Only a Heartbeat Away

Chapter 15

"That's it. Miss Jackson. Get out right now! I won't have you continually harassing my boys" Lou suddenly yelled making everyone jump. Not expecting the usual calm and collected Stylist to lose her shit, "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation you've found yourself in. I swear to everything you hold dear if you don't start paying attention and pull your head out of you arse. I will hide Harry and stick a very mardy, very possessive, protective, and downright scary Louis Tomlinson on you and I will more than happily take any responsibility for his actions and once I think you've been punished enough then and only then I will bring Harry in to calm him down! Now do everyone a favour and go!" Sally just stood there gapping like a fish out of water unable to believe the nerve of the Lou Teasdale nor could she shake the fear she felt when she locked eyes with Louis' she swears, they were darker and if she didn't know any better, she would have even guessed that in the moment Louis was possessed by something supernatural, it had scared her to her very core, so she left. Just like that. Closing the door behind her unable to process what the hell just happened and what she had just witnessed. When Sally thought she collected herself enough she continue to carry out the rest of her duties, though pretty soon after the events Sally ran into Paul. "Hey Paul may I have a moment of your time please?" Paul motioned for Sally to follow him, and she did without complaint going through the last 10 minutes in head trying to work out exactly how to explain the whole situation. Soon Sally found herself in a small coffee shop that is connected to the venue. Paul picked a table and sat down while Sally flopped into her seat.

"I just had a very interesting encounter with Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Styles." Sally started "and I was hoping you could possibly help me understand what it was that I just witness." Paul nodded, so Sally re-told the events to the best of her ability.

"Wait. Mr 'Treat People with Kindness' had a go at you? That is not like Harry at all. Which means one or two things. One Louis wasn't paying attention to him anymore or two he felt Louis beginning to twitch."

"Well, I was talking to Mr Tomlinson."

"Yeah, but Harry Edward Styles. Love, you fucked up." Sally blinked and rolled her eyes.

"As I am saying Paul, Mr Styles blasted me and then Mr. Horan blasted me too..."

"You pissed off the Irish one? Brave."

"Paul, may I finish!" Paul chuckled sheepishly and waved his hands around in a 'continue-on' manner, "anyway I honestly don't know what happened, but Mr. Styles began to cough badly after having his go at me and once Mr Tomlinson had the situation in hand, he just..."

"He just what Sally?"

"He just looked at me but there was something in his eyes. I wasn't looking at Mr. Tomlinson anymore I was looking at someone darker, colder. I don't even know how to really explain it, somehow Mr Horan got his attention off me but even he was shaking and somehow, he awoke Mr Styles without Mr. Tomlinson noticing and turned his attention to him. Mr. Styles didn't even flinch he just gazed at Mr Tomlinson until he came to his senses and then kissed him like nothing was happening, like Mr Tomlinson wasn't possessed by a supernatural force. I must admit it was interesting to watch than of course Miss Teasdale kicked me out." Taking a sip of her coffee that she ordered while telling the story, "Paul, what was that?" Paul sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair and dragged his hand down over his face before dropping them into his lap, he looked at Sally and just swore.

"Fuck me. Wow. I didn't even think it was possible to bring out Louis' dark side anymore. Not since he married Harry. Shit."

"What are you talking about?"

"Louis, we think anyway, we have no evidence to prove the fact, but we believe he has some form of ADHD and when he feels threatened, we can lose him to anger as he tends to black out. That was the tone you heard back at the previous venue, when he was on the bus." Sally remembered. Vividly. "The only ones that seem to bring him back are either his mother or Harry. It's like Harry is some sort of anchor that keeps Louis tethered to the here and now. It's fucking scary but once Harry steps in it's like watching Louis become the sun." Paul suddenly sat forward, "Did Louis move at all?"

"No. Mr. Horan had placed his hand on Mr. Tomlinson's chest and not until Mr. Styles came out from underneath Mr. Tomlinson's shirt and matched his gaze."

"Did Harry talk at all?"

"Not from where I was standing."

"So probably just kissed him and pressed his forehead to Louis'."

"Again, can't tell you. Mr. Styles has a lot of hair." Paul laughed at Sally's reply which broke the tension that had built up around them.

"Sally. My advise. Stay away from those boys for a little bit. If Louis catches you alone and without Harry right now, I would not be surprised if you ended up disappearing without a trace and trust me, when I say no one would notice you're gone."  Sally gasped and choked on her coffee.

"You're not serious?!"

"As serious as a heart attack." Paul stood up and place some money on the table. "I need to go make sure they are ready for the show. If Harry is as sick as you're downplaying, then he won't be singing but the stubborn shit will still want to sit on stage. I need to make sure the tech's don't give him a mic and I also need to see if Tommo is okay. Going to that particular headspace tends to drain him. Just let me handle the lads from here on out." and Paul left Sally sitting there trying to gain her composure, still struggling with the information that was just unloaded onto her. Sally stayed at the coffee shop until the staff announced it was closing time and the boys were already on stage.

I can't do this anymore. Sally whispered into the screaming crowd and without anyone noticing she left. Firing a quick email to Simon Cowell attaching her resignation letter and simply left during the third song of the concert and Sally was removed from One Direction's world.