TWO MONTHS LATER
After Harry kissed me in front of everyone, things got pretty awkward. Of course, there were a few people that already knew, but that didn't stop the many that didn't from watching in shock. Nobody really knew what to say, including Harry and I. After what seemed like forever, Harry apologised to everyone for what they had just witnessed. Nobody else said anything, but we knew we were going to be getting a grilling once the night was over.
As expected, our phones were blowing up with calls for the rest of the night. Mostly texts from Jeff, but plenty from other friends in his team. More people saw this coming than we had thought, so although people were shocked, they weren't surprised. It's strange that everyone saw it coming before either of us did.
After Brisbane, we only had two shows left of the tour, these ones in New Zealand. One in Wellington, and the other in Auckland. Everyone slowly started accepting that Harry and I were together, but when we were around his team and at shows, we always remained strictly professional. Although there were a few more concealed touches, we tried to act relatively the same as we always had. Despite everything else, I was still working for Harry, and that meant we needed to act as such. In one world, I was his assistant, and the other his girlfriend, and we tried to keep those two worlds separate. Apart from our conversations with Mitch, Charlotte and Sarah, we didn't really speak much to anybody about the other half.
Things slowly fizzled out between Mitch and Charlotte, and they ended up both mutually agreeing they were better off as friends. Charlotte told me the conversation was awkward, but now they act like nothing ever happened. They're closer than ever, but it's pretty obvious they're just friends. I still wonder why it never worked out between them, but I guess I'll find out one day.
As soon as the tour ended, everyone separated. Some went on holidays, others stayed in New Zealand for extended trips, but most flew back to their respective homes. Harry's team is composed of people from London and the U.S., so everyone went their own way. Harry wanted to fly back home to Holmes Chapel to see his mom and sister, and he begged me to come with him. He didn't really have to beg, because I agreed the first time he asked.
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3 DAYS AFTER THE TOUR ENDED
Since my life basically revolves around Harry, I've spent a lot of time with Anne. We get along really well, and she tells me that I'm like a daughter to her. The feeling is mutual, because I love Anne as much as I love my own mom.
When we arrive at Anne's house, we're both exhausted, but I can tell how happy Harry is to be home and see his mom. Harry bought this house for her, and it's beautiful. It's not too big but not too small, and it's a house you enter and instantly feel at home. The exterior is all brick, accented by black edged windows and a black roof. Anne loves to garden, and that's made evident in the perfectly green grass and beautiful flowers that cover her front yard.
As soon as Harry knocks on the door, it swings open.
'Harry! Sophie! I've missed you both so much!' She grins, and pulls us both into a hug. Anne has always been so kind to me, and my heart warms in her presence.
'I've missed you so much too mom' Harry smiles, and kisses her on the cheek. Harry loves his mom more than anything, and I'm so glad he's able to see her again after being away for so long. Harry's accent comes out more when he's home and even though we've only been in the country for 4 hours, he sounds so much more British already.
'It's lovely to see you too Anne!' I muffle, while pressed into her chest. Eventually, she lets us both go and beckons us inside.
'Come in the two of you, it's so cold out here.' She says, while trying to grab some of our luggage, and signals for us to follow her up the staircase. The minute I step through the door, I get hit with the smell of some sort of baked good. Along with gardening, Anne loves to bake, and in the time I've known her, she's provided me with some of the best slices, tarts and cookies I've ever eaten.
'I've fit the spare bedroom for you, Sophie, and your bedroom, Harry, is just like you left it.' She mentions, whilst reaching the top of the stairs. I forgot that she doesn't know about Harry and I yet. I'm sure she's seen all the articles, but so many false articles come out about Harry, we've all learnt not to believe anything.
'Oh..umm..mom..' Harry starts, and reaches to hold my hand. My heart swells at his little gesture, and I realise this means he's about to tell Anne. Unfortunately for Harry, she beats him to it when she spots our hands.
'Oh my god! Are you two..oh wow! You're..is this real?' She asks, pointing to our interlocked hands. Her eyes start to fill with tears, and she starts smiling the biggest smile I've ever seen.
'Umm..yeah..yeah, we're together.' Harry says awkwardly, and Anne instantly grabs me and hugs me tight. She probably should've hugged her son first, but I'm not going to complain.
'I've been waiting for this! Don't break her heart Harry!' She cries, but these are happy tears.
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Anne was so supportive when she found out about Harry and I. She teared up, and consequently that made me tear up. Harry's kind soul came from Anne, and the few days we spent in Holmes Chapel created some of my favourite memories. Holmes Chapel is so quiet and peaceful and after being on tour and having to be so high energy all the time, having a few days where we didn't have a schedule was perfect. I spent the days by Harry's side, with Anne, and Gemma came home too.
In spending so much time with Harry's family, I started missing my own too. After our 4 days, Harry and I flew to New York to go see my family. I hadn't seen them since before we went on tour, and I didn't end up calling them as much as I'd wanted to. Because of our lack of communication, I really wanted to see them all in person.
