Author’s Metaphorical Note: Nervously open’s the door to the fandom, “Hello?” Nothing but silence as a few leaves scuttle down the empty streets. “Um, sorry I’ve been gone so long. I… uh… have cookies to share?” Silence remains – although it’s a bit creepy now. “Okay, I’ll just leave these on the doorstep. If anyone wants one just help yourselves. It’s a bit chilly so I’m going to close the door again but I’ll leave it unlocked this time. Um… oh and if there’s just Zombies left, please don’t eat me!” Gently closes door and starts curtain twitching.
Chapter 15
“How’s Harry?” Zayn croaked, pushing one of the steaming mugs of tea across the table. The Wheatsheaf and Anchor was eerily quiet at three o’clock in the morning – a far cry from the jubilant chaos of a few hours ago. After the dramatic turn of the night, most patrons had staggered home to bed by half-one – a whole two hours earlier than expected. However, there was no way either he or Liam were going to be able to sleep off their New Year hangovers like the rest of Oak St James. In fact, Zayn hadn’t felt so sober in his life and he knew he would register three times over the blood-alcohol driving limit if tested.
“How do you think?” Liam snapped before furiously wiping the tears from his cheeks. They had been escaping without permission every since he’d returned from Plymouth. After a moment, he added less harshly, “How are any of us?” Zayn nodded and turned his attention to the fire, suitably chastened. There was a quiet moment where Liam swallowed hard trying to regain composure before waving his hands with an apologetic grimace. “Sorry…” he choked, “sorry. I shouldn’t take this out on you. I’m just… a little all over the place right now.”
Zayn shrugged and shifted back making the wooden chair creak in protest. He took no offence; it had been a stupid question anyway. Considering the night’s events, Zayn took no affront to any kind of emotional out-pouring especially from someone who had been best friends with Louis since childhood. Zayn wasn’t a man who found small talk or intimate consolation easy at the best of times and right now he felt particularly numb and stupid and untethered and useless. But he wanted to be of some comfort to Liam, “S’ okay.” He replied with an easy shrug. “Did you see him before you left the hospital?”
Liam shook his head, “No. I haven’t seen him since he dropped me off in Plymouth.”
Zayn nodded quietly and took a sip of his tea; it probably hadn’t been the wisest of ideas to let Harry get behind the wheel. It probably hadn’t been a good idea either that he’d been left alone. He or Niall should have fought harder to have gone along too. Fuck the snow on the road. Friends that live and love each other should live, love and die together. Or was the saying ‘all for one and one for all’? Huh. Regardless, if they’d convinced Harry or Liam to let them go along, instead of taking over at the bar, then one of them could have given Harry some company. “He really shouldn’t be alone right now,” Zayn sighed, not wanting to undermine Liam’s own needs but hoping a gentle prod would get Liam to share some info – and hopefully ease some of his own worries.
Liam nodded stiffly, “I know…” he choked, “but he isn’t answering his phone at all… not even the emergency one. I’ve left about a dozen messages and texts already.” He made to take a sip of tea but his breath was still shuddering too much for him to do more than mouth the rim. He blew the surface instead before slowly elaborating, “All I know was that he was going to go to Derriford once he’d given a statement to Plymouth Police. He dropped me off and said he didn’t know how long he would be and that I might want to try booking into a hotel instead of waiting for him. I told him not to worry and that the snowploughs were out so Danielle would probably be able to pick me up once the pub was closed. Then he drove off… and that’s the last I saw or heard from him. By the time I’d finished… doing the necessary… Danielle was waiting in the car park and Harry hadn’t turned up yet nor was he answering my texts.”
