VI

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐯

The cab eventually reached Aquilah's flat and came to a halt. The girl was still asleep on Arthur's shoulder and whilst he promised her that he would wake her, when it came to it the boy froze. Instead he paid the driver and slowly carried the girl from under her legs into a bridal style position and walked into the building. Once they entered he gently cooed her name.

"Arthur? What are you doing at my building?" the girl was barely awake so she clung onto the brunette holding her so she wouldn't fall or anything.

"I came in the cab with you back to your flat, which level are you on and what number is your room?"

"5th level and it's room 512." the boy had out her down now but kept an arm on the small of her back to ensure that she wouldn't trip in her heels or anything. Guiding her to the elevator, Arthur entered and pressed the button before it ascended. Once the doors opened again the two began walking until they reached the girl's flat, she fished her keys out of her bag and they both entered. Arthur took note of everything about her flat, from the hints of pink scattered in her kitchen to the painting of the london eye in her living room.

"What's going through your mind?"

"Not much really, I was just admiring your flat, it's very elegant yet busy? I don't know it's like you're a star but in a fancy way I guess?"

"Well that's pretty spot on, I'd say my style is definitely a star girl vibe mixed with elegant streetwear because I love baby pink so much." Aquila shrugged as she opened her fridge and took out some leftover pasta and placed it in two bowls before heating one up in the microwave.

"You can eat that bowl when it's finished heating up, I'm going to change and take my makeup off really quick."

"A-are you sure? I-I I was just going to book a cab back to Chris' and crash there. I don't want to bother you." the girl whipped around and walked up to the boy before squishing his face with her right hand,

"You're never going to be a bother Arthur, besides you don't have keys to Chris' flare I assume and I also assume that he's knocked out cold. I have a spare room with some of Harry's clothes that you can wear. Everyone tends to stay over at my house so I have a shit ton of spare stuff."

"Only if you are one hundred per cent sure beca-"

"I am Arthur." the microwave beeped and the girl quickly went through her hallway and into her bedroom. Arthur grabbed the food from the microwave and placed the second bowl in the microwave for the girl to eat when she came back.

Whilst the brunette boy was sitting on the island eating the pasta, he couldn't help but notice how complex the dish was, from the slightly tangy pesto to the whole meal pasta; signs that maybe it was homemade and not a store bought packet. He had finished his food and was about to wash this bowl when he heard a thud coming from down the hallway. The boy carefully walked down the hallway and knocked on the closed door,

"Aquilah? Are you alright?"

"No please help! Quickly Arthur I- ow!" hearing the panic in het voice, Arthur quickly opened the door and saw the girl kneeling over, her hand on her foot.

"What happened?!"

"My shelf broke and there were a few books on it and one of them fell onto my foot and it's bruising really bad and I can't put pressure on it so now I can't stand up and it really hurts like really badly and-" the girl was beginning to get extremely overwhelmed with her short and rapid breaths and a shakiness to her composure, the Jersey boy immediately rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and rubbing up and down with his hand to calm her down. He leaned back against her bed frame and slowly pulled her towards him so that her back was leaning against his chest.

"It's okay, deep breaths okay? Panicking will not make your foot magically heal alright you have to just breathe." Arthur picked the girl up in bridal style again and placed her on her bed.

"I'll bring your food in here and get you an ice pack okay?"

"Thank you Arthur, that's really nice of you."

"You're letting me stay over, it's the least I can do." the boy left the room and quickly entered the kitchen, heating the food up for another minute whilst her looked through the freezer for an ice pack and a cloth to wrap it in. Arthur also quickly went down the hallway and into the spare bedroom to change into some sweatpants and washed his face in the bathroom and used a spare toothbrush to brush his teeth.

He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the bowl of pasta and ice pack and made his way back to Aquilah's bedroom.

"Aquilah, I have your food here."

"Oh my goodness Arthur, you are seriously my knight in shining." she gave the brunette boy a lopsided smile in which he noticed her dimples form but they were more closer to her mouth and lower on her face. He quickly snapped out of his trance though before either of them noticed he was in one to begin with.

"I have this ice pack for your foot as well- um, you haven't taken off your makeup yet-NO OFFENCE! I just thought you were going to."

"I was about to but then my self fell so yeah."

" Do you want me to do it for you? That way you can still relax and eat something and then sleep afterwards."

"Only if you really want to because I don't not want to force you to do so." the boy only nodded at her suggestion and walked over to her vanity, he grabbed the micellar water and cotton pads before walking back to trye bed and sitting down next to the girl facing her. He dabbed the micellar water onto the cotton pad and gently rubbed it on Aquilah's face, being careful of pulling her skin too hard.

Once he was finished he put the pile of used pads into her small bin before taking her empty plate to the sink and washing the two bowls. He walked back into the girl's bedroom just to check up on her,

"I'm gonna head to bead now okay? You gonna be alright Aquilah?" the girl bit her lip nervously but as she looked up at the boy her mouth was speaking without her thinking - you could only blame the alcohol that she had a mere three hours ago

"Can you stay in here please? I don't really want to sleep alone now that I hurt myself. I know it sounds stupid but yeah."

"Like on the floor?"

"Is it weird if I ask you to share my bed?"

"Well we did know each other before today and I've learnt a lot about you, so, I don't think so." and with that Arthur jumped into bed on the opposite side of the girl ensuring that there was enough space between them.

He gave her one last look before giving her a small smile, she responded in just squishing his face in her hand.

"I can't believe you were the chess boy from the museum in Manchester."

"Me either, I always remembered you as business girl from Guernsey who would be this super cool CEO."

"You remembered that I wanted to have a career in business."

"you infatuated me, you were my clearest memory that i forced myself to never let go of." Aquilah gave Arthur the biggest smile she could ever give and started giggling.

"I never thought that I would see your squishable face ever again once I broke my phone in the airport, yet here I am - squishing the shit out of your face. Completely drunk and in pain but I'm also glad that I didn't fully forget you."

"Goodnight Lilee."

"Night Arts." the two turned over so their backs were facing each other and quickly were lulled to sleep in the quiet flat.

AUTHORS NOTE: HOW DO I HAVE ALMOST 900 READS !!!! THAT IS INSANE !!! i am seriously so grateful for y'all and am super happy that this book is doing great 💗💗 please continuing interacting with the book by voting and commenting throughout the story. I promise to try and keep updates as consistent as possible and I hope to get either one or two more chapters by the end of the weekend. 🙌🏽 i love you all so much mwah 💋