Still the One

Harry’s Point of View

Of course Libby had to be gone when there was absolutely nothing on TV. I toss the remote control off to the side and pick up my phone. I decided to call up Niall and invite him over. He was with Liam so they were both on their way to my flat.

‘What took so long?’ I complain as they step through the doorway, ‘I called ages ago.’

‘Someone’s bored.’ Niall comments as he flops down onto the sofa and kicks his old Converse onto the glass coffee table. ‘That tough without Lizabeth?’

‘Libby.’ I correct sitting down beside him, getting defensive. Libby absolutely hated being referred to as Elizabeth or even Lizabeth. I thought it was kind of cute in a way but she’d tackled me to the ground if I ever called her Elizabeth. She slightly cringed when her mom called her by her full name during the visit a while ago.

‘How sad is it that the girls are going out more than we are?’ Liam laughs taking a spot in the recliner, ‘when did that happen?’

‘I don’t know but they’ve surpassed Payno over there.’ Niall nods his head at Liam, ‘they go to Funky Buddha more than you do now.’

‘I’m banned from Buddha for fighting with that prick ex of hers.’ I groan throwing my head back onto the sofa, ‘he and his p al deserved every one of those hits.’

‘So a ban well owned?’

‘You should’ve seen him.’ Liam burst out in a fit of laughter, ‘honestly couldn’t keep up with the whole thing.’

‘Was Libby pissed off?’

‘When isn’t Libby pissed off at me?’ I inquire walking over to the refrigerator to get us a round of cold beers.

‘Yet she continues to stick around. She’s quite the keeper, yeh?’

‘You have no idea.’ I tilt my head back and feel the cold liquid travel down my throat.

It was about twenty minutes later when my phone buzzes against the coffee table. Niall and Liam were on their second beer but neither one of them were drunk just yet.

‘Who is that from? Lizard?’ Liam teases setting down his nearly empty bottle of beer.

I bring the screen to my eyes and study the set of words from Libby.

Could you come down here? – Libby.

I didn’t know why she wanted me there and I didn’t care either. I immediately jump of from the sofa with Liam and Niall then head out the door. There were a thousand thoughts racing through my mind as I drove in and out of lanes. Liam and Niall chattered in the back seat about something I couldn’t understand. The drive to Funky Buddha was longer than it had ever been. Liam and Niall file out of the car and into the building while I wait by the car pacing back and forth. I still wasn’t allowed to go inside of Buddha so I waited by the entrance. The bouncer wouldn’t let me go any further than the doorway.

‘We can’t find her.’ Niall rushes out the door before coming to a stop in front of me. ‘The girls haven’t seen her since she went to the toilet room.’

‘What?!’ I push myself through the line and head inside of the dark building. ‘Libby!’

Libby’s Point of View

‘We’ll be right back.’ I say following Eleanor to the toilets.

There was a line of girls in tight dresses and tall heels waiting to get in a stall. The line slowly moved as girls came out and girls went in. I rock back and forth with my heels growing impatient.

‘Could you grab my bag? I’ll hold our spot in line.’ Eleanor bounces even more impatient than I was.

‘Sure, I’ll be right back.’ I snake through the dancing bodies trying to find the table of the girls.

‘Libby.’ Oliver flags me down waving his hands high in the air, ‘I need to talk to you.’

‘I’m a little busy right now. Do you think it could wait until Monday?’

‘No, you need to leave. Now.’ Oliver grabs a hold of my arm and guides me to the back exit of the building.

‘Get off of me.’ I demand attempting to pull away from him.

‘It’s not what you think. Just hear me out.’ Oliver pleads as he pushes the steel door open.

I pull my phone to send Harry a quick text message before dropping the phone back into my bra. The alley was dark and eerie but the music and loud talking could be heard easily.

‘Leave me alone.’

‘You have to listen to me! I need to get you out of here, now.’ Oliver urges stepping closer to me.

‘Do not come any closer.’ I step aside moving down the alleyway.

Without another word I take off down the alleyway pulling off my heel and leaving the other. The ground was sticky and wet against my bare feet. Oliver’s footsteps were right behind me as he jogged into puddles of water.

‘Libby!’ Harry’s voice calls out as a tall figure stands at the end of the alleyway. ‘Libby, is that you?’

‘Harry!’

Harry’s tall frame rushes towards me in the dark of the night with the cold air whipping my cheeks and I ran. Oliver begins to back pedal once I make it to the dim orange street light. Harry’s arms wrap around me tighter than he ever has before until he sets me aside to approach Oliver. I watch, waiting for Harry to swing at Oliver as he did just about everyone who pissed him off. Instead, he stares at Oliver in the same way Oliver stared at him. It wasn’t a look of neither anger, nor fear but instead it was realization. I stare from Harry to Oliver confused, not knowing what to think.

‘Harry, you got her?!’ Niall calls out of breath with a hard cough.

