*** A/N: Where Harry's POV focused a lot on the time leading up to them getting engaged, Nola's focuses quite a bit more on the aftermath. Be sure to read both perspectives of to get the full story.
>>>>>>>>>> Flashback to a few days after Pinnacle.
Harry and I reconnected at a level that I didn't know would ever be possible for us to do again. I'm not talking about the unexpected physical connection, but I'm talking about the feeling that he is back to being my person- MY Harry.
Spending the day with him at pinnacle was wonderful, but it was spending the day after that with him that really changed things for me. It's his constant thoughtfulness and his putting me first that makes me crave more time with him. Thankfully, Helen and Albert are happy to give me as much time as I need with him.
This morning I need to call Hope. She's been texting me asking how things are going. I know that I have a lot to catch her up on, but I needed to get through the last few days before I could talk with her.
----- FaceTime to Hope -----
"Bonjour, Nola!" Hope says as she answers clearly lounging on the couch at Andrews apartment.
"Hey, Andrew. Nice to see you again," I say to the fuzzy figure sitting at the table across the room.
"Nice to see you, as well," he says, standing up to come unto view. "I sense that I should let you two have this conversation privately?" He questions his adoring girlfriend, but it's me that asks him to stay.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind having another perspective on this because not many people know that I dated Harry Styles and even fewer know that I saw him over the last couple days." I have grown to trust Andrew immensely. His line of work proves that he has the ability to not only keep things between the two of us, but he has the awareness of what happens if he doesn't. The fact that he knows that he would be out a girlfriend if he says anything doesn't hurt either.
"So, have you been shacked up with him?" Hope asks and Andrew comments about Olivia.
"Keep up, babe. He is done with Olivia, but they have a movie coming out."
"Ahhhh," he says, shaking his head. Andrew is in PR, so he knows the unfortunate realities of a well timed relationship end-date when the couple has a joint project coming out.
"So..." she asks, getting really close the the phone so I can see her give a suggestive eyebrow raise.
"So... we went to Pinnacle."
"Shut up! You showed him the house? What did he think?"
"He had no clue. He was shocked when I pulled out the code and opened the front door. Obviously, I had to fill them in on the whole process. Then, I gave him a tour inside and then I gave them a tour of outside and then we had sex in the pond." I say the last part kind of hoping that she'll just let me blip over that detail. Then again, that detail is probably what I need the most advice about.
"DID YOU JUST SAY YOU HAD SEX WITH HIM IN A POND?"
"I believe she did," Andrew says with a smirk, becoming fully invested in the conversation.
"I did. Yes, we did."
"Oh, my god, Nola. You seriously can't keep your pants on around this man!"
"Are you honestly blaming me?" I ask her and she laughs.
"Did you at least use protection?" My non answer is not the one she was looking for. "Jesus, Nola. Have you learned NOTHING?!" She is now nearly screaming. I decide to let her get her little flip out over before I tell her that Harry's personal doctor already solved that problem a few days ago.
"Actually, Harry had his personal physician come to his house and I got the morning after pill and I got a prescription for birth control, which Harry had filled and delivered." She nods, seeming happier about all of that. "We also decided that we probably need to talk with our mouths about things before we talk any more with our body parts."
"Good to see that four kids in, you've finally figured out how babies are made," she says and I scoff in offense. Andrew does, too.
"That would have been the wrong way to come back together. Over a baby. It needs to be the two of you first, THEN a baby, if you want to."
"I don't disagree with you."
We continue the conversation going over the different things that Harry and I talked about and the different things that happened over the few days that I got to spend with him. We also talked about the day that we have planned for before we go back. We decided not to have him see the girls again, just so that we aren't bringing them into this before we are sure there's something to bring them into, but I'm hopeful. This time it just feels different.
•••••
Harry is landing in New York today. He promised to FaceTime when he gets to his apartment so he can show it to me.
----- FaceTime from Harry -----
"Are you there?" I ask.
"I'm about to step out of the elevator. I wanted you to see it with me." He turns the phone from his face to the back of the elevator doors as they open.
We enter to a concrete hallway that opens into a sun-drenched modern space containing a huge living space and a minimalist kitchen. It's such a stark difference from his place in London that I'm having a hard time even seeing him living in the space, but at the same time I know there is a whole other side of him that exists outside of the world I met him in. Even though it is so different, I really like it. "Oh, my gosh! I love it!"
He walks to the right and we are in another hallway with brightly colored artwork lining the walls. "Down this hallway are the two guest bedrooms. They each have their own bathroom and walk-in closets," he says, opening doors in each of the rooms to show me the spaces that house items for guests but not much else. Like nobody ever uses the spaces. "Then, on the opposite side of the apartment, behind this sliding door, is my office," he says, heading towards his side of the apartment.
When he opens the frosted door, there is a hallway with multiple doors. He opens the first set and there is an office with floor-to-ceiling bookcases taller than I have ever seen. When I really focus on them I see awards filling the shelves. "So, this is where all the awards live?" I ask him and he blushes. I find it odd that he doesn't want his accomplishments on display, and now that I think about it there is zero evidence of his career outside of his studio in his house in London. Even in there, all he has is framed album art from each of his solo albums and a few pictures of him with musicians he admires.
