Even If It Hurts -H.S. AU

85

I squeeze my eyes shut as the low hum of the engine breaks me from sleep. The university isn't that far from the hotel, so it has to have been only a few minutes since we left.

I remember saying goodbye to Phoebe and Cam, and getting in the car, but everything went black after that. My head is throbbing from the emotions swirling around inside of it and I slowly blink my eyes open.

Am I still dreaming?

Where I expected to see rows of concrete and reflective windows of the familiar skyscrapers, all I see is blue sky past Harry's shoulder where I rest my head. I turn to look out the passenger window and am met with a field of lush green grass as far as I can see. I inhale sharply and sit up straight in my seat.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Harry says teasingly as I run my hands over my face.

"What-" I brush my hair back over my shoulder and cut myself off with a sigh. "I thought we were going home?"

As the words leave my mouth, he turns onto a dirt road off the main desolate strip, and my heart drops. The house I've dreamt about since I first saw it is right in front of me, getting closer with each second that passes as he drives us right up to the front porch, like he owns the place.

"We are home." He says softly and shuts the car off.

I freeze and slowly turn to face him. He grins at me and I shake my head, confused.

"Harry, if you're messing with me-" I cut myself off with a gasp when he holds his keys in front of my face, a gold house key pinched between his thumb and index finger. I grab the keys and push the passenger door open. I hear him laugh behind me as I run up the front steps to the door.

"There's no fucking way..." I stick the key in the lock and turn it, hearing the latch come undone and I'm able to push the door open.

I lose my breath when I step inside the foyer. It's even more beautiful on the inside. To the left is a staircase that leads up to a loft on the second floor. To my right is what looks like an office space, the French doors open to reveal rows of empty bookshelves along the back wall.

I take a few more steps inside and have to fight off the lump rising in my throat. The kitchen is covered in plastic to protect the counters from debris due to the work that's clearly been done recently to replace light fixtures and repair spots in the ceiling. I step into the living room area and more plastic crunches under my feet. The walls are painted a soft, baby blue color and I immediately recognize it as one of the options I pointed out to Harry for an office remodel a few weeks ago.

"Harry, you did not buy me a house." I mumble in disbelief, looking up at the sunshine pouring in through a skylight above me.

"I didn't buy you a house...I bought us a home."

I whirl around to face him and gasp in shock, bringing my hands up to cover my mouth. Tears prick my eyes and a warm heat spreads all over my body.
He's just a few steps behind me, down on one knee. I glance down to where his arm hangs at his side and find a small box in his grasp.

"Violet-" he breathes out my name, and I can't stop myself from interrupting out of pure excitement.

"Yes!" I shout and close the distance between us. I place my hands on his shoulders and use him to lower myself to my knees so that we're eye to eye.
"Yes, Harry!" I manage to lower my voice so I'm not yelling in his face, but I'm absolutely buzzing with how elated I feel.

I grab his face and pull him forward to kiss me. He chuckles against my lips and his free hand slides around my back to hold me against him.

"Baby," he mumbles against my mouth when I keep kissing him. "Baby, I kind of had a whole speech-"