Unexpected Love

Chapter Fourteen

It was swap over day and I was actually excited. Harry had finished his exams and spent a few days with his family and now he was coming to stay with me. I had helped Zayn clear out the spare room, he had managed to make the place his own since he'd been here but I wanted Harry to feel at home, so it needed a clean. As soon as the front door opened, I leapt up, running and jumping into his arms. He saw me coming and dropped his bags on the floor, preparing to catch me. I nuzzled into his neck, taking a whiff of his apple shampoo. "Hey, you," he breathed, holding me tightly against him. I smiled up at him. I was smiling more now, and I felt a bit happier. Having Harry and Zayn around helped, I felt like they genuinely cared about me, and Zayn had worked hard to make me healthier again and look after myself. I jumped off Harry and helped him carry his things upstairs, kicking Zayn out of the bedroom as Harry started packing his clothes away in the drawers. "I'm looking forward to this!" he said, folding his clothes.

"Me too, actually, I hope you're a better housemate than Zayn!" Zayn shrugged his shoulders, laughing at me. My humour was beginning to come back, and I was feeling more and more like myself every day. When Zayn announced he was leaving, I gave him the biggest hug I possibly could, holding him close. "Thank you for everything," I said, not wanting to let go.

"See you later, mate. Have fun!" We waved at Zayn as he drove away. It was the closest I'd been to the outside world in weeks and I enjoyed the fresh air on my face. Harry must have noticed because he grabbed my shoes, suggesting we go for a walk.

The weather was heating up now. It was late May, and the trees were looking green and alive. It was my favourite time of year and I was happy I was experiencing it with Harry. We walked next to each other, and every so often I'd look up at him for support. I hadn't been outside for a while and the anxieties were flooding back as we walked further and further from the house. We talked about his exams and how he thought he did, we talked about Niall and Liam and how they were getting on, and we talked about my progress and how far I'd come in the last few weeks. I couldn't help but smile when I was with Harry, he made me feel safe and warm and there was nowhere I would rather be than with him. We walked for about an hour before we arrived back at the house and decided to order a takeaway for dinner. It was my treat for Harry completing his exams, so I let him choose. He decided to order Mexican, so we picked a bunch of things from the menu and thought we'd just share everything. As soon as it arrived, Harry was eyeing up the tacos, jumping straight in and making a mess. I laughed at him as a bit of sauce hung from his nose. He pouted at me, sticking his bottom lip out, and I had to admit he looked cute. Suddenly, he was wiping sauce on my face too, causing me to giggle like a child. When we'd finished messing around, we wiped ourselves clean and continued eating. I hadn't eaten so much in weeks, and I thoroughly enjoyed my food. Harry seemed proud that he had got me to eat so much. We sat on the sofa, watching reruns of FRIENDS, laughing at the inappropriate jokes and quoting the bits we knew. Being with Harry was going to be fun.

***

A week after Harry moved in, I found myself ready to go back to work. I had improved so much, and I was beginning to miss the children. It was a Sunday night, and I was going over my lesson plans for the next day, beginning to get nervous that I had forgotten how to teach. I'd planned to ask the children to read a collection of poems before asking them to write their own, but I was beginning to freak out that they wouldn't enjoy it. It was getting late and I knew I had to sleep but my mind was racing. What if they think I'm a terrible teacher? What if I'm not ready? What if they know what happened and they laugh at me? What if the other teachers question my absence? What if the lesson sucks? What if I'm not ready? Maybe I should stay home. Maybe I should pretend to be sick. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. My breathing was getting quicker and quicker, and I grabbed my chest because of the pain. My palms were sweating, and I could feel my face becoming fuzzy. My head started to spin, and I couldn't stop my mind from worrying. The pain was getting excruciating and I screamed for Harry, worried that I was having a heart attack, or I was going to die. He came running in, rushing over to me, worry planted all over his face. "Lou? Louis? What's wrong? What happened?" he questioned, putting his hand in mine and squeezing.

"Can't... can't... breath... it... hurts..." I croaked out, not able to control my breathing.

"Shh... shh... its okay, I've got you," he said gently, climbing into bed next to me and making me sit up straight, counting my breaths. "Copy me, we're going to breathe in for eleven seconds then out for seven, ready?" I nodded, not able to speak. "In for one... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... eleven... and hold for one... two... three... and out for one... two... three... four... five... six... seven..." We repeated this over and over again, and each time my heart rate slowed until I could begin to think clearly. Eventually, I was breathing at a normal speed and I snuggled into Harry, whimpering as the tears fell. "It's okay, Lou, you just had a panic attack, it's okay," Harry assured me, holding me close and letting me cry on him. I opened my eyes to see Harry was just in his boxers. I looked up at him, a small grin on my face. He looked down at his legs, his cheeks getting a little flushed. "I was in bed when I heard you scream so I came running, I didn't want to waste time by putting clothes on," he recalled, his cheeks getting redder.

"I don't mind," I said, "I'm in my boxers too." I pulled the covers back, proving to Harry that we were in the same position. After a while I started yawning, so Harry started to get up to let me sleep. "No! Stay with me!" I pleaded, hoping he'd say yes.

"Really?" Harry asked, "you want me to sleep in your bed with you?" I nodded, I didn't want to be alone tonight, and I knew that I felt safe with Harry. He grinned at me, climbing back into bed and shuffling under the covers. I laid my head on his chest and he put his arm around me, adjusting to our position. I could feel his warm skin on mine, and I realised it was the most content I had been for a long time. He felt so soft and his skin against mine was surprisingly comforting. I looked up at him, noticing how his lips were slightly parted. His facial features were soft as he slept, his eyelids flickering as he dreamt, and in that moment, I didn't want to be anywhere else. I thought about how nice it was to sleep with someone again, and I wondered if Harry felt the same way I did.

Louis is really struggling at the moment, hopefully Harry can help him! Don't forget to comment and vote!