Never Land
Evelyn
Evelyn’s body was shaking when the dolphin finally dropped them off at the shore, and she collapsed onto the ground with her back in the sand, her chest heaving up and down. She’d never felt so much excitement and worry in her life, especially not when she was reading her books, and it took several moments for her to gather her thoughts together.
When she did, she shot up and scanned the beach for Niall’s blonde hair. She spotted him almost immediately and their eyes met, causing Evelyn to shoot straight for him. He wrapped her up in a hug, his heart pounding just as quickly as hers, before he pulled away.
“Are you alright?” Niall asked, looking her up and down for any scrapes or bruises. She was fine, though she wouldn’t have been able to feel it if she wasn’t with all the adrenaline that was pumping through her body.
“I’m okay, yeah,” she said, nodding her head, though her eyes were swelling up a bit. “That was terrifying.”
Niall chuckled, pulling his sister back into a hug. “It’s not so fun when it’s you in danger, is it?”
Evelyn shook her head as she shoved her face in her brother’s chest and squeezed him more tightly. They stayed like that for only a short moment before Evelyn remembered seeing Louis behind her just before they went into the water, fighting off one of the pirates. She pulled back from Niall quickly, her eyes darting across the beach before they met with Liam’s.
“Where is he?” she asked, her eyes swelling up at the thought of leaving him behind. “Where’s Louis?”
Liam gave her a soft smile while he nodded his head. “He’s fine. He knows what he’s doing. I promise.”
Beside Liam, Jodie let out a long groan, her face turning to a grimace while she looked at Evelyn. “If anything happened to him, it’s on you.”
Evelyn’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she pressed her lips together. “What?” But I –”
“It’s okay,” Liam said quickly, standing between Jodie and Evelyn. “She’s just angry is all. Ignore her.”
Evelyn didn’t have a chance to ask any more questions before she heard the sound of splashing in the water as Louis hopped off a dolphin and waded through the shallow water. Evelyn didn’t wait for Louis to get to the shore before she was running straight for him, splashing through the water until she reached him and jumped into the air, him clutching her to his chest. Her arms were around his neck while his were around her waist, and he held her as tightly to him as he could.
“I was so worried about you,” Evelyn breathed out as she pressed her face into Louis’s chest. “I didn’t know if you were coming back.”
“It’s okay,” Louis said, squeezing her tighter while he pushed his face into her hair. “I’m here now.”
He held onto her for a moment longer, until a small wave almost knocked him over, and he carried her the rest of the way to the shore. When he put her down, she looked him over quickly, seeing only one small cut on his shoulder. She reached her fingers out to it, grazing over the cut slowly, when Louis grabbed onto her hand and smiled at her.
“I’m fine,” he said, keeping his hand wrapped around hers. “It’s just a little scrape.”
“Has anyone seen Melina?” Harry asked, interrupting Louis and Evelyn from one another. They both turned around and Evelyn noticed the questioning look in everyone’s eyes.
“The mermaid?” Jodie asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
Evelyn walked up to Harry and placed her hand on his elbow, giving him a soft smile. “I’m sure she’s okay, Harry. She’s smart.”
Harry just gave her a small smile back, while he nodded his head, before looking out towards the ocean.
“We should get moving,” Liam said, taking a stand in front of the group. “In case they come back.”
With that, everyone gathered themselves up as they began following Liam into the woods. He led the pack, right at the front for several feet until Louis stood beside him. Quietly, Louis spoke so only Liam could hear him.
“What do you think they wanted?” Louis asked, as Liam pushed a few branches out of their way.
“You know what they wanted,” Liam said, his eyes on Louis before they turned back to Evelyn, who was holding onto her brother. “They want her.”
When she did, she shot up and scanned the beach for Niall’s blonde hair. She spotted him almost immediately and their eyes met, causing Evelyn to shoot straight for him. He wrapped her up in a hug, his heart pounding just as quickly as hers, before he pulled away.
“Are you alright?” Niall asked, looking her up and down for any scrapes or bruises. She was fine, though she wouldn’t have been able to feel it if she wasn’t with all the adrenaline that was pumping through her body.
“I’m okay, yeah,” she said, nodding her head, though her eyes were swelling up a bit. “That was terrifying.”
Niall chuckled, pulling his sister back into a hug. “It’s not so fun when it’s you in danger, is it?”
Evelyn shook her head as she shoved her face in her brother’s chest and squeezed him more tightly. They stayed like that for only a short moment before Evelyn remembered seeing Louis behind her just before they went into the water, fighting off one of the pirates. She pulled back from Niall quickly, her eyes darting across the beach before they met with Liam’s.
“Where is he?” she asked, her eyes swelling up at the thought of leaving him behind. “Where’s Louis?”
Liam gave her a soft smile while he nodded his head. “He’s fine. He knows what he’s doing. I promise.”
Beside Liam, Jodie let out a long groan, her face turning to a grimace while she looked at Evelyn. “If anything happened to him, it’s on you.”
Evelyn’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she pressed her lips together. “What?” But I –”
“It’s okay,” Liam said quickly, standing between Jodie and Evelyn. “She’s just angry is all. Ignore her.”
Evelyn didn’t have a chance to ask any more questions before she heard the sound of splashing in the water as Louis hopped off a dolphin and waded through the shallow water. Evelyn didn’t wait for Louis to get to the shore before she was running straight for him, splashing through the water until she reached him and jumped into the air, him clutching her to his chest. Her arms were around his neck while his were around her waist, and he held her as tightly to him as he could.
“I was so worried about you,” Evelyn breathed out as she pressed her face into Louis’s chest. “I didn’t know if you were coming back.”
“It’s okay,” Louis said, squeezing her tighter while he pushed his face into her hair. “I’m here now.”
He held onto her for a moment longer, until a small wave almost knocked him over, and he carried her the rest of the way to the shore. When he put her down, she looked him over quickly, seeing only one small cut on his shoulder. She reached her fingers out to it, grazing over the cut slowly, when Louis grabbed onto her hand and smiled at her.
“I’m fine,” he said, keeping his hand wrapped around hers. “It’s just a little scrape.”
“Has anyone seen Melina?” Harry asked, interrupting Louis and Evelyn from one another. They both turned around and Evelyn noticed the questioning look in everyone’s eyes.
“The mermaid?” Jodie asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
Evelyn walked up to Harry and placed her hand on his elbow, giving him a soft smile. “I’m sure she’s okay, Harry. She’s smart.”
Harry just gave her a small smile back, while he nodded his head, before looking out towards the ocean.
“We should get moving,” Liam said, taking a stand in front of the group. “In case they come back.”
With that, everyone gathered themselves up as they began following Liam into the woods. He led the pack, right at the front for several feet until Louis stood beside him. Quietly, Louis spoke so only Liam could hear him.
“What do you think they wanted?” Louis asked, as Liam pushed a few branches out of their way.
“You know what they wanted,” Liam said, his eyes on Louis before they turned back to Evelyn, who was holding onto her brother. “They want her.”