Falling

Chapter Twenty-Four

Hi. So. Nine thousand reads. Wow. o.o thanks!

Anyway, here is chapter 24, and because we've been updating pretty quickly, you should go read chapters 22 and 23 if you haven't already :)

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

(ZAYN POV)

I was up a lot earlier than usual this morning; I was never awake at this time, when the sun was just streaming into the room. Normally it was about…close to afternoon when I did, but I had to go look for Jordan today. There was an inexplicable eagerness inside me that just wanted to get all of this over and done with and then everyone could live in peace.

Hah. That just sounded like what a five year old would say, wishing for world peace.

Except I refused to believe it was like world peace: unattainable and just the dreams of a little kid. It was far from that, I was far from that. I knew better, didn’t I? 

But before I could go to Jordan, I knew I had to tell Harry. Tell him about what I did to Louis. I knew Niall wouldn’t tell Louis after yesterday, I would have to do it by myself. I owed him a decent explanation at least. All I could do was hope that he would forgive me, and let it go, and if he didn’t, I guess I would just have to accept it, because it had been my own stupid fault after all, and I did mess up.

I left the house and was about to go to Harry’s house, before I remembered what Niall said. “Harry’s looking after him now!” 

They were so inseparable it almost hurt – in a good way, of course. I would bet the rest of my life’s pay that they were at Louis’ house. I knew where his house was, of course. Working as a PI has its perks, I guess. Although I was pretty sure neither of them would be pleased when they found out how I’d gotten hold of their addresses.

The door stared back at me as I tried to work up some willpower to lift my hand and press the doorbell. Any longer and I swear I was going to see eyes appear in the wood, and it was going to start speaking to me and chiding me for my cowardice. 

Maybe I should just drop it. You know, if I didn't tell Harry or Louis, and neither did Liam and Niall, then I would be alright, wouldn't I? Everything would be alright. Nobody would have to know I was behind Louis' accident. Liam and Niall would be fairly easy to shut up, with a little of...help I guess. Nobody else had to know. I didn't have to mess up my relationship with Harry, and besides, Louis was already out of hospital, memory regained and probably healthy and happy. 

Yes it would be alright. 

Except it wouldn't really be because I would have to worry about this my whole life and pray it never came back to bite me, like karma or anything. And I was pretty sure the longer a lie (you couldn't call it a lie if you didn't do anything to cover the truth up, right? I just...didn't tell, that's all.) is kept from someone, the worse it is when the person finds out. 

Or so my parents used to tell me. 

My parents. 

I owed Harry one, didn't I? 

Finally my arms decided to stop being dead-weights and I lifted a finger to the doorbell, except I hadn't even so much as touched it, when I heard someone call my name.