Harry slid the key card into the slot while he held me tightly with his other arm. He pushed the door open with the beep and ushered me inside. With the look on his face, I knew he was incredibly worried about me. I didn't know how to reassure him because I felt like I was going to fall apart at any moment. I think I was in shock.

Emotions that I hadn't felt in 17 years were swirling in my gut, and now completely new emotions joined them. Not only had I been abandoned by the woman who gave birth to me, but she also decided that she really did want a family, just not ours. She seemed perfectly happy with her precious girls, and hadn't thought about me even once. How could she just love and raise two more daughters without even picking up the phone to call us at least one time to explain herself?

I sat at the table, shaking with ... I don't even know. I couldn't identify the emotions anymore. They were new and ugly and painful. I just wanted them to go away.  Harry knelt on the floor in front of me and tried to read my face, but I wasn't sure if he could understand what was going on when I didn't.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said in barely a whisper. I stood up and walked to the bathroom. Harry followed closely enough that I could feel the warmth of his body. I knelt on the floor and placed my head on the edge of the tub. The coolness felt good, helping to calm me just a little. Harry caught on without any words. He grabbed a washcloth and wet it down, squeezing it out and patting my forehead and cheeks with it.

I sighed in satisfaction, not able to communicate how refreshing it felt. Eventually, I said, "I think I'm okay." I tried to get up, but I only made it to sitting on the edge of the tub, trying to regain my balance. Instead of watching me struggle, Harry easily slid one arm behind my back and one under my knees, carrying me out of the bathroom. My head lolled against his chest. I found myself wishing he would keep holding me like this, but too quickly, he set me down on the bed. I just sat, not knowing what to do with myself.

He sat across from me and took my face in his hands. "Maybe you should eat something. Or at least have a drink?"

"W..w...will you get me some ginger ale?" I stammered.

"Sure thing, love," He answered, letting me go.

"Don't leave me!" I cried, panicking. "Have them bring it to the room. Please," I asked pathetically.

"That was the plan," he assured me softly. He picked up the phone and ordered ginger ale and a few other things - I think I heard him ask for a cheese and crackers plate along with some dinner items. I'm sure he was starving and I hoped he would at least be able to eat without worrying about me.

Harry sat next to me on the bed. The tears felt like they were caked in my eyes and had dried on my face. I couldn't care less. "How does someone do that to their own child?" I sobbed. "How could she just leave us and never look back? And then she starts another family? Were we that terrible that she had to dump us and start over?"

I was getting agitated again. Harry opened his side of the bed and motioned for me to scoot up to the headboard, so he could pull the covers back on my side as well. Then he climbed in, drew the covers around us, and laid down with me. He wrapped himself around me and rolled us slightly; his weight and warmth began to calm me instantly. 

"That woman has something wrong with her mind, Harper. Normal people don't do what she did. You did nothing wrong. You hear me? You did nothing to chase her away. You are the most beautiful and amazing woman I've ever known, and I'm sure you were a remarkable child. Your dad knows! Your mother made a stupid decision and now she's living with it. I'm just so sorry she hurt you." His voice was getting thick with emotion.

A knock on the door signified the arrival of room service. He brought the tall glass of ginger ale to me and helped me to take a sip.

"It's good," I said, nodding lightly.

"You wanna try some crackers or something?" He asked.

I nodded again.

He put the plate on the bed and I nibbled a little bit on cheese and crackers, but I wasn't hungry for much. He sat with me on the bed and ate a burger, which would have looked good to me under any other circumstances, but I couldn't force much down. He removed the plate after a short time and put it in the fridge. 

"Would you like to have a hot bath?" Harry asked. "Might make you feel a bit better."

"Um, sure," I said, nodding, not really know what I wanted. He held my hand as we walked back into the bathroom. 

"I'll just fill it up and get everything in place for you," he said. "Then I'll leave you to it.

"Please," I whispered, and he stopped to look at me. "Please stay. I'm not shy," I said, attempting a half smile and shrugging my shoulders.

I undressed down to my bra and underwear while Harry ran some bubble bath under the tap. "It might not be the best thing to ask, with your decision about the overnights and the fact that you still have a date with Victoria tomorrow. But would you get in with me?"

"Of course," he nodded. I chuckled a little and he asked, "What's so funny?" 

"I suppose it's not very likely for a guy to turn down a bubble bath with a girl, that's all."

Standing only in his boxers, he held me against him in a soothing hug. "I can't promise I won't enjoy it," he teased. "But I'm doing this for you. I'll do whatever you need. And skin to skin contact is good for you." 

Feeling just a little self-conscious, I stripped the rest of the way and stepped into the tub. Harry followed suit and slid in behind me, letting his legs wrap around me and pulling me to lean against his chest. 

With the buoyancy of the water and Harry's skin all over me, I relaxed. I let go of the knot in my gut, and some of the pain in my heart along with it. Harry slowly rubbed along my arms, over my abdomen, and even up over my breasts. It was more comforting than anything, just having him hold me and touch me. Every once in a while, he would kiss my neck or nibble on my cheek. We didn't need words. I just savored the moment; we both did, together.

