The Side You Don't Hear (1D)

Chapter 7

I hope this chapter is as epic to you readers as it was to me writing it! xx

Liam's POV

                I was attempting to sleep in, but whoever decided to text me at the ungodly time of one in the afternoon had other ideas.  I groaned, rolling over to get my phone from the bedside table to see what was so important.  I glanced at the screen with sleepy eyes and put it down, only to realize who it had been from and do a double take.

                From Alice: He never came.

                I loved Harry like he was my brother, but that son of a bitch stood her up.  I knew he had planned to go see her, but I didn't think he was just saying that to make himself sound like a good guy.  I know Harry, and even though he's made some horrible decisions (like leaving Clark and Alice), he doesn't often go back on something he says he's going to do.  That means something must have stopped him, but I had no idea what, or who, had that kind of power over him.

                  I had to think of a better approach to make this meeting happen.  I laid my head back down on the pillow, unsure of how to answer Alice until I had a new plan.  Clearly asking Harry to go to his child was too much, so maybe the next step is bringing Clark to him.  But how?  Harry would know something is up if I hold him hostage somewhere waiting for Alice.  Maybe it had to be a "coincidence", like just running into each other on the streets.

                 Of course, I thought, jumping out of bed and running to get dressed.  This was going to be an amazing plan if I timed everything right.  I looked at my watch, which read 1:07 PM.  I could be dressed and read in ten minutes and at Alice's apartment in another ten.  It would take a few minutes to convince her, of course, but as long as it didn't take more than fifteen minutes, I knew exactly where to find Harry at 2 o'clock.  God, I hoped this worked.

                As I sat in the car a few minutes later, I wondered to myself why I cared so much about all of this.  Clark wasn't my child, Alice wasn't my ex, and Harry was one of my brothers, making none of this really my business.  I think it was just my nature to try to help those in need, which is exactly what Alice was subconsciously screaming.  I was always able to tell when she was lying or downplaying something, even when Harry couldn't, and that might be why I saw this as a much bigger deal than she and Harry both made it out to be.

                I made it to Alice's apartment a few minutes behind schedule and ran up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, bumping a tall dark haired man's shoulder.  "Sorry, mate!" I shouted back to him as I passed.  He looked familiar, but I brushed it off, knowing I had to focus on my plan.  It was going to happen whether or not I had to force it upon Alice.  She'd forgive me eventually, hopefully, but it would probably take me off her future babysitting list forever.  I wasn't entirely sure which number her apartment was, so I guessed, knocking on a few doors with a few misses.  I was running way off schedule, as my watch read 1:40. 

                I finally found the door that revealed a tired looking Alice and sighed in relief.  She was shocked, clearly, that I was standing in front of her, but there wasn't any time for formalities.  "I know you're probably going to hate me for this, but I need to borrow Clark," I say, very rushed, as I brush past her and grab the diaper bag sitting beside the couch and start looking around for the baby.  He was asleep inside his play pen.  Perfect, I thought, as I gathered him up and placed him in the small baby carrier that he was bound to outgrow in the next few months.  I was just starting to wonder why Alice hadn't said anything about what I was doing when a hand grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me flat on my back, causing my head to hit the ground.  Alice was surprisingly strong for a person so much smaller than myself, but I suppose that comes from being a mother protecting her child.