Love of My Life // Harry Styles

Holly

"I'm fine," I say for the three millionth time. Jackson is hovering, staying as close as possible without actually climbing onto my lap.

"You need the EMT to check you out more thoroughly. In fact, I think we should go to the hospital."

"Jackson, stop. I'm not going to the hospital. I've been looked at. No broken bones. No blood other than the scrapes on my arms. I'm just going to bruise. No big deal."

"Actually, Ma'am, I do think a visit to the ER is warranted."

I glare at the guy in uniform standing opposite me. This EMT, his name tag reads John, is now my enemy.

"See." Jackson brushes the hair out of my face.

"With the contusion on your back, and the perpetrator's steel toed boots, you should have tests done to rule out internal bleeding."

"Internal Bleeding?" Jackson's voice ratchets up a few decibels.

I groan. Great. Just what he needs to hear. His overprotectiveness is going to choke me now.

"You don't need transport, but I think your boyfriend should drive you there tonight at the very latest." The EMT hands Jackson some paperwork then turns away and gets to work packing up his gear. I start to get up from the gurney I'm sitting on when Jackson holds me still.

"Not yet," he says. "You need to move slowly."

"Feel free to sit here while I finish up. It'll be a few minutes." He moves away from us, to escape or to give us privacy, I'm not sure.

"Ugh, I hate being coddled."

"I'm not coddling you. I'm caring for you. There is a difference."

I nod but say nothing. I'm used to being the one doing the caring. Instead of speaking, I survey the aftermath of my latest life drama. Usually the crap I deal with is internal. The gaslighting from my dad. The exhaustion from taking care of my mom all the time. It's the unseen stuff that I've struggled with most. Not so much right now. My dad was hauled off to jail, broken nose courtesy of Jackson, bandaged up. The creep he left me with, a man whose name I won't repeat, is strapped to a gurney next to a different ambulance on the opposite side of the dirt clearing. One hand is cuffed to the rail. He's conscious but silent. I have a feeling he knows the drill. This won't be his first trip to jail.

Grinder's cop friend, Frank, showed up not long after Jackson, patting my boyfriend on the back but saying nothing about the carnage he left in his wake. Once Jackson told me that my dad had been involved in trafficking, that he'd smuggled forged documents across the border to make smuggling innocent women and kids into the country...I wish I could say I was shocked. I wish I'd had a dad that was better at hiding his dark side. That seems ridiculous when I let myself think about it too long but it's the reaction I had. My dad wears his demons on his sleeve, instead of his heart. I know all too well what kind of man he is, and what he's capable of.

But it was the look on Jackson's face when he told me his mom was involved, too, that left me reeling. We won the shitty parent lottery, the two of us.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of this train of thoughts. I look up to find Jackson watching me.

"What now?" My question comes out snarkier then it should, but I don't bother apologizing. I think I've earned a bad attitude for at least twenty-four hours.

"I'm just so damn grateful you're okay. That you hadn't gotten into that guy's car where I'd have had no way to figure out where you were."

I soften at his confession. I was busy with survival, but he was busy panicking about me. We both dealt with trauma today.

"There was absolutely no way I was getting in that car. Stalling was my best bet."

"I'm proud of you, Holly. My little badass." Jackson takes me by the hands and pulls me to standing. I grunt a little at the effort, knowing I'm going to be sore for days. Jackson's arms go around me as he holds me close.

"Come on. Let's see if Frank can give us a ride to the hospital. Your dad totaled my truck down the hill."

"Seriously?"

"Are you surprised?"

I pause for half a second. "No. I'm not. But that sucks."

"It does. But I've got insurance and a police report. It'll be fine."

Frank gets us to the hospital while also taking another statement from both Jackson and me. We spend a few hours getting scans only to be told I have a bad bruise. No internal bleeding.

I bite my tongue instead of letting the 'I told you so' spill out.

Frank takes us to Grinder's house to see my mom. She's been a nervous wreck since finding out what happened. Everyone's there when we arrive. The first ten minutes is just me reassuring everyone I'm fine and Jackson retelling the harrowing tale of his race to get to me on time. Even I'm a little breathless as he tells the story again.

A while later, we sit around and try to have normal conversations instead of talking about the dark parts of life. Grinder is on the couch with his leg elevated. Julia sits with him. My mom is cuddled in their recliner with a warm blanket. Even Butch came by, sitting in a chair near my mom. The two of them are talking about old times and warm memories.

Jackson and I are on the loveseat, his arm around me holding me close. We observe the people around us, the love shared in the room. We look at each other as though drawn together with a silent signal. Neither of us have strong biological families. He has his dad now, and I've got my mom. But it's all of the people in this room who we hold dear. That's more than enough family for us.

***

A week later and I'm healing, physically. I realize I'll still work through trauma for a long time. Years maybe. I think Jackson will, too. He holds me close every night. Even now, his arms are tightly wound around me while we lay in bed, as if I could disappear at any moment. I listen to his even breathing as he sleeps. I need to get up soon, but I know the second I jostle him even the slightest, he'll wake up. He's been tender, careful. Too careful. I'm ready for him to do more than wrap me in his embrace. I need him, all of him. I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever touch me again or if seeing what happened changed that.

