48 Hours || Harry Styles

Chapter 29

“Hell, I’m sure he’s on the phone with the police as we speak,” Harry groaned as I drove down open road as fast as I could. He had told me to slow down numerous times. After all, the last thing we needed was a speeding ticket, but my anxiety over the situation got the best of me. