Collide (Impact Book 2) | h.s. | complete

25. Facade

~Tori~

"You're never going to catch me at this rate." I said, barreling down the hall. Everything was white, but not in a clinical, cold way. It was a warm, crisp, homely white. It was inviting and I felt as though it was mine.

"I will too," Harry laughed, tumbling behind me, his legs making long strides. I turned to watch him run over my shoulder and my hair whipped behind me. "You'll never be too quick for me, Victoria Melbourne," He laughed, but I sped up, nearly losing him around a corner.

"Shut up," I giggled, "I'm small and agile." We reached another turn and I chose to go left and Harry followed close behind.

"I don't mean it like that," He said, his voice growing quieter, further away. "I mean you can never outrun me. Anywhere you run I'll find you. You can never get away from me." He said, suddenly appearing in front of me. I stopped running and he gripped my arms and looked into my eyes. "My love for you reaches ever corner of this planet, there is nowhere you can go where I will not love you." His words sent a chill down my spine and I smiled, closing my eyes.

"Chase me." I laughed, turning quickly, running the direction from which we'd come. I wore a white sundress that hung just above my knees and as I ran, the floor beneath my bare feet turned to warm sand.

"Always." He said, his voice so close to my ear, but I knew he couldn't be that close. As I turned to look, his green eyes bore into mine and turned away again quickly, but as I did, I noticed that I was reaching a dead end, the ending of a hallway where a large mirror was mounted on the wall.

"Harry," I said, skidding to a stop and watching his reflection grow closer by the moment. "Harry, I don't want to run anymore," I whispered as he slowed to a walk behind me, brushing my hair off my shoulder. He leaned down and I watched our reflections as he drew his lips to my neck and I tilted my head the opposite side so that he could continue.

"Then stop running," He murmured against my neck while his hand left a firey trail up my leg, lifting my dress then letting it fall again, then up to my neck. "Stop running and everything will be alright."

"I'm so tired." I whispered, as his lips worked wonders on my shoulders and neck.

"Close your eyes." He said and I obliged, instantly noticing the sudden absence of his touch. I turned quickly, opening my eyes to my own eyes staring back at me.

"Run, Victoria, I want to chase you." My doppelganger said, a small smirk playing on her lips. I shook my head, pushing past her, tearing off down the hill. "You'll never stop running until it's too late, you know you're too weak." Her voice boomed around me and I fell to the ground.

"Stop, you don't know anything." I screamed, covering my ears. "Leave me alone."

"Victoria."

"Stop," I yelled again.

"Tori, you're going to wake up Ciella, what are you screaming about?" Tanner snapped and I flipped over, my eyes scanning my surroundings. I had been dreaming.

"Sorry, bad dream, I'm going to go check on Cici," I said, pushing back the covers as Tanner lay down again, falling asleep almost instantly. When I opened the bedroom door, I noticed a light from Ciella's room and sighed.

"I couldn't sleep," Liam said quietly as I entered, taking a seat in the large arm chair in her nursery.

"Same."

"Nightmare?"

"Every night." I sighed, picking my nails nervously.

"Do you ever dream about the accident?" He asked, his eyes trained on Cici's sleeping figure in his arms.

"Every night," I began, then sighed, "Tonight was different." I said, glancing at him.

"I wont ask," He said and I smiled. "That's why Harry thinks you left," He added, locking eyes with me.

"The accident?" I asked, my brows knitting together.

"That, and Hope." He said, glancing around nervously.

"One of many reasons, all of which you know." He nodded.

"She's a mini Harry." He said, stroking her curls, which grew more every day.

"Hey," I whined, "Harry and I have very similar coloring, I'd like to think a lot of that came from me." Liam laughed quietly then, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You know what I mean. Her laugh, her dimples," He ran a finger over her plump cheek, "Her big eyes, the way you can tell what she's thinking just by looking at them."

"I know," I said, watching him regard her as if he were looking at a piece of art.

"The two of you made her..." He began, shaking his head slowly.

"I'm well aware,"

"She's like...a miracle, after everything you went through, to come out the other side and find love again, then for her to make it through an accident as bad as that one."

"I know, she's a tough one." I smiled, crossing my legs.

"She's incredible," He said, looking up at me. "Harry would think so too,"

"Liam, one day he'll know her, and I know that after some time I'll be ready for him to be in her life, but after everything I've done, my relationship with him will be absolutely irreparable."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do," I said, leaning forward. "I've stolen time from him. He'll never forgive me."

"I'll make him," Liam said, standing to rest Ciella in her crib. "Cici has been through too much not to have her parents, who love eachother more than life itself, be together."

"You're right, but now isn't the right time," I said and Liam turned.

"Are you going to marry Tanner?" He asked, gesturing to my ring finger, where my engagement ring sat from the night I had Ciella.

"I was scared Liam, I-" I was cut off by Liam's phone ringing. He rushed to silence it but Ciella hardly stirred. Liam left into the hallway and I rest my head on the arm of the chair waiting for him to return. When he did, he was pale and looked frightened.

"I have to go," He said, his hands running frantically through his hair.

"What's happened?" I asked, standing to walk to him but he took a step back.

"I can't do this for much longer Tori, I know I said I'd protect you and I get what you're doing but he has to know you're alive, to know you're okay."

"Liam-"

"I know you think it's best but I just..."

"I don't think, I know." I said watching his eyes land on mine. "Now tell me what's happened."

"No, it's fine I'm going to go home and deal with it, I'll be back in a week tops."

"Liam James Payne," I hissed crossing my arms. "What is going on?" He held his breath, and then exhaled when he realized I wouldn't let him leave until he told me.

"Harry." He said and I felt my blood run cold.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

"He's hurt himself."

"Did he get into an accident? He's such a careless driver, another one of the many reasons I know he's not ready to be a father-" I rambled but trailed off as I watched Liam, his eyes filled with pain and worry. "What is it Li?"

"He's tried to kill himself, Tori."