I slowly lift his arm and slide under it to make my escape. Jackson mumbles something before rolling onto his back. I'm not two steps away from the bed when he speaks.

"Sneaking away?"

"Going to the bathroom."

"Come back when you're done."

I nod in agreement then take care of myself. When I climb back under the covers with him, he pulls me close, pressing his lips to mine. I expect the pecks I've gotten over the last week. But instead, Jackson kisses me with desperation. With longing. With a need that mirrors my own.

"Where has this side of you been all week?" I manage to get the words out once his lips leave mine and start their decent down my neck.

"Waiting."

"For?" I'm breathless as he continues past my shoulders, further.

"For you to get up from the bed without groaning. You just did, baby."

I pull back slightly. "What do you mean?"

Jackson cradles my face, looking into my eyes. "Every morning, you push up from the bed, get to a certain position and this little breath comes out. You were pushing past a sore spot as you got up. Every morning that groan got less and less. Today it was gone. So today I'm keeping you next to me in this bed while I show you how much I need you."

"Oh."

"I hate missing you while you're right next to me, but I hated thinking I might lose you more." He turns my head slightly in order to kiss my cheeks then under my ear. "But now I need you. Will you let me?"

"Yes," I moan. Finally.

"Good girl."

Jackson

I hold Holly, both of us still breathing hard. Waiting until she was fully healed was the right thing but I'm so damn glad I don't have to hold back anymore. Holly snuggles closer to me, the little purr of satisfaction humming through her breaths.

I can't hold back anything anymore. I don't want to wait for the next steps. I want it all, now. I hope she feels the same way.

"You know I'm going to marry you, right? I just need to know if you want an elaborate ask, or something simple for just the two of us."

"Simple," she says. I nod, glad for the confirmation. It's what I figured but before I do what I'm about to do, I wanted to be sure. I start by rolling on top of her, reaching for my jacket and pulling out a piece of paper. I hand it to Holly. She unfolds it carefully, looks at it for longer than I expected and then finally, gasps. The perfect reaction. Her eyes float up to mine, glistening with emotion, full of questions.

"I found it inside one of the boxes of pictures from your mom's house." I glance down at the picture nestled inside the paper. It's little Jackson next to little Holly. Little me is holding her hand. She's looking up at me. I'm looking at the camera.

"Turn it over," I tell her. On the back, her mom wrote, 'Jackson asked Holly for her hand. Too cute not to capture. I thought he meant to literally hold her hand, but he told me later he was going to marry her one day. My heart'."

Holly cries. I take a deep breath before telling her the most important thing I'll ever say.

"I always knew it was you. I knew it when my mom took me away from you. I knew it when I wanted to name my dog after you. Even when I forgot about you, I didn't. I dreamed of a little girl with braids that played in the mud with me. I dreamed of holding her hand, kissing her cheek and spending life together. You've always been with me so will you continue to be with me, forever?" Holly nods. "Will you marry me, Holly?"

"Yes." Her eyes close briefly, sending the tears down her cheeks. But she's smiling so I know she's happy. "I always knew it was you, too. I dreamed about the boy who came back and loved me. The boy who looked at me with stars in his eyes. I dreamed of you, Jackson. You're my forever."

We've found forever, together. I gave her my love when I was a six-year-old kid. I didn't know I loved her this deeply back then. But that's the kind of love we have.

It's irrevocable.

Ahhh the sweet conclusion! Everyone together, happy and healthy with love on the horizon...BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! That's right, an epilogue taking place in the near future with cameo's, hints and what's nexts!

The plan is one more FRIDAY FEELS. Then I'll finally finish off Moonlight and prep to start writing Book 2 in the Not Another Hollywood Story series, Not Another Player. Jacob's story!

Need a short, sweet monster romance that wraps up by the end of the chapter? Or would you like some serious spice with your creature love tale? LOOK NO FURTHER! Tomorrow is the last day of new updates on the Monstrous Love Anthology. 35 sweet or spicy stories by Wattpad creators, all in one place! THE ANTHOLOGY WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE TO READ AFTER TOMORROW. Believe me, you want to read these stories (or listen to them read aloud on YouTube!) so hop over to the writersconnx page to read, or check the link to listen (check out the WriterConnX Youtube channel below).

Here's mine :https://www.wattpad.com/1306135621-monstrous-love-a-valentine%27s-monster-short-story

Ok, Harry is not this story's vibe. EXCEPT for this song. I *think* its a song about a lost love/the one that got away. There's a lot of past tense included in the lyrics. But the chorus is sooooo sweet and hearing the guy serenade the crowd live-GAH! I saw hearts. Had to use it, because "Baby, you are the love of my life," has to be the sweetest words ever.

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This might be my favorite post of the Anthology...

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