I wake the next morning, just before Harry does. His hand is on my hip, possessive even in his sleep and I smile at that as his eyes flicker open. I also smile at the view, given that a soft, white sheet is only covering his lower half, leaving the rest of himâbare, tan, flawlessâon glorious display. The bronzed skin over his chest and abs sparkles in the early morning sun pouring in through the large glass windows. The white gauzy curtain, in front of the open window, billows in the breeze blowing in from the sea.
"Good morning" Harry smiles sleepily. That dimple of his appears. I want to make love to him based on that dimple alone. His hand tightens on my hip, before his hand skates round to my back and pulls me closer to him. I think he's going to give me a kiss, instead he nestles his head into my hair and inhales deeply.
"You smell like the sea" He sighs contently
"That's because we spent so long in it yesterday"
We spent hours playing in the sea yesterday. Avery, after a little convincing, loved it. The waves lapping at her chubby little thighs as we played in the surf for hours, searching for pretty shells and splashing until the sun began to fall.
"So much fresh air explains why she's still asleep" I think out loud as I glance over at her cot in the corner of the room.
"Long may it continue" He yawns as he extracts himself from me and leans over to collect his phone from the dark wooden bedside chest. He tuts loudly as he swipes open his phone.
"What times is it in the UK?" He asks as he starts typing furiously on his phone.
"Ummm, like 6AM? How come? Everything all right?" I sit up against the fluffy white pillows.
"I missed a call from my agent last night. She'll probably be in the office already" He pulls the covers off and creeps out on to the balcony in an effort not to wake Avery. He pulls the glass door closed quietly behind him. I watch as he paces the large, decked balcony, his phone still pressed almost to his nose. He finally dials a number and holds the phone to his ear. I watch for a moment. His black boxers are sitting low on his hips and he looks mouth wateringly good.
I force myself out of bed to give him a little privacy, I tiptoe by Avery's cot, watching for a moment as she sighs in her sleep, pulling her bunny closer to her chest. I quickly tiptoe away, hoping I've not disturbed her, as much as I love her being awake, I'd really like to have a hot cup of tea and eat my breakfast in peace without having to share it with her.
I switch the coffee pot on and pull out two bowls from the cupboard to pour some cereal for Harry and I. Our waterside apartment is basic and luxurious in equal measures. The furniture and decor is exquisite. The sofa is the softest leather I've ever felt. The art work on the the walls are radiant and the furniture is made from the thickest mahogany but other than the furniture the apartment doesn't contain much. There is no television in the whole place, the fanciest accessory in the kitchen is this basic coffee percolator and there is zero wi-fi and I've really enjoyed it. Switching off from the outside world and concentrating on the things that really matter. Avery and Harry.
I jump as Harry throws his phone on the couch and drops to the couch face first.
"What's wrong?" I ask slightly alarmed as I carry the two bowls of granola over to the couch. I place them both on the large square coffee table in the middle of the room and kneel beside the sofa. Harry's head is face down on a cushion and his long limbs take up the majority of the couch, one arm is squashed between his body and the back of the sofa while the other is thrown haphazardly off the edge, his hand resting on the floor beside my knees.
"Heyyy" I coax as I run my fingers through his hair. "What is it?"
Slowly he turns his head to look at me. His hair flops over his forehead and he attempts to blow it out of his eyes but the defiant locks just flop back down. I brush the hair back on to his head before I let me fingers trail down his cheek.
"Remember that audition I went to before the London dates?"
I nod. The morning before his first show at the 02 Arena, Harry disappeared for a few hours to attend an audition for a movie role he was interested in.
"I didn't get it" He sighed in frustration.
My heart sank for him. "Oh sweetheart" I exhale, running my fingers through his hair again, my nails scrapping gently across his scalp. "Did they give any feedback on why you didn't get it?"
"Just they were going with another actor" Harry's eye were trained somewhere over my left shoulder, his eyes fluttering closed every time my nails ran across his scalp. He was avoiding eye contact and I knew it was out of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry" I shuffled closer till my knees were against the sofa, my elbow now resting against Harry's back as I kept my fingers in his hair.
He shrugged, his eyes still closed. "I'm obviously just not good enough" He was trying to act nonchalant but I wasn't fooled.
"Harry, dont say that. You were amazing in Dunkirk, you know that" I protest.
"But everything I've tried out for since I've been turned down for. Maybe Dunkirk was a fluke" His eyes fluttered open and I could see the obvious pain in his eyes. It was hard being told you weren't good enough when you've spent so much of your life being told how wonderful you are. It was an odd concept to wrap my head around. If I were to audition for something I'd be sure I would be unsuccessful but it's hard for Harry to think like that when he's surrounded by fans, media, managers telling him how wonderful he is on a daily basis. I've always thought Harry as being very grounded considering how his life has turned out but even this is difficult for him.
"Harry you are the most talented person I've ever met" I tell him honestly.
"As my girlfriend you've got to say that" My heart still flutters when he refers to me as that. I pull my hand out of his unruly curls and grip his chin so he has to look at me. My hand scratches across the small amount of stubble covering his jaw. He's never been the best at growing a beard but he's barely shaved since we got here and it's resulted in a sexy amount of hair covering his face.
