Sequel: Over Again ›
More Than This
30
I woke up the next morning to a hand rubbing my back softly.
“Bails, wake up.” Harry’s voice cooed softly.
I groaned and rolled back into the pillow, not wanting to get up and face today.
“Bailey.” His voice was more stern, but I could hear a hint of a chuckle behind it.
I shook my head. I knew I was being stubborn, but I wanted to pretend today didn’t exist. That and the fact that I barely slept the night before. Harry audibly sighed and I felt his weight get off the bed. For a minute, I thought he had left, until I felt his hands around me, picking me up easily. I squealed in surprise as the cold air hit my body. I buried my face in his chest, mainly to get warm more than anything else.
He put me down outside the bathroom door and I sighed.
“Get ready, babe.” He ordered, kissing the top of my head.
I went into the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes, turning the shower to scalding hot, and getting in.
When I got out of the shower, I went back into the room to get dressed and Harry was nowhere to be found.
I ran a hand through my hair and pulled on yoga pants and Harry’s hoodie to stay warm and comfortable, as most of my day would be spent on a plane.
Just then, my phone started ringing. I picked it up and looked at Niall’s face on the screen.
“What’s up, Irish?” I asked in greeting as I dried my hair with my free hand.
“Can you come here? I need to talk to you.” His voice sounded sad and distant, and I sighed.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” I hung up the phone and quickly scrawled a note for Harry in case he came back from wherever he went, and went down the hall to Niall’s room.
I found him lying face down on the bed and I groaned, going over and flopping down next to him, rubbing his back.
“What happened, Ni?” I asked softly.
He rolled over and looked at me.
“Why would you introduce me to her?” He groaned. I closed my eyes.
“Alanna?” I asked.
“Yes.” He replied, exasperated.
“What happened?” I asked again.
“I like her. We kissed. Now she’s home and I’m going away.” He explained, frowning.
“So?” I asked, and Niall raised an eyebrow at me. “Niall, you guys can still be friends when you’re apart, and maybe start something else when you’re home from tour.”
He shook his head.
“That will be too hard, Bails.” He sighed. “I don’t want to fall for someone who I have to be away from for long periods at a time.”
Almost immediately, he realized what he said, and wrapped an arm around me. I wanted to cry.
“You and Harry are different, Bailey.” He said slowly. I shook my head.
“I love him, Niall.” I said, wiping a tear from my eye.
Just then, the door opened and Harry walked into the room. He saw me and immediately came over, wrapping his arms around me.
I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in the crook of his neck.
Nobody said anything for what felt like a long time until my phone rang.
“We have to go.” El’s voice came over the phone. “Meet us downstairs.”
I sighed and hung up the phone, standing up.
“I love you.” I muttered in Harry’s ear, squeezing him around the middle tightly. He sighed into my hair.
“I love you too, Bailey.” His voice was low, and I didn’t want to look at him. “We’ll be back together before we know it.”
I nodded once and went over to kiss the top of Niall’s head.
“Don’t let something that could be real slip away because you’re scared, Ni.” I muttered softly. He nodded once.
I kissed Harry softly on the lips one more time before meeting my friends and sister downstairs to leave, and the scariest part was, I didn’t know how long I would be gone.
“Bails, wake up.” Harry’s voice cooed softly.
I groaned and rolled back into the pillow, not wanting to get up and face today.
“Bailey.” His voice was more stern, but I could hear a hint of a chuckle behind it.
I shook my head. I knew I was being stubborn, but I wanted to pretend today didn’t exist. That and the fact that I barely slept the night before. Harry audibly sighed and I felt his weight get off the bed. For a minute, I thought he had left, until I felt his hands around me, picking me up easily. I squealed in surprise as the cold air hit my body. I buried my face in his chest, mainly to get warm more than anything else.
He put me down outside the bathroom door and I sighed.
“Get ready, babe.” He ordered, kissing the top of my head.
I went into the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes, turning the shower to scalding hot, and getting in.
When I got out of the shower, I went back into the room to get dressed and Harry was nowhere to be found.
I ran a hand through my hair and pulled on yoga pants and Harry’s hoodie to stay warm and comfortable, as most of my day would be spent on a plane.
Just then, my phone started ringing. I picked it up and looked at Niall’s face on the screen.
“What’s up, Irish?” I asked in greeting as I dried my hair with my free hand.
“Can you come here? I need to talk to you.” His voice sounded sad and distant, and I sighed.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” I hung up the phone and quickly scrawled a note for Harry in case he came back from wherever he went, and went down the hall to Niall’s room.
I found him lying face down on the bed and I groaned, going over and flopping down next to him, rubbing his back.
“What happened, Ni?” I asked softly.
He rolled over and looked at me.
“Why would you introduce me to her?” He groaned. I closed my eyes.
“Alanna?” I asked.
“Yes.” He replied, exasperated.
“What happened?” I asked again.
“I like her. We kissed. Now she’s home and I’m going away.” He explained, frowning.
“So?” I asked, and Niall raised an eyebrow at me. “Niall, you guys can still be friends when you’re apart, and maybe start something else when you’re home from tour.”
He shook his head.
“That will be too hard, Bails.” He sighed. “I don’t want to fall for someone who I have to be away from for long periods at a time.”
Almost immediately, he realized what he said, and wrapped an arm around me. I wanted to cry.
“You and Harry are different, Bailey.” He said slowly. I shook my head.
“I love him, Niall.” I said, wiping a tear from my eye.
Just then, the door opened and Harry walked into the room. He saw me and immediately came over, wrapping his arms around me.
I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in the crook of his neck.
Nobody said anything for what felt like a long time until my phone rang.
“We have to go.” El’s voice came over the phone. “Meet us downstairs.”
I sighed and hung up the phone, standing up.
“I love you.” I muttered in Harry’s ear, squeezing him around the middle tightly. He sighed into my hair.
“I love you too, Bailey.” His voice was low, and I didn’t want to look at him. “We’ll be back together before we know it.”
I nodded once and went over to kiss the top of Niall’s head.
“Don’t let something that could be real slip away because you’re scared, Ni.” I muttered softly. He nodded once.
I kissed Harry softly on the lips one more time before meeting my friends and sister downstairs to leave, and the scariest part was, I didn’t know how long I would be gone.