#haow

Harry's POV

Harry doesn't know how he managed to spend over two decades keeping secrets from Cleo. Because now, he can barely keep anything from her. It's like she has a sixth sense when it comes to him. And on most days, Harry considers it a good thing that she can see right through him, but not this time. Not when he's about to pull the biggest — and the scariest, so much so that he shivers each time he thinks about it — surprise he's ever done.

Harry Styles is going to propose to Cleo Ward tonight.

Harry can feel the weight of the small, rectangular box in his jacket, burning holes in his pocket. For the past two years, that box has made a home in his drawer, buried underneath his socks — the only place he knows where Cleo wouldn't go looking. She knows that his mother has given him the family ring — he's the one who told her that — but she doesn't know what it looks like. And Harry refuses to let her take a peek of it until it's time for him to slide it onto her finger.

"Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?" Harry asks Adam for the, well, he's lost count already.

Adam lets out a chuckle. "Mate, relax. She doesn't suspect a thing." Before Harry can open his mouth and ask his friend if he's really sure, he beats him to it. "And yes, I'm very sure of that. If you don't trust me, trust Daisy. She's keeping Cleo busy."

Harry exhales. Not that he doesn't trust his best mate, but knowing that Daisy is in on this too makes him feel a lot better. "Okay, good."

"Where are you anyway?" Adam quizzes. "This plan's not gonna work if you're not here."

"Almost there," he replies. Harry can see the building that houses Ward's bookstore and his heart lurches in his throat. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Adam laughs — loud. "I know that feeling."

"What if she says no?" Harry voices out his biggest fear, feeling his chest getting tighter and tighter as he nears the bookstore.

"Mate—"

"What if she laughs at my face?"

"She does that to you everyday."

Ignoring that remark, Harry voices out another fear, "What if she's not ready for this? What if—"

"Harry," Adam's firm voice shuts him up. "Breathe."

Harry does as told. Within seconds, he can feel his heartbeat returning to its normal rate.

"She's not going to say no," Adam tells him. Harry opens his mouth but like before, he's cut off. "And please don't ask me how I know that. I just know she's going to say yes. Maybe she will laugh at your face first but then she'll say yes."

That does sound like his Cleo — the laughing part, at least. Maybe she'll tell him he's being ridiculous or that he's annoying for keeping this whole thing a secret from her. But after that, maybe she'll say yes. God, he hopes she says yes.

Harry can't imagine spending the rest of his life with someone else. When he imagines his future, he sees Cleo by his side — annoying him, laughing at him and with him, rolling her eyes at him when he says something cheesy. If he's being truly honest with himself, he's had that image in his head ever since he realised that Cleo was his soulmate. And not his enemy. But he's been keeping that to himself, scared that she doesn't want the same future as he does.

"Finally," a voice snaps him back to reality. Adam is standing at the entrance of the bookstore, brows furrowing. Immediately, Harry feels his heartbeat quicken.

"What's wrong?"

"Cleo is on her way back."

"Shit," Harry mutters under his breath as he hurries inside the bookstore. "Everything's set up, right?"

"Yeah," Adam nods. "You have no idea how hard it is to keep her away from that spot."

Harry swallows. "But she doesn't suspect anything?"

"I told her I hid something for Daisy and didn't want her to find out."

"And she backed off?"

"Very reluctantly."

Harry chuckles at that. "Sounds like her."

"Good luck, mate." Adam pats Harry on the back. "I'm a phone call away if you need me."

Harry nods. "Thank you. For helping me with this."

"Hey, you helped me with my proposal. I'm just glad I could return the favour," Adam smiles. "Well, I should go before Cleo gets here."

As soon as Adam leaves, Harry makes his way to the back of the bookstore where everything is set up.

What used to be Beau's secret spot has been turned into his spot. His and Cleo's spot. Adam has helped him arrange some books — all of them are books that he's seen Cleo read — and flowers, and in the middle of all those books are the books that would determine whether he'll be celebrating or drowning in his sorrows: there are fourteen books and they're all arranged in ways so the initials of each book would spell: will you marry me?

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Harry takes out the box from his pocket and opens it up. The sight of his mother's ring takes his breath away and before he knows it, he starts to imagine how beautiful it'll look on Cleo's finger.

"Adam?"

Harry quickly closes the box and shoves it into his pocket. He takes one last look at the arrangement and takes a deep breath.

"Hellooooo? Adam? I swear if you leave this bookstore unattended I'm going to fire you," Cleo says and Harry has to bite back a laugh. "I know I said I'll never fire you but I—"

Cleo's words die in her throat when she comes face to face with Harry.