"No, as your girlfriend I've got to say you're an exceptional lover" I smirked at the small smile playing across Harry's face. "and as the mother of your child I've got to say you're a wonderful father but I don't need to lie about your talent"
"Are you saying you're lying when you say I'm an exceptional lover" A frown suddenly transforms his face.
"You'll never know" I laugh hoping the joking will lighten his mood.
"But seriously Harry, Dunkirk was not a fluke! That scene with the piece and jam? Oscar worthy acting"
Harry lips quirked up at my joke which was only really half a joke. "I didn't realise you'd seen the film"
It registers suddenly that Harry's acting career isn't something we'd ever really discussed. His only film came out before we got together and it's never really came up in conversation. I hate the sudden wave of apprehension the realisation brings. I find it a hard thing to contend with when my partner is so well known by, what feels like, everyone else in the world, I worry that people know him better than I do and there will always be someone who knows more about him than me.
"Are you kidding? Dunkirk was amazing. You were amazing because that part was perfect for you. You've been unlucky with the other projects because they weren't the perfect part for you not because you weren't good enough. You'll get it when it's the perfect part for you"
"You think?" His frown softens.
"Yeah, I do" I leaned in to place a soft kiss against his lips.
"Thank you" He whispered as I pull away but his hand sneaks round the nape of my neck to stop me going anywhere.
"Any time, De Niro" I whisper just as we hear Avery's shouts let us know she has finally awoken from her deep slumber.
*
"I can't believe 2 weeks are up already" I huff as I pick Avery up from her spot in the middle of the bed and Harry pulls our two giant suitcases off the bed to take them to the front door.
"I know. Quickest 2 weeks ever. It was good though, wasn't it?" Harry stops and looks back to me from the doorway.
"The best" I smile.
"I'm not even that bothered that the holiday is over. I'm bothered that you have to leave us at the airport and jet off to L.A and burst our little family bubble so soon" I follow Harry out into the living area so we can wait on our taxi back to the airport.
"I know. You know you could come with me? You know I'd rather you were both coming with me"
"I know" I sit Avery on my knee's and begin bouncing her up and down to keep her amused. "But I've already organised for my mum to come down the day after we get back, I don't want to mess her about. And you'll only be gone for a few days right?"
"5 at the most I think. I only have a few meetings" Harry leaves our luggage at the front door and brings Avery's juice bottle over to us and drops himself on the couch next to us. Immediately Avery begins crawling over me to get to Harry. He scoops her up and drops her on his own lap.
"She'll miss having you at her beck and call all day, every day" I muse resting my head down on his shoulder as I watch Avery begin trying to pull Harry's rings from his fingers. The girl was like a magpie for anything shiney.
"I don't want to think about how much I'll miss you two" His voice suddenly lower than usual. I tip my head up as he looks down and he quickly catches my lips with his.
"I love you, Nora" He whispers against my lips.
"I love you too"
*
We had a tearful goodbye at Male International Airport as Avery and I boarded our flight back to London and Harry waited on his flight to L.A.
"Just me and you baby girl" I mumble to Avery as we wait in line to get off the plane. Well I'm being patient Avery's pars patience and verging on being a downright pain. She slept well on the plane but I think she's just over it now, so instead of sitting nicely in my arms, waiting patiently to get off the plane she's smacking her juice bottle off my chest with one hand and pulling my hair with the other. I have my black wool coat over a T-shirt of Harry's and my skinny jeans and I am seriously starting to sweat. The more noise Avery makes the more people start to look and the more people look the chances of me being recognised rises and camera flashes and pictures ensue. Until I get to the other side of baggage reclaim and meet the security Harry has waiting for me, I am on my own.
"Look, we're moving now. We'll be out in a minute, Sweet pea" I murmur to Avery who squeals excitedly and just pulls harder on my hair. I wish I had an extra pair of hands to tie my hair up and away from her grabby little hands. Or better yet maybe I'd suit a pixie cut?
Slowly we make our way out of the plane and through the maze of an airport. Someone how Harry's security team have been granted access to baggage reclaim so as two burly big guys in suits wait on our luggage, I am escorted out of the airport and into our waiting car by another big burly guy in a suit and equally intimidating woman in a suit. I loved having female security. It assumed it's a mans job and while it predominately is, so far I've found female security kick ass. They're under estimated therefor have the element of surprise.
Once the luggage is safely in the boot the extra security jump in another car and we set off for Harry's house.
"Did you have a nice holiday Miss Henley?" Harry's usual driver asks from the front seat as Miss Preston sits up front with him looking sternly at the traffic in front of us like it's personally disrespected her by existing.
"We did thanks, Peter" I answer as I turned to straighten one of the straps on Avery's car seat, making sure she is strapped in well. She is still in a rear facing seat meaning I can keep an eye on her and she can capture my hand and play with the my rings seeing as Daddy isn't here.
"Nice to be back on familiar soil though" I smile as Peter slows at a set of traffic lights. I look over at Avery as she grins up at me. I feel a wave of contentment as I look in to her beautiful green eyes. Sometimes it's like looking in to Harry's they're so similar.
Suddenly I am deafened by an ear-splitting screech before I feel myself being forced forward by a force I can't see and a pain fires through my head. I search for Avery's face and her petite features contorting in fear are the last thing I see before everything goes black.