Misadventure

58

Harry's POV

Saturday morning, Dad left for Ireland to visit Holly for the day. Six hours was a long drive to visit for just one day. He clearly really fancied her.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" he asked me. "There's plenty of room in the truck. It could be like a little family get together."

After a good night's sleep, I was starting to com around to the idea of Holly being a part of the family. My reaction last night, albeit embarassing, I decided was justified.

I'd been tired. I'd been caught off guard by Dad's declaration of loving her, and caught off guard by the flowers. And even now, after years had passed, I was still grieving Mum. It was just a part of life now; grief. It wasn't going anywhere, so I needed to learn to live with it.

Besides, knowing how hard it was to be happy after such loss, I was grateful Holly and Dad had found each other. I didn't want to stand in the way of that.

Because the reality was, me being cold towards Holly wouldn't bring Mum back. It was just push away someone who actually was alive, who actually could shine a little light into the massive void in our family, left by Mum's death.

"I'll stay here," I said. I still hadn't heard back from Louis. And if he called me, needing something, I didn't want to be out of the country.

****

Sunday, all hell broke loose.

I'd felt it building all day.

I woke up to a text from Dad. It was from last night, after I was already asleep.

Hey, H. I've started driving home, but I'm exhausted. Gonna get a hotel room for the night in Windsor. Will be back Sunday night, in time to bring you to campus. Love you.

And then a follow up text:

Any word from Louis? Hope everything's okay!!!

Normally I would have laughed at the use of three exclamation marks, but I couldn't.

To say I'd been worried about Louis for the past week, would be an understatement.

And my anxiety starting reaching peak level Sunday afternoon. I was sat on the foot of my bed, concerned out of my mind. I stared out the window. Crows soared across the grey sky. Eventually, they flew away, turning into tiny black dots in the distance.

I decided to call Louis again. Not that I expected anything to be different. All week, every single call and text went unanswered.

But this morning, something was different. Something bone-chillingly, peculiar happened.

I found his name in my contacts, tapping the call button and holding the phone up to my ear. I prepared to sit there, listening to it ring for a good 30 seconds, only to be ignored.

But this morning, it didn't ring. At all.

Confused at first, I tried calling again. Maybe I'd pressed the wrong button or something? Maybe I accidentally hung up?

But when the second attempt failed, my stomach sank with horrible dread.

His phone was off.

There were about a million different scenarios running through my mind. None of them were anything good.

Was he stranded somewhere, unable to charge his phone? Was he hurt? Was that the reason he wasn't answering? Did he overdose, and he's been dead all week, and his phone only just now died? Was he with someone? Was he alone?