Half Bad // Harry Styles

Chapter 30

♡ chapter 30 - Rose ♡

            Pain. The main trouble I was currently suffering. My entire upper body was sore, even if my shoulders received the most damage. But I was still intact, still in one piece, and that was enough motivation for me to keep breathing. Inhale. Exhale. The pattern was simple, but even something with such simplicity was excruciating.

            Murmuring nothing in particular to myself, I squirmed a bit but failed to roll over. Lying on my side would still be incredibly painful, but my butt was numb from lying on my back for so long. It was now nighttime, but I hadn't fallen asleep yet due to my uncomfortable troubles.

            My tired eyes peeled open, revealing nothing but darkness around. I panicked for a moment, trembles racing down my spine until I spotted a body lying within a few feet of me. Due to the lack of light, I squinted and tried to make out the figure. It almost looked like Daniel or Zayn, but they were both so similar in body shape that I couldn't quite tell.

            I rolled my head onto the other side to find the stream, memories of the first time Harry and I had stayed here coming back to me. I spotted a few other bodies in the dark, but I didn't quite remember when all of them had returned. Was I asleep? Or just completely out of it?

            But one figure caught my eye. It was sitting up, feet in the stream and fingers gliding along the water. It was difficult to make out, but the mousy hair gave him away completely—Harry.

            I groaned as I tried to use my little strength to sit up, ignoring the burning sensation running up my arms. Harry's head snapped around to look at me, green eyes vibrant in contrast to the darkness.

            "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed quietly before turning around to crawl over to me. "Lay down, Rose. You're going to hurt yourself."

            I rolled my eyes. "I'm already hurt. And besides, I need to sit up. My butt is numb and my back is killing me."

            Harry pursed his lips, chewing on his bottom one, but didn't let me struggle on my own. He gently gripped my forearm, helping me to my feet before I guided him over to the water. It hurt like hell to be standing, my arms limp by my sides, but I was tired of being useless, overlooked. I needed to make a purpose and if standing up on my own was all I could do, then so be it.

            "Why are you awake?"

            "I told you." I grunted with the effort of sitting back down, sighing when my toes touched the cool water rushing through the stream. "My butt was numb."

            Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "You never cease to amaze me, Rosalie."

            "Are we seriously going back to the full name thing, Harold?"

            "It's cute, Rosalie."

            I smiled, ignoring the pain coursing through my body. Harry sat beside me, his feet also resting in the water. I let my head fall on his shoulder, a sigh of relief fleeing me from how soothing this one moment was. Despite what we had been through earlier that day, this moment couldn't have been more of a stress reliever.

            We sat like that for a while—my head on his shoulder while he intertwined his fingers with mine, picking the grass with his free hand. I listened to the calm stream gliding through rocks, the few fish swimming with the current. The moonlight reflected off the water, creating a beautiful glimmer that would forever imprint in my memory.