Just keep breathing

Chapter 87

Katie's perspective

"SURPRISE!!!" the guests all shout loudly as the door swings open and an utterly bemused Harry jumps slightly, before freezing with one foot inside and one foot out, for a few seconds before his trademark megawatt smile splits across his features

"Fucking hell!" He curses, a long-fingered hand clutching his heart as his eyes scan the room, spotting his mum and Gemma first

"Mum!" He exclaims, and rushes towards her, enveloping her in a huge hug and abandoning his keys in the door.

"Gems! This is amazing, I had no idea... " He greets various people by name as he spots them in the crowd, exchanging handshakes and hugs but I can see his emerald eyes flickering quickly over the various faces, and I know he's searching for me.

After a few minutes, our eyes meet, and he extricates himself from the bear hug Olly Murs is currently giving him to make his way over to me, taking slow, measured steps to close the distance.

"You?" He asks questioningly in a low voice and raising an eyebrow. He reaches out to take my hands in his

"I had some help," I tell him, indicating Lou and Mel at my sides.

"This is wonderful! No ones ever threw me a surprise party before! Not successfully anyway! I had no idea." He says excitedly as he gives me a hug

"You really didn't know?" I ask him, surprised that I have managed to pull this off without giving the game away.

I was sure I had slipped up a couple of times in Paris, and I know he was curious as to why I was texting Lou so much, I was positive he'd have guessed we were planning something.

"Nope. I had no clue. You're amazing." He says happily giving me a quick kiss.

"Go and greet the rest of your guests birthday boy, you can kiss me anytime." I giggle at him, pushing him away slightly as he pouts back at me, a lot of the guests have turned to start their own conversations to give Harry and I moment of privacy.

Still, I am very conscious of the fact that people utterly surround us, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks once again. I make my way over to the buffet table to finally indulge in some of the food we prepared earlier a couple of hours later and I feel his warm arms slide around my waist from behind and a soft kiss press against my temple.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?" Harry asks me in a low voice, whispering in my ear and causing tiny flyaway strands of hair to float across my face.

"Hmm," I contemplate, teasing him as I turn in his arms to face him. "I don't think you have actually, quite rude really, considering all the trouble I've gone to for you," I tease him, gesturing around us at the guests who,
thankfully, all seem to be having a great time.

"Aww I'm sorry, let me take this opportunity to tell you then, that you, Katie Francis, are without a doubt the most amazing person I have ever met, and I love you more than you could possibly know." He says sincerely.

His gaze boring down into my eyes, and I am grateful that his arms are still around me or I might have fallen over at the intense look he is giving me, combined with his beautiful words.

Blushing, I struggle to find my voice

"I think I know exactly actually because I love you just as much." I tell him leaning forward to press my lips against his before the kiss can get too x-rated for such a public setting.

I feel my phone vibrate against my ankle, where it's been tucked into one of my boots all night, the short black dress I chose for this evening not offering any alternative options.