Escape (N.H.)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Valeria POV

Harry had scared the living hell out of me.

I could still feel my heart thrashing in my chest when I turned on the shower.

I hadn't even thought about the consequences when I went back downstairs before Niall told me it was okay, I was so worried about him I had acted irrationally.

If someone dangerous was at the house I wouldn't have been any help, if anything I would have made things more difficult for Niall. I wasn't like Niall, I didnt exactly know how to fight or defend myself.

I would have been making things harder by going downstairs. But yet, I hadn't even thought about that at the time. If I'm being honest I wasn't thinking rationally at all. My brain had been a bit preoccupied with other things, like the fact that I had kissed Niall.

That he had kissed me back. That we had kissed and I didn't regret it, if Harry hadn't banged on the door when he did I didn't know when we would have stopped.

I didn't want to stop kissing him, I enjoyed the feeling far too much.

I couldn't get how genuinely worried Harry looked before I came back upstairs.

He had tried to hide it, tried to change the subject by bringing it onto Niall and I, but it was written clear as day on his face.

I wasn't offended when Harry hadn't wanted me to be a part of the conversation.

It was obvious I didn't know everything that was going on, it wasn't my business, if Niall wanted me to know I had to think he would tell me.

Stepping under the steaming spray of the shower I let the water cascade down my body, the water turning red from the amount of blood he had gotten in my hair when he kissed me.

I can't believe I never once realized he was literally covered in blood when he walked through that guest door, never once realized his hands were wet with blood when he touched my face.

Drawing my head back I shut my eyes, feeling the caked blood slowly leave my hair.

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Niall POV

" You want the good or the bad news first?" Harry refuses to meet my eye, his body tense.

If he can't even look me in the eye, bad has to be an understatement.

I could faintly hear the shower turn on from upstairs making me relax my shoulders a bit. If whatever Harry had to say was as bad as I thought it might be, the last thing I wanted was for Valeria to hear about it.

Especially, when she doesn't even know much of anything.

"Just fucking tell me, whatever it is." I say after a moment, watching Harry's body become completely rigid. Swallowing thickly I watch as he turns around heading towards the kitchen.

" You're gonna need a drink." He mutters under his breath going to the cupboard.

" There's no alcohol in this house, Valeria threw it all out when she moved in." I lean against the island, arm folded over my chest.

" You're kidding me right?"

I shake my head, " The longer you hold off on telling me, the worse you're making it seem."

He looks up at me then, meeting my eyes, the look telling me it's exactly as bad as I think. " Katia isn't in London right at this very moment, we checked every type of camera footage within a hundred miles, there's no sign of her..."