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1 WEEK AFTER THE TOUR ENDED
Although I've spent lots of time in Holmes Chapel, I've never been there with Harry in the way we spent the last four days. After spending so much time there, I see the whole town differently now. It's always so quiet and calm, and nobody ever seems like they're rushing from place to place. Everyone smiles at everyone, and every store owner takes time to talk to all their customers. This is a stark difference to my childhood in New York. Here, there's always something going on. No matter which way you look, there's something to look at. Noise and flashing lights are just a given here. The days go by fast, and nobody takes time to appreciate the little things.
This stark difference became evident the moment we stepped out of the airport.
'Hi mom!' I say, the minute we find her waiting at her car. Memories of my crying phone call come flashing back, and I realise I'm going to have some explaining to do.
'Hi sweetie, hi Harry! It's so great to see you both!' She pulls me in for a hug and kisses my cheek. I think she spots Harry standing awkwardly behind me, because she grabs his arm so he can join the hug too. My mom has never been the type to enjoy an awkward moment.
'It's really so great to see you both..you barely called Sophie! I started having to read all the gossip columns to figure out what was going on in your life!' She laughs.
'Mom, you know those don't always tell the truth!' I say. The articles about Harry and I spring to mind, and those ones may have some truth to them, but mom doesn't know that yet.
'Harry jump in the car, I'll put your bags in the trunk. Sophie can help..won't you Sophie? We can't have you getting swarmed with fans! I hardly look presentable to be in the background of so many photos!' I don't know when I agreed to put Harry's bags in the trunk, but now I'm signed up to do it.
'Don't be like that Kelli-Anne, you always look great! Are you sure, it's really no trouble for me to help?' Harry responds.
'Wow Harry, you flatter me!' She laughs, and before I can stop her, she winks at him!
'Mom, oh my god! Don't flirt with him!' What has gotten into her today? She's always very lively, but today she's gone wild. I can't complain though, I've missed her so much and it's nice to see her so happy.
'What got you so protective, all of a sudden?' She teases. Along with hating awkward conversation, my mom is an amazing read of facial expression, and this comes to her advantage when she spots the split second of shock that crosses my face.
'Wait a minute. I saw that Sophie..don't tell me..oh my god! You're together! This is great news, I'm calling your father right now!' She bursts into laughter, and Harry and I can't help but join her. I wasn't planning for her to find out like this, but the cat's out of the bag now.
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It made me so happy that both our mothers were excited about us being together. I know it's a weird situation to be in, and I'm glad that they were so supportive. My dad seemed slightly less enthusiastic, but I'm hoping he'll warm up in time.
Our time at home was amazing, and seeing Harry with my whole family warmed my heart. Apart from a few comments made by my dad, the three days couldn't have been more perfect. He fit in so perfectly with my family, and my mom told me quietly before we left that she could tell how happy I've been. She wasn't wrong, and it felt like everything was finally falling into place.
From New York, we flew back to L.A. where we spend most of our time. I had planned to just go straight back to my apartment, but as the days passed, I found myself staying at Harry's house in the Hollywood Hills more and more. Harry has properties all over the world, but the house he spends most of his time in is the one in Hollywood Hills, and it's by far my favourite. He owns some massive properties but this one is one of the smaller ones, and since he spends so much time here, this home is the most like Harry. It's a parisian style, with two floors. The home was built in 1936, and Harry renovated it to make it modern but he kept it's old beauty. The exterior is a white brick with a black roof, and the walls are all white on the inside. The architecture of the house is difficult to explain, and each room feels like a totally different space. Some rooves are turreted, others are angular, and others are just flat. The garden is beautifully landscaped with different levels, with a mix of green hedging, a firepit and a gravel ground.
For the first month after the tour ended, Harry laid low and we spent almost all the time at his house. Each day I fell in love with him more and more, and since Harry wasn't working, I almost forgot I was his assistant. After touring for so long, he was exhausted and needed time to recharge. We were spotted out only a few times, to get groceries or go for runs, and I think the fans slowly started to catch on to our relationship. To my surprise, they were all so supportive, and each day I'd see new edits and videos being made about us. Neither Harry or I spend much time on social media or on our phones in general, but it was nice to open Instagram or Twitter and see a positive message from a fan.
From having a life where we had next to no free time, to living each day as we chose, I found so many things that I love to do. Harry and I spent a lot of our time reading, and we both became hooked on this one author, Haruki Murakami. We cooked and baked a lot too, and we even managed to master the perfect crusty bread. For a solid month, it felt like we were living in a dream.
Throughout the first month after the tour ended, I started noticing that Harry seemed like he was missing something. He was his usual Harry, but he kept reminiscing on memories from the band. I started finding him on the phone with one of the boys more and more, and each day this boy would change. It made me so happy to see Harry reconnecting with the band after such a long time, but I could tell that he wasn't just wanting to reconnect with each of the boys. My suspicions came true when he told me that he wanted to end the hiatus. After 5 years, Harry was ready to go back to One Direction.
AUTHORS NOTE:
This chapter is Sophie looking back on the entirety of the first month after the Fine Line tour ended - basically reflecting on the month of May. The next chapter (chapter 22) will be Sophie looking back on the second month after the Fine Line tour ended - reflecting on the month of June, hence why this is set as 'two months later'. The chapter after that (chapter 23) will be set in present day, which is July.
Hopefully that makes sense!