How I Heal

#11

The first adventure:

———

If I'm being perfectly honest, I wish I had thought this through more.

I'm cold, freezing cold, my legs have practically become ice, and it's really a miracle my entire body hasn't frozen solid.

Harry has been trying to unlock the back door of this private beach for the last half an hour and every time he fails he looks closer to giving up.

I heard an audible sigh before the loud 'bang' of a lock meeting metal and I saw Harry step back.

"It won't open," he muttered, disappointed.

I held the thin veil around my body tightly, wondering why I would choose to wear something like this in this weather.

I briefly looked around, checking our surroundings, before looking at the door.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this," I whispered quietly, more to myself, as I grabbed the pin I used to hold up my hair and got to work.

"I guess this isn't all bad, my hair is keeping me warm now," I tried to joke lightheartedly as I stuck the Bobby pin in the lock and turned it.

My fingers kept slipping from the lock because of how chilly it was, but I refused to stop trying.

The fact that we made it this far was enough to give me the push I needed, and it wasn't very long before I could feel the progress.

The loud click signaled that it was indeed open, and I stepped back as a very stunned and obviously a little mortified Harry eyed me.

"Did you just pick a lock?" He asked warily. "I didn't even know you could do that. Why can you do that? How long have you even been able to do that? I- I just have so many questions."

I shrugged, lightly pulling him into the closed off venue. "I lose my house keys a lot."

That explanation didn't seem to sit too well with Harry but he let it go nonetheless.

He eventually started walking on his own, and we cautiously stepped, ensuring that nobody was over here.

"Okay we're clear," I exhaled, giving a final glance in front of me.

I didn't hear anything and when I spun around Harry wasn't there.

"Harry?" I said, my eyebrows dipped. "Harry stop playing."

The only sound was the wind and I swore I was hallucinating, as I started to look all around me.

"Harry if you don't stop I swear I'll-"

Before I could even finish the sentence I felt a strong pair of arms grip me before throwing me up into the air and catching me.

"HARRY EDWARD STYLES!" I yelled, not caring if someone heard. "PUT ME DOWN RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT."

I heard a low chuckle as he started running and it dawned on me what was about to happen.

"HARRY NO!" I yelled. "I CANT SW-"

And just like that I felt my body being released from his grasp and being submerged under ice cold water.

The bubbles pricked at my skin, and I unintentionally swallowed a bit of water, before I burst the surface and took a deep inhale.

I could hear the sound of Harry's laughter, and it took everything in me not to scream.

"The water is cold you maniac!" I screamed, lunging a wave at him unexpectedly.

The water barely got him, but he still raised his eyebrows at me as if he felt challenged.

"This means war," I heard him say, before my eyes went wide and I started to make a run- or a paddle- for it.

I could only go so far. The current was relatively strong at this time of night and of course the pressure eventually became too much, so I had to stop.

It wasn't long before I felt the same strong arms grip me once again and I could only pray that he would let me out just this once.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," I yelled ready to talk myself out of whatever he was about to do. "Don't hurt me please I'm sorry."

My eyes had screwed shut the minute I felt him hold onto me but after a while I realized nothing was happening.

The only indication that I wasn't asleep was the sting of the wind, and when I opened my eyes, Harry was facing me.

But he wasn't just facing me either.

He was laughing.

Laughing his ass off

at me.

"You sh-" he barely got any air as he held onto his stomach and hunched over. "You should have seen your face, you were like 'ahh don't get me.'"

I said nothing as I forced myself to keep a straight face.

"I wish I had a Polaroid camera, I would have caught the look on your face so that I could laugh at it forever."

He was virtually hollering at this point and I just wanted to choke him.

"I hate you so much," I said jokingly, splashing a bit of water at his face.

"I love you though," he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips.

A surprised look came over my face and his eyes immediately went wide as we both realized what was said.

He started clearing his throat and stepping back but by that point, it had already registered what Harry had said.

"I mean obviously not like that," he blurted out, gripping his neck. "I um, yeah that wasn't what I meant to say-"

"No, I get it, mistakes happen," I hurriedly replied, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "Makes sense."

My brain started force closing, and I didn't know what the appropriate thing was for a situation like this.

To say this was not how I expected this to go at all, was an understatement.

I felt like complete shit actually but I could only be thankful that it was nightfall and he couldn't tell that I was currently redder than a tomato.

"I um-"

"Lets just pretend that didn't happen," I quickly spoke up, eager to move past this.

"Yeah mhm agreed," he followed up, looking down at the water.

The waves were still now and there was a subtle breeze, but no matter how cold it was, inside of me felt so much icier.

"Maybe we should leave now," I heard him say, and I almost didn't hear him over the sound of my panicked thoughts.

I quickly swallowed before nodding in agreement. "Yeah uh, I think that would be best."

He also nodded, a calmer look on his face telling me that I was the only one that felt awkward about this, so I tried my best to pull myself together.

Mistakes happen. I reminded myself.

Of all the things he could have said on accident, why did it have to be the one thing I needed to hear more than anything?