Cease to Begin

Humming, the faint sound of a sweet song wafted into her ears.

She cracked her eyes open just enough to be stunned by the bright light streaming through the window above her. Moaning quietly, Kate pulled the covers over her head, plunging into complete darkness and silence with a tired smile.

She wasn't sure of the time, time didn't matter anymore. Minutes and hours were still jumbled together, days ticked by quicker than she wanted. She had only been home in Cheshire for a few of them, not having done anything but sleep. Her baggage sat on the floor unpacked much to her mum's disapproval. She felt like she had barely seen her family, speaking of her mum, but she was just trying to readjust to the time difference and live through the jet lag.

Somewhat off again under the plush blanket, she barely heard what she had wanted to hear for so long.

"Katie, love i'm off. I'll see you later," her mum called up the stairs, only getting a muffled sound from her daughter.

Now fully engrossed in slumber, she didn't dream, which was a welcome change from the past few weeks. She hadn't dreamed since she had been home, nothing that woke her with a shake or hung over her head for the rest of the day.

What did wake her though, aside from the suffocating place she was currently in, was the obnoxiously booming bass mixing with the clang of pots and pans.

Her sister, she growled at the noise before she threw the blanket off of her, the sudden rush of air making her shiver. Plucking a hair tie from her bedside table, she pulled her hair into a messy bun atop her head, stomping down the stairs and making a b-line for the kitchen.

"Jessica!" She shouted as she burst through the swinging door, greeted with the back of her baby sister who was moving along with the awful beats playing. She began to sing along, making Kate's blood boil even more. "Jess! Hello, what the fuck?" She yelled again, turning off the stereo.

"Hey! I was listening to that."

"Do you have to be so loud? Banging about like that when people are trying to sleep."

Rolling her eyes, Jessica waved her sister off. "It's half noon Katie, you should be awake anyway. Do you want some tea?"

Sighing, Kate sat down at the small table. "Please, but make it quietly."

"Make it quietly," her sister mocked, turning to put the kettle on.

Jessica was the youngest, putting Kate right in the middle. She took after their father, ink black hair and blue eyes, Snow White right off the page. She was the complete opposite of Kate not only in appearance, but in personality as well. While Kate was quiet, had a few select friends and kept to herself, Jessica was loud, had a gang of mates and told the world everything. She reminded her of Charlotte, which was probably why they had become so close.

Before Jessica could set the mugs down, someone else burst through the kitchen door. He was the oldest, and by far the loudest both in voice and looks. He was blonde, like Kate and her mother, but his hair was shaved down to the bare minimum., and he was covered in tattoos from head to toe, everything from names to characters.

"Buenas noches hermanas," he bellowed, scooping one of the cups out of Jessica's hands before plopping down in the chair next to Kate.

"That's good night you idiot," the youngest said, sneering at him as she set the other cup in front of her sister.

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed, taking a sip of the tea only to turn his nose up at it. He stood, grabbing the tin of sugar and proceeded to pour three heaping spoonfuls into the liquid.

"Would you like some tea with your sugar Matt?" Kate smirked, sipping her own.

"What's for lunch, i'm starving," he asked, ignoring her.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Jessica questioned in a snotty tone.

"Day off, figured i'd come see my two very spoiled baby sisters. How's life living off mum and dad?"

"How's life doing shit tribal tattoos on desperate, middle aged women's lower backs all day?" Kate shot back.

"Sexy," he winked, never missing a beat.

"You're disgusting," Jessica muttered, joining them at the table with a plate of toast.

Matt grabbed a slice, taking a huge bite out of it, his sister slapping his hand.

"So Katie, how was America? That roommate of yours sounds hot over the phone."

"You answered my phone?"

"It was on the table, don't blame me for answering it."

"She's really pretty too," Jessica chimed in, flushing when Kate glared at her. "It was on the table!"

"And that gives you permission to snoop through it then? Good to know I can't trust my own flesh and blood."

"Don't worry, we didn't tell mum or dad about the text from Harry."

Matt kicked her from under the table, shaking his head in disappointment as if they had made some sick pact to torture her with that text.

She hadn't thought about Harry at all since the incident at the airport, her lips tingling with the memory.

Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat. "What text?" She asked, playing dumb.

She knew exactly which one, the one he had sent the second day she had been home. She could recall it word for word, but pushed it out of her mind for now.

"Oh please, you probably sit there nightly reading it," Matt scoffed, burying his face in his cup when she glared at him too.

"If only you had stayed with him, you could have had your own flat in London or some diamonds," Jessica teased.

"He dumped her remember."

Kate growled at that, punching her brother in the arm as hard as she could. As he whined the phone rang, distracting her from wringing his neck.

"Hello?" Kate asked, standing from the table to place her empty mug in the sink.

"Oh you're up, what a shock," her mother cheerfully said.

"Are you going in on me too now?"

"What do you mean love?"

"Nothing mum," she chuckled. "What's going on?"

"Well I was thinking, maybe you and your sister could pop round to Nan's and then head to the shops to get a few things off my list. What about that eh?"

"Jess is going out," Kate lied. One thing about Jessica was, you never wanted to go anywhere with her if it involved shopping. "And I thought Nan was coming for dinner tonight?"

"She is, but it would be nice to visit wouldn't it?"

Sighing, Kate rolled her eyes. "Alright mum, i'll go round after I go to the shops."

"Oh you're such a sweet girl," she cooed. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye mum," she said, placing the phone on the counter. She turned around and realized that she was now alone. Shrugging her shoulders, she grabbed the rest of the dishes so she could load the dishwasher, her eyes wandering around the room.

Every inch held some memory of him, not just the kitchen but the whole house. Again, she hadn't thought about him much, but as she did now so many things came rushing back. Like in her bedroom, which faced the garden, when the window broke as he snuck out of it. Or the bathroom where they would sneak away for a kiss when her family was around.

"I have to go get something." she would say, and two minutes later Harry would excuse himself to go to the toilet.

Shaking her head, Kate occupied herself with the task at hand instead of reminiscing about a love lost, she had to shower before she even stepped out of the house. Doing so, Kate then dressed, opting for comfort over style as she always did, leaving a note for Jessica out of politeness.

She headed out to a few of the shops before landing in the supermarket, wandering through the crisps aisle.

"Katie?" She heard from beside her, the voice unfamiliar until she turned and saw her face.

She had never thought this day would come, but it had and she was some what thankful it wasn't another member of his family.

"Gemma, hi," Kate greeted, awkwardly waving.

If only Jessica had been with her, what a story she could tell at dinner tonight. Kate ran into Gemma Styles in the crisps aisle at the supermarket, you know Harry's own sister?

She wanted to die.

"How are you? You look so tan."

"I'm good, just got back from Los Angeles actually."

"Oh right, you were at that uni over there. My brother was just there as well."

She visibly cringed, not wanting to spit out that she knew all too well where he had just been.

"Well you know, pop stars and all," she said instead, laughing nervously.

"Right," Gemma replied, looking at her like another head had sprouted out of Kate's shoulder. "I should get going, mum's waiting for this juice," she said, holding up the bottle. "It was good seeing you Kate."

"You too Gem, say hi to your mum." It was the polite thing to say, but she hoped Gemma wouldn't really give her mum the hello.

Having thoroughly embarrassed herself by the time his sister had walked away, Kate quickly picked up the rest of what she needed and ran out of there.

She realized, as she got back to hers, that not only was her house full of him, the whole village was. He had family here, childhood friends, the bakery she had rescued him from.

There were so many memories here, memories of him. Maybe coming home wasn't such a good idea.