Patch Our Hearts

Chapter 26

Harry's P.O.V.

I stood at the ATM, trying to withdrawal money. My pockets felt different without the weight of my phone.

Looking behind my shoulder to make sure nobody was watching me, I noticed the bright flashes of cameras.

I groaned, hastily grabbing the money I withdrew and left, trying to get to my car before the paps did. Grabbing my keys, I pressed the unlock button twice, and my car beeped in response. Pulling the door open, I jumped into my seat and started the car.

Pushing the gas pedal, I sped out of the parking lot. Running a hand through my hair from the stress, I checked the clock on my dashboard out of the corner of my eye, 12:57.

"Ughhh..." I groaned. I was supposed to meet her at the coffee shop at one.

I slowed the car a bit, taking a left at the corner, leaning forward in my seat. My eyes scanned for the coffee shop I was supposed to go to, worried about how she would retaliate at me being late.

Letting my mind wander as I looked for the shop, I started to think about Abby and everyone. They probably all hated me, I fucked everything up and left them to clean up the mess with Management. Abby was probably going out of her mind, but she was stoic. We could get through this, I'll just come back before the tour and hope to fix everything.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her car, parked in front of a coffee shop. I jerked the car to I could park, earning a few horns from other cars as I swerved over to a spot.

I grabbed my cash from the ATM machine, noticing that I was just on time. Completely ignoring the parking meter standing to my car, I rush towards the double doors, pulling on open.

The smell of coffee instantly filled my nostrils, as I searched for her in the dim lighting. For a random coffee shop in the middle of the day, that place was packed. If I had known that coffee was this popular in London, I would've brought some shades with me or something.

I ducked my head down, casually walking over to a tall table with two high stools in the back.

Wishing I had thought of getting a coffee, I searched for her. I know she absolutely hated being late, including others as well. My eyes focused on the various people sitting in booths and tiny tables like mine. There was a man on his laptop, typing furiously. He would look outside at the "scenery" and, as if he would think of something new again, the man would go back to his laptop, typing away.

There was another girl with blonde hair that reminded me of Abby, but this girl had wire-rimmed glasses and no makeup. She sat at a booth by herself, staring down at a book, her eyes flying over the words as she sipped from her frappe.

I looked down at my watch just as the bell that hung above the door at the coffee shop rang, followed with a heavy slam. High heels clanked against the tile floor, and I didn't even have to look up to know she was here.

Against my reflexes, I looked up, watching as she headed to the counter, ordering what I presumed was regular coffee. Grabbing the two paper cups, she took her sweet damn time walking to the back of the shop.

Nobody else seemed to really notice her, or the fact that she had two coffees in her hand, walking over to 1/5 of One Direction.

"Sorry I'm late Styles," She said, her chocolate hair slipping out from underneath her black hood.

I took a sip of the my coffee, saying nothing in return. Talk about irony.

"Aw c'mon Harry, the crash wasn't that-"

"Shut the fuck up Jennifer!" I refused to call her by her nick-name, slamming my coffee down, "Do you know how much shit you got me into?"

Jennifer sat back in her seat, a smirk plastered on her face, "But I also got you rich."

Abby's P.O.V.

"How the hell are we going to get $500,000? Is there even a deadline?" I said, my brain going into overdrive.

This text seemed to answer so many of my pondering questions, but it also caused so many new ones to arise.

"Holy shit," Carina said, looking around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, "I hope not."

For a second we just stood in the hallway to Gemma's apartment, lost in our own thoughts and worry.

I opened my mouth, about to ask the obvious question, were we going to tell the guys? Deciding against it last second, I shut it again, letting silence consume me once again.

Turns out that I didn't even have to ask, as the door to the apartment swung open, the guys all walking out, throwing on their jackets while Gemma said her goodbyes. Nolan's eyes widen (as did the rest of the guys), when they noticed us still in the building.

"Hey..." Ryder said, noticing something was wrong. I looked to the ground, holding my phone out.

Warm fingers brushed mine as I felt my phone being taken out of my palm. I slowly looked up, sick to my stomach as I watched all four of the guys huddled around my phone, reading. One by one, their faces all dropped in understanding and worry.

"Did they give any details about how to get the money to them?" Louis asked, skipping over the entire where are we going to get the money? question.

I shook my head, and Liam screenshot the text before saying, "Simon and the police need to see this."

I had to bite my tongue from disagreeing with Liam. What if this was like Law & Order, where if the police got involved at all the victim would immediately be killed? We couldn't risk it, for the sake of the band, and yet we were.

Liam knew what he was doing, and same with Simon.

"For right now, we don't tell anybody except Simon. We do not need this broadcast everywhere." Liam said, confirming my thoughts.

We all stood in silence, in a kind of murkiness you'd only find in a situation like this. I felt like I couldn't go anywhere, do anything, without it being wrong.

Liam handed my phone back to me, and I slide it in my back pocket.

"Well get the money, don't worry." Liam assured Carina and I, nodding his head slightly before walking off with 4/5 of One Direction.