Taken // h.s

Lying is better, sometimes

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, eager to know what his devious mind had plotted. Somehow, I knew that he would get us through this.

Harry grinned, taking my hands in his. “You write a letter to your dad. One that explains everything.”

I stared at him with a raised eyebrow, confused. “Everything?”

He nodded. “Why you left and such. I’ll help you write it, of course.”

I agreed with him. Harry quickly grabbed a piece of paper and I grabbed a pen. We couldn’t write him an email because that could be traced back to Harry’s computer. Even though it would’ve been faster, we didn’t need that happening. He handed me the pen and I looked at the paper, contemplating how to start it.

“Here,” Harry whispered in my ear, leaning over me. “Let me help.”

He told me the words to say and I wrote them. His explanation on how I had disappeared was believable. But it wasn’t the truth. Together, we finished the letter and reread it carefully, looking for any mistakes.

Dear Dad,

It’s me, Veronica. I just thought it was time for you to know that I haven’t been kidnapped. I’ve seen the news broadcasts. And I know it’s taken me a while to get in touch with you, but I felt like now was a good time.

I’m fine and in good health. If you’re wondering why I disappeared, well, it’s because I ran away. For good reasons. Ones I think you shouldn’t be bothered with. I will not put a return address on this letter so you cannot contact me. I’ve found someone and he’s been taking care of me. He loves me just as much as you do. I hope one day the two of you can meet. But until then, I’ll be staying here.

Thanks for everything. I love you.

Veronica.

We sealed the letter carefully, making sure that it wouldn’t rip open in the mailing process. I knew it would take a while for it to get there and we would have to wait a couple of days until Harry took me to the doctor. But how would we know for sure if it had arrived?

Harry took it to the post office down the street while I waited for him to return. I looked down at the slight bulge in my stomach and rubbed small circles around it. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

Harry and I were actually having a baby.





Today was my birthday. And just three days away from my OB/GYN appointment. To tell you the truth, I was majorly nervous that I couldn’t even think straight. Harry woke me up late this morning. He had fixed me breakfast with various foods. Pancakes, bacon, fruit, and more. I thanked him with lots of sugary kisses.

After we had eaten, he pulled me onto the couch and went into his bedroom, only to come back out carrying three boxes. I wondered how he had time to shop for my present. He must’ve done it in secret or had Niall buy him the gifts. I started with the smallest one. It was a silver heart shaped necklace with diamonds lacing the side. On the back were the words, Je T’aime, written in loopy letters.

“It means, I love you, in French,” Harry explained. I let him know how much I loved the necklace and him by kissing him hungrily.

“It’s beautiful.”

The next present was slightly bigger. It held a coupon book that Harry had personalized himself. Inside were various pieces of paper stating that he had to do one thing for me if I ever gave him that coupon. As I read through them, I thought that some were more for his benefit rather than mine.

“Thanks, Harry. I love it,” I smiled.

The next present was a large pillow that was super soft and fluffy. Examining it curiously, I realized it to be a maternity pillow. Wow, I wasn’t even a month pregnant and Harry was already planning the future. I laughed loudly.

“What?” Harry asked, shrugging. “I thought it might help when… you know.” He mimed a circle over his stomach and I knew what he was talking about. This pillow was used for when my stomach got bigger. It supported my belly and back so that I was able to get a good night sleep.

Smiling, I pulled Harry down on the couch with me. “Everything is perfect. This day is perfect.” I kissed him lightly.

“And you’re perfect,” he whispered, cupping my cheek. He left a quick peck on my lips and leaned over to get the remote.

The TV was switched on and an emergency news report was blaring on the screen. What I saw made my eyes widen.

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Bennett, runaway?

“It’s been several months since the disappearance of young Veronica. Police have recently halted their investigation and search due to some news given by her father,” the newswoman said, a neutral expression on her face. She was monotone and seemed to hold no emotion.

“It seems that,” she continued. I grasped Harry’s hand for support. We both knew what this meant. “Veronica was never kidnapped, but a runaway. She sent a letter to her father explaining the whole situation.”

I looked at Harry and he looked at me. We both half smiled.

“Since then, the Amber Alert has been called off and this is no longer a dangerous situation. Veronica’s whereabouts are still unknown, but at least she’s safe. Thanks for tuning in. Goodnight everyone.”

Music played and it went to commercial. It was over. Dad, my friends, and everyone would no longer be looking for me. I was no longer a victim of kidnapping, but a runaway who needed to clear her mind.

My whole life seemed like one big lie.




The next three days passed by in a blur. I was nervous yet excited about going to the doctor due to the fact that I wanted to know if the baby was healthy. Harry and I walked inside, hand in hand, side by side. There were other women sitting in the waiting room. Some were by their selves, some were with their husbands, and some were with their mothers. Two of them looked like they were about to pop any second and the other was just a little bit smaller, but bigger than me.

“Can I help you?” The receptionist asked nicely. She was an older woman, with blonde curly hair that was short and didn’t fall past her ears. Her scrubs were peach colored with little smiling teddy bears on them. They were very cute and childlike.

