Gabby’s POV
“Do you want to do something tonight?” Harry asked.
I was still sat on his lap from earlier today. When I tried to move, he wouldn’t let me. It’s not that I didn’t want to sit on his lap; I just thought it was probably uncomfortable for him, but apparently not.
“Like what?” I quizzed.
“I don’t know, maybe get something to eat or walk around. We’ve been in this house every day except when we went to the pool; I figured you’d want to go out.”
I carefully shifted around on his lap so I was facing him. Well, I guess I was actually straddling him now.
“Why don’t we do both?” I suggested, leaning in to connect our lips.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him as our tongues danced together. I subconsciously started to roll my hips against him, creating more friction between our bodies. Harry groaned and pulled away.
“The only place we’ll be going is the bedroom if you keep doing that,” he said making my cheeks flush.
“I actually do need to go in there, but to change, not for what you were thinking.”
“Then go change before I take you in there for another reason,” he teased whilst running his hand up my back.
I climbed off of his lap and scurried to the bedroom to find something else to wear that was better than sweats and a tank top. Once I was finally changed [outfit on the side], I put on some light makeup and went back out to the sitting room.
When I got into the room Harry stood up and I just now noticed he wasn’t wearing black like usual. Well, he was wearing black jeans, but he was wearing a white t shirt rather than his normal black shirt that I’d grown accustomed to.
The white shirt was a nice change, I decided as I followed him out to the car. Something about how it showed off the ink covering his skin made my heart flutter. I never expected to be dating someone with so many tattoos because I was never very fond of them, but here I am with Harry who has them all over. It was different somehow with him, and I’m pretty sure it had to do with the fact that he was very attractive.
That’s part of what I don’t get. He could have just about any girl he wanted and yet he’s with me. But why? I’m nothing special or extremely attractive. I’m just…average. Maybe that’s part of the reason why I have trouble believing him when he says he loves me; I want to know why. What is there to like so much about me that could keep a guy like him tied down?
I’ll admit I was surprised to find out that he cheated on my sister with me. That means I knew him before he was protecting me. He was seventeen and I was fourteen when it happened. But Allie is so pretty. She’s taller than me (just like everyone else), she has the combo of blond hair and blue eyes that guys always like, a perfect smile, the figure girls wish they had, and a gorgeous complexion. Why in bloody hell would he go for someone like me when he could have someone like her? As a matter of fact, he did have her.
I didn’t even realise we were at the restaurant until Harry opened my door, snapping me back into reality. Once we were in the building and seated with our drinks, it became apparent to me that I hadn’t spoken much at all this whole time since we left the flat. Hopefully he doesn’t think he did something wrong.
* * *
After we finished our dinner, Harry left the car parked there and we walked across the street. He then led me to a pathway through trees and we walked in silence until we reached a wider open area where he stopped. Those same thoughts were still running through my mind and overriding my ability to start a conversation.
“Are you okay, you’ve been really quiet?” he asked, turning to face me.
I shook my head, “No, I’m fine. There’s just a lot on my mind.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I….no…it’s just…” I stuttered unable to come up with an excuse.
“It’s just what?”
“Honestly, I don’t really know. I’m just…I don’t know…”
“You can tell me, baby,” he reassured me whilst gently taking my hand in his.
I inhaled a sharp breath at the contact that made me feel like I might break down crying. How is it that he makes me feel so defenceless and has the ability to make me cry without even saying anything? He raised his hand to touch my face, but I turned away.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” I could hear the worry in his voice and I knew I needed to tell him.
“Why do you love me?” I asked quietly, never looking in his direction but instead fixating my gaze on the grass below.
“What?” he asked in shock of my questioning.
“Why do you love me?” I repeated still in a soft voice, “I need to know why you picked me out of everyone else.”
“You don’t think that I love you?”
“No, it’s not that; I want to know why. I’m just average and I’m not a beauty queen. I’m not perf-”
“Don’t say that, don’t call yourself average. You’re not average, not even close. Gabby, I love you because you’re you and you don’t try to be anyone else. I love you because you make me happy and it’s been a long time since I’ve actually felt true happiness. As fucked up as it sounds, I love you because you and I, us being together, is forbidden but you made me forget about the rules; you made me fight to have you. I love you because you’re beautiful inside and out, even when you can’t realise that. I love you because you don’t even know how strong you are.”
“Harry…” I started to interrupt him whilst on the brink of tears.
“Wait, you need to at least hear this part.”
I nodded as a tear slid down my cheek.
“Above all of that, I love you because you’re different. I don’t need a girl that wears low-cut shirts, too short clothing, and skin tight clothes. Honestly, that doesn’t get my attention. What gets my attention are girls like you. The ones who don’t wear fifty pounds of makeup and too much eyeliner. The ones that can look beautiful in anything they wear. The ones who are modest and so caring that I can’t even understand it. But the only girl I know who is exactly like that and more is standing in front of me in faded blue jeans and a plaid shirt crying and making me want to hold her and never let her go.”
“Please don’t,” I begged quietly whilst wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in the warmth of his chest.
“I won’t,” he promised in a low voice that only I could hear as he held me close.
Harry’s POV
“But the only girl I know who is exactly like that and more is standing in front of me in faded blue jeans and a plaid shirt crying and making me want to hold her and never let her go,” I confessed, meaning every single word.
“Please don’t,” she begged quietly as she wrapped her arms around me.
“I won’t,” I assured her in the same soft tone whilst bringing her closer.
“Even when you let go of me, I’ll keep holding on,” I whispered too quietly for her to hear.
The sound of someone clearing their throat startled both of us as we pulled apart. As soon as I saw who it was, I let go of my hold on her completely.
“Hello Harry,” Joe greeted me with an obvious fake smile.
“Mr Santiago,” I replied politely like I had to.
“Gabriella, you’re coming with me,” he ordered and my heart dropped.
“Wh-who are you?” she stuttered.
I opened my mouth to answer, but I was beat to the punch.
“I’m your father.”
Writing the part about not letting her go made me tear up. I can't handle it, it's too cute yet sad. <3