A Match

Fifteen

On Wednesday, I woke up to find I was terribly hot and clammy, and there was a god-awful churning in my stomach. I quickly disentangled myself from Harry, and sprinted into the bathroom, just about making it to the toilet before I was sick.

In my scramble to leave, I'd obviously woken Harry up, as he was suddenly there behind me, holding my hair back with one hand and rubbing soothing circles on my spine with the other. Embarrassed to be seen like this, I tried to push him away, but he resisted my hand. I was crying, because you always cry when you're sick, and when he realised I'd stopped barfing, he flushed the loo, and then pulled me into him.

"Ssshh, it's okay Tasie. I'm here, it's okay." He whispered, rocking us slightly and running his fingers through my hair. I sobbed loudly into his chest, and he stood up, holding me like a baby with one hand as he used his other to run the hot water tap in the bath.

"Ssshh, let's run you a nice bath. You can stay home with me today." He whispered, and I whimpered into his bare chest.

"I'm sorry." I choked out.

"Ssshh, it's okay. It's not your fault sweetheart." He said softly, squirting bubble bath into the water.

Once the bath was ready, Harry took my (his) t-shirt off, along with my panties, and then slowly sat me down in the warm, foamy water. He kissed me on my forehead, and turned to leave, but I clung to him.

"Stay." I pleaded, my voice hoarse from being sick and crying. His eyes softened and he nodded, kneeling down by the bath and washing my hair for me, his voice soothing me back to sleep.

When I next woke up, I was back in bed, but the usual warmth that was Harry was no longer there. I whined, realising I'd have to get up and find him, but just as I did that, the door opened and he walked in, a plate in his hand.

"Here. Toast and butter." He said, smiling softly and putting it down on my lap. He slid down next to me in the bed, and I clung to him desperately. Despite the fact I still felt so nauseous, I scarfed down the toast, resting my head on Harry's chest when it was all gone.

"How're you feeling?" He asked me, stroking back my hair.

"Okay." I whispered. "Just a bit dizzy and sick."

"Oh, baby." Harry said softly, kissing my temple.

"You make me feel better." I admitted, and Harry beamed.

"As do you sweet girl." He said, kissing my forehead.

It was silent for a few minutes, and then Harry started singing.

"Am I asleep, am I awake, or somewhere in between?
I can't believe that you are here and lying next to me
Or did I dream that we were perfectly entwined?
Like branches on a tree, or twigs caught on a vine?

Like all those days and weeks and months I tried to steal a kiss
And all those sleepless nights and daydreams where I pictured this,
I'm just the underdog who finally got the girl
And I am not ashamed to tell it to the world

Truly, madly, deeply, I am
Foolishly, completely falling
And somehow you kicked all my walls in
So baby, say you'll always keep me
Truly, madly, crazy, deeply in love with you
In love with you

Should I put coffee and granola on a tray in bed
And wake you up with all the words that I still haven't said?
And tender touches, just to show you how I feel
Or should I act so cool like it was no big deal?

Wish I could freeze this moment in a frame and stay like this
I'll put this day back on replay and keep reliving it
'Cause here's the tragic truth if you don't feel the same
My heart would fall apart if someone said your name

And truly, madly, deeply, I am
Foolishly, completely falling
And somehow you kicked all my walls in
So baby, say you'll always keep me
Truly, madly, crazy, deeply in love with you..." I was asleep again before the song ended.

After I'd woken from this nap, I felt a lot better. I actually ate a little more than normal at dinner time, and genuinely thought it was just one of those 12-hour bugs to sleep off.

Unfortunately, at six o'clock the next morning, I found myself crouched over the toilet again, which called for Thursday off school, and again on Friday morning. What was strange though, was that even though in the mornings, I was ill enough to justify three days off school, by the evenings, I was absolutely fine, and all day my appetite was like normal.

Saturday was the day we'd arranged for the Styles and the Parker families to have their meal together. Harry and I were both relieved when I woke up at nine o'clock without having been sick in the early hours.

For the first time in days, I left my bed, and dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a white lace top. I brushed my hair, and curled it, before pinning the fronts back and doing my makeup. I grabbed a black leather jacket for warmth on the way out of my bedroom, and followed Harry downstairs, into the kitchen for breakfast.

"Oh hi Tasie." Mum looked surprised to see me- for the last three days I'd only come down for half an hour at dinner. "You feeling better?" I smiled, nodding. I didn't really. My head was spinning and I felt like I could throw up at any given second, but I knew if I said so, Harry would cancel on today, and our Mums had been looking forward to it for weeks so that wouldn't be fair.

I helped myself to two bacon sandwiches for breakfast. I normally could barely manage one, however I had been throwing my guts up every morning for the last three days so I put it down to that.