Retribution [H.S]

19*

Layla Reynolds

As I walked my way through Hyde Park I couldn't help but acknowledge the light and bubbly feeling in the very pit of my stomach. I wasn't expecting Harry to call me today, but I was happy that he did.

He was on my mind a lot, and it was so unnerving for me to feel this way, no one has been able to make their way through the 10ft impenetrable iron wall that I had spent years building up around myself, but he was chipping away bit by bit. With each pop of his dimples when he smiled, I could feel the walls lowering, and that fucking terrified me.

What was different with Harry is that he was patient, he took his time with me and no one had done that for me before. People write me off as a stone cold bitch and steer clear and I liked it that way, but I know Harry saw right through it all. He actually made me, the real me, feel seen. It was simultaneously exhilarating and petrifying, being vulnerable isn't something that I do. I wasn't sure I could be what Harry wanted me to be, I wasn't even sure what I was doing here, am I just wasting time?

I reached the bench that he first took me to, and spotted him immediately, sitting underneath a large oak tree, pointing his phone up at the sky and smiling to himself. I couldn't help but smile to myself too as soon as I saw him, even his side profile was absolutely breathtaking. His jaw line was so prominent from the side and it stirred up the desires that are buried deep within myself. His chocolate curls cascaded loosely over his forehead, they were my absolute weakness.

I silently admired him from afar, his black skinny jeans were tight against his muscular thighs, the black t-shirt clinging to his chest and a grey hooded jacket was slung around his shoulders, unzipped. I found myself fantasising about laying on his lap, him playing with my hair, the little domestic things that made me feel sick before I met him.

"I didn't have you down as the 'take a picture of the sunset' type of guy." I tease with a smirk as I approached the side of him. He looked up at me with his bewitching green eyes that held little specks of gold, I had to remind myself to breathe when his eyes caught mine, crinkling slightly at the sides.

"Beauty should be captured, don't you think?" He replied with a smirk, before holding his phone up to me slowly with a cheeky look in his eyes.

"Don't you dare." I warn, holding a giggle inside.

"What? You told me to take a picture and it would last longer." He chuckled before angling his phone at my face.

"One more- beautiful- give me sexy- yes I love it." He exclaimed, mocking a photographer as he changed positions with his phone as if he was taking photos of me. I held my middle finger up to block my face, I hoped he wasn't taking my picture but in case he did my finger would be the focus of the shot, thankfully.

"You're such an idiot, it makes me cringe." I rolled my eyes, jokingly before sitting down next to him, crossing my legs in front of me, my knee accidentally bumped his leg and my stomach ignited with fire. I don't know what made me so nervous around him, I had already had sex with this man twice, and here I was trying not to giggle at everything he said like a teenager. I hated it, it was pathetic.

I looked out at the sky above us, the sunset was astonishing, I couldn't lie. It was the type of sunset that you see on Pinterest, one that made you question whether it was actually real or not. May was my favourite month of the year, it wasn't too hot and spring was well underway, the pink blossoms that bloomed on the trees that enveloped us scattered down to the grass that we were sitting on. I couldn't believe I never used to come here before Harry, it really was such a peaceful and beautiful spot. I had a lot to thank this man for.

"It is a beautiful sunset, I'll give you that." I exhale deeply, closing my eyes briefly to fully appreciate the peaceful warm feeling I had, knowing it would be gone again soon, I had to embrace these moments, as far and few as they came.