"Harry?"

"Hi."

"What are you—Where's Adam?"

"He left."

"Oh he's definitely going to get fired."

Harry laughs. "He didn't leave this place unattended. I got here before he left."

"Why?"

"Because..." Harry steps forward and takes Cleo's hands in his. She looks down at their hands, brows furrowing. He can tell she has questions on the tip of her tongue so he breaks the silence before those words could leave her mouth. "I can't have him around for this."

Then Harry leads her to the arrangement. He watches as she takes it all in, her eyes widening.

"What's all this?"

"Those are all the books I've seen you read."

She turns to him. "You remember them?"

"I remember everything about you," he tells her. And it's the truth.

Cleo walks closer to the arrangement. She touches the flowers and picks one up. "And what's this for?"

"It's for..." Harry clears his throat. "You."

"Why?"

"Why don't you look at the books in the middle?"

Cleo does as told. "These are all my favourite books. Well not all of them, I didn't really enjoy that and that—"

"Cleo. Pay attention to the initials of the books."

"Why?" She asks. Harry gives her a pleading look. "Okay, okay."

While Cleo has her focus on the books, Harry takes a deep breath and takes the box out. As quietly as he possibly could, he lowers himself to the floor and gets on one knee. Running his tongue across his lower lip, he rehearses the words one more time in his head.

"Will," Cleo says out loud once she's figured out the first word. Then: "you." And when she gets to the third word, "marry", Harry can tell she's already figured everything out.

But still, when she turns around and finds Harry on his knee, the look on her face is one that will forever be ingrained in his memory.

"Harry."

"Cleo."

"Harry, I'm so confused."

"Cleo," he tries again. "If you know how many times I've rehearsed these lines, you're never going to let it go. You'll taunt me and laugh at me and you'll probably even tell our families about it, and that's what I love about you. I love how you're an absolute pain in the arse."

Cleo shakes her head, laughing. She's probably going to deny it if he points it out but he's pretty sure she has tears in her eyes.

"I love how you always roll your eyes at me when I do or say something cheesy. I love how extra kind you are to me when I'm sick. I love how you're always one step ahead of me, I mean, you didn't even get to "me" before you figured out that I was proposing."

Cleo shoots him a guilty look. "I'm sorry."

Harry waves that off with his free hand. "And most importantly, I love you, Cleo. I love you so much. You've made me the happiest person on earth and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. You're it for me, Cleo Ward."

"And you're it for me too," she whispers under her breath.

"If you'd let me, I want to keep annoying you, making you smile and laugh and roll your eyes," Harry breathes. "Cleo Ward, will you—"

"Yes," she says. "Wait, finish the question."

Harry smiles. "Cleo Ward, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she nods as she reaches for him. Harry can feel his heart expand in his chest as he takes the ring out of the box. "I will marry the hell out of you, Harry Styles."

Laughing, Harry slides the ring onto Cleo's finger. It fits her perfectly and just as expected, the ring looks beautiful on her.

"Come up here," Cleo says.

Harry doesn't need to be told twice. He gets up to his feet and Cleo crushes his lips with hers.

"God, I love you so much," she tells him. "I can't believe you did all this."

"Adam helped."

"And I can't believe you managed to keep this from me."

"I know," Harry chuckles. "I kept getting nightmares that you'd find out about this."

"That explains why you kept tossing and turning in your sleep."

"I wanted this to be perfect."

Cleo cups his face with her small hands. Looking into his eyes, she smiles and says, "It is."

Harry leans forward and captures her lips for another kiss, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss. And when he pulls away, Cleo rests her hand against his chest, her eyes fixed on the ring.

"It's so beautiful," she says. "I feel like I don't deserve this."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Cleo looks up. "No, really, I feel like I'm not worthy of this ring."

This time, Harry's the one rolling his eyes at her. "Cleo, the ring is made for you."

Cleo gazes at the ring once again. "It does look like it."

"Just like how I'm made for you."

"Oh God," Cleo bursts out laughing. "That's so..."

Harry joins in on the laughter. "I know," he replies. "But hey, you didn't roll your eyes at me."

"Only because you've just made me the happiest woman on earth." Looping her arms around his neck, she adds, "And don't let it get to your head, you've also made me the luckiest woman ever."

"Already gotten to my head," he responds, wrapping his arms around her waist. When Cleo rests her cheek on his chest, he presses a kiss on top of her head. "So we're really doing this?"

"Mhmm," Cleo hums. "You're stuck with me, Styles."