small world

chapter 24

HARRY

The weight of the world had grown wings and flown away the moment I confessed my love publically for Charlie. I felt free from the rumors that haunted us, and even though somehow the press would find something to talk about, what mattered was that I was in love and the world knew it. I wasn’t me until I fell in love with Charlie Parker; she was the piece of me that was missing, a piece I wasn’t exactly looking for, but one that when I found I never wanted to let go of. Before Charlie I was simply wandering mindlessly not even knowing I had been lost, but with her I felt direction – I was found; the love I had for her guiding me like the light from a lantern. She truly brought out the best in me… she made me laugh a little harder, smile a little wider; whenever I was with her my eyes grew a little brighter and I fell a little harder. Little by little she changed me into a better version of myself – who I was when I was with Charlie was who I wanted to be for the rest of my life, and that was only possible with her being by my side for forever: she was my wonderwall.

The remainder of the interview went swimmingly and before we knew it we emerged from the studio, Charlie’s dainty painted fingers laced with mine as the cameras flashed capturing the view. In the back of my mind I found myself hoping that everyone would just let it be, and that Charlie and I being together would be a good thing. I wanted my fans to love her as much as I did, I wanted to world to know how real this is for me. I wish just by seeing us together people could feel the love radiating off the two of us. Sparks flew around the two of us, dancing around our bodies weaving us closer together. I was blind to everything but her when she was in sight, deaf to foreign sounds when she spoke. The lights faded as we climbed into the van with the rest of the boys and their other halves, and as I scanned the vehicle at the linked hands I noticed Niall’s hands clapped together in his lap.

A flashback hit me in the face like a cement wall. “I call dibs!” Niall’s eager Irish accent echoed in my mind as the image of his gushing, practically drooling face flashed in my mind. No. He had wanted Charlie for himself back then, but he couldn’t possibly still feel that way… he was talking to Perrie’s friend Jade, anything he had said about Charlie those months ago had to have been old news. As I was lost in thought, almost hauntingly Niall and Charlie had been laughing together at something, so hard they had glimmers of tears in their eyes. I was over analyzing the little things, giving them a meaning that didn’t exist… I hoped. Charlie felt my stare and looked up at me, squeezing my hand so tightly, like she could hear the words in my head, as if she was afraid I would float away up in my thoughts.

“I love you for doing that” she said for only my ears to hear “I wasn’t expecting it at all, I just –“

“I love you Charlie. I’m just so happy – this is exactly what I want and I want the world to know it, I don’t want to hide it, there’s no reason too.”

Her neck extended and her lips tastefully met mine for a quick peck, even with limited time the feel of hers on mine made me melt into a puddle. She had such a force over me, an undeniable power that made me desire her touch – but not an atom of my body minded the overwhelming attraction. I had this constant craving that only Charlotte could satisfy.

Conversation flowed normally throughout the rest of the ride and we returned to the flat, all scattering like a dropped bag of marbles into different directions, taking individual paths and going separate places.

Charlie and I were pounding the pavement hand in hand off to my car to head out to lunch, swinging our arms mutually elated that we were out in public as a couple.

“Are you excited for tonight Hazza?” she said tilting her chin up at me and my eyebrows knit together.

“W-What’s… tonight?”