Through the dark [H.S]

2

"What do you mean he left??!!" Liam exclaimed almost in her face as he opened the door to let Emily and Darcy in. Straight to the point, the same old Liam.

"Darling, let them in, first. Hi Emily...how are you?" Sophia asked her, observing Emily's eyes, red with tears. Darcy tightened her grasp on her mother's hand while holding her favourite toy, a teddy bear that Liam had given her for her b-day, in the other one. She had her hair combed into two pigtails ending into two perfect locks, and she was wearing one of those dresses Harry was so fond of...

"Darcy, would you like to come with me? Why don't we go and play with Tom? He's waiting for you upstairs" Sophia asked her, offering the little girl her hand. Darcy looked up at her mother, who did her best to smile her.

"Thank you" Emily mouthed to Sophia. She was one of the most caring and delicate person she had ever met; she was so grateful to be her friend, considering all the times they had spent together with their kids while their husbands were busy working or touring. They could completely understand each other, they were like sisters.

"Go" Emily said to her daughter in a soft tone and Darcy tottered after Sophia to the second floor, turning to give her mom a last look before disappearing on the stairs. Emily contemplated how similar she was to Harry...how could he have left his baby? What was going on his mind?

"Tell me what happened? Did you quarrel?" Liam asked Emily, sinking into his white leather sofa.

"We didn't...yesterday he came back depressed because of..." the name died on Emily's mouth, as if it was a sin to pronounce it.

"I see, we are all destroyed by that..." Liam agreed.

"Then this morning when I woke up he was gone. Gone, I mean, he just wasn't there anymore. Like vanished...". Liam remained silent.

"He only left this note for Darcy" Emily added, handing the piece of paper to Liam, who swiftly went through it and gave it back to her.

"Liam, I swear I don't know what's going on..."

"This is a problem...god, the little girl...how could he behave like that? He loves you so much...I don't understand..."he paused,  "it's not like even we can call the police or stuff and say: oh, you know Harry Styles from One Direction, yes? good, he disappeared...can you help us to find him?" he mimed.

"What shall we do then? We can't leave him alone...wherever he is..." Emily uttered, on the edge of crying.

"Maybe we can ask...". The doorbell rang. Liam asked Emily for a second and then stood up to open the door.

"What's this fucking joke that nobody is at the studio  and you made me wait like an idiot that you are for hours without even answering the phone?" Emily knew that voice well; their relationship hadn't improved much since the old days. For some reasons, the man on the door didn't appear to completely trust her- or like her- she could not say they were friends...

"Louis! We can ask Louis"

"Ask what idiot? I'm still waiting for your apologies...oh hi Emily" he murmured, lowering his head.

"Do you know where Harry is?" Liam questioned.

"Where Harry is..." Louis repeated Liam's words without grasping them. "Where Harry...what do you mean?" he squeaked "what do you mean where Harry is?" he said again looking around the room for answers. Emily shot him a worried look and Liam buried his head in his chest when he got the band member could not be of any help.

"Yes, he kind of disappeared..." Liam tried to explain.

"Without 'kind of'...he disappeared. This morning I woke up and he was gone, leaving just a note for his daughter...Louis, are you sure you don't know where he is?"

Louis gave her a serious look, maybe one of the most serious of his entire life.

"I am, Emily, I'm sorry". Silence fell at his words. From upstairs, the voices of the children playing reached their ears.

"Does Darcy know?" Louis asked, recognizing the girl's voice. Not having children himself, he was very attached to his goddaughter. After breaking up with Eleanor a couple of years before, he had remained single, playing the heartthrob like only a musician could do.  He wasn't in a stable relationship at the moment, nor he had been in the previous years, even if he was always discreet about his private life.

Emily shook her head. "No, she doesn't. I just can't..." Emily tried to formulate, but she stopped being the pain to big to go on.

"That curly cunt!" Louis exclaimed, as if insulting Harry would have brought him back. Luckily enough, the kids were not around.

"But I know whose fault it is! That bastard! I know! It's time to have a little conversation with that Mr Selfish! Yesterday we were all shocked and understanding, and sorry like a poor group of bitches, but now it's time to break his olive ass! The fuck!" It was clear he was talking about Zayn.

"Liam, you look after the kids" he  said spreading out the door, angry as hell.

"What are you waiting for, sleeping beauty? Do you want that idiot of your husband back or not? Let's go". Emily nodded and hasted towards him, giving questioning looks to Liam who did not know what to think himself. It was the first time Louis addressed her so directly, it was the first he included her in anything he had ever done. Still, she had no choice but to follow him. He banged the door behind them and jumped into his cabriolet.

The started the engine and the noise of the raging car spread across the neighbours.

"C'mon, Emily, hurry up!". Emily, quite uncertain of what she was doing, sat next to him.

"To Zayn's house. Or tomb" he shouted. Emily's adventure with Louis had just started.