I can tell he is uncomfortable, so I don't ask him about it now, but I will someday. He walks out of the office and moves towards his bedroom. "If you keep walking, you reach the bathroom and closet first." He stops in the most beautiful bathroom and I gasp.
"Then, the bedroom," he says and he slowly spins himself around to show me the whole room. The bed is in the middle, situated in front of a partial concrete wall. You can see so much of the city from the two walls of windows opposite the bed, but that also makes me wonder how people don't see inside and watch him all the time.
"It's SO different from your house in London. Like, I can't believe that you live in both of these places." I tell him.
"What if I told you I bought this place when I was 19? " That would make a lot more sense. I would have chosen something totally different at nineteen than I would now. "I haven't changed much about it since then, besides maybe the bedding and some artwork. I'm not here enough to remodel it."
"Don't you DARE! I love it. It's nice to see this side of you, too."
He turns the phone so I can see his face again. "I miss you," he says and it's my turn to blush. I'm still struggling to adjust to Harry and I talking and words like this being exchanged as part of a normal conversation. "Well, that's adorable," he says.
"What is?"
"The way you blush when I tell you that I miss you." Now my face is literally burning up. GREAT.
"New subject?" I ask and he nods. "So, the girls have a break from school in October. When do you start your shows in California?" I've been wanting to ask him about coming out in October and seeing another show. Plus, I want to have a date on the calendar to count down to.
"October 23rd, but I arrive in L.A. on the 17th."
"Their break is October 24th through November 4th. I was thinking we would fly to California on Saturday the 22nd and fly out two weeks later, Saturday the 5th."
He sits down on the end of his bed. "Are you being serious right now?" The dimples are popping and his eyes are filled with excitement.
"Well, you said that the Olivia thing was over when you leave New York, right? You are officially calling it quits?" I double check.
"Yes. The end of September is what we agreed on."
"So, having me at a show a month later isn't going to raise a whole bunch of questions, right?" I don't want it to be more of a mess than I'm sure me coming back into his life already will be. "Cause if it is, we don't have to come to a show and you can just come see us a few times at the house in Malibu."
"Nol, I don't fucking care what they say at that point."
"Good. Me either."
There is a moment where I can see him reading something on his phone screen. His eyes are focused on the top fo the screen and his face falls. "Darling, I have to get a quick shower, then head to sound check. Can I call you when I get back tonight?"
"Of course."
----- End of FaceTime -----
•••••
A few days later, I drop the girls off at school and start walk long towards the florist to talk to Maeve about the new fall designs for the website. I'm halfway there when my phone rings. So, I try my best to juggle one-hand pushing my stroller as I dig for my phone with the other, answering it just in time.
----- Call from Hope -----
"Hey, bitch," she says.
"Please don't call me that."
"Fine. Hey, Nol. Anything you want me to tell your boyfriend when I see him?" The comment has me confused, but then I realize she must be going to the show tonight since she missed her first one.
"Are you going tonight?"
"We are- Andrew and I." Good, Andrew will keep her from causing too much of a disaster with the information that she has about our time together in England.
"I don't need you to tell him anything, and he's not my boyfriend."
Hope scoffs. "You can keep telling yourself those lies for as long as you want to, but they simply aren't true."
We hang up after a couple minutes and I pull over to sit down and text Harry.
----- Text to Harry -----
Nola: I'm so jealous that Hope is there tonight.
I don't expect him to reply right away, so I go to stand up and get going, but then my phone buzzes. I sit back down on the bench and dig a snack out for Conny to stay busy with while I text with Harry.
Harry: I have told you that you I would fly all of you here. Just say the word.
I roll my eyes at that one. We can't exactly just up and leave.
Nola: But then I have to leave again 😞 It's easier this way.
Nola: We will see you in California.
Harry: But that's ages away.
Trust me, I know. The girls and I might have made one of those paper chains to coutn down the 'days to Harry'.
Nola: It's a month.
Harry: It's more than a month.
Nola: Maybe. But it's less than 2.
Harry: I will make you change your mind 😉
It really wouldn't take that much.
Harry: I've got to go, darling. I think Hope is here.
Nola: Give her a big hug from me.
Harry: Of course.
----- End of messages -----
Throughout the show, Hope sends me a bunch of images from him performing.
----- Text from Hope -----
Hope: Your boyfriend looks good tonight.
Nola: He does, but he is NOT my boyfriend.
Hope: Whatever you say 😏
----- End of messages -----
•••••
I know that Harry is flying to Venice this morning (or evening on his side of the world), so I waited for his text for almost an hour before I went to take a shower. Of course when I get out there is a text from him.
----- Text from Harry -----
Harry: Good Morning 😊
Nola: Sorry. I was in the shower. You in the air?
Harry: Yeah. We left about an hour ago, so there is still a long flight ahead of me.
Nola: You need to sleep for some of that time.
