Paris In The Rain [h.s]

10

I could still feel him breathing underneath me, his heart beating slowly as he slept. The way his arms were wrapped around me and our legs were intertwined left me breathless, my mind racing as I tried to hold on to every second while I could still remember. I was sure that if I laid down, my pillowcase would smell like him even though he wasn't in my bed. I finally pick myself up to get ready, rushing as I realize I might've spent too much time lying in bed daydreaming about Harry.

My eyes search for Harry involuntarily once I go downstairs, finding him standing near the doorway, his eyes on me as I stand beside Liam, a smile forming on his lips as I look at him. Even in his casual attire, he looked amazing. His curls weren't styled, yet they looked as if he spent hours trying to fix them just right, "Best dressed as usual," Louis says, patting Harry on the back as he heads outside.

I walk up to him, taking in the white t-shirt that was tucked into his tan trousers, a pair of sunglasses in his hand, "No white suit?" I joke, looking down at his black and white vans.

"I'm saving that for another day, darling," he smiles at me, effortlessly putting on his sunglasses as he walks outside.

The streets weren't very crowded as we all started walking, letting our eyes travel from building to building, taking in the beautiful architecture. Liam and Louis walked hand in hand in front of us, pointing out different places that they found interesting. Harry was quiet beside me, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked, sunglasses covering his green irises. "You're rather quiet," I hum, glancing up at him.

"I was just thinking," he replies quietly, staring down at me as we walked side by side. I nod my head, not wanting to pry.

I never knew what Harry was thinking and sometimes it scared me. He liked to keep to himself, zoning out into a different world as he did so, making it impossible to tell what was on his mind. Sometimes I wish he would let me in on his thoughts that way I wouldn't be so curious, but I knew that he had his secrets just like I had mine, and asking him about it would be too personal. Even though we had told each other almost everything, we were both still hiding something from the other, not wanting to open up about the subject yet.

Liam and Louis had stopped in front of us, staring into the window of an old antique shop, pointing at something behind the wall of glass, "We'll be right back," Liam says quickly before they disappear inside, leaving Harry and I by ourselves. Harry leans against the wall, the sunglasses perched on his nose hiding his gaze from me.

My mind wanders off, letting my eyes travel around the street, watching the different people go on about their daily lives. My father always found it fascinating how we could be walking in the exact same spot someone famous had walked without even realizing it, just thinking it was another street to walk on that led us to our destination. He always had such an interesting way of seeing the world and I think that's what caused me to look up to him, wanting to see the world the way he does. "You must be thinking about your family," Harry says with a soft smile.

"Oh really? Why would you think that?" I ask him, wondering how he knew that.

"You always start to mess with that bracelet on your wrist," he says, pointing to the yellow bracelet I had tied around my left wrist.

I smile, noticing that I had been running my fingers over the braided fabric, "My mom and dad bought this for me when we visited California. Yellow is my favorite color and I couldn't stop staring at it. I refused to ask them if they'd buy it for me," I laugh softly, remembering how I couldn't keep my eyes off of the small bracelet in the store.

Harry nods his head, smiling at my story. He looked so beautiful in that moment, his soft curls framing his face perfectly as he leaned against the wall. I watch as he removes his sunglasses, revealing those stunning green eyes of his that never failed to take my breath away. Whenever he looked at me, it was as if I was the only thing he cared about in that moment, his full attention on me. Beauty was something that came to him naturally, almost as if it was cursed upon him, making it impossible for him to look anything but beautiful.

"We're back," Louis says as they leave the small store, causing Harry to move his attention to them. Liam was holding a bag in his hand and I wondered what they had bought. They once again start walking hand in hand, leaving Harry and I to follow behind them.

As we walked the streets of Sicily, a different perspective than Rome, I couldn't help but to think that everything was falling into place. I was finally able to feel like I could move on without the same nagging thought in the back of my brain telling me I couldn't. For once, I was happy again. My heart was filled with it and I didn't ever want it to go away. These past two months with Harry, although I didn't talk to him for one of those months, have been the best I've ever had. He made something inside of me come alive every time he barely glanced in my direction, his gaze felt like warm honey spreading throughout my body and my soul. I was finally free from the dark clutches of doubt and loneliness, feeling free to be happy again and let my heart open to someone new.

So as we walked along the streets, Harry saw someone handing out flowers. I watched him as he walked over to the man, his back facing me, not letting me see what he was doing. He turned around, hiding something behind his back as he walked over to me, a sweet yet sincere smile on his lips. He told me to close my eyes, placing something in my hand once they were closed. I opened them to see a small yellow dahlia in my hands, instantly smiling as I looked at the beautiful yellow flower. "Since your favorite color is yellow. Although I already knew that before you said it today," he smiles at me.

It was in that moment that I knew, it hit me like a ton of bricks straight in the face, almost knocking me over as the same thought kept running through my mind. It never came to me this quickly. I always thought it took months to even have the thought pass through your mind. Those pale green eyes stared me down as I looked back at them, clutching the small flower in my hands as I felt myself become shaky. I knew it and didn't deny it, knowing that if I did, it would consume me and pull me right back down into that dark and empty hole.

I was in love with Harry Styles, the artist.