Wish You Were Here - Part 2

Chapter 26

HARRY'S POV

I halt abruptly in front of Liv and I hear her huff out a groan as her chest collides harshly with my back.

"What are you doing here?" I exclaim as Liv peeks around my shoulder to find Gem and Bec setting the dining table with green and red patterned napkins. Mum is placing down cutlery and beaming at the both of us standing shell shocked but hand in hand.

"Well, Merry Christmas to you too!" Gemma says sarcastically as Bec throws back her head and laughs into the air.

"I figured when you didn't come home last night Liv, that you two had patched things up." Bec explains, folding a napkin and placing it next to a plate. "So, Gemma and I decided this morning that we should combine our Christmases so you two didn't have to spend the day apart."

I grip onto Liv's delicate hand tighter but we are both too caught off guard to speak

"We didn't expect you to sleep until 1 in the bloody afternoon." Gemma butts in.

"Ha! That's true, but judging by all the clothes in the hallway they must have been up late." Bec chimes in, making both the girls cackle with laughter.

Mum looks sympathetically at us, curling her lips into her mouth to hide her amusement and I turn to Liv just in time to see her cheeks redden and her free hand cover it.

I can't believe how much I missed that. She leans her body into mine, trying to bury the rest of her face in the back of my shoulder and I watch as she shields herself from everyone in the world but me.

I wrap my arm protectively around her waist and pull her into my side, kissing her forehead as silent confidence and turn my head back to see the three women in front of me practically squealing.

"Thank you guys. Really, it's so nice of you." Liv says softly, "Umm, I might go shower before lunch if that's ok with everyone? I'm sorry I don't have any other clothes here."

"Well, I brought your suitcases... i-if you want, I mean you're welcome to keep staying at mine, I just thought maybe-," Bec starts to say but stops when the smile that takes over Liv's face confirms she's done the right thing.  She looks so gorgeous it knocks the wind right out of my lungs.

I know it sounds cliché but I wasn't lying when I told her she is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. There's something about her, I don't know what it is, but I'm drawn to it, I have been from the moment I met her.

I try not to whine at the loss of contact as Liv pulls away from me and rushes to hug her sister.

"Thank you. Thank you for letting me stay so long. I love you." I hear her mumble before she looks around the room in search of something.

"Are Mum and Dad here yet?" She directs the question at Bec who all of a sudden is re-folding a napkin with increased focus.

My brow furrows as I watch Bec, usually a little too confident, struggle to find her voice, looking at Gemma quickly before her eyes fall on me and back to her hands.

"Honey," she says softly.

Shit.

"They-they aren't coming. I tried to explain everything to them but they just... they didn't want to." She tries her hardest not to look at me, as if it would soften the blow that their parents don't want to spend Christmas with their daughters because of me.

My own mothers eyes catch mine and I can tell she wants me to fix this.

"Bec, I have what happened on video. A fan came forward, I can show them, prove to them I didn't do it." I say quickly, as Liv takes in a shaky breath.