Harry: I will, but I wanted to say good morning, first.
Nola: Good morning 🤩
Nola: Like my movie movie star emoji?
Harry: The hardest acting job of my career is going to be on that red carpet.
Nola: I'm not going to lie. I'll be happy when it's all over.
Harry: Me, too, darling.
I love that he has been slipping up and calling me that, but I feel the need to let him know that it isn't going unnoticed.
Nola: Darling? I get that one back already?
Nola: You've been using that a lot lately.
Harry: You can have them all back.
All? As in all the names he used to call me? Do I get back all the things that those names meant, too? Of course, Conrad would choose this moment to wake up. I go and get him from his crib and sit down in the chair in his nursery. He's old enough to be done with breastfeeding, but he still nurses in the morning and right before bed. I have no reason to make him stop these two times we get each day, so for now that is his routine.
Nola: Had to grab Conny. We are all settled now.
Harry: Are the girls up?
Nola: Not yet. Conrad likes to wake up early.
Harry: I don't blame him. I'd want you to myself first thing in the morning, too.
Nola: Not appropriate Styles.
Harry: Perfectly appropriate Bennett.
Harry: So, when you come to California, you are going to be here for Halloween, and HARRYWEEN.
Nola: I know. I'm bringing Elodie so that I can come to Harryween without the kids, but we do have to take them out so somewhere.
Harry: Does that mean that I get to have Ale make us more costumes this year?
The girls have already had me order all of their costumes. It all started when they decided that Conrad had to be baby Yoda, so that means our theme this year is going to Star Wars. The girls are R2-D2, BB-8 and Chewbacca. They told me I have to be Rey and that Papa has to be Darth Vader and Grammy has to be Princess Leia.
Nola: Nope. The girls have already picked everything out. How do you feel about being Darth Vader? I ordered the costume for Albert, but he should be Hans Solo because Helen is Leia.
Harry: I've been a storm trooper before. I can rock Vader.
Conrad has finished and I look at the time and realize that I need to get our morning moving if we are going to get out the door on time for school.
Nola: I can't wait to see you, but I need to wake up the girls and you need to sleep.
Harry: I'm only willing to go because you have to.
Nola: Good night, Harry.
Nola: Good morning, Nol.
----- End of messages -----
•••••
When a Harry got off the plane in Venice, he got off the plane he served an outfit like he was in a match that was earning points for. Even with a mask covering them I could tell that his lips were in a smirk the entire time he was walking put of the airport in pieces from his Gucci line. He looked DAMN fine. I even told him that when I talked to him late last night.
This morning, I get a FaceTime request from Harry. It's the morning of the day at the Venice Film Festival that Don't Worry Darling will premier at. I decide to answer the call with Mia in my arms.
----- FaceTime from Harry -----
"MISS MIA!" He practically screams into the phone as I see that he is in the bathroom with no shirt on and a pink scrunchie holding his hair out of his face.
"What do you have in your hair?"
"I broke my clip and I didn't have an extra with me. So, my stylist gave he this to put my hair back while I showered. They don't like me to wash it before a red carpet because then it doesn't stay how they style it."
"Harry you look silly," Mia says, giggling in my arms.
"I know. Maybe you can do my hair for me when I see you in a couple weeks?" She shakes her head excitedly before jumping down to go and see what everyone else in the house is doing.
"So, how are things going?"
"No good," he says. "Olivia is going to make this a living hell."
"I'm sorry, but just think. In like twenty-four hours it will be all over."
"That is not soon enough."
"Just go do your thing and call me when it's all over."
"Will do, darling."
----- End of FaceTime -----
•••••
----- Text from Hope -----
Hope: Have you seen the stuff from the Venice film festival?
Hope: There was nothing between them at all.
Hope: Besides ice.
Nola: Am I a bad person if I like it all falling apart?
Hope: No. I fucking love it.
Hope: We can burn in hell together.
----- End of messages -----
It was true, though. I'd seen everything because it's EVERYWHERE. It seems to be all that anyone can talk about- the disaster that was the Don't Worry Darling premier at the Venice Film Festival. From Florence skipping things all the way to spitgate and everything in between, it was like watching a house catch fire and burn to the ground. I couldn't look away. Nobody could.
When I talked to Harry, he didn't seem upset about how it went. I think he was glad to have the press picking up on the demise of his relationship with Olivia. It will make the end seem less abrupt in a few weeks. I'm just so sick of seeing them everywhere I look. Thankfully, I have a distraction flying in today.
Helen and Albert are coming to Paris for a few days before flying out to the states to meet with the vineyard owners and go over plans for the next year. Albert has decided to step back a bit and has offered to help hire and train some people to replace himself. He is also offering up the larger house on the California property to entice a new vigneron, so they need to move anything personal out of that space. While they are here, we are also going to celebrate Lottie and Mia's birthday's a little early.
I actually have to drive in Paris traffic today, which I am not all that used to doing. I'm picking them up at the airport while the kids are at school. Though they could have driven, they decided to fly because they plan to fly back to England after their trip to the states, instead of stopping off at Paris, so their car would be stuck here.
