Extricate // l.s

16

-

"Louis!"

I grinned wide as I watched my younger sisters run up to greet me. They flung their little arms around my neck and I wrapped both of my arms around their small frames. It was good to be home.

I pulled away to look at them. "Where's mum?"

They both looked at each other and then looked down at the floor. Phoebe was first to answer. "She's been working more. She hasn't been home a lot. She got us a sitter."

I furrowed my brows. "Lottie can't watch you?"

"She has school." Daisy replied, shrugging her shoulders carelessly. "When she's home, she's always in her room."

I huffed and stood up completely. Well this isn't what I had thought coming home would be like.

I really wanted to bring Harry along but his therapist had told him he needed to take a small break away from me so he could get back to his writing. I was worried about him but I trusted that he would take his medicine and get better.

"Lou?"

I looked down and saw Phoebe pulling at my t-shirt. I squatted down to her height. "Yeah?"

She looked nervous. "Mummy hasn't been feeling good lately... I don't know what to do..."

Daisy popped up at my other side. "We give her soup so she'll feel better but it's not working..."

I immediately grew worried. What they just explained to me wasn't good.

It wasn't good at all.

-

"So, Harry."

I grumbled as I sank lower into the uncomfortable leather sofa. Zayn sat across from me, judging me hardcore, I could see. Today was going to be a long one. "So, Zayn."

Zayn placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and looked down at his clipboard, making little tsk sounds as he skimmed. Jeff had dropped it off before my session started. It was a list of updates on my behavior. "You just got out of the hospital?"

I looked down and nodded.

"For attempted suicide?"

I nodded once more.

"How did you do it?"

I didn't reply. It was too difficult.

"Let's change it up. How did you feel before you did it?"

I felt the gears turning in my brain. My voice was small, almost inaudible. "Empty."

Zayn wrote this down. "What about during?"

My voice still came out quiet, almost a whisper. "Regretful." I immediately looked up. "It wasn't me. I didn't do it."

Zayn sat up straighter and took a sip from his mug. After placing it back in front of him, he cleared his throat and looked at me once more. "Who did it then, Harry?"

He had a name. A horrible one, at that.

"Simon."

His eyebrows rose and his pen immediately went to his paper, noting this. "Who is Simon?"

I thought about how to word what I was about to say next. It was going to sound absolutely crazy no matter how I said it. "He's the man on my shoulder. He tells me what to do and if I don't do what he says, he does it for me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He takes control of me. My body."

Another jot down. Another sip from the mug.

Zayn offered me a donut but I declined, trying to get this over with as soon as possible. "Why was Simon killing you?"

I looked down. "If he hurt me, he knew he would hurt the ones I love."

"Your family?"

"Well, yes, of course... But mainly Louis." I confessed, smiling sadly.

Zayn put his notebook down. "Harry... I told you to-"

"I'm not leaving him, Zayn. If you want to tell Jeff that I'm happy with another boy and get me stripped of my career, then be my guest. I'm not going to let him go." I defended, my voice growing louder after every sentence.

"Look, Harry, I think you should take time off. Take care of yourself and just sort things out. I'll let Jeff know and he can give you all the time you need." Zayn informed me.

I scoffed. "I don't need time off. What I need is a new manager, one that actually treats me like a fucking human. Jeff is the reason for most of my episodes."

"What about that boy Louis?"

I could feel myself smiling fondly. "He's the reason why I'm actually alive today. He makes me want to keep living."

Zayn thought about this. "What if one day, Simon takes it too far and hurts or even kills this boy? How could you control it with how you're doing now?"

"Look, Zayn, how about you stop questioning my life for a moment, yeah? You're great and all, but just... lay low for a bit."

There was a pause. "Well... I'm kind of a therapist. It's my job."

I took a sip from the mug that was on the table, knowing it was his. Zayn opened his mouth to protest but closed it immediately, knowing it was no use. I crossed my legs and looked into my therapist's deep brown eyes that made you question your whole life. "I need a raise."

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "A raise? Are you nuts? Harry, do you have any idea how much you make now?"

I shrugged. "I'm aware."

"And you want more?"

I nodded. "With as much shit everyone is putting me through, yes. So... Deal or no deal?"

He sighed heavily and set his papers on the coffee table in front of us. "That's Jeff's call, but I'm predicting it as a no. Sorry, mate."

I shrugged, not even caring that much. "It was worth a shot. There's no way I'm talking to Satan."

"He's your manager. You have to speak to him eventually." Zayn replied, standing up and walking away to refill his mug. "I'm afraid that's all of the time we have for today. Damn. Such a shame considering you're such a ray of sunshine."

I offered the largest fake smile I could muster. "I try."

Zayn waved a hand. "I'll see you in a couple days then. Take care of yourself, Styles. Also, let that boy take care of you. You need him."

I stood from the leather sofa and stretched my arms over my head. I thought about what he had said. "He needs me too."

"Take care of each other." He finished off, not even looking back.

I nodded my head, even though he couldn't see me, and walked out of his office. Finally some good advice out of that. I was finally going to listen to the handsome bastard.

I was going to take care of my angel.

-

HELLO, IM SO SO SORRY I'VE BEEN MISSING. IVE BEEN SO BUSY WORKING AND SHIT I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO WRITE A CHAPTER. I APOLOGIZE IM SORRY

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED