Ripped Away (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Louis breathed in the familiar scent of sweet tea as he allowed his mind to relax. All at once, he remembered everything. It was like heavy fog had lifted from his brain, and all the little details became very clear. And Louis knew that his ‘accident’ was anything but. Someone was trying to kill him.

He lowered his shaky hand to settle the tea cup onto its saucer. His emotions ran wild, from confusion to gripping fear. He’d never been so scared in his life. Whoever was out to get him had failed, and they would be sure to try again. Nowhere seemed safe. The question was, who was doing this, and why?

Harry hadn’t left Louis' side since he awoke from his dream, or rather, memory. He was grateful now that Lou remembered everything, because that meant they’d have a better chance of catching the murderer. Or murderers. He hated the fact that nothing could be resolved – they didn’t find anything on Crystal’s killer, and Lou’s attacker(s) nearly got away with it too. On top of that, none of it made any sense. There was no explanation behind anything. But if Louis could help them catch the bastard driving that truck, he’d at least get a taste of the closure he so desperately craved.

“How you holding up?” He asked Louis every so often. They were watching a mild movie that neither showed any interest towards. Waiting.

Louis just nodded in response. He was enthralled in his thoughts, about who pushed him, what the truck looked like, how it felt to black out immediately after seeing bright headlights. The situation was consuming him. He’d never experienced anything like it.

The boys heard the doorbell. They looked at each other with eyes that said, Well, here we go.

Richard, the band’s manager, stepped into the house and greeted Anne lightly. Harry and Louis were not looking forward to speaking with him, but they knew it was necessary.

After a curt conversation, Anne led Richard to Harry’s bedroom where the two sat together. The other three boys stayed quiet in the living room. They were used to drama, like from their fans, but this stuff was unreal. It was almost humbling, and forced them to take a step back from everything to look at the big picture in silence. What was important was that loved ones stayed close. Close and safe and loved.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Richard began robotically, his voice dripping with professionalism and apathy. It made Harry sneer.

“Hi Richard,” Louis replied dismissively.

He paused before speaking again. “I know you boys have been through a lot, but if we’re going to get to the bottom of all this, I’m going to need your cooperation and trust.”

The two friends eyed each other. “Whatever you say,” Harry answered.

“Excellent. Now, the police have been informed of the situation and are on their way. Louis, you’re going to need to tell them exactly what happened, exactly how you remember it. They need as much detail as possible if they want to catch this person whom you say pushed you into traffic.”

Louis was staring at the tea in his hands. Things between him and Richard have never been too great, mainly because Louis very outwardly disliked him, for many reasons.

Richard continued. “Do you remember seeing anyone standing around that could’ve been a witness?”

Frowning, he racked his brain. “Yea, actually. There was a man walking his dog and two little kids playing on tricycles. And a brown-haired woman…” Louis trailed off at the mention of the brunette. He wasn’t one hundred percent positive that it was actually her that pushed him, but it must have been! There was no one else around at all!