"Hey, sugar!" Albert says as he finds me standing near the baggage claim area. "You didn't need to park and come inside. We would have just called you once we were ready to be picked up."
"Nonsense. This way I can help you with your bags."
"No kids today?"
"Nope. The girls have school and Conny has a morning class with Elodie. She will bring him back for nap time, but the girls won't be home until this afternoon."
"Perfect. Let's go out to one of your favorite restaurants for lunch." I know exactly where to take them, because I am craving my favorite dish at Khajuraho.
"How do you feel about getting some Indian food?" I ask them and they agree so I enter the address on my GPS and take a deep breath as I drive towards the busier part of Paris.
When we are seated at the restaurant, we order our food and the subject turns to the girls birthday party, which happens to be tomorrow because they don't have school. They can invite a few friends over to celebrate with them during the day. We are also doing it tomorrow because Helen and Albert have to leave early the next morning to get to California in time to be involved with the weekend festivities there.
I expect the conversation today to eventually turn to Harry, but I didn't expect it to turn to him in the middle of Khajuraho. When it does, I ask that we continue the conversation once we are in the car, looking around to show them that there are too many people within earshot to hear anything we might say.
Once the car door is closed, though, Albert is quick to ask, "so are you and Harry back together?" Great- they've seen the tabloids, too.
"Not technically, but we are working towards that."
"Cause I saw the two of you..." he says, with a look that only a father would give his daughter. Oh, this is about that and not the tabloids. I think I prefer the tabloids.
"Sorry about that," I sheepishly reply about being caught coming out of the bathroom disheveled with Harry. "That was never our intention. I'm trying to be really careful around the girls until I know where it's going. Harry is respectful of that, but he likes to bend the rules where he can." Helen blushes at that and I don't offer anything else. I am not going to apologize for kissing the man I like, but I get it. It's what she says next really surprises me, though.
"We were hoping you would say that you are back together," Helen offers. "We like Harry a lot and think that once you just talk through what happened, you can finally move past it."
"I can't tell him about Luke. I don't have permission and I think that even if I could, telling him now might be too little too late. Either he has to just be able to forgive and move on, or not. That's what we are trying to figure out."
"Well, we are in full support of him coming around more again." It does seem a tiny bit strange to me that the subject of Olivia never comes up, but I guess that will solve itself on it's own.
The girls birthday party is a huge success. They chose a princess theme and each of them got to design their own cake at the bakery next door to their school. Though they agreed on the party theme, each of them had specific requests that made it unique to them. Mia wanted Churros at her party and requested that everyone leave with a sparkly tiara. Lottie wanted a light up number '5' and robes for everyone to wear so we could do face masks before getting dressed up as princesses.
Thankfully, someone at their school told me about a company that did "spa parties" and I was able to talk them into doing the spa part, then doing hair and make-up on Mia, Lottie and the two friends that they each chose to have attend the party. Hattie got to invite one of her classmates, as well, in an attempt to keep her from annoying her older sisters.
•••••
Harry and I talked quite frequently until he went to Toronto for the film festival there to promote My Policeman. I knew that he was excited to get to spend time with the people he was in that film with, so we texted a little. I wasn't surprised when a few days passed before a FaceTime request came through from him at 9:15pm. When it does, it's clear he is in his dressing room getting ready for his final night at MSG.
----- FaceTime from Harry -----
"Hey! There's my rockstar!"
"There's my Nola."
"Is everyone asleep?"
"Yes," I say as I pour a glass of wine with one hand while holding the phone with the other. "I'd like to turn these bright lights off in the kitchen, but then you wouldn't be able to see me. So, instead you can observe my tired face as I drink this wine."
"I'm fine with that."
"Oh, you've got me on headphones. Should I say something racy since nobody can hear me?"
"You don't have to. I just don't want everyone to interrupt. There are a lot of people here today."
"Oh, who's there?"
"Mum, Darren, Gemma, Michal, Niall, Olivia and her kids." She's fucking there- with her kids.
"Oh," is all I can say.
"I told her not to, because the news of the breakup will break tomorrow, but she was quite insistent." OH MY GOD! it's dropping tomorrow? That's earlier than I thought.
"Olivia is going to do what Olivia wants to do."
"Subject change?" He asks and I'm so grateful.
"Can Elodie work overtime tomorrow?" Why is he asking if my nanny can worry tomorrow? There is a pause, then he continues. "I'm flying to Paris right after the show. Well, not right after because I have people here, but my people know that I want to see you. So, I think the plan is to leave here by 2am. That will put me in Paris by 9am New York time."
"That's tomorrow afternoon here!"
"Yes, but don't get too excited. I can only stay for about twenty hours."
"That's a long way to come for such a short stay, Harry."
"I know, but I want to see you and this is the only way. Jeff will kill me if I don't land back in Austin by the morning of the 24th."
"So, you're serious. You are coming to Paris tomorrow?"
"If that's alright with you?"
"Of course it's alright with me!" I'm giddy! I'm literally dancing my feet around while I try to keep my face showing a neutral excitement.
