The Writer and the Singer (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 18

     Aubrey wiped away his tears. "It's ok. I'm here." She couldn’t promise she was ok, but she was there and planned to stay. 

"How could you do that to yourself?" She didn't have a response to that. He gave a slight nod and clung to her tighter. They lay gazing at each other, studying their features. Pain, mourning, and defeat were etched on their faces. Finally they drifted back into oblivion.

     When they next woke it was due to the sound of the front door slamming shut. "Shit." Harry cussed. Aubrey's parents had arrived home from work. Harry kissed her temple and whispered, "I'm sorry. I better go." Her face crumpled and hot tears slipped down her cheeks. Aubrey gripped onto him.

Her voice shook and cracked as she begged, "Please don't go. You can't leave me." The state she was in tore him apart. He encircled her in his arms. 

"I won't leave you. I'm here." 

     "I need to talk to my parents." She muttered after a few moments. 

"Should they know I'm here?" She bit her lip, unsure of the answer to his question. Finally she nodded.

"Just give me a moment before you come out, ok?" 

"Sure."

     She took a deep breath in before she ventured into the kitchen, where she would find her parents. The material that covered her skin rubbed painfully along her cuts. They had been walking in the direction of her room when she entered. They both embraced her. She knew they had heard what had happened. Her mum ran her fingers through Aubrey's hair and her dad rubbed circles on her back. 

"We came as soon as we heard. I'm so sorry sweetie." Her mum spoke. She nodded and hugged her tightly. When Aubrey looked up she saw her mother was crying. "Don't cry mum."

     "I'm just so sad you lost another friend."

"I am too." After a little longer they broke apart. 

"Harry was there when it happened too. I told you he and I are dating. I need him right now. Can he please stay?" He entered the room then. 

"It's nice to meet you." Harry greeted and shook their hands.

"You too. Aubrey's told us a lot about you." Her mum spoke. He smiled at them. 

"I promise we won't do anything, just please?"

"Now Aubrey-" 

Her father was interrupted by her mum saying, "Yes, he may."

"Thank you." She spoke sincerely. As Aubrey dragged him back to her bedroom they heard Aubrey's mum say to her husband, "She's just lost another one of her friends. She needs someone right now. He seems like a nice boy. We can do this for her." 

     Harry called his mum to tell her he was alright and he wouldn't be home tonight. She was in tears on the other line. He assured he was alright multiple times. After a few more minutes he told her he loved her and hung up.

     There was a silence between Aubrey and Harry for a moment he sat down on the bed. Aubrey crawled into his lap. "Can you sing to me?" He nodded. His voice was lower than usual.

     Aubrey felt especially needy. She kept losing everyone around her, but she refused to lose Harry. She needed to be as close to Harry as possible. She muted his singing by meeting his lips with her own. She needed to feel his skin. Harry’s tongue moved with her own. They were relieved that this element of their life stayed the same: their love. 

     Harry kissed her along her collarbone and began down her arms. He peeled back the bandages and kissed every cut Aubrey had made. Aubrey spoke quietly, "I love you so much."

"And I you."

     Louis was driving with Niall in the passenger seat when they got the call. Niall put the call on speaker when he answered. "Ey this is Niall."

"Hello. I am a police officer from the county police department. When we were speaking to Chaise's parents they said you were her boyfriend. They requested we inform you that this afternoon Chaise fell through the ice of a frozen pond." Niall stopped breathing. Everything was whirring around him, but nothing mattered except the next sentence the man spoke. 

     "I'm very sorry sir, but she drowned. She's gone." A strangled noise escaped his lips. Niall ended the call. When Niall looked up at Louis he saw that his jaw was slack. His pupils dilated as he waited for Niall's reaction.

Niall attempted to control his voice when he spoke, "Louis pull over the car." Louis followed his direction immediately. 

     When the car stopped Niall whipped off the seat belt and flung open the car door. His feet met the pavement and he ran into the grassy field they parked in front of. He only made it a few yards into the field until he collapsed in a heap. His body shook with rage. Anger overcame any other emotion. He shook with it. He yelled, attempting to release it. Nothing could cure this emotion though. He knew it.

     Louis walked over to him and sat down cross legged next to him. "Everything's ok chap." Louis tried to reassure him.

"Everything's ok?!" He bellowed. He stood and Louis rose after him. Niall was enraged. He blew up. He balled up his fists and punched Louis in the jaw as hard as he could. Louis' head turned with the force of the impact. Louis turned to look at Niall. Hurt and confusion was displayed on his face. "Nothing is ok." Niall whispered. His anger was completely diffused. He shook from weeping, instead of from rage now. Louis and he embraced. "I'm so sorry." Niall's voice cracked. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's ok. You're just upset and hurt." Louis rubbed Niall's back. "You'll get through this. We all will. I promise."

*Author’s Note: I’ve been writing like crazy! Yay for frequent updates! Comment, vote, and message me babes!*