Summer

Chapter 23

        I woke up snuggled up next to Haz. He was so cute when he sleeps. I decided to wake him up by tickling him. He hates being tickled. Almost as soon as I started, he was up and out of the bed, rolling across the floor like a ninja. I laughed out loud and he turned to glare at me.

“You’re going to pay for this!” he shouted, lunging at me.

        I squealed as he tackled me on the bed and began to tickle me relentlessly. I was probably more ticklish than he was, but I’d never admit that to him. He seemed to figure it out pretty quickly though, because he stopped when he noticed I was all out of breath from laughing so much.

“So I’m not the only one with a tickle problem?” he asked with a wink.

“Oh shut up.” I said, but instead of shutting up, he shut me up with a kiss.

“Sorry I tickled you to near death.” He said jokingly, pulling away.

“Sorry I started it.” I said, winking.

        We ordered our room service breakfast and got ready for the day. I put on my Nike IDs, track shorts, and a loose tank top. I pulled my long dark hair into a messy bun, and walked out into our room to see Hazza dressed in gym shorts, an old t-shirt, and some tennis shoes. I smiled when I saw him.

        Today we were going to walk around the Biltmore grounds. There’s a lake, a field with that tall, feathery grass that someone could lie down in and disappear from view forever in, a stream that has a huge cobble stone brick bridge over it, and trails through the woods.

        Harry grabbed my hand and led me out of the hotel. You didn’t need a tour guide to just wander around, so we decided we’d go to the grassy field first; I’d never seen that kind of waist high grass before. To get there we had to cross over the bridge with the creek running beneath it. We paused there to look at everything.

“I love it here!” I said.

“It’s nice. But it wouldn’t be the same if I wasn’t here with you.” Harry said, hugging me from behind.

“I know what you mean. I wouldn’t rather be here with anyone else.” I said, twisting in his arms to kiss him.

“I like it when you do that.” Haz said, after we pulled away from each other.

“Do what?” I asked, playing with his curls.

“Kiss me randomly like that. It’s like my way of knowing that you really mean all of this. That we’re really together.” He admitted, looking down.

“Harold Edward Styles. Of course this is real. It’s realer that anything else that I’ve ever been through with anyone. Louis obviously wasn’t real. He still loved Eleanor the whole time we were ‘together’. All I know is that I’ve never wanted to be with someone more than I want to be with you. I can be myself around you, and I know you better than I know myself. You’re not just my boyfriend. You’re my best friend too. And I’m so happy that we’re together. You have no idea.” I said, pulling his head up by the chin so that he would look at me.

“I love you.” He whispered, his eyes sparkling.

“Wh… What?” I asked, totally taken by surprise.

“I love you.” He said, louder. He then took a step back, and shouted while he turned in a circle, “I love Hadley James!”

        When he was done, he came back over to me, took my hands, and pressed his forehead against mine. I looked at him for moment, knowing that I felt the same way.

“I love you too.” I whispered, feeling it in my heart when I said it, knowing it’s true.

“Are you sure?” he asked, suddenly seeming unsure about his actions.

        Instead of answering him, I stood on my toes, pulling his head down so I could touch my lips to his, and kissed him like this would be the last time I ever saw him.

“I’m taking that as a yes.” He said, after our little bridge make out sesh.

“Good. I really do love you though. I think I’ve loved you for a long time; I just didn’t realize it until now. I love you, Harry Styles.” I said, laughing.

        One thing that I love about Harry and me is that we get each other so well. Like last night, he knew that I was serious about my feelings for him, just like he knows I’m serious now. We don’t have to question things. Everything is just so natural when it comes to us. I love us. I love him.

“I love you.” He whispered once more.

“I love you too.” I whispered back, kissing him again.