"I hate to drop that news and go, but Jeff is staring me down right now," he say, showing me his manager. "Jeff says 'hi.'"
"I'll let you go, but call me when you take off?"
"Of course."
"And H?"
"Yeah?"
Have a great show!"
----- End of FaceTime -----
•••••
The minute I hung up with Harry last night, I texted Elodie to tell her that Harry would be in town, and she happily agreed to stay with the kids so I could spend the day with him.
I barely slept, but that is to be expected with getting the unexpected news of him being here later today. As soon as the spa opens, I make an appointment to get waxed, knowing that I have a good six hours for it to calm down before Harry lands. While I'm out, I spy the tabloids on a newsstand I pass. They are plastered with headlines about the end of Harry and Olivia's relationship. I probably shouldn't, but I get all tingly inside. The last stop I make is to my favorite local lingerie shop where I pick up some new sets. It's been a while since I bought any cute lingerie- nearly two years to be exact.
Back at home, I take a long bath to soak away all the anxiety that is trying to course through my body. Then, I spend way too long trying to decide what to wear, which isn't really like me. I ultimately decide on a comfortable floral dress because the really pretty stuff is the bra and thong that are currently air drying in my bathroom. I do my hair and a little bit of makeup before spritzing myself with a custom made perfume.
I did pack an overnight bag, which is comical because I know there is no need for anything to be in this bag. I plan to spend the next twenty hours wearing nothing while indulging in the bliss that is being with Harry. I pick up the bag and double check that I took my birth control this morning before heading out to the car I hired.
When I get to the hotel, I give my name at the desk and they escort me to the elevator and tell me to use the key card to access his room on the top floor. When the elevator opens, I step forward and his security greets me. "Nice to see you again, Nola."
"Nice to see you, as well, Paddy." He gestures towards the door and I step forward, take a deep breath and Harry opens the door for me.
I literally run into his arms and he lifts me off the ground as our lips connect. He spins me around and I can feel the fabric of my dress lifting as I move. He stops kissing me long enough to greet me. "Hi, darling."
"The news has broken. THANK GOD!" I say, and he sets me down.
"It's only news to everyone else. We already knew the secret." He walks over to take my bag from just inside the door and connects our hands as he walks us back to the bedroom. We share a heated embrace, again, before he pulls away- AGAIN. Ugh, this man. He does realize that we only have twenty hours, right?
"I promise we will come back here, but I want to talk to you first."
We go to the living room and he sits down on the couch. I join him and he shifts his body as I place my legs over his lap so that he can rub my feet. "So, when I was in Toronto, for the film festival, I met someone." What the actual fuck is happening? I pull my feet out of his grip and move to the end of the couch where I am ready to pounce. He laughs, shaking his head, and pulls my feet back onto his lap. "No, not like that," he is quick to defend. "I met Luke."
My whole body recoils and I end up back at the opposite end of the couch from him. There, my body stops functioning momentarily. I can tell because when I finally remember to breathe I feel light headed.
"Helen and Albert brought me there. They said I needed to know the full story of Conrad, so I signed all the papers and then I met him."
Oh my god. OH MY GOD. I can't control the tears that start to fall and I end up perching at the end of the couch sobbing. I'm not sure if it's in fear, or relief, but there is no way that he is going to be happy about me hiding this from him. How could he NOT be- my husband is alive. I'm full on spiraling now.
I see Harry begin to move towards me and I close my eyes and wait for the yelling. I try to keep him at arms length, but he keeps advancing. When he finally reaches me, his touch is soft and his eyes are filled with everything but anger.
"Nol, I'm not mad. I'm so sad that you didn't tell me sooner, but only because if you had, I..." his voice cracks and he shakes his head. "If you had, I could have been there for you, for the girls, for everything. All this time," he says, as he takes my hands in his and pulls me closer to him. "All this time, we could have been together."
"B-but," I stutter, completely shocked by his words. He needs to know the next part. We can't move forward without him knowing, but this might be the thing that breaks us. "But he's Conrad's father. Did he tell you that?" I ask and he nods.
"He did." He says, once again pulling me close to him. He rests his hands on either side of my face. "Nola, you saw your husband. After a hellish year and a confusing couple of months with me. He told me you said goodbye and that you had a moment together and I could never blame you for that." I just keep darting between his eyes, looking for any sign of anger or resentment, and there isn't any.
"Wait. So, you're not mad?"
"No. I love you."
"You do?" I shakily ask him, but to make sure I heard him right the first time because this is all so out of left field.
He starts to cry and brings me in for a kiss. "I love you, too. Never stopped," I tell him. Once again our bodies connect, but this time it feels so much more than it did just minutes ago. He knows and he STILL loves me.
I'm thrown for a loop when he stops us and gently pushes me off his lap so he can stand up. He offers me a hand and I stand up, reluctantly. "I have something to show you," he says, walking us towards the other end of the hotel room, which is drenched in sunlight.
