Letting Go (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 53: Epilogue

Natalie: One year after surgery

"One goal." Harry walked towards me slowly, rolling the ball between his hands. He stopped about six inches away and met my gaze with a sexy smirk. "You sure you're up for this baby?"

I rolled my eyes. "Bring it on hot-shot."

His eyes lit up in a wicked grin as he raised the ball above our heads. "Three, two, one."

As soon as the ball hit the grass, it was on. We were a mass of elbows and legs until I kicked the ball between his cleats and made a break for my end of the field. I could hear him just behind me, his breath hitting the back of my neck, his hand lightly pressing to my back as he tried to reach his leg around for the ball. I reveled in this. It felt freaking amazing to be playing again, especially with Harry.

"I talked to my mom today." He huffed in my ear.

I lost all concentration on the ball. "You what?!"

Not even thinking, I stopped it with the ball of my foot, and Harry ran smack into me, pulling me to his chest at the last second so I wouldn't eat grass. I looked over my shoulder, staring at him wide-eyed. Harry hadn't talked to his parents in over a year. This wasn't just your run of the mill information, this was huge.

He met my gaze with a dimpled grin. "Yup." And then he just shrugged, as if he had just told me that it was gonna be a hot day today. "So..." He gave me a quick squeeze and then his eyes narrowed on the ball. "Where were we?"

Within seconds, he had kicked it from under my foot and started dribbling it back down to the other side of the field.

"What the...ahhhhh." It took all of two seconds before I realized my fatal mistake and took off after him. "You're an asshole Styles!" I yelled, giving him a gigantic middle finger even though his back was turned.

"But you love me!" He sing-songed back.

I was going to kill him.

I tried to lengthen my stride and go into a full sprint, but my hip was not having that. "Ow, ow, ow. Shit shit shit." I muttered, slowing down.

Of course, Harry heard me and stopped instantly just as I was catching up to him. He stepped forward, his left hand immediately going to massage my right hip while his right stayed at my waist. "You're overdoing it again Nattie."

I tried not to pout, but I couldn't stop the huff from escaping my lips.

I had slowly been building up my leg and hip muscles over the past year to try and get it back to where I could even play. I swam every week, rode a stationary bike, and did daily rehab exercises. Whatever the doctors suggested, I did it. They discouraged me from playing competitively because I'd wear the new joint down, but I could practice with Harry and play defense in my dorm's co-ed league as long as I didn't push it.

"You're still swimming at the rec center in the mornings right?" He asked.

I nodded.

"And you're icing after every game you play?"

I shot him a look and he finally cracked, pulling me into his tattooed arms and holding me close. "Are you washing behind your ears?" He whispered.

I shook my head and somewhat reluctantly wrapped my arms around his waist. "Since when did you become the responsible one?"

He chuckled and lifted a hand to ruffle my red hair. "Since someone decided to go to the biggest party school in Georgia, four hours away. I have to keep you in line somehow." He teased.

I swatted at his hand. "Says the guy who comes to visit me almost every weekend to go to said parties."

He shrugged and I knew exactly what he was thinking. Georgia Southern was the only school in the state that had his major, but it wasn't exactly a party school. Not like Georgia was anyway.