All flights were delayed because of the storm, so Harry and I had to wait at the hotel until it cleared up. Which turned out to be not as long as I'd initially expected. The storm was a lot shorter than I predicted, but it rained hard and a ton. I hope everyone got home safely, and that's what Harry was most worried about once we got back to the hotel.
We ate the cake in the hotel...the whole entire thing. To say I was bloated after would've been an understatement. I'm just glad Harry and I weren't spotted together after the fact, or I would've had to deal with pregnancy rumors on top of everything else.
I had yet to give Harry his present yet though. The timing just didn't feel right. I didn't want to give it to him when he was so done, though I'm sure it would've cheered him up. I guess I will just have to give it to him when I see him next...whenever that may be. I do slightly regret not giving it to him though. The timing would've been perfect. Since we're going to be apart for a while now, it might've been nice for him to have it.
But now I'm home and have been for a while now. I finally got home around 7 amâmaybe closer to 8âbetween having to wait for a flight, flying home, and picking Jess up from the hospital. It was all a little stressful, but it worked out in the end.
When I picked Jess up, all she could do was thank me and tell me how grateful she was for me and how bad she felt that I was leaving Harry on his birthday. I didn't say anything in regards to that, I simply just told her I would be having a little chat with Jackson whenever I get the chance.
I hear a knock on the door, causing me to snap my head up, looking up from my phone.
"Come in," I say to Jess. I click my phone off and she opens the door, walking in. I was just scrolling through Instagram and replying to DMs...I couldn't sleep. And apparently neither could Jess.
"Hey," she says softly, her fractured arm resting in a cast. Luckily, her injuries from the accident were only minor. I don't know what I would've done if something happened to her.
She fractured her right forearm in two places...one near her wrist and the other closer to her elbow. So now she was using her non-dominant hand. She almost dropped her glass of water earlier, so she's obviously still adjusting. She had no other injuries besides a mild concussion and whiplash. And a few cuts and bruises of course.
The doctors at the hospital advised that it would be best for me to keep an eye on Jess, and least for the first 24 hours. I didn't mind though...I wanted to help out as much as I could to make her workload a little less. She took the next few days off work to "recover", though I think she just wanted an excuse to not go.
"What's up?" I ask as she enters my room, closing the door softly behind her. She tiptoes across the floor as if she was trying to be quiet, even though we're the only ones in the house.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing," she says, sitting down on the edge of my bed, pretty far away from me.
"I'm fine." I shrug, telling her the truth. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, I just...I feel really guilty for making you come home early. If Jackson hadn't been out and picked me up, there wouldn't have been an issue and you would still be with Harry right now and-"
"Jess," I cut her off firmly. I scoot closer, setting my phone down on the surface of my bed. She looks up at me, her eyes glossy as if she was about to cry. "This sent your fault. I was coming home today anyway, it's not that big of a deal that I came home a little early... Besides, Harry probably would've made me come home even if Jackson had been there to pick you up."
"I still feel really bad though." She looks back down at her lap. "I mean, it's Harry's birthday and you're not spending it with him because of me."
"He insisted on me coming here," I remind her, even though I've explained it to her what feels like a million times already. "It was more important to him that I was with you. I think he'd be pretty upset if I left you to go be with him. He's at a birthday party in California now anyways."
"His own?" She asks, never breaking eye contact with the fabric of the grey joggers against her thighs.
"No, Jeff's girlfriend's. Her name is Glenne and apparently, her and Harry have the same birthday," I explain what Harry told me when we talked on the phone when I got home this morning.
"That's ironic," she says. "But weird that he's not having his own birthday party and going to someone else's."
"His birthday party was technically supposed to be last night," I say, shrugging and looking down. "God, I feel so bad for him. He was so excited to share a cake with everyone and celebrate his birthday. So then he was obviously really upset when it all got canceled."
"You know what I feel bad about...? Adding to that sadness," she continues, rolling her eyes. "I just want you to go be with him."
"Again, Harry would absolutely flip his shit if I left you to go be with him. I already told him what the doctor told me, so there's no getting out of it," I tell her with another shrug.
"I just wish..." She quickly stops talking, her eyes widening. She looks over at me, a glimmer in her eyes.
"Oh no, what's your idea?" I ask hesitantly, my shoulders slumping. I had a feeling I was about to go through with another one of Jess's crazy ideas.
"Let's go together," she suggests excitedly, finally sitting up straight.
"What?!" I ask, trying to make sure I heard her correctly. Did she really mean she wanted us to go to California together?!
"Let's go together," she repeats. "I can buy us plane tickets and then fly back in a few days. You can either stay with Harry then or come back...I don't care, honestly."
"Hold on." I shake my head, furrowing my eyebrows. "Why in the hell would you want to go stay with Harry?"
"Umm, are you even listening to yourself? Why wouldn't I want to go stay with Harry Styles?" Her eyes were now bulging out of her head as she spoke excitedly.
I shook my head once again. "No."
"Why?" She whines, tilting her head to the side. "Wouldn't it be so much fun? When was the last time we went on a trip together?"
"It doesn't matter," I argue. "I can't just text Harry and say 'Hey, Jess wants to come to California with me. Do you have a guest room?'" I pretend to type on an imaginary phone.
"He wouldn't mind." She shakes her head. "Especially if it means he gets to see you. I've heard him try to ask you to come stay with him."
"He never asks he just offers...he's just being nice. It's what he does." I shrug.
"Dude...he couldn't possibly be any louder," she says with a straight face. "He obviously is dying for you to come stay with him."
"No, Jess," I say firmly.
"Oh come on," she continues to beg me. "You know how happy it would make him if you flew out to see him?"
"Jess-"
"Have you given him his present yet?" She says, breaking right through my guard.
"No." I look down sheepishly.
"See?" She says. She always knows exactly how to convince me to do anything she wants. "It could be months until the next time you see him...what if you don't get the chance to until he comes here on tour?" She raises an eyebrow.
"You're so manipulative, you know that?" I squint my eyes at her.
"Oh well." she shrugs. She scoots closer, looking directly into my eyes, the look of hope filling hers. "So does this mean we can go?"
"I don't know Jess." I sigh.
"Please, Lils?" She nags. "The doctors told you to help me, so do this. You can keep an eye on me and see your boyfriend. It's a win-win situation."
She wasn't wrong...it could be fun. But wouldn't that be awkward? We've all been in the same house before, but it would be so much different if we went to Harry's.
But at the end of the day, she was right. I didn't know when I would see Harry next. And it would be nice to give him one last goodbye for a while...and give him his present.
I sigh. "I'll have to check with Harry, but...whatever."
Jess gasps excitedly, wrapping her arms around me, her cast hitting my back. After she releases me from her death grip, I reach over and pick up my phone shooting Harry a text. I didn't expect a reply right away, but I expected one when he got home from the party.
Lili: Is that California offer still on the table?
*Â * *
a/n: i sometimes give y'all what you want.