Love By Design

Chapter 53

I wake up slowly to the sound of buzzing.

There’s a comforting weight around me, a warm presence pressed against my back and I hum in content before a sharp pain shoots up my wrist.

I wince, blinking languidly as I open my eyes. They take a moment to adjust to the subdued lighting of my room.

Disoriented, I turn to find August and realise that we’ve somehow shifted into a spooning position. I try to sit up, struggling to break free from his hold as I reach for my phone vibrating on my bedside table.

“August,” I whisper loudly.

Tapping on his arms, they only proceed to get tighter around me.

“Five more minutes,” He murmurs sleepily, shifting to bury his face on the curve between my neck and shoulder.

His lips trace against my bare skin and I feel my cheeks flush at the close contact. A warmth pools in my belly as my heartbeat picks up but August is none the wiser, in the state of half-asleep and half awakeness.

“Aug-ust.” I squirm around in another attempt to break free but his hold on me is rock solid.

“Mhm,” He lets out another noncommittal noise, arms loosening ever so slightly.

I quickly take this opportunity to reach my non-injured hand out to grab my phone, exhaling in celebration as I manage to grasp it between my fingers.

“Hello?” I answer, not bothering to check the Caller ID as I swipe the call.

“Bitch, I am flying to Switzerland and castrating your scum of the Earth uncle, I swear to God Hallie I’m going to–”

“Merry Christmas to you too, Gigi.”

“I cannot fucking believe the audacity of that man.”

Her voice is pitched higher, frenzied as she speaks over the phone.

“I’m booking the next available flight to Geneva and dragging you out of there, after I punch the living daylights out of that pathetic excuse of a human being. Blood is thicker than water be damned, Hallie. He lays another finger on you and I will break and dismember every single–”

August groans noisily behind me, the sound of Gigi’s frantic rant loud enough to wake him. I nudge him with my elbow in an attempt to silence his grumbling but it’s too late.

“Christ, Winters, can you be any louder?” He grunts and I wince at his response. “As much as I’m all for detaching limbs of abhorrent family members, there’s a time and a place for that.”

There’s a long pause on the other end of the line and I wait.

Maybe Gigi didn’t hear–

“Wait–”

“I swear it’s not what you think it is,” I cut in.

The rustling of the bedsheets and the fact that August sounds like he just woke up probably isn’t helping my case.

“Are you in bed with the Peroxide Prince of Paris?”

“It is exactly what you think it is,” August chimes in playfully.

The glaring sound of a video call coming in follows his remark.

“Gigi!”

“Answer the call, Mahalia Hartt.”

“We’re not decent.” Is the deadpan reply from August and I turn around to smack him in the chest.

“August,” I stress.

“Oh my god!?” Gigi’s shriek cuts through the conversation and I put the phone even further away from my ear.

“We are 100% decent.” I roll my eyes as his arms eventually unwind from me. “He’s just being an ass.”

I deflate at the loss of contact but I do my best not to show it as I sit up, turning on the lamp on my bedside table.

“You wound me, loveheart, truly.” He pouts, placing a hand on his chest as he sprawls himself out on my bed.

“Loveheart?!” Gigi exclaims as August grins at me sheepishly.

“It’s a long story,” I shake my head at his antics.

“I… I have so many questions, wow.”

August shifts to lie on his side, bringing an arm around my waist and pulling me close to him as he rests his head on my lap.

The action is so smoothly executed it catches me off guard at how natural it feels.

“You and me both,” I mutter to myself.

Gigi pauses, her voice turning serious.

“Are you okay, Hals?” She asks, worry edged in her tone.

“I’m okay,” I reply. “I should have seen it coming, really.”

“No one banked your psycho uncle pulling another one of his fucking stunts.”

“I thought things would be different,” I reason, disheartened.

August looks up at me steadily, his gaze flickering to my hands as they curl into fists.

I splay them back out, grimacing apologetically at the awful habit I can’t seem to shake. August looks at me once more before taking my hands and interlacing them with his.

“Are you staying there for New Year’s too?”

“No,” I answer. “I’ll head back. It doesn’t make sense for me to be here if all I’m going to do is cause so much trouble.”

“Hallie, you’re not the problem here.”

August squeezes my hand in quiet encouragement.

“I know.” I squeeze his hand back, slowly tracing my thumb over his knuckles. “But I don’t want to entertain the idea of being here anymore. I’m better off elsewhere, you know? Somewhere I can be productive. I just… It’s so difficult and I’ve been trying so hard and I…”

My voice trembles as my eyes begin to water.

“Oh, honey.” I can hear Gigi tearing up on the other side and I bite my lip.

“Sorry,” I sniffle, sitting up. “No sorrow soirées.”

My uncle’s words echo in my head and I scratch against at my chest, feeling the thread that held my emotions in place unravelling again.

August sits up, shuffling to press his back against my headboard before tugging me to sit on his lap. He doesn’t say anything, just listens intently as Gigi and I continue our conversation.

“Hallie. None of this is your fault.”

“I know,” I reply. “But I’m going back to London regardless.”

“Do you need me to head up? I’m sure I can spare a couple of days.”

“It’s okay, Gigi. Thank you.”

“Are you sure?”

August takes my hands and intertwines our fingers again, pulling me closer to him.

“Yes,” I reassure her before clearing my throat. “August is with me.”

His presence is like a warm blanket. I can feel the steady beating of his heart as he tucks me close to his chest.

“She’s in good hands,” August comments loud enough for Gigi to hear as he kisses my forehead. “I’ll look after her, I promise.”

His admissions tugs on my heartstrings, pulling the plug on my emotions and I feel the waterworks starting again as Gigi and I say our goodbyes.

I hang up the phone call, turning to face August, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

“I’m–”

“You better not say sorry,” He interrupts me. “I will kiss that apology from your mouth so don’t even try it.”

I let out a shaky laugh.

“Are you threatening me with a kiss?”

He shakes his head. “I’m threatening you with multiple kisses. Plural.”

“That’s not very intimidating.”

My chest feels lighter, August’s attempt to soothe my anxiety as I tap on his lips playfully.

“You’re pushing it, loveheart.”

“I am so s–” I’m interrupted by the quickest, lightest touch of his lips against mine and I blink multiple times. “–cared.”

It was barely a kiss, a short peck but the fluttering in my stomach intensifies as his eyes flicker down to my mouth.

“I…” He clears his throat. “Take that back. I thought you were going to apologise, my mistake.”

“You can’t take back a kiss.” I shake my head, wrinkling my nose. “It’s not allowed.”

He scoffs playfully. “What are you going to do about it?”

Feeling brave, I look up at him before leaning up to give him a longer peck on the lips.

August looks at me, eyes glazing over before I pull away shyly, blinking up at him.

“Not the eyes,” He groans. “Don’t give me those eyes, Mahalia Hartt, please.”