As we get closer, I see the room is completely filled with bouquets of pink carnations. THOUSANDS of them line all of the free space the room had to offer. I pull back on him to get a moment to breathe, but he keeps moving us forward until we are inside the space. I start in one corner to take in the display, slowly turning my body to make my way around the entire room. When I get back to where I started, Harry is kneeling on the floor with a black box open to reveal a large diamond ring. Oh my god.
I start to shake and my knees give out, so I kneel in front of him. I ask the worlds dumbest question considering the situation. "What are you doing? Harry....H- Wh-what?" Obviously he is proposing, because there wouldn't be a diamond ring in a box, propped up by my kneeling boy-whatever in a room filled with thousands of my favorite flowers if he just wanted to ask my opinion about a piece of jewelry.
"Nola Bennett, we've already wasted too much time. I love you. I've always loved you. Would you please do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?"
The words ring in my ears, over and over. "Would you please do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?" Is he insane? This is too fast- isn't it? I focus between the ring and his expectant gaze, multiple times. He gives a little nod, to prove that he knows what he just asked and he is not possessed.
Something takes over me and I lunge forward, lips first, knocking us both onto the floor. "Yes!" I say into the kiss, not wanting to waste another minute of time not kissing him.He gets us back to a seated position, fumbling with the ring box. "You're serious, right?" I question him and he laughs.
"I told you that I was all-in. THIS is all in," he says, taking the ring out of the box. I hold out my hand, lifting my ring finger up a little higher. He slides the metal band on and the cold feeling sends shivers through my body.
"Oh, my god," I say, looking down at my hand. I've been here before, but it didn't feel like this. That felt like an obligation to the father of my children, this feels like a commitment to the man I love. "This is really happening," I question, again.
"It is," he says and I crawl onto his lap.
My dress leaves very little between us, and his hands bunch up the thin fabric that lines my back, easily puling it up over my head with a needy groan. His lips return to mine with more desperation than any other moment this. Like he can't get enough of me. The feeling is mutual.
I grind against his lap as his fingertips dig into my now bare hips. Each contact point is burning into my skin in the most delicious of ways. My hands find their place in his curls, which have grown considerably longer than the last time we were together. I hadn't even had enough time notice until now with my hands running through it. He moans into the kiss, biting my bottom lip gently as my lace-covered core grinds over the zipper covering his hardened cock. As I shift my hand, I catch a glimpse of the ring on my hand and I smile against his lips.
I move my hands between us, and unbutton his pants and tease my fingertips inside the underwear beneath without even looking at them. It isn't until I look down to undo the zipper that I see the red fabric peeking through from underneath. He wore the red boxer briefs. As my breath catches, he stretches up to whisper in my ear, "wanted to make sure you remembered who these were for."
I lift my body up so that he can remove his pants fully. Then, I pull his shirt over his head and I sit back down on his lap and take moment to study his tattoo's, again. I let my fingers dance over each one as I watch his chest begin to rise and fall more chaotically from the feeling of my touch. His hands move from my hips, sliding up my body until they are cupping my breasts. He momentarily pauses, as if asking permission, so I nod as I watch his actions.
His hands move behind me to remove my bra, letting it fall between us as his lips attach to my right nipple. I don't even care what happens and it's clear that he doesn't either. The feeling of his tongue on my body releases more wetness into my already soaked thong and his hands creep lower down my back until they tug on the lace fabric. I adjust to help him remove it. His hands reach around to cup my butt cheeks, lifting me off of his body long enough for him to shimmy out of his boxers and I lower my bare body down to rub the length of the underside of his cock.
"I love you so much, Nol," he says as our bodies dance as close as they can to having sex without actually doing so. The neediness is so prominent, but neither of us wants to guide him inside of me with our hands, so we let our bodies dance until we find beach other and he slides inside of me with no assistance expect for the wetness coating my folds created by the minutes leading to this point. Who am I kidding. It was created by the months, weeks and days leading up to this.
We are still on the floor in the flower-filled room. My hands hold his face, just below the jawline, while our lips connect. His hands hold me protectively against his body. I had been on my knees, but I can't get him as deep as I want to form this position, so I wrap my legs around his waist and he spreads his legs further apart and I sink down as he fills me completely.
Our rhythm moves to one where my hips rock with his, causing my clit to brush against his skin just above the base of his cock. "Darling, you shaved," he whispers and I nod. I can feel the prickly growth just above his cock, which is a heightened sensation against my clit. I release his face and plant my hands on the back of his neck, now focusing on the tension growing in my lower abdomen. He stills as I use my body to take what I want. "That's it, my love. Take what you need and I'll cum with you," he praises. "Good girl," he pants.
As I lean forward to kiss him, he smiles, knowing that I'm about to release and I smile back at him before screaming out. "HAAAAAAARRRRRRRY."
The room echos as my body curls around his, tensing and contracting in violent pulses. I let out breathy moans that bring on his own undoing.
As he cums, he holds me tight, one hand behind my neck and one behind my back, as he thrusts up into me with each wave of his release. It's so intense that he leans forward and gently bites the skin covering my collarbone, which causes me to release a little yelp. "Sorry," he barely gets out as he tries to ride out his lengthy release.
