Patch Our Hearts

Chapter 32

Harry's P.O.V.

I got out of my car, facing the giant, abandoned building. It was a dull gray (I'm from the U.S. so it's with an 'a' here), that cast a long shadow over me.

I checked my phone for the time, she told me to be here twelve minutes ago. She shouldn't be mad at me for being late, especially since she has left me hanging countless times, sometimes not even bothering to show up.

I rubbed my neck, trying to smooth out the kink. I've been sleeping in cheap hotels the last few days, and my extra cash was running low. This feeling of being on the run all time was starting to take me over, I wasn't hungry much anymore, or gave a fuck about much than this damn situation I created. The guys were probably furious with me, Abby probably won't ever speak to me again. Not even to speak about Management, God, after sending Abby to the hospital and the paps incident, I'll be in major image reconstruction by the time I get back, if I do.

I check my phone again, noticing it was about to die. Fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, there was a grand creaking sound, jolting me from my thoughts and troubles. The side of the building that was closet towards me started to shake and move. The noise ceased for a millisecond, then started back up as the side of the building started to drag itself up, like a garage door, but ten times bigger.

I took that as my cue and started to head inside the massive place.

As soon as my feet crossed over from the dirt outside to the hard, concrete flooring, the door started to move downwards, bring the squealing with it.

"Fuck, Ronaldo, hurry with the door! I can't stand that damn noise," I heard Jennifer's voice echo from across the building's inside, also allowing me to know we weren't alone. Nothing surprising about this woman.

"Hey Styles," She acknowledged me, staring down at her phone, reading something off the tiny screen, "Take a seat."

Jennifer was sitting in what seemed like the middle of the place, in a chair that was across form a lonely couch. The area was well-lit in, so you could see the chairs perfectly, but everything else around them was black, just like in the movies.

Following her instructions, I sat down on the uncomfortable couch, noticing the lack of cushion and cracks running up and down the faded leather.

An silence loomed over us, awkward for me, but like any other conversation for Jennifer as she finished reading whatever in the hell she was so consumed with.

"So," Jennifer said, setting her phone down onto a tiny coffee table that stood next to her. "Your girlfriend seems pretty stubborn, pretty bitchy actually."

I didn't know what to say, whether to go off on her for calling Abby a bitch, or to agree saying Abby's stubborn as hell.

"You're really quieted today Styles, now, wouldn't you agree?" Jennifer chose for me. I nodded my head, feeling the wave of guilt along with it.

"And it seems to be that her and her friends don't want to pay the money," Jennifer stood up, wandering around trying to intimidate me.

I noticed out if the corner of my eye slight movement, like a bodyguard of Jennifer's lurking in the darkness. Jennifer looked at me, grabbing my attention again.

"I hope you didn't have anything to do with this, Styles." She sat, walking behind me. I didn't even bother to turn my head, trying not to give away my "tells".

"No ma'am," I replied, my voice shaking slightly, but I readjusted it before she could notice.

"That's what I'd like to hear. So you've had no communication with her at all?" Jennifer asked, and by then I knew she was on to me.

"No," I said,taking a risk by lying to her.

Jennifer smirked, obviously knowing that I was lying. Damn, I might've just made this worse. Rubbing my forehead, I avoided eye contact with her.

She sat down next to me on the couch after she had circled me a fair amount of times. The bodyguards took a step closer, staring off into space.

"Are they really necessary?" I asked, gesturing towards the men.

Jennifer chuckled, "After what I'm about to inform you about."

I crinkled my eyebrows, "What?"

"Well," Jennifer said, clasping her hands together in an important manner. "Let's just say I think someone has tampered with her, someone she missed."

I sat there silent, taking each hit of words.

"Nothing to say? So you're admitting it?" Jennifer said, not even waiting for an answer. "That's is Styles, you just made a fucking bad move. I'm dropping the investigation, you can find your dad on your own."

She stood up to sit back down in her other chair, and I decided not to react right away, knowing there was more to come.

"But she won't have to pay the ransom anymore?" I clarified.

"Oh, yeah she'll have to pay it," Another voice came out from the darkness. It was a man's and it certainly made my skin crawl.

All these emotions were running through me, anger that Jennifer wasn't going to help search for my dad.

He'd left my mum and I when I was young. I've always wanted to meet him, one day find him and try to set everything right. My mum always told me to give up, that it wasn't worth it and he was a prick. For a while, I believed her. But then I started dating Jennifer (I know, hard to believe) and shed offered to help.

I balled my fists in anger, mentally reliving everything, the pain, the stress, and the heartache of every month having to give money to that bitch. For what? It's not like the money was a problem. But to have her investigate more on my dad, to one day find him.

All those years I spent dating her, every time we'd fight she'd hang his damn investigation over my head.

She finally broke up with me, and she tried to back out of his case, saying there wasn't anything she could find about him. After upping the pay even more, she reluctantly agreed to stay.

She wasn't bad in bed, but it was still hell, and thank God neither of us were virgins.

I still regret it all, but there's nothing I can do but wait and give her money. Why'd I drag Abby and everyone else into this?

I just wanted my dad.

A man that was behind the voice stepped out of the darkness, and I knew that'd I'd seen him before. I stood in intimidation, "Harry, you remember Gavin, correct?"

Jennifer put her arm around him, and I remembered who he was. The guy from the restaurant, Abby's ex. My eyes blurred red, and I lunged at him, ready to kill him for everything he did to Abby.

However, I was caught mid-air by those damn security guards. They grabbed both my arms and pinned them behind my back, slightly twisting my left arm. Pain shot up my arm to my shoulder, and I let out a cry. I shut my eyes, and gritted my teeth, trying not to focus on the pain.

"Bad idea Harry," Jennifer said, and Gavin smirked, a crazy look on his face.

"Don't go near her," I said through my teeth.

Suddenly, I felt a Sharp pain in my neck, and it disappeared as soon as it was there.

"Stay... away from- her," I managed to say, but everything slowly went black.