Open Your Eyes

"Lennon? Uh, what happened to all your stuff? And Presley's? Where are you guys?"

"Lenny! Where the bloody hell are you?! Liam is flipping his lid! Call me back. We're all worried."

Lennon Annaleigh Cox, I don't know what you're doing or why you're doing it, but it isn't funny. You need to come back. You've been gone for two days and you haven't been answering our calls or texts. I'm worried about you. And so is Liam."

Harry said his name with such distaste. Him, Liam, and Niall all seemed so worried. Legitimate worry was in their voices. And that made me feel worse. I couldn't even talk to my cousin. My family and friends were probably sick with worry. Harry would end up thinking I ran off again like I did with James. And that wouldn't end well.

"Mummy, me want to play," Presley spoke, pointing outside. We were in a cabin in the middle of the woods in Dunbeg, Argyll and Bute. We were almost nine hours away from London. It was honestly the most adorable place ever. If I wasn't so stressed out and on edge, I would relish in the beauty of it.

Presley didn't get that we couldn't go outside. I wasn't even allowed to go out on the porch and drink a cuppa every morning. I stood at the backdoor and looked out the window like a lost puppy. Honestly pathetic if you ask me. Shaking my head, I said, "No, baby, you can't. It's raining and you'll get sick."

She pouted and stomped her foot. "But Mummy!" She whined.

"But nothing, Presley Anne!" I snapped. "Now go watch the telly. Mummy has to think."

"You mean," she mumbled as she walked off. With a roll of my eyes, I propped my arm on the table and placed my hand under my chin. This shit sucked. Utterly and completely sucked.

Paul padded in the kitchen and set his coffee mug in the sink. "What're you thinkin' 'bout, love?"

I shrugged. "Stuff."

He sat down in the chair beside me with a sigh. "I know it's hard; being away from the lads and everything. But I'm doing this for you and Presley's safety. I wouldn't do this if I didn't care about you," he spoke. "You're a part of the family and once your in, you can't get out."

I grinned as he said that last part. That was for sure. Those blokes would never let me leave. If I did, they'd come find me. I would never get away from those five loud, rambunctious lads.

"I just feel bad," I mumbled. I played with my fingers and stared down at them on the table. "Everything had just started going good. I was finally starting to feel like myself; like I actually had a chance at a normal life, but then this happened."

My life was shit. And it wouldn't be anything but. One person, one single person, was slowly ruining my life. One threat at a time. And there was nothing I could do about it except sit back and watch everything unfold.


Horrible. I felt absolutely horrible.

Two weeks. Two weeks of no phone calls. No texts. No internet. No nothing. The incoming phone calls hadn't slowed down, nor had the texts. My voicemail had been full the second day I was gone, so I, with much regret, listened to every single one and deleted them. I don't think I had cried so much in my entire life as I did when I listened to all of them.

Paul didn't ask any questions. He just sent me a look filled with pity and went back to what he was doing. Presley didn't notice my tears. She was too busy watching The Wiggles on the telly. It was better she didn't though. She would get worried and become an absolute mess over it. She was a worry wart much like her mother.

"Yeah. Uh huh. Okay," Paul murmured into his phone. He thought I was taking a nap with Presley. "Don't tell them anything. This is for their safety. Lennon needs to be the one to tell them, not us. Okay, I'll see you in a bit Preston."

He hung up and his footsteps could be heard heading my way. I slipped back into the shadows of the dark hallway and held my breath as he passed. "Lennon?" He whispered, lightly knocking on my bedroom door. When no answer came, he walked back up the hall and into the living room.

I took that as my chance to slip back in my room. Why did my life have to end up like this? Why me and why Presley? I had no intentions of putting ny daughter through anything like what James did. When I got away from him, I thought that was the end of it. But he would never stop. He wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. And what he wanted was Presley and me. The only way he would stop would be if he got us or if he died. That sounds horrible I know, but it's the truth.

Laying down in the bed beside my sleeping daughter, I gazed over at her. She was so innocent and sweet when she slept. She didn't deserve any of this. None of it. She had no idea what was going on and the effect it had on our lives. And she never would if I had anything to do with it.

"I'm sorry babygirl," I whispered. A few tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. "I'm so sorry."


"What the bloody hell are we doing out here, Paul?"

"Keep it down will, yeah?"

"What for?" Who is yelling? "Just tell us what the hell we're doing out here in the middle of nowhere!"

Slipping out of bed, I left Presley sound asleep and quietly left the room. I padded down the hallway and stayed in the shadows.

"Harry!" Paul snapped. "Shut your god damn mouth!"

Harry? Harry?! Harry was here?

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, Paul!" Harry roared. "I want to know what the hell is going on! I want to know where the hell my cousin and goddaughter are! But instead of letting us go out and look for her, you have us here in this stupid cabin for a reason you have yet to tell us!"

Preston put a hand on Harry's chest to hold him back while Paul looked about to blow. We had become really close this last week, so I understood why. He didn't want me or Presley to get woke up seeing as we had hardly got any sleep the whole time we had been here. It was the whole not being in our own beds thing.

"Paul, just tell us why we're here." Someone else came with Harry?

"Thank you for being much calmer, Liam."

Liam?! Without thinking, I rounded the corner and my eyes frantically searched for Liam, charging at him when I finally spotted him. "I missed you so much," I cried.

"Lennon?" He asked dumbfounded. My arms wound tightly around him as I cried into his neck. His arms wrapped around me and held me against him as his face was buried in my neck. "I'm so sorry," I cried softly. "I'm so sorry."

We must have stayed like that forever. I didn't care because it felt nice. It was nice to finally be back in his arms. Our little moment was cut short by my lovely cousin.

"Lennon, what the hell?" Harry screeched, his arms flailing. I unraveled myself from Liam and moved over to my mental looking cousin. "I'm so sorry, Har, I really am," I mumbled. A fresh batch of tears appeared and he took notice, almost immediately wrapping me in his arms.

"Don't cry, love," he cooed. "It'll be okay."

I shook my head. "No it won't. He'll find us. He always does."

He went to question me, but Paul beat him to it. "James. He found them. She called me two weeks ago and I did the only thing I could think of; take her away from the public and paps."

"Oh Lennon," Liam mumbled. Harry was tense as he held me. "I wouldn't let her have any contact until I thought it was safe," Paul spoke.

"I won't let that arsehole hurt you or Presley, you hear me?" Harry spoke in a tight voice. I nodded and stood on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "I know and thank you," I murmured. "I love you, Har."

"You don't need to thank me. That's what brothers are for," he replied. "I love you too, Lenna."

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.