Once he has come back to earth, he grabs my ass and pulls me closer to him. Then, he wraps the same arm around my back and the one he had on my neck cradles my head as he lays me back on the cold tile floor of the room we are in. He spreads my legs open wide and uses his tongue to lick up my folds.
The tip of his tongue alternates between dipping inside of me and circling around my clit while his hand reaches up to tweak my left nipple. I writhe on the floor, already approaching my second undoing before he stops all together and stands up, reaching for me. "Let's move to the bedroom."
When we get to the bedroom, he works me through an orgasm with his tongue, and another two with his cock before we take a break to hydrate and eat something.
I admire his naked body as he walks over to the table to grab the menu for room service. He asks me to call and order so that he doesn't have to attempt to translate. After I hang up, he smiles at me, returning to my side and gesturing for me to meet him under the covers and wait for the food. "I know we are not finished, but can I take a quick shower before the food arrives?" I ask him and he smiles, leaning down to kiss me.
"Of course, but make it quick. I don't want to try and talk to them when they drop it off."
"You are going to have to work on your French, sir."
He surprises me by answering in French, "J'apprends mais je ne suis pas en... encore très bon."
"Bravo, Harry," I say to him, using my French accent to pronounce Harry. I lean down for a kiss and go into the bathroom to take a super quick shower.
As I am drying off, I hear a knock at the door. Harry calls loudly from the bedroom, "un instant s'il vous plaît." I throw on a robe and answer the door while Harry hides under the covers, still very naked. I see his wallet on a table in the living room, so I grab some money on the way to the door to tip them. I explain, in French, where to set our food and bid the waiter farewell before Harry emerges from our bedroom in a fresh pair of non-red boxer briefs.
"I miss the red ones, but those are better than the ones you had on a Pinnacle."
"Are you still calling it Pinnacle?" he asks as he sits down next to me.
"I guess I hadn't really thought through it yet. We can't move in until the first week of December, so I guess I will cross that bridge when we get there." He looks at me surprised.
"So, are you moving to that house in December? Like for good?"
"We are coming for a month. The girls have a break from school then. I had planned for us to stay in Paris, but that was before this morning and before this," I say holding up my left hand to show him the ring.
He grabs a bite of food and I watch as he sticks his tongue out the catch the droppings. I still haven't found anyone else who eats certain food the way that he does and I didn't know until now just how much I missed it. Just how much I missed him. "I guess we do have a lot to talk about."
"You think?" I say, sarcastically. "I don't even know where to start."
"Well, for starters you are my fiancé and I am yours."
"Yeah, but I can't exactly parade around with this ring on my finger the day after the news of your breakup with Olivia is front page news. It will take people exactly four seconds to connect the dots if anyone sees you anywhere near Paris."
"I already considered that. I know you can't wear the ring right now, and I hate that, but I agree with you. By not wearing it right away, we get to have the secret between us."
"Maybe we only tell a few people before Christmas. Then, at Christmastime we can tell everyone else?" I suggest and he seems to like that idea.
"Jeff and Mitch, and I would assume now Sarah, know that I was planing to propose."
"I assume that you would like to tell your mum and Gemma?"
"Yes and I'd like that. Maybe we can call them together?"
"And we should call Helen and Albert," he adds. Then, he asks, "what about the kids?"
"I think they would slip up at school. So, maybe we should tell them the we are together again, but not about the engagement. We can tell them that we are getting married when we tell the rest of the family at Christmas because I am not going to go another day past then without wearing this ring."
We spend the next hour calling his mum, sister, Helen and Albert and Mitch and Sarah. Everyone is very surprised, but also supportive. Then, we ask Elodie to bring the kids to the hotel so we can talk to them about Harry and I being together again.
"So you are mama's boyfriend again?" Lottie asks excitedly after listening to Harry tell them that he flew to Paris to ask me if I still love him because he still loves me.
"Yes, bug," Harry answers. She stands up and stomps around, cheering loudly. I can tell that she is happy and Hattie is, too, but she doesn't remember Harry like the older girls do. Mia, however, doesn't seem so excited. "What's wrong, darling," he asks Mia.
"Will you keep being mama's boyfriend? Or are you going to leave?" She has a very sad look on her face and I can tell that the idea of losing him again is breaking her little heart, which I understand because it is breaking mine, too.
"I am going to be her boyfriend forever," he says and I clear my throat. That could be just as bad at school, but it's too late now. "I do have to go back on tour, but I will be with you in California and we will be together at Christmas in your new house."
They seem happy with that information. I had taken my ring off for their visit because before Harry had given them a lesson about what finger women wear a ring on when they are married. I did, however, pull Elodie aside long enough to show it to her. She was shocked, but beyond excited for us, reminding me that her offer to come along on tour and watch the kids still stands. I might actually be taking her up on that one sooner than later.
The next morning comes much too fast. As we are enjoying our coffee, Harry nestles his body against mine as I text with Elodie. "The hotel is on the way to school. Can Elodie bring Conny here? She said he is having a rough morning without me. She'll come back by and pick him up after she brings the girls to school."
