Still the One

‘My d-dad?’ I peep. It’s nearly midnight here in New York so it had to be the wee hours of the morning in London. Harry is just as stunned as I am as he places the phone into my hand. ‘He-hello?’ I stutter listening closely into the phone.

‘I’m so sorry sweetheart but I need you to come home, please.’ His voice is strained and practically lifeless. Wait- what? Home? Why would he need me home? Why would he call so late?

‘What’s going on dad?’ I urge sitting up in the bed. Harry places a hand on my leg waiting for me to finish with my conversation. His eyes never leave my face.

‘I just need you here. Please Libby.’ My dad’s voice sighs heavily.

‘I- I… okay.’ I agree hanging the phone up before looking at Harry. ‘We need to get back to London.’

‘What’s going on baby?’ Harry’s hand moves from my leg to my back.

‘I- I don’t know. My dad just needs me.’ I hurry standing to my feet. And tossing all of my belongings into bags. Harry runs across the hall to talk to Andy and Preston. Harry returned and hurried into the other room then came back with a pair of jeans and a long sleeved sweater on. I slipped on my sandals then zipped my bag. Andy and Preston grab the luggage and hurry out the door. My body was trembling as I stood with my arms folded across my chest. Harry pulled me in for a hug wrapping me up.

‘It’s going to be okay. Everything will be okay.’ He murmurs into my hair. I break out into a full on sob. Assuming the worst. ‘Lib.’ Harry sounds defeated. ‘I hate seeing you like this.’

‘I-… I- just d-don’t k-know what to t-t-think.’ I stutter wetting his shirt.

‘The car’s ready.’ Andy says the best he can. I nod and follow Harry out of the room. I climb into the back of the car staring out the window. Soon we arrive at the field where a plane is waiting for us. I rest my head on Harry’s lap as the plane lifts into the air.

‘I’m sorry we had our trip cut short.’ I looked up at him with a frown.

‘No don’t be baby.’ Harry assures me stroking my hair.

Harry’s Point of View

Here I was looking down at the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. She was in so much pain but I couldn’t say or do anything to help her or make it better. All I could do is sit here and wait until we landed in London. All of a sudden Paul tells me that Libby’s father has been calling all over London looking for her. So Tanner, her younger brother called Daniel, prick, who gave him Perrie’s number, and Zayn called Paul, Paul called Preston and Preston gave the phone to me. I called the number Preston gave me and handed her the phone. It had to be pretty important for him to go through all the trouble and so early in London. I’ve never met her family before, besides her brother. From as far as I can remember Libby hasn’t mentioned her parents to me. She’s been living on her own for about two years now, way before I came into the picture. She cried herself to sleep in my lap. God, I wish this plane would go faster. I’d do anything for Libby to be there with her family right now. I just hope everything’s okay. My fingers graze her cheeks. Her soft soft cheeks. I lean down to kiss her forehead and go back to messing with her hair. She’s my source of happiness. Seeing her like this hurts me. Come on. We need to get to London.

Libby’s Point of View

‘I’ll call you.’ I jump out of the car outside my flat and dig my car keys out of my purse. I leap into my car and back up nearly hitting Harry. I brake the car fast and lower the window.

‘Do you think you should drive like this? I could go with you.’ He suggests worried. I nod my head several times wiping my wet eyes.

‘I’m okay. I’ll see you soon.’ I state then roll the window back up. Harry gets the idea and heads back to the car. I peel out of my driveway and make the thirty minute drive to my dad’s. I run into the house and look around. Empty. ‘Dad?’ I call out running to their bedroom. Empty. There’s a note stuck to the counter top in the kitchen.

Libby, if you’re seeing this please come to St. Edward’s hospital. Room 401 as quickly as you can. – Dad.

Hospital?! My heart is pounding, my throat is dry, and all of my limbs feel like jelly. I sprint back out to my car and climb inside. I punch in the hospital on my GPS then speed down the street. I pull into the hospital’s parking lot and rush up to the desk. ‘I-I need to see my family.’ I speak, ‘room 401.’ She points to the elevator which I slip into. I wait impatiently as it slowly goes from the first to second floor. My heart is pounding my head is all over the place. Second to third. What could it be? Third to fourth. The door glides open and I run out. I past the workers and come to a stop in front of room 401. God please. I slowly turn back the handle on the door my body shaking. I spotted my dad sitting in a chair and a pair of legs under sheets laying on the hospital bed. Tanner was standing by my dad silently. A man in a white lab coat, I’m assuming the doctor. I looked over to the woman lying in bed with probes all over her. She had cuts on her pale face and thin arms. Her cheeks were sunk in. Her hair was in a tangled ponytail. Suddenly all eyes were on me.

‘The-the v-voices.’ She blurted out. ‘I already said the v-v-voices made me.’ She cried out. I open my mouth but no words come out. My dad and brother are watching in fear. ‘Elizabeth?!’ she finally decided to acknowledge me. ‘The v-v-oices.’ She repeated hysterically. Behind me were two man dressed in white suits. They silently walked in to the room. Jude’s Mental Facility. Their shirts read. A nutter house?

‘Dad?’ I finally say. ‘Wha-what’s happening?’

‘Your mother needs help.’ The four words hit me hard, like a trolley. I move further into the room to study my mom. The cuts on her body were fingernail markers. She did this to herself? Everything was moving so fast in that moment. ‘She stopped taking her medication, again.’

‘I’M NOT GOING!’ my mom screams at the top of her lungs, ‘GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!’ I see the tears forming in both my dad’s and brother’s eyes. I put a hand over my mouth breaking out into tears. I thought she was fine. ‘NO! I TOLD YOU IT WAS THE VOICES! THEY SET ME UP! I’M NOT GOING! NO!’ she struggled in her bed. The men forcefully pulled her out of the thin hospital sheets.

‘We’re going to help you.’ They stated.

‘ROBERT DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME!’ she cried out. My dad wrapped her in his arms holding her briefly before the men pulled them apart. ‘ELIZABETH! TANNER!’

Harry’s Point of View

I walk out onto the fourth floor of the hospital. Libby’s younger brother told me where they’d be since I asked about Libby. Room four oh one. I read dropping my phone into my back pocket. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay and Libby was alright. I hope she doesn’t get mad I’m here. ‘ELIZABETH! TANNER!’ some voice shouts in the hallway. Next thing I know two muscular men are hauling an older woman out of the room. She’s shouting out all kind of hysterics. ‘MY CHILDREN DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME!’ with the help of the hospital they stick her with some kind of needle and she becomes putty in their hands. Wait. Children? Did she just say children?

‘Excuse us.’ One of the man say pushing past me. I turn my body and watch as they pull into the elevator. A tall man walks out of the room hurrying down the hall behind them. Then who appears to be Tanner runs past me in the hall. I slowly stop before the door of four oh one. So that lady was Libby’s mum? Libby’s standing there covering her face, sobbing into her palms. I walk over to her wrapping my arms around her waist. She was startled but realization set in causing her to grip onto my clothes. I sat back on the edge of the bed holding her in my lap. Thirty minutes passed us by and she finally started to calm down.

‘H-how’d you find me?’ she looked up at me with red puffy eyes.

‘Your brother told me earlier. I shouldn’t have followed you. I’m sorry.’ She didn’t bother responding to what I had just said. She lifted her shirt slightly exposing a bit of her skin. ‘Use mine.’ I extended my shirt out to her so she could wipe her face. She sat up from me and went over to the window. I watched as she stared out of it. She walked out of the hospital room so I followed. She made her way down the flight of stairs and out to the parking lot.

‘What happened?!’ she demanded coming to a stop before the tall man and her brother. ‘You called me for that? To see her get taken away?’

‘I’m sorry, I thought you’d want to see her.’

‘I have to go.’ She stormed off. I politely bow my head to them then hurry through the parking lot with her.

Libby’s Point of View

Everything was falling apart and Harry was there to see it happen. Harry. ‘Libby!’ his voice calls out to me. I sigh and stop in my tracks.

‘Why’d you follow me?!’ I shouted at him, startling him. He looks down at his feet and back up to me. I watch as he runs a hand through his hair as he always did when he was nervous or upset.

‘I needed to know you were okay.’

‘Why didn’t you just listen to me?! I told you I was okay. I told you I could drive myself and that I would talk to you later. You had no right whatsoever I am not a chil-…’ I pause in my rant. I wasn’t angry with him. Or my dad. I don’t know who I was angry at anymore. ‘I’m sorry.’ I squeak looking at Harry. ‘I’m so sorry.’ He closes the gap between us wrapping his arms around me tighter than ever before. ‘I’m so sorry.’ I repeat in a muttered mess.

‘Ssh.’ Harry strokes my back swaying side to side, ‘it’s okay.’ Passerbies are staring at us standing in the middle of the parking lot having a moment. I pull away from Harry and climb into my car’s passenger side while Harry climbed into the front seat. We sat in silence as he drove to my flat. I sat inside the car not moving.

‘Harry?’ I peep out looking over at him.

‘Yeh?’

‘I don’t want to stay here tonight.’ I answer looking down at me feet. For some reason I can’t bring myself to go inside my flat.

‘My place?’ he wonders curiously. I nod in response and lay back in the seat looking out the window. My phone buzzes in the seat against my leg.

You were hard on him. – Tanner.

I sigh and toss my phone aside causing Harry to look at me from the corner of his eye. We arrive at Harry’s flat and I go inside with him. I sit on the familiar bed beside Harry quietly. He pulls his tee shirt over his head and kicks out of out his jeans. ‘Here.’ He hands me the shirt he just pulled off and a pair of black briefs. I got into the toilet to change then sit beside him again, ‘you make my clothes look so good.’ I stiff out a small laugh through a sniffle. My mum is sitting in a nutter house right now because she didn’t take her medication. I know it’s probably killing Harry right now to not know what exactly happened back at the hospital. I breathe in and out slowly working up the courage to say anything. Harry silently flips through channels on the television with his arm behind his head supporting himself. I look over at the butterfly tattoo on his stomach then the swallows on his chest. If I had to tell anyone about my mum, it would be Harry. I trust him with my life.

‘Harry…’ I state causing him to turn all his attention to me.

‘Yes baby?’ he wonders muting the television. I swallowed hard looking into his eyes. He won’t judge me. He would never even think of it.

‘My mum’s..’ I paused biting onto my bottom lip, ‘she’s… my mum suffers from schizophrenia.’ I finally cough out. I couldn’t exactly read Harry’s expression in the moment. I wish he’d say something soon.