls for hurting her.

“Okay.” I tell her as the waiter sets our food in front of us.

We eat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, but then we finally start talking and eat the rest of our meal with a light conversation. I love how easy it is to talk with her.

After I pay the bill, we get back in her car and head back home. All I know is that I’m stuffed, and I just want to go home and cuddle up with her on the couch while we watch a movie. Fuck, I’m turning into a pussy, but I guess I don’t really care.

“What about Magic Mike?” She suggests after I ask her what movie we should watch.

“Fuck no. Inception?”

“No! That movie is so confusing!” She whines.

“You’ve never seen it, Avery!” I laugh.

“I know, but that’s what I’ve heard.” She giggles and opens the door. I go up to my room to change into some joggers, and Avery goes to the living room to find something to watch.

When I go back down, I hear Avery talking to someone, and soon recognize the voice…

Fuck.

“There you are!” My mum greets Avery. I stay hidden in the hall to listen.

“What are you doing back?” Avery asks. She sounds just as surprised and disappointed as I feel. “I though you weren’t supposed to come home until tomorrow?”

My mum sighs before I hear the fridge open and things being moved around. “That wasthe plan, but your dad got a call from the office and needed to come back to take care of something. He’s there now, so it’s just us three for dinner, if Harry is here of course.”

“I’m here.” I walk in and look at Avery. She mouths sorry and shrugs while my mum is digging in the fridge for something.

“Great, I’m making your favorite, Harry! Stir fry!” She says into the fridge. She turns around with vegetables and other shit in her hands.

Everything in her arms drops to the floor when she sees me, and it takes me a second to realize why…

“Harry! What happened to you?” She says and runs over to me to examine my bruised and scratched face.

“I’m fine, Mum.” I was hoping by the time she was supposed to get back the scratches and bruises would heal, but of course fate has her home early. I know I shouldn't keep the fact that I got into an accident from my mum, but it would be better. Now she's going to worry...

“Harry, this is not fine! What happened?” She asks again. I roll my eyes before Avery catches my glance, and she looks like she’s pleading me to be nice, so of course, I try, for her… even if I know it may not be worth it.

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what’s about to come. If I thought Avery overreacted… “I crashed my bike. I’m fine though, Mum. Avery took me to the hospital, I just have a sprained wrist.” I lie.

Tears are already running down my mum’s face, and she’s hugging me tightly. I wince at with the pain, but hide it so she doesn’t notice. “Harry.” She cries into my shoulder. “How could you do this? Why weren’t you being more careful?”
“It was an accident, Anne.” Avery says.

I love Avery all the more for defending me, but she doesn’t understand.

“Harry, what if you weren’t fine? What if it was worse?” My mum sobs. “What if I lost you?” Her voice cracks and she pulls me back into a hug.

I look at Avery and mouth to her that it’s okay, and thank you, before telling her to go wait for me to watch the movie.

“You need to be more careful, Harry.” My mum scolds me as soon as Avery has left the kitchen. “A motorcycle accident? Really Harry? Don’t do this to me, Harry, don’t make me go through that again.” She looks at me through her pained and hurt eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mum.”