Darling (Harry Styles)

chap 10

ANNABELLE WILCOX
Louis' House

I look down at my phone reluctantly, groaning at the amount of notifications that appear on my screen. I did everything I could to avoid Louis when I heard him awoke this morning.

It surprised me how loud the four of them were getting up, especially with how early it was. Their sleepiness shouldn't have allowed the amount of energy they seemed to possess.

With the horrible nightmares, my sleep has been limited. I think that having Louis there has actually helped them—not that I'd ever tell him that—so I've been able to handle my reactions after having them.

Most times I can stop the screaming and slightly silence the crying, or at least enough to not wake him up.

This morning was one of those lucky days where the nightmare struck me deeply, yet I could still calm myself down enough to get away from Louis. I couldn't handle his pitiful eyes anymore.

I went downstairs and made myself coffee, my stomach far too upset for any breakfast. The sun was just coming up due to the cold weather entering—November had just begun.

The days were shorter and the night crept in sooner than I had hoped. I hated it.

Once the clock struck six, I could hear a ruckus on the floor above the kitchen—the one they all decided to sleep on. I think Louis forced them to move closer to his room as if I was some ticking time bomb who always needed someone near them.

It's suffocating.

It was only fifteen minutes later that I heard them stampeding down the steps of the house, I ran into the closet almost immediately as Louis called my name.

"Annabelle?" Louis called out as I held my breath and shut my eyes, not wanting to make a sound, "Has anyone seen Anna this morning?"

"We don't have time for this—she's a big girl. She'll be fine." Harry complained, the sound of shoes being pulled on easing my worry of being found.

Cooper spoke sleepily, his voice the raspiest. It was obvious he has the hardest time in the morning, and I wouldn't expect anything else from him, honestly.

"Why does Elijah even want to meet so damn early?"

I looked through the small opening in the closet door, seeing them all putting their shoes on at the back patio door where Louis made us keep them. It was the best place considering we always went onto the patio at random times, but I don't really put my shoes on for that.

I don't care enough to—and since they don't take the time to put them on either, I'd say neither do they.

Harry glared at Cooper as they both adorned a beanie, nearly looking like brothers besides for their contrasting hair colors. Plus Cooper had a much softer and kinder face, while Harry's was cold and taunting.

Equally evil though.

"We'll talk about it in the car," he looked straight in the closet door; scaring me back away from the crack, "you never know who's listening."

I swear to God that boy is some higher power or something—it just seems he always know everything like the back of his hand. To an extent.

Another text lit up my screen as I ignored Louis', earning a happy smile from me at the content of it. I didn't reply and simply almost ran to the front door, stopping right in front of it to fix my appearance in the living room's mirror.