More Than This

When we got to the hotel, Paul was waiting for us in the lobby. I gulped.

“What’s going on?” I asked. He sighed, pulling us toward the elevator.

“There’s a guy here for you and Sophia asked him to leave, but he won’t until he sees you and they won’t stop arguing and the other boys are now arguing. It’s bad and I can’t kick him out until you give me the okay, since he’s here for you.” Paul explained. I closed my eyes.

“Okay.” I replied. “I’ll take care of it. I’m sorry.”

Paul only nodded as we got off the elevator on our floor and I immediately heard the shouting coming from Sophia and Liam’s room. We approached the door and I opened it cautiously to see a very familiar figure sitting on the bed and Niall standing over him, Sophia next to him.

“So you think you can just take her from us?” Niall was yelling. “She’s our best friend!”

I immediately let go of Harry’s hand and made my way over to the scene, putting a hand on Niall’s shaking shoulder. He turned around and pulled me into his arms. I sighed.

“Niall, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” I muttered into his ear.

I let him go and looked around the room. “I need you all to go into the other room right now.”

I was calm, but inside I was screaming in fear. I didn’t want any of them to leave. My sister and Harry shook their heads right away.

“No way.” Harry said. “Who the hell even is this?”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, going back over to Harry.

“Haz, babe, I need you to trust me. I need to have this conversation so he’ll go away, then I can explain everything. You’ll be right in the other room, you’ll hear if I need anything.” Harry was still shaking his head. “Harry this isn’t an option. I know you want to keep me safe, but I’ll be fine.”

Lies. I wouldn’t be fine. I needed him. My thoughts were screaming, but I smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

Sophia was glaring at me from across the room, so I went over to her next.

“Soph, I need you to leave. I need you to watch over Harry. I need this.”

No. I needed to run.

“No, Bailey.” Her voice broke. “He’s going to hurt you just like last time. I’m not going anywhere.” I sighed.

“You need to trust me too, okay?” I muttered. “We’ve talked since last time.”

Lies.

“It’ll be okay. Plus, I really don’t think Paul will be straying too far away, and neither will you guys. One room over. Please, it’s the only way he’s going to leave, and we need that.”

Sophia looked me in the eyes for a full minute before giving up and ushering the boys out of the room. When the door shut, I took a deep breath and faced the man sitting on the bed, a grin spreading across his face. It was my last chance to run. Instead, I looked the monster from my past, the one monster I never talked about to anyone, in the eyes.

“Hello, Justin.” I looked at the boy sitting there, and flinched as he grabbed my hand in his.

“Hello, Bailey.” He replied, kissing my hand and smirking.

Run. I needed to run.

“If you were trying to run from me, you should have done a better job of it, honey.”

I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

“I wasn’t trying to run from you. I came to spend time with my sister and my friends.”

Lies. All lies.

“And I don’t know why you’re here, and I’d prefer it if you left, actually. I have a new life now.”

He snorted and looked up at me.

“Well, babe, that sucks, because I’m here to take you home.”