The Side You Don't Hear (1D)

Chapter 24

Short but very necessary:) I hope you love this chapter as much as I do! <3  p.s.- my favorite comment get the next chapter dedicated to them!  xxelle

Liam's POV

                Once I had gotten to my car, I realized that I had forgotten my jacket, which held my keys and my wallet, in Louis' hospital room.  Silently cursing myself, I slowly made my way back towards the doors, trying to look casual in case one of the nurses realized I wasn't being escorted.  It's a good thing they all know me by now, because all they're doing is smiling as I walk by.  I stop by the cafeteria, trying to make it look like this was the reason I left in the first place, and finally started making my way up the back stairs.  When I reached the door leading to the hallway of the correct floor, I slipped in silently, but stopped in my tracks a few feet in.

                "Someday soon, Harry, please," I heard Alice's sweet, soft voice say from a ways down the hallway.  I couldn't see her, as her small frame was hidden behind the much larger one that unmistakably belonged to Harry.  I know I had only seen him around twelve hours ago when Louis got hurt, but that seemed like years in light of the recent events.   He started to move towards me, probably heading to the stairs, so I quickly turned and pressed my back against the wall of an adjacent hallway, barely escaping his sight.  I was close enough to him to feel the slight breeze as he sped past me and into the stair well.  I was frozen in place for a moment, trying to process what had just happened and why he was here, but the soft sniffles coming from a mere twenty yards away brought me back to the present.

                "Alice," I whispered, making my way towards her with outstretched arms.  She looked at me with red eyes and flushed cheeks before crumpling into my arms, right where she fit perfectly.  Her forehead fit comfortably in the crook of my neck, allowing her tears to drop all over the collar of my shirt.  "Shhhh, Alice, it's okay," I hushed her, hoping to calm the tears and get her to speak to me.  Eventually her sobs turned into silence with the occasional sniffle as we both waited for the other to speak, but I didn't want to push her.

                "I'm sorry Liam," she finally said.  It wasn't what I was expecting from her at all, causing me to pull back a bit and look her in the eyes, which were less puffy but still bloodshot. 

                "For what, love?" I asked, genuine curiosity and concern in my tone.  She averted her eyes, and I instantly missed their stunning green.   She took a deep breath and sighed heavily, but still didn't look back towards me.  I gave her a minute, but ended up placing a gentle hand on her cheek and guiding her to meet my eyes again.  "Please explain," I begged.

                "I've caused you all so much more trouble than I'm worth.  If I hadn't have come along, then Harry wouldn't have left me, he would have never run away and destroyed the band, and Louis wouldn't have gotten hurt.  This is all my fault!" her tears started right back up and she buried her head in my neck again. 

                "Alice, sweetie, you can't say that!  You're like family to us!  You are absolutely worth everything," I tried to assure her, but I could tell this was doing nothing to help.  I allowed her to cry again, knowing that she wouldn't continue until she was ready, but this time I led her over to a nearby chair and held her on my lap. 

                "If only I had said no to that idiot back then.  Then I wouldn't have gotten you into this whole mess!" Alice proclaimed half heartedly without moving.  Of course I remember the moment she was talking about.  Who wouldn't remember the moment all their hopes were crushed?