"Of course, my love."
"We best shower, then, because he will be here in thirty minutes." He moans at the intrusion of our nakedness, but ultimately gets up first to warm the shower for us.
A knock at the door from Paddy let's me know that Conny is here. As soon as Harry opens the door, an exhausted looking Elodie sets him down and he runs to me. I pick him up and he nuzzles into my neck, I where Harry was just settled half an hour ago. "Sorry, Nola. He just really wanted to see his mama."
"It's fine, El. I know he gets needy and he's not used to me being gone overnight." Harry is talking to the three girls, who are showing him their backpacks and telling him about something that's making him laugh. I'm not close enough to them to hear the conversation, but they are all smiles.
"Mesdames, nous ferions mieux d'y aller, car vous n'êtes pas en retard à l'école," Elodie says.
"On ne peut pas sauter l'école aujourd'hui?" Lottie asks her and she shakes her head, but I speak out loud.
"Pas aujourd'hui. De toute façon, Harry part dans quelques heures." I hug her and she looks sad at Harry.
"What did she just tell you?" He asks them. "Something about me leaving?"
"She said we can't skip school today because you're leaving soon," Lottie translates.
"It's true, but I'll see you all soon. Can I get a big from you each?" He asks and Mia is first in line. Then, Lottie and Hattie hug him together, but Conrad is not leaving my arms for anything.
As soon as Elodie and the girls leave, I sit in a chair with Conny and he lifts my shirt up, happily finding my breast easily accessible. Harry gives me a look. "I guess I didn't know he was still nursing."
"Down to one or two times a day. I think he is going to be the first one that I have to cut off." Harry goes to grab my coffee from the kitchen and brings it to me in the chair. He then leans down to kiss me on the top of the head like he did so many times before with Hattie and it makes me think of his earlier words.
"You understand why I couldn't tell you about Luke, right? I asked agent Keller, but I didn't get permission. I'm not sure how Helen and Albert did."
"Luke asked to meet me," he says, then adds, "let's not regret the time we lost. I just want to focus on the future."
"Speaking of which, when are we going to tie the knot?"
"I've though about this a lot over the last few days," he says with a smirk. "I'd like to have a small ceremony in Italy. After my last stop on tour."
"When is that?"
"July."
He studies my expression. "What? Too late? Too soon? Talk to me, Nol."
"July would be perfect. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this." Harry takes my ring out of the box and puts it back on my finger, now that the girls are gone.
"Wear this for a few more hours," he says. We both know Conny won't sell me out.
Not too long after that, Elodie comes back to collect Conrad and we talk about when I will be back home. Once she leaves, Harry suggests that we go out to the rooftop terrace to enjoy the unseasonably warm morning sun.
"Did you tell Hope yet?"
"Oh, gosh! No!"
"Well, I think you'd better do that."
"I need a picture of the ring," I say and he takes a few of my hand, but I don't like any of them. Then, he takes one of me just sitting there with the ring visible, but not the center of attention.
"Oh, it's perfect!" I say, opening my messages to text her. "How long do you think it will take her to notice?"
"12 seconds," he says as he leans his head back to soak up the sun.
----- Text to Hope -----
Nola: Harry surprised me and came to Paris last night.
There is a longer pause than I expected there to be, but then she replies.
Hope: IS THAT AN ENGAGEMENT RING????!!!!!
Nola: Yes, ma'am 😊
HOPE: OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!
Nola: I'll tell you more when he leaves. Right now, I want to spend time with him because he only flew in for like twenty hours.
Hope: Andrew is screaming with me
Nola: Talk to you later.
----- End of messages -----
He looks down at his watch. "I under estimated. It was 28 seconds." I smile at him and he smiles back. "Want to go back inside and spend our last hour together in bed?"
"Hell yes I do," I say, jumping up from the lounger and running ahead of him, but we don't even make it to the bedroom. He has me against the wall in the living room, then bent over the couch from behind before deciding that we need to clean up so he can make it to the airport on time.
"C'mon, Harry. I don't want to be on Jeff's bad side," I say as I try to get him to stop stealing kisses. Paddy is beyond annoyed and he told us twice that he needs to leave.
"I don't want to go," he pouts.
"I know, but you have to. I'll see you next month and I'll talk to you when you land," I say and he counters.
"I'm calling you from the air."
"Fine. Just go to the airport," I say against his lips which refuse to leave mine. Finally I push his chest away. "Go!"
He steps back, grabbing his bag. "I love you, my future wife." That is going to take some major getting used to.
"Love you, my future husband," I say back and his dimples pop as his lopsided grin shows genuine happiness. "Now, go," I say, physically turning him away from me and pushing him out the door. He turns around to steal one last kiss and Paddy finally interrupts.
"We have to go, Harry." Then, the two men disappear and I'm left sitting in a hotel room feeling like I just dreamed the last twenty hours. Looking down at my hand reminds me that it is very much real life.
I'm engaged to Harry.
Song: You Are In Love- Taylor's Version by Taylor Swift