Behind the Tattoos: Uncontrollable Desires Sequel

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ice Cream Helps

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ice Cream Helps

-Harry's POV-

"Are you going to talk or should I?" Louis drinks from the straw as he stares at me from across the table. A thick substance travels up the straw and into his mouth. He ordered some kind of oreo shake that seemed to have more oreo than shake in it. "Well?" 

I've been contemplating whether or not to call Jeffery, our house butler back where Ashlyn and I live. After talking with Louis about how Ashlyn probably got herself to the hospital and narrowing down the option of her driving herself, I came to the conclusion that she probably asked someone to take her. Jeffery would be the obvious target since he's always done everything for her. 

"I don't know, Lou. What do I say if he did take her?" I scoop some vanilla ice cream and eat it, the cold feeling traveling down my throat. 

"Obviously you tell him to watch out for her." 

"Right, but it feels like it should be more," I pause, "complicated...I guess." I really don't know what I'm saying, but it seems too easy to just make a call and everything suddenly be fine and dandy. 

"Just give him a call," Louis says and slides my phone closer to me. I look down at it. The screen is already lit with Jeffery's contact name showing. It takes just a simple press of the finger. 

"What if he tells me that something has gone wrong," I ask in a whisper. That's the real reason why I dread making the call. I don't think I can handle hearing his pain if something bad were to go wrong. 

Louis takes the lid off his shake and starts using a spoon instead. The clumps must have proved too difficult to suck through the straw. "Well, you will only find out if you call." 

He's right. I've got to just call him and deal with whatever gets thrown at me. Ashlyn had called Niall before going into surgery instead of me. I need the reassurance from someone near her to tell me that she will be okay. 

I decide to call. I hold the phone to my ear and Louis watches me, eating his shake at the same time. The line rings multiple times and I suddenly wish he doesn't answer. It would give me a reason to hang up and call a different time when I feel more comfortable doing so. 

"Harry?" Jeffery's voice answers and the familiarity makes me smile suddenly. He's been so kind to me since Ashlyn and I became something serious. 

"Jeff, how are you doing?" 

"I'm feeling great. First I get to see Ashlyn again and now a phone call from you? It makes me happy." I can picture the old man smiling and it just makes me grin as well. Louis notices with satisfaction. 

"So, listen, I don't really want to make this a sad phone call, but I'm really curious about Ashlyn. Is she alright? Are they handling her correctly? Did she say anything about me?" The questions just seem to topple from my lips. There's just so much I want to talk to her about and never got the chance to. 

Jeffery laughs. "You definitely have not changed, Harry. I've been promised that she will be perfectly fine going under," he says but I hear the small waver in his voice. He's worried as well. 

"Why didn't you tell her no?" I ask, not trying to sound rude, but he had that physical capability of saying no to her. 

He sighs. "You and I both know how she gets when told she can't do something. Plus, she told me that this is what she wants and I make it a goal to never come between her and what she wants in life."

I pick my spoon up and lick the ice cream off of it. My stomach is starting to feel dreadful. "Smart man," I tell him. 

"I'm scared though," he suddenly drops his voice and I press my phone closer to my ear. "Scared that I'll -we'll- lose her to this. I just keep hoping and wishing that everything will turn out fine. Things have to turn out fine, right Harry?"