‘Yeah.’ Harry’s chest expands before sinking back down and again. ‘She’s fine.’

‘Good, don’t scare us like that again Lizard!’ Liam then calls out.

‘I’m sorry.’ I peep, knowing he didn’t hear her. ‘Harry.’ I direct my attention at his green eyes that appeared to be darker in the bad lighting. ‘I’m confused.’

‘I don’t want you to be mad at me.’ Harry’s voice starts. Those words were never good from Harry’s lips.

Oliver stands there silently with my other heel in his palms. Harry places his large hands on his face with a muffled groan.

‘Harry, what is it?’ I demand grabbing his arm as I drop my heel. ‘I want to know now.’

‘Okay, so after I got a call from the police department I decided that I needed to protect you. I didn’t know how I would all I knew was that I needed to keep you safe. So I hired Oliver.’ Harry extends his tattooed arm to gesture over at Oliver.

‘What do you mean, “hired” Harry?’

‘I mean that I hired Oliver to keep an eye out for you.’

‘So, you paid someone to follow me?’

‘When you say it like that it sounds bad.’ Harry shifts over on his other boot.

‘Because it is.’ I take both of my heels and start to walk out of the alleyway. ‘Why would you do something like that and not tell me?!’

‘Come on Libby!’ Harry calls out behind me as he takes a few strides to keep up with me. ‘Please don’t be mad at me.’

‘Wait up!’ Oliver says right behind Harry, ‘there’s something the two of you need to know.’

‘What is it?’ Harry asks once I stop in my tracks.

‘As you know I’ve been waiting around to see if Lana shows up and I haven’t seen her, until tonight.’ Oliver begins to explain and Harry moves closer to me within seconds.

‘Where did you see her?’

‘Here in Funky Buddha. That’s why I was trying to get you out of her Libby. I didn’t mean to shake you up and startle you with my behavior I was just doing my job while trying to lay low.’

‘I didn’t see her.’ I wrap my arms around my chest warming myself from the harsh winds.

‘She was inside, by the bar when you and your friend went to the toilets. You didn’t see her but she definitely saw you. In fact, she was watching you for majority of the night. We need to get you out of here before she catches onto this.’

‘Come on Libby.’ Harry says grabbing my arm in his hand and pulling me towards the front of the building. ‘I’ll be in touch, Oliver.’ He says over his shoulder before we join the others out by the Range Rover. ‘I’m taking her back to the flat, you guys coming?’

‘Yeah, we’ll ride. Need to get my car.’ Liam answers as Niall tosses Harry the car keys.

The car ride back to the flat was painfully silent besides Liam and Niall talking in the back with one another. Harry’s hands grip the steering wheel as he keeps his eyes forward.

‘Don’t worry, Lib. The girls know you left a bit early.’ Niall informs me breaking into the silence.

‘Thanks Niall.’

When we finally do make it back to Harry’s flat I follow the three of them inside. Niall and Liam grab their stuff up before saying goodnight and heading back out the door. Harry sits in the living room while I change out of my dress and into a pair of shorts and an old tee shirt. I sit down in the recliner adjacent from him looking at the movie on TV.

‘You have to know that everything I do, behind your back or right in your face is to protect you. I know I screw up, a lot by keeping a lot of the shit I do from you but you know how much I love you. I may have gone about it wrong but the only thing I would change is the fact that I didn’t tell you. Do I regret having someone follow you around? Honestly, not a damn bit because if something happens to you I will have to live with myself knowing there was something I could of did to prevent it. So be pissed at me all you want, so be it.’ Harry stands up from the sofa and drops to his knees in front of me, ‘like I said, I love you.’

‘I love you too, Harry.’ I say quietly looking down at him. ‘As pissed of as I am at you, thank you. I know you did it with love.’

‘So, am I forgiven?’

‘Does Oliver have to follow me around still?’

‘Until Lana is in custody…’

‘No.’ I shake my head, ‘I don’t like being followed.’

‘It is going to either be Oliver or Andy or Paul or Willie. Someone is going to be with you when I can’t be, I’m sorry but don’t fight me on this one.’

I purse my lips not saying anything else as I stand up to go to bed. Harry follows me to his bedroom, ditching his jeans and shirt in the process. I climb into his high bed after pulling back the sheets. He turns the light out before flopping down into the bed beside me making it squeak. I stare blankly at the wall that I couldn’t see in the darkness of the room. Harry rolls around in the bed causing it to shake and squeak again. His hands are placed on my back allowing him to pull me closer to him.

‘Libby, I don’t care if you’re mad at me right now just don’t sleep so far away from me.’ He says in the most vulnerable voice I have ever heard Harry talk in. ‘Just don’t.’ his curls are underneath my chin while he uses his long arms to keep me as close to him as possible. It wasn’t long before I heard Harry softly snoring beside me.