Stockholm Syndrome

four

- Louis -

I climbed out of the black SUV, Paul following close behind. My stomach churned viciously just looking at this party. Just taking over the small fact that this is where my girlfriend had gotten kidnapped. She was supposed to be safe. I was supposed to keep her safe. And now she's completely disappeared.

That's what's really eating me alive most right now. Andrea feels safe around me. At least, she's supposed too. What kind of boyfriend am I for letting her just slip right between my fingers? I looked away for a split second and she was already taken. On a night where we thought we could finally celebrate. The night we thought it was all over.

The party wasn't really going on anymore when we walked through the gates. The DJ was packing up and the boys and our families -- including Andrea's -- was helping clean up the garbage. It was nearly midnight. And it seems as though everywhere I'm not looking is where everyone seems to vanish.

"Hey, mate!" Harry scoots over, hanging his arm over the back of my shoulders. "Did you find Andrea?"

I wanted to cry again. I wanted to tell Harry that no we didn't find her. I wanted to spill to him and tell him about the note that was left in her bedroom. "No, we didn't find her, but I did end up reaching her." I can't believe I'm lying right through my teeth to my best friend. "She had to leave town for a bit."

"Oh, is everything alright?" Harry asked, concern hinting all over his face. I looked up and now everyone was listening in. I couldn't look at them. The guilt was just eating me alive.

"No. We kind of got into a bit of an argument." I squeezed out yet another lie. My stomach dropped.

"Hey, Lou, you don't look so good." Liam stepped forward, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. The one that wasn't scarred over.

"I just have a headache. Probably too much to drink." I said, shaking it off as no big deal. My heart was aching, which is a little common for me, but this time was different. This time it felt like I was shot again. When the air is barely there and you can't help but think that this is finally it.

"Here, man, sit down." Zayn opened up one of metal folding chairs and popped it beside me. "Hey, Perrie! Go get Lou a water, please?" He called out to his fiancée.

The minute my butt made contact with the chair, my whole world just lurched forward. Everything dizzy. Images that were right in front if me seesawed back and forth. I got this craning sensation to burst in my neck and then everything went soundless, except for the piercing ringing. I leaned my elbows on my knees, shoving my face in the palm of my hands. Sweat trickled down the side of my forehead.

A flash came through. A faint picture of Andrea being locked up and screaming out my name. It was haunting me. It was staying clear right in front of me. I couldn't do anything and it wasn't going away. Andrea was sitting there, strapped down to a chair, screaming and hollering out my name.

Louis! She screamed. Louis, help me! Louis, he's gonna kill me! Louis! Louis! Louis!

"Andrea!" I screamed back. But the words didn't even flow from my mouth. "Andrea!" I tried screaming louder.

But it was too late. She was dead. And it was all my fault. Her body laying there lifeless and dead on the floor. Blood from a gunshot wound poured out from her chest. Her eyes held completely nothing. Now I get to live on, without her. Without her touch, without her kiss, without her love, without Andrea. And it was all my fault.

My world caved in, a dark image of my heart tearing into two. The air slipped from my lungs and everything around me crashed to the floor. It was dark now.