Modest Oblivion - Book 6 (Larry Stylinson AU)

Chapter 46 - I close my eyes and I feel your heartbeat

Glorious - Foxes (especially 2.44 of the song, it really speaks about Dakota!)

I close my eyes and I feel your heartbeat

When Luke walked towards Dakota with his fingers pressed firmly to his ear he stopped dead in his tracks, his hand dropped from his earpiece. He stared at her with eyes so wide she was sure he would scream. Tears fell from her eyes, trepidation and unease rolled like waves of nausea over her body. If they sent her back, she would never be free. Then everything changed when the stranger with the suit and buzzcut held a hand to his earpiece, his jaw dropped. Her heart skipped a beat because he recognised her.

The realisation that someone finally recognised her, that she was almost safe, made her heart thunder in her chest like a flurry of wild horses.

She swiped the tears from her eyes, opened her mouth but realised she had nothing to say. Who was this man? Would he call the police or call those boys?

Suddenly she felt uneasy and her hands trembled in her lap, she stared down at her feet in the oversized sneakers and bit her bottom lip. Dakota was so lost, so afraid that she would be taken back to the hospital that she stood up. Her legs unsteady.

Her brain fuzzy from all the screaming and she whispered, "I need to see Niall or I need to leave."

"Is-" The man with the dark brown hair and stubbled chin stared at her, his face ashen.

She still couldn't tell if him recognising her was a good thing, run, her mind begged.

Her feet stayed planted to the ground. Not yet.

He took a step closer, the lobby buzzed with activity as staff bustled past and the shouts of photographers filled the night air. The guard took his earpiece out, his hazel eyes never left her face.

She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath.

"Help me?" She asked, so frightened that he would turn her away, she could hardly breathe.

He looked up, away from her and walked to the closest guard. She could hardly hear him, Dakota leant forward to try and catch his words. "Don't notify anyone..." and "take the guards back upstairs."

She shook her head, "No!"

He rushed towards her, hands raised in a sign of peace. "Hey," he spoke softly. "No, I'm just trying not to make a big deal..." He bit his lip, "The boys aren't in the best state tonight and-"

"If you send me back I'll disappear again!" Tears streamed down her face.

"Do you remember anything?" He stepped closer and sat down next to her, he put a protective arm around her shoulder. She had not felt so safe for as long as she could remember, her head dropped against his shoulder. "You're safe," he whispered.

"I don't remember who I am, I don't know why I was taken!" She cried louder, he pulled her into his arms and stood up. He walked silently and a few guards inhaled sharply, shocked to see her. "I don't even know if the boys will..."

The loud click of a door closed behind her, "remember you?"

She opened her eyes, blinked beyond her tears. "Yes."

He laughed, "Niall has cried every day that you've been gone."

"I..." He sat down and placed her on a soft leather couch, the lights burned bright. Dakota ran her trembling hand through her short, blonde hair. "I don't remember him," though Niall meant nothing to her she felt like her words, the admittance to forgetting them was a betrayal.