Illicit [Harry Styles]

Chapter 57

A few of the others had given up and gone back inside, leaving me, the sweet boy I'd found out was called Darren, and Ben outside with Mckenzie as she remained on the ground crying and shouting and generally being of annoyance to us and the neighbours. We all kind of just ignored her as we waited for our ride to turn up, but that certainly didn't silence her.

Another fifteen minutes dragged by before a familiar black beamer roared up the road towards the house. The car was brought to a sudden stop and the engine was switched off as all the doors opened and four figures stepped out, the darkness shadowing them from us.

My gut wrenched at the sight of the mop of curly hair as one figure strode towards us in front of the rest, leading the way with long but slow steps. Whilst Louis rightfully headed straight for the girl rolling around on the grass screaming, Harry stopped when he got to me.

"Are you okay?" he breathed out, both hands carefully gripping my upper arms as his worried stare swept over me. His eyebrows were sloped inwards with the crease in the middle of them that's often present when he's concerned, a frown on his dark lips.

"I'm fine," I replied, referring to the fact that I hadn't been hurt or upset by anything that'd happened tonight. That was more than could be said for the way I was feeling inside in response to his touch after going without it for so long. I felt like my skin was tingling even though my arms were covered in a thick jumper. "It's Mckenzie you should be worrying about." I tried to offer a small smile, and just the way he blinked back at me feebly told me he knew exactly what I meant.

I was the first to tear myself away, turning from him to see what was going on with my friend. Louis was leant over her, attempting to talk some sense into her by the looks of it. Zayn and another person I didn't recognise stood watching, probably unsure of how to handle this situation.

"Right darlin', if you won't get up on your own I'm gonna have to lift you up," Louis said.

She wriggled beneath his hands on her shoulders, whining, "Get off me."

"You don't want to be lying out here in the mud. Come on, it's cold."

"Mckenzie, come on," I nagged, growing impatient with her state by now.

"Give me a hand will you mate?" Louis glanced over his shoulder at Harry, who nodded and slipped round from behind me, his hands grazing my back and sending a shiver through me as he went.

Louis held her arms and attempted to gently pull her up, but she was being difficult on purpose and letting her body go limp. Harry stepped behind her and ducked down, pushing her upwards as Louis drew her into him. He ultimately put an arm under her back and the other under her knees, lifting her bridal style. They started walking towards the car with all of us following when Mckenzie began to get agitated, flailing her limbs around and trying to get away.

"I can walk on my own!" she shrieked in frustration, throwing Louis off.

"Alright, alright." He carefully placed her on her feet and she wobbled momentarily before catching her balance and starting to march off in the other direction.

"The car's that way..." I told her, pointing in the direction we'd been heading just a moment ago, but she brushed past me. She was still tearful and aggressive, and she was so out of it I'm not sure she even knew where she was going or what she was doing.

Louis groaned and jogged after her with the rest of us lingering in the road, he placed his hands on her arms and she shrugged him off, shouting something I didn't understand at him.

"Come on babe, let's just get you home and we can talk," he offered. As if she'd be getting into any deep chats any time soon...

"I don't want to talk to you," she wailed, and at that moment she turned around to face him and fell onto her back on the grass again. Louis tried to catch her hands to keep her up but it was no use, she was like a piece of jelly slopping and sliding all over the place.