web of lies - l.s.

Chapter Fourteen

  "If you're living a double life...You're not living a true life." -Debra Dutcher Van Duyne
—

[Harry's P.O.V.]
  The hand on the clock lodges itself directly between the seven and eight, while the minute hand just barely grazes the top of the six.

  Four days. It's been four days since I've left this haven I call my home. It's weird how one day your house is the place you feel most comfortable and the next it's like your own personal prison.

  Lately, for me, it's been a place I don't have to disguise myself. Away from the lies. Away from the burdens of sucking up to the media. Away from overthinking my every move and worrying whether I'm going to be canceled that day or not.

  It's a breath of fresh air.

  And man, do I need it.

  It's no wonder my life's been moving too fast; these past years I've been way too busy. But this year, this break from touring is hopefully going to get my life walking again. I'll finally be able to take in every detail of every day, point out which scents and sounds I can notice, really take time to enjoy what's happening around me.

And with what's happening with Niall's mom, I really need to slow down, or I'm going to rush past everything and wish I spent more time in the moment.

I'm terrified, H.

Niall's words resurface in my mind.

  If something worse happens to her, I don't know what I'd do.

  Niall's been in Mullingar for four days now. We briefly called last night, right after he had left the hospital in which his mother was staying. His voice was the loudest thing I had heard in the past twenty-four hours, other than the sound of my guitar.

I'm sitting on a stool, located at the kitchen island. My guitar is sat in my lap, a glass of water, a pen, and scattered pages of song lyrics lay in front of me. But other than that, the house is empty.

Big empty house. Big empty rooms.

The guitar echos with every strum, with every pluck of a string.

I have to have this album recorded by January 1st, less than three months from now. Halloween's around the corner, as well. Oh, Niall's going to miss Halloween.

I have been up for the past four hours, since four in the morning, the sun's been out for almost two, and yet I still haven't opened any blinds.

  My legs become heavy as I carefully step down, off of the stool. My feet glide me around the counter, in front of the kitchen stove.

  Coffee.

  I need some coffee.

  I stumble around the kitchen, using the Keurig coffee machine for convenience purposes.

  As the sun begins to take refuge behind the terrain outside, I finally make my way back up to my bedroom. It seems larger. Emptier. No Niall, no Louis, just me, myself, and I, alone in this large, empty home.

  My phone rests on my bedside table, where it's been since yesterday.

  29 New Messages, it reads. The majority is from Louis.

  call me, displays the most recent text. I want to hear his voice; I press call.

  After three agonizing rings, "Hey."

  My heart beats a sliver quicker at the sound of his voice.

  This isn't normal, a thought surfaces. I shove it down almost as quickly as it came.