February 14, 2015 – Melbourne, Australia
Closing his eyes, Harry tapped his foot as the pre-show jitters began to infiltrate his bloodstream. Every nerve felt as if it were on high alert, his skin tingling like that initial moment of a high- the sweet rush of realizing your body was about to be plunged into an unforgettable experience that would overwhelm every sense.
Sipping from his mug of tea, he sighed contentedly. He took at least one hour before every show strictly to himself, bathing in the silence before the cacophony of teenage screams would assault him for nearly three hours straight. All was well, until he heard the yelling.
"Why are you constantly doing this?"
Harry squeezed his eyes shut tightly at the anguished yell, followed by a choked-out sob that flooded through the wall. He knew all too well what he was overhearing. Whenever Haley visited Zayn on tour, it either went really well or really bad. Clearly, this was a bad visit.
"Just fucking leave then if you're so unhappy!" Zayn shouted. It felt wrong to keep listening to this.
Harry was constantly at war with himself. Over the past two years he'd become friends with Haley, had come to prefer her more so than her significant other. His mother had always raised him to be a defender of women, but his fear of the repercussions against the band had silenced him like a coward.
Girls. Drugs. More girls. Alcohol. He knew the others saw it too and disapproved just as greatly as he did. Sometimes Haley found out on her own accord, other times he knew Zayn got away with it. Regardless of what happened, she continued to forgive him much to Harry's dismay.
He wanted to shake her and make her run away. He was manipulating her, and I think a part of her knew it. She didn't deserve it.
"Go ahead, fucking walk away from me. Leave me then, I don't fucking need you. You won't find anyone else that'll love you like I do anyway. Fuck you." Zayn shouted at her again, the sounds of an object hitting the wall causing Harry to start.
He stormed into the hallway, but before he could enter the dressing room Haley came barreling out. Grasping her shoulders, Harry held onto her as she hastily wiped her eyes. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"N-No, I'm fine." She mustered a weak smile as he grabbed her chin to force her to look at him. "Don't worry about me."
"Haley..."
"Mind your own fucking business, mate." Zayn stepped out, glaring at him. "And take your hands off my girlfriend."
"Piss off," Harry snapped. "It's my business when I hear you throwing shit at her and screaming at her like that."
Zayn grabbed her arm, his grip tight as he yanked her out of Harry's grasp. The rage he felt took over, slapping his hand off of her before shoving his band mate with a loud growl. He was about to swing when-
"Harry, stop." Haley stepped forward, pushing Harry back. He could see the panic on her eyes as she continued pushing him away.
Zayn was pushing against her back, attempting to step around and engage Harry as Haley quickly turned back to him. It was obvious she was trying to appease him. "I'm headed back to the hotel, I just need to freshen up. It was just a small argument, that's all. No need to worry, I'm okay. He didn't do anything wrong."
She brushed past him, leaving him with Zayn who looked like he wanted to throttle him. After a brief stare down, Zayn retreated back inside, emphasizing his anger with a slam of the door. Harry stared at the door, talking himself off the ledge.
