Counting the Days

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Chapter 28: Counting the Days

--- Hope POV ---


When I lug all of my stuff into the hotel I’m finally able to flop down onto a soft surface.

Mmmm bed.

I roll over so that I can sink my face into the soft material, my world slipping away quickly into a dream state.

“Pea!” and that’s all it took to crush my weariness and drag me from my slumber. Groaning I roll over.

“Are you kidding me?!” I moan to me myself. Obviously the world wasn’t kidding as Abigail soared through the air and crash landed on the bed next to me. When I roll over slightly I can see her lying next to me, smiling a creepy smile.

Only Abi.

Her hand reaches over slowly and she then strokes my cheek, still she smiles creepily on. I frown at her. Then the creepy smile turns into one of mischief and before I know it she’s slapped my cheeks and jumped off of the bed singing and prancing around telling me to get up and stop being a pansy.

Bitch.

I grumble to myself, looking down at my travel clothes and frowning. If Abi was taking me to see the other models and designers I feel as though I should probably make myself a little more presentable. Then I just think, ‘You know what? Fuck it.’ And then I walk out of the hotel room after Abi, my clothes a scrunched mess and my hair probably messy as hell, but I don’t even care. They can think what they want. I just got off of an airplane. I’ll say Abi abducted me if I have to.

Mmm I like that idea. Blame it on Abi…

When she forces me into a cab that she’s magically hailed I take in the massive city around me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people. I always thought London was big. Now… I’m not so sure it is. New York it just so… Wow.

Abi laughs at my face. So what? She’s been here hundreds of times before. I can’t remember the last time I was in New York, if ever.

Suddenly I feel kind of lonely because even though I’m here with Abi I still feel as though something is missing and I already know exactly what it is.

It’s Harry. I want him here with me. Right now. I want him to be here to see all of this; the city that never sleeps.  I check my watch – 11pm. 11pm and the city is still as busy as ever. It’s hard to wrap your head.

Loneliness. In this huge city I’m all alone. My family is back in England and, save for the chatterbox next to me, no one I know is here. I quickly shake the feeling away though; now is not the time to think of such things.

“Where are you taking me?” I whine to her. Normally I wouldn’t whine but come on! I was happily asleep before she waltzed into my hotel room and basically kidnapped me.

“You’ll see damnit!” Abi mocks back to me. I frown at her, making faces when she’s not looking at me, you know because I’m all mature and everything.

When she rolls her eyes at me I chuckle slightly, turning back to my awed stare out the window.

That’s when I get a phone call.

“Hello?” I breathe down the line, not even bothering to check who was calling me.

“Well don’t you sound distracted.”  The voice coos down the line at me and I immediately sit at attention; all of my focus moving from my surroundings to the person on the other end of the line.

“New York is amazing.” I tell them quietly; turning my body slightly away from Abi so that I can at least have the feeling of a semi-private phone conversation.

“I know. But now I doubt that it’s half as amazing as you look right now.” Harry tells me. I sigh. He has no idea how much I just love listening to him. “Tell me what it looks like.” I look out the window again, struggling to find words to explain what I’m seeing.

“The neon lights of this city makes everything look unearthly, the dark alleyways making it dangerous. The amount of energy still lingering in the air... it makes me want to never sleep again. I look up at the sky and all I can see is more imposing buildings, yet I know that just beyond them there are stars. The air smells strange, like metal and people and I can’t help but see the beauty that lies in every corner of this concrete world. Still, for all its beauty there is this feeling excruciating loneliness of the men and women walking alone on the street, it hangs in the air like a sign; ‘I am here alone and I can only pretend that the city is my home.’ That’s how I feel Harry. I feel so lonely.” I tell him, whispering basically the entire speech.

“I miss your voice.” Is his simple reply and all it makes me want to do is cry. “Throughout this tour I’ve been listening and watching the videos that everyone took while we were back in England. Before the tour and the months apart. I felt like I would forget the sound of your voice. I felt like I would forget the fire that I always see in your eyes. I thought that the videos would sate my fears and satisfy my need to see you. Nothing could ever compare to you actually being there. And now, you’ve been gone for barely a day and already I miss the sound of your voice and your smile.” I hear his shaky breath and I can tell he is just as emotional as I am. “I miss all of you.” he tells me and I sigh a deep breath.

“I miss you too. Still, we only have to wait another two weeks and then we’ll see each other again.” I tell him, then I hear a voice shouting on the other end of the line to Harry. ‘Time to go on’ they shout. “You have to go.” I sigh.

“Yes, but Hope, I love you and I’m counting the days until I see you.” Then he hangs up before I can get another word in.

“Yeah, I love you too.” I whisper to the broken line. Slipping my phone back into my pocket I rest my head back on the seat.

“So it’s love then.” Abi comments and I nod my head in response. “I’ve never been in love.” She whispers quietly but I barely hear her. I just go back to staring out of the window and somehow, despite just talking to Harry, I feel even lonelier.

And that’s what I’m like for the rest of the night. Tired and lonely. We go out for dinner and we laugh and talk but I’m hardly even there. I think Abi notices because soon after our dinner she drops me back at the hotel saying ‘get some sleep’. So that’s what I do.

I sleep so that I have one less day to count.

--- Harry POV ---

I set down the phone after I’ve talked to Hope, huffing my way over to the stage.

“You know, looking like you’ve sucked on a lemon is not an attractive look for you.” Zayn comments as he bounces on the balls of his feet. I scoff at him, scrunching my nose further to annoy him.

“Hey pug.” Niall says as he walks past, proving Zayn’s point and making me scowl.

“I do not look like a pug Niall.” I tell him bitterly.

“No but you are acting like a bitch.” Louis mutters and I turn my scowl on him.

“I think we need to call Hope back here. I don’t think I can take a whole two weeks of your attitude.” Liam says and all the boys nod. That’s when I finally drop the defensive set of my shoulders and huff out a long breath.

“I didn’t even get to talk to her for longer than five minutes.” I grumble dejectedly to the boys as we take our places behind the curtains.

“Maybe, but you just saw her and all of a sudden when she leaves you’re as repellent as one of Niall’s farts.” Louis comments and I glare at him.

“Well then, try not to talk to me and I won’t have anyone to repel.”  I know I’m being snarky but I can’t really care. Luckily all the boys laugh and then we’re silent, getting into the zone for our performance.

Only two weeks and then we’ll be back together. Those two weeks can’t go fast enough.

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