Nothing Good Gets Away

Chapter 55

HARRY STYLES

I've woken up with Rowan a couple of times throughout our friendship, but never like this–never in bed, and never after not just accidentally falling asleep from drinking too much or simply from trying to stay up too late. But now, she's ironically in those pink pajamas she wore the first time we met, and she's still sleeping with her hands curled up against my chest.

Seeing her at the airport yesterday felt like a dream. While I was waiting in line to board the plane, I was in the middle of texting my mum to let her know what had happened, and to sort of give myself closure at the same time, knowing that I was finally giving up on whatever fantasy I had of me and Rowan being together. That was the plan, anyway.

But even after I realized that it was very much not a dream, and after we spent the whole night talking and kissing, and looking at her right now, I still can't believe she picked me. I barely have anything to offer her compared to Carson, yet she ran through the airport with bare feet and ruined a $40,000 dress just to tell me she loves me.

The reminder makes me smile to myself as I press a kiss to her forehead, which makes her stir a bit as she breathes in, but otherwise stays asleep with a little pout on her lips. I, however, climb out of her bed to head downstairs so I can feed Scout and take him to the bathroom. He appears to be as happy to see me here as I am to see him.

I give his head a good scratch before filling his bowl with food and water and prop the back door open so he can head out to use the bathroom whenever he's ready. In the meantime, I put the coffee on to make two cups with the assumption that Rowan will be awake soon.

While waiting for the coffee, I notice the lights on her 25-foot Christmas tree pop on with the automatic timer at 8:00 on the dot. It's sunny out this morning so the house is already bright, but the decorations she has set up certainly add something special to her already special place. Her house has felt like a home to me even when it was empty or full of boxes, and I think that's because I know the whole thing was designed by her.

"Harry?" She calls out, and her footsteps come patting down the stairs.

"Yeah, in the kitchen," I turn against the counter to start making our coffees the way we both like them.

"You scared me," she smiles tiredly, "I thought you might have left or something."

"No," I lift my arm as she drags her feet over to hug me from the side. "I just thought Scout probably needed to eat and go outside."

"Thank you," she yawns, "and thank you for this coffee."

"'Course," I raise my own to my lips, trying not to laugh when I can tell she's smiling as she sips from her white ceramic mug. "What?"

"Hm?" She tilts her head at me innocently.

"What are you smiling about?"

She shrugs with pink cheeks, inspecting the cream and sugar inside her mug. "I had fun last night."

I laugh at her mumbled confession. "Did you?"

"Mhm," she has another sip to hide her smile.

"You mean the talking? Or the kissing?"

Her cheeks flush on impact, and her smirk remains. "The talking, obviously. Totally could have done without the kissing."

"Yeah, me too," I sarcastically agree, but I don't think either of us can stop staring at the other person's mouth. I'd rather be kissing it right now than just looking.

"So, um...since you were going to London, how long did you take off work?"

"Quite a while," I nod. "I was just planning to be there until after New Year's and just start my holiday early."