ASSUMPTIONS [H.S.]

chapter 50

I send a grin his way, clutching the journal in my hand and turning around to tuck it away from him. Just as I set the notebook down on the table, Harry grasps both sides of my lower back, and swiftly pulls me onto his lap.

"Hello." He smirks, a single curl of his getting in his eye.

"Hello." I imitate his British accent, sending a chuckle past his lips. He shakes his head while grinning, and it makes butterflies flutter around in my stomach.

That's the alluring part of Harry — how he can calm all my nerves with a single smile.

Sitting face-to-face, his hands sneak their way up my back, and his fingers find the longer strands of my curls. Twirling one strand around his finger, he breathes out. "Have I ever told you just how much I love your hair?"

I let out a joyous laugh, nuzzling my face into his neck to hide away the way I blushed. Adjusting my lips near his ear, I whisper. "Have I ever told you just how much I love you?"

He hums out an 'mmm' sound in thought, shyly trying to hide his grin. "Not really. How much?"

"Well, more than cars. That's for sure." I can't help my grin when I think about how deep my love is for him.

Gently drawing his hands up and down my back in a soothing way, he chuckles. "Yeah? More than yellow sunglasses?"

"Without a doubt. More than 'Friends' too." I watch as goosebumps creep up his neck at my voice.

"Wow. More than trips to Italy?" He one-up's, knowing just how much I love the country.

"Hard one." I keep the tension in my silence a little. "Definitely. Even more than dandelions and sunflowers too."

My hand has found his, and now we're doing a small soft squeeze contest. "More than Anne's cats?"

I let out a quiet laugh at his example, deciding to crush his ego a little. "Know your limits, baby."

He throws his head back in laughter, only hugging me closer to him. "I love you too, Am. With whole heart, soul, and anything else I've got."

His sight falls at our intertwined fingers for a moment too long, and suddenly I feel a nervous wave washing through me. An unlike sort of nervous.

There's a slight sense of hesitation when Harry utters the following words, his voice lower than usual. "In fact, I've got a gift for you."

"Yeah?" I sit up to have our eyes on the same level. His smile doesn't waver, but he does seem a little timorous, which is unlikely due to his accustomed confidence.

He reaches his hand into his suit pocket to grasp the item. When his sight falls onto my excited face, he pulls back with his hand empty. "Alright. Before I give it to you though, I want you to know there's no pressure in accepting it. It's okay if you don't want it."

"What are you talking about?" I narrow my eyes in suspicion. It's always a tricky thing with Harry and gifts because he always holds such meaning to them. "You know you could give me literal garbage, and I'd worship the hell out of it, right?"

My sentence seems to ease his nerves a little, as he shakes his head with a smug smirk refusing to leave his features. "Okay." He bites his lip when pulling the small box out of his pocket.

My heart skips a beat when he places the tiny present in my hands. I narrow my eyes once again, trying to figure out if my mind is just playing delusional tricks on me, or if it's really a 1.9 x 1.9-inch box with a velvet sheathing that could only hold a single piece of jewelry.

I glance at Harry, but his sight has only fallen at my hands, making me believe he's way too timid to look at me. Attached to the miniature box, hangs a small note.