Still the One

Harry’s Point of View

Libby’s alarm clock goes off at the same time, crashing into my sleep. The moment she rolls from my arms a wave of emptiness washes over me. I hated this part of the day. I watch silently as she gets up from the bed walking towards the shower. I quickly grab a hold of her hand catching her off-guard. She tiredly falls into my grasp and on top of me.

‘Please, stay. Please.’ I beg, having zero shame. ‘I won’t go to the studio today. I just want to spend as much time with you as possible right now.’

‘Harry.’ She mutters tiredly, unsure. ‘I want to spend time with you too, but-…’

‘Then stay.’ I butt in before she can continue her sentence. ‘Just think about it – we can have a late breakfast, lay in bed all day, preferably naked. Or don’t think about it, you think too much as it is.’

She stays silent for a minute, I almost thought she already went back to sleep. Her eyes focus on me in the incoming light from the morning. I watch eagerly as she purses her lips, considering it.

‘You know you want to.’ I smile, egging her on. I loved corrupting her. ‘C’mon, Lib.’

‘Okay.’ She finally gives in, ‘Just let me call Jackie.’ Libby kisses my lips before sliding off of me.

While she’s in the other room, I send a quick text cancelling my studio session today. I was about to leave to film for Dunkirk in a little over week and all I wanted to do was spend time with her. I knew she couldn’t come with me as much as I wanted her to and it was already killing me. Sure, we’d FaceTime all the time but it wouldn’t be the same.

‘Okay we’re good.’ She smiles leaping on top of me.

‘Good.’ I happily wrap my arms around her, wanting to keep Libby close as long as I could. ‘I love you.’ I whisper pressing my lips to my forehead as she snuggles into my chest. It wasn’t look before she was already sound asleep once again. I stiff out a small laugh, amused at her tiredness.

When I wake up again, the sun was brightly showing through our room. I slip from under Libby sneaking to the bathroom and then downstairs to feed Bandit. I go to order some breakfast from our favorite café before going back upstairs. Libby sits up in the bed with the sheets wrapped around her bare body. I hide my schoolboy grin as she stretches, the thin white sheets falling down slowly.

‘I have not slept that long in ages. Thank you for talking me into this.’ She happily smiles as I lift her into the air walking towards the bathroom. ‘What on Earth are you doing?’ Her laugh is like music to my ears.

‘Showering, do you want to sit here and watch or do you want to join me?’

‘Option B.’ She speaks shyly. It amazed me just how shy she still was even though I’ve seen every inch of her imaginable. Yet still, she was always so coy. It was actually pretty cute.

I carefully sit her down on the counter and turn on the shower. The perfect thing to wake us up. I kick out of my sweats as Libby eyes me from the counter. I smile cockily to myself lifting her again to walk into the shower.

‘We have breakfast coming in about forty minutes.’ I inform her pressing her against the shower wall.

‘I think that will be long enough, don’t you?’ She smiles running her hands through my short hair. I nod my head eagerly, finding her lips in the oncoming steam.

Libby’s Point of View

‘That is the second time they’ve buzzed the gate!’ I laugh pushing Harry off of me in the bed. ‘Go!’

‘Fine. Stay right there because I’m finishing when I get something in my stomach.’ He bites his lip as he pulls on a pair of sweats and hurrying out the room with his wallet.

With his absence, I sneak one of his shirts pulling it over my head. I settle into the bed pulling out my phone to check for any updates. I had one email. From Mr. Jacobs. I quickly glance at the door before opening the email.

Libby, I could not help but notice there was some tension in our meeting. I hope that this is not because of my suggestions on your paper. Please, feel free to stop by my office to discuss this further. I want you to succeed this semester as you further your education.

It wasn’t too scandalous. It seemed fairly harmless but I delete the email anyway. I exhale suddenly feeling hot. Harry hovers in the doorway with furrowed brows, I’m guessing he’s been there long than I thought.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘It’s nothing that you need to worry about.’ I assure him sliding over in the bed to make room for him.

‘Anything that’s bothering you is definitely something that I need to worry about, so what’s going on, Lib?’ Harry’s not letting me off the hook that easily. Not at all.

‘It’s just my family. I don’t know if my mom’s ready to be around so many people at the Glamour party.’ I feel guilty and sick to my stomach pulling the schizophrenic mom card but Mr. Jacobs wasn’t something Harry needed to worry about.

‘Aw baby,’ Harry soothes lying down in bed next to me to wrap me in his arms. ‘I really wish I could be there for you that night, for multiple reasons. You will never know if your mom is ready if you keep her on such a short leash. Have a little faith in her.’ The more Harry attempts to solve my “problem” the guiltier I feel. ‘So, now, breakfast?’

‘I would love some.’ I plaster a smile on my face sitting up in the bed. ‘It smells so good.’

For the rest of the day, Harry and I lay in bed watching old movies on TV. Bandit strolls into the room, curling up on the rug at the foot of the bed. Harry ordered dinner so we wouldn’t have to leave or cook anything.

‘I really needed this today,’ I confess, resting my head on Harry’s chest allowing my fingers to graze over his two swallows. ‘Thank you.’

‘I needed it too.’ Harry replies absentmindedly playing with a strand of my hair, ‘I’ve been staring at that damn suitcase all day, I swear it’s laughing at me.’ He nudges his head towards to his closet with a black suitcase open on the floor.

‘It’s empty.’ I point out with a small laugh.

‘I know, I couldn’t bear to even touch it.’

‘What if I help you?’ I slide out of the bed before he could make any objections.

‘Nearly three months, Lib.’ Harry stays where he’s at in bed, ‘I’ll be gone for nearly three months. I know I’ve been gone on tour for longer but this isn’t having one show a night, this is filming for hours upon hours a day. I’ll be so busy and the time difference is already screwed.’

‘You almost say that like you don’t want to be in a Christopher Nolan movie. I mean I’m sure there’s thousands of people that will happily take your place.’ I taunt, I didn’t want him to go either but one of us had to keep a brave face. This was huge for his career. Of course, Harry was moping now but I knew after a few days, he’d be just fine. ‘Probably even hundreds of thousands.’

‘I’m complaining, aren’t I?’ He’s finally down on the floor beside me, picking at the loose string on his suitcase.

‘Just a little bit. Have you decided what shirts you were wanting to take?’ I stand pulling down a few of his favorite clothes. ‘What’s the weather like?’

‘I’m not sure yet, we’re filming in a few different locations but I’m guessing I should pack layers.’ Harry stands up going over to the dresser grabbing several pairs of Nike shorts.

‘You are going to need more suitcases.’ I point at the amount of clothes on the closet floor.

‘I guess I can put some stuff up, you can always bring me some things when you visit.’

‘I am going to call you every night and tell you every single boring thing about my day because I know how much you care about the little things. I am going to FaceTime you constantly, hopefully catching a glimpse of Tom Hardy. I am going to come see you the first chance I get.’ I speak up once the two of us are lying in bed staring up at the ceiling.

‘I am holding you to that.’ Harry stifles out a laugh looking over at me, ‘Tom Hardy, is that why you want me to go so bad?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Please don’t make me fight Tom Hardy for you because I am 100 percent positive that he would kick my ass.’

‘You’re going to do great Harry.’ I nestle against him once more, slowly falling asleep.