“Yes,” Harry cleared his throat, still grasping my hand. “We’re here to see Dr. O’Malley. We have an appointment at ten.”

He spoke so calmly even I was calming down a little. I looked around at the other women who seemed to be looking at me too. They glared with squinted and narrowed eyes. It must’ve been due to the fact that I was so young or that I was Veronica Bennett, runaway. Looking down, I quickly turned back.

“Name?” The receptionist asked, scrolling through her clipboard.

“Veronica Bennett.”

She looked thoroughly until her mouth twitched in approval. “Ah, here you are. We’ll call you back as soon as Dr. O’Malley is ready.”

Harry nodded, adding a small dimpled smile. He dragged me to one of the seats gently, sitting next to me. The women continued to stare. I started to get uncomfortable.

“Aren’t you that girl?” One of them asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She was a petite girl. “The one that ran away?”

I looked at her, but didn’t bother to answer. I didn’t want to face the situation. Harry fidgeted as if he was getting annoyed.

“How could you do that to your father. Now look at you. You’re pregnant,” another girl stated, looking a little irritated.

I still looked down, trying to hold back tears. How could that woman say anything about me? She didn’t know anything about my life. Harry rose to say something to her, but a door opening interrupted us, revealing a smiling nurse.

“Veronica,” she spoke, calling my name.

I quickly got up, pulling Harry with me before he could say anything too harsh that he would later regret. We entered the back room and the nurse led us into an exam room. There were a couple of machines inside that blinked, which only made me more nervous.

“Dr. O’Malley will be in in a moment.”

With that, she left, leaving Harry and me alone inside of the cold, bland exam room. He stood beside me, wrapping his arms around me, rubbing my arm. “Those people don’t know what they were talking about. You don’t need to listen to them.”

He lifted me onto the exam bed and placed his hand on me knee. We waited for a few minutes and soon Dr. O’Malley came in. She was also a woman, which I was glad of. Nobody wants a male OB/GYN.

“Good morning, Miss Veronica. I’m Dr. O’Malley,” she greeted us, reaching her hand out for me to shake it. I graciously took it, as did Harry.

I watched as she flipped through her clipboard, examining my records. “So, this is your first appointment after realizing you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. I found out a week ago, but I don’t know how long I’ve been pregnant,” I confessed. Harry held my hand while we talked.

She nodded. “I see. We’ll able to tell on the ultrasound.”

The gray machine in the corner was pulled beside my exam bed. Dr. O’Malley pulled on some white, latex gloves. “I need you to lie down for me.”

I did as I was told, squeezing my eyes shut. Harry gripped my hand tighter. I could feel both of their eyes on me.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Dr. O’Malley spoke, lightly squeezing my wrist.

I opened my eyes then. Slowly, she lifted my shirt and I looked down. My stomach was actually bigger than I thought it had been. How long had I been pregnant? Why did it take me so long to figure it out?

“Okay. This gel might be a little cold, but other than that, there shouldn’t be any discomfort.”

She slathered the clear gel on my abdomen. It was cold, but not unbearably so. I was surprised that Harry was being so quiet. It wasn’t like him, but I guess he was as traumatized as I was.

Then, Dr. O’Malley placed the tool on my abdomen as well and started gliding it all over my skin. “Ah. We’ve got something.”

She examined the screen carefully before showing us. Harry was watching her intently, eyes glued to the machine.

“Well, since we can see picture with this ultrasound, that means you’re at least eleven weeks pregnant.” She didn’t even sound surprised.

Eleven weeks pregnant! How could I not have known?

“Is the baby healthy?” Harry asked, leaning forward a bit.

Dr. O’Malley smiled, nodding her head. “They are both very healthy.”

My eyes widened at the word she just used. So did Harry’s “Did you say they?” I asked, raising my head just a little.

Dr. O’Malley turned the machine so that we could see what was on the screen. She pointed at two little gray smudges and explained that those were the hearts. “You’re having twins.”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak a word. Harry was smiling so brightly that it was almost blinding. He leaned down to kiss my cheeks. “Can you believe it? We’re having twins.”

He was ecstatic. But as for my feelings, I just couldn’t tell yet. Dr. O’Malley gave me some paper towels and I wiped the gel off of my stomach gently. I made sure the gooey stuff was completely gone before I pulled my shirt back down.

She pulled her gloved off and turned to face us. “It’s too early to know their gender yet, but you should come back in a few weeks and we’ll be able to tell then.”

Harry and I both nodded and he helped me off the exam bed. “Thank you.”

We walked back into the waiting room, which was now empty. Harry practically skipped to the car, opening the door for me, then climbing himself. “Let’s celebrate.”

I giggled. “How?”

He paused before pulling out of the parking lot. “I’m not sure. I’ll think of something.”
I laughed and he pulled out. That’s when I became excited about having twins. I couldn’t wait for them to be born and I could hold them in my arms.

Harry would make a great dad. We would make a perfect family.

--

but diana