Temptation [h.s.] ✔

Chapter 56.

"What are you doing here?" I repeat, not meeting his eyes. "I didn't call you. I don't need anything."

Way to be a bitch, Liv, you fucking bitch.

"I miss you. It's fucking killing me, Liv. I just need to see you."

"Well, now you've seen me, so you can go again." I swallow and hug myself. "Please. I don't have the energy to argue with you."

I don't have the energy to fight when the gentle touches of that Saturday night in the hotel are burned into my memory. When they're all I feel—ghostly fingertips caressing my skin, imagined lips pressing against mine. When every touch and kiss and tear is all I see every time I close my eyes, despite the fact that I never saw any of it to begin with.

"So don't. Let me stay and look after you. Shit, you need it, baby girl." Harry steps forward and grabs my face. "Let me look after you. I'm not fucking leaving when you're this ill."

"I'm fine!" I shout, once again moving away from his touch. It burns me sweetly, intensely, painfully. "I just need to sleep. Okay? I'm just really tired. I'm fine, honestly."

He stares at me, helpless, but I can see the annoyance growing in his eyes. "Really? You call this fine? I'd hate to see your bloody awful!"

"This is pregnancy," I reply lamely. "It's not exactly a frolic in the park on a summer's day."

"And it's my job to look after you. Now let me!"

"I don't want you to!" Tears burn my eyes. "I need space, Harry. I still need time. I can't have you hovering over me while I sort my feelings out. Just let me be sick and sleep and think."

"How the hell do you expect me to leave you? Look at you! I can't walk out of here after seeing you like this! It goes against bloody everything in me to do that."

"But I told you I'd call if I needed you." My head pounds and I close my eyes. "You shouldn't have been here in the first place, so just forget you ever came." I push past him and pull two Tylenol out of the drawer.

And stare at the glass dumbly because I can't fucking keep anything down.

I throw the glass in the sink and it drops with a smash. I rest my forehead against the fridge, the tears spilling over my eyes.

"Liv," he whispers.

"I've never been in so much fucking pain in my life. My head is thumping and my stomach hurts so bad, but there's nothing I can do, because I can't keep a single fucking thing down!" I turn to face him. "I haven't eaten in four days and I'm lucky to keep water down. That's how fucking sick I am! I am so weak and exhausted and I really need you to just go, please."

"What the fuck? Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I don't need you." I push off the fridge, blinking to clear my vision. "Because you make it worse. You just make it worse."

I sway and grab the table to steady myself. Spots float in front of my eyes and I blink again, harder, faster, swallowing.

"Liv?"

"Go!" I beg, my head spinning.

"No."

I open my mouth to argue but no sound comes out, and my legs buckle.

"Shit, Liv!"

And—

+        +        +        +

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I squeeze my eyes shut before dragging them open. White ceiling. I blink slowly, getting my bearings, and roll my head to the side. I look straight into the face of a sleeping Harry.