I carefully turned on my side and embraced Harry. He turned on the tap to add more heat to our bath. He held me close, for as long as I needed.

After the bath, I dressed in some cool cotton pj's that were basically comfy pink shorts and a tank top, with gray polka dots and gray trim. Harry opted to stay in just a pair of boxers. We both sensed that the skin-to-skin contact would continue to be therapeutic as we held each other.

I climbed into the bed, feeling a bit chilled after the bath. Harry turned off every light except the small one on his side of the bed. He slid under the covers and gathered me to himself. For the time being, I was able to let go of the agony over my mom. I let go of all my unanswered questions and fears. I simply melted into Harry's body and he received me with all of himself that he could give.

"Thank you, Harry," I whispered against his chest.

"I'd do anything for you, Harper. I hate that you're going through this, but I promise I'll be here for you."

"I know you mean that," I murmured with my lips smashed against one of his swallows. "In your heart at least. But what if you can't be here for me after this week? I don't want you to make a promise you can't keep." 

Harry squeezed me tighter and said, "I have something to tell you. You need to know now, and I need you to know this now. Right now."

His voice sounded serious, so I pulled myself from his grasp and sat up, looking down at him warily. "What do you have to tell me?" If it was that he'd already chosen someone else, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it, but I didn't want him to feel guilty, either. I started to become agitated again, trying to figure out how I was going to take this.

"Hey," he said in his gravelly voice. "Come back here." He pulled me back down to himself physically, but I sensed his words pulled me back to him mentally and emotionally. He held me snug, but left enough space that he could look me in the eye and say, "I can promise I'll be here for you, Baby, because I love you."

I swallowed a lump in my throat and my heart started racing, only this time it was the best feeling in the world. "Really?" 

"Yes, really," he chuckled. "It's you, Harper. It's always been you. I love you." 

He leaned in with a savory kiss, melting his mouth against mine and making me the happiest woman alive. I rolled onto my back, taking him with me, so his weight and warmth could comfort me again.

"I'm glad you told me," I smiled as I pet his damp hair. "I love you so much."

"I love you," he said, popping his eyes wide open in excitement that he was able to say it so freely now.

"So what was the last thing you had to figure out?" I asked. "On the beach in Hawaii, you said you had one more thing to figure out. What was it?" 

He gave me an adorably shy smirk. "You hadn't told me you loved me yet. I wanted to know for sure." 

I closed my eyes dreamily and laughed. "Then it's a good thing I sneaked out to your house that night and told you."

"Yes, it was a very good thing."

Consumed with love for him, I completely forgot about today's upsetting events. I pulled him close and kissed him, first gently, and then more passionately as his words sunk deeper into my heart. He loved me; I was overjoyed. 

Tucked into his side, my face nuzzled into his fragrant neck. He stretched up to turn out the light next to him, and then he literally wrapped himself around me, curling one leg around both of mine, and pulling me snug against his chest. I pushed away just slightly and pulled the tank top over my head. "Skin-to-skin contact," I explained briefly with a smirk. I let him pull me tight again, reveling in our closeness.

Time went by as we melted against each other. His arms wrapped firmly around gave me peace; I believed that I could get through whatever I faced if he was by my side.

I wanted to kiss him again, so badly, so I did. I pushed away from him enough to scoot up and capture his lips unexpectedly. He only stalled for a moment before he returned the kiss with a new kind of energy, one we had never allowed between us before because of all the rules and regulations with the show. Even when I sneaked over to his house, we kept things under control. But we both knew now that we felt the same way, and the barriers burst.

As his mouth seemed to consume mine with desire, he rubbed his hand down my side, slowly pulling me towards him, our hips pressing together in a way that forced a whine out of my throat. As we continued kissing, I rolled onto my back, hopefully giving him the message that I wanted him over me. When he complied, my breath came out in a pleasured gasp, feeling him pressed firmly against me. 

I pulled away and Harry propped himself on his elbows, playing with strands of my hair. "Everything okay?" He asked.

"I want you," I said, barely breathing. 

I could see his eyes, trying to read me in the dark. "Are you sure you'll be all right? You've had a pretty emotional day. I just don't want to-"

"You're not taking advantage of me, Harry," I said chuckling softly at his concern. "You weren't the cause of any of that whirlwind of emotions earlier. You were the one who steadied me. You helped to bring everything into focus. I know I'll still have a lot to deal with after this, but I feel so much stronger, knowing you're going to be there for me." He nodded, his gaze examining my face. "Besides," I whispered. "We love each other. This is what lovers do, right?"

"You are so right," he finally said, kissing me with an urgency we hadn't felt before. I could feel his heart racing as I moved one hand along his neck; I stroked my thumb against his jaw, feeling the rhythm of the blood coursing through. My hand continued up into his hair where I scratched and tugged lightly at his locks. His lips were practically burning, melting against mine so it seemed we became fused together. 

There was not only a satisfying fullness in my body, but also in my heart, as Harry and I completed each other. Back and forth, we sailed over the waves of desire, filled completely by each other.

"I love you, Baby," he said as his breathing calmed. We fell asleep entwined in each other, both exceptionally full of love. 

_____

Ahem, well. And you all thought that meeting her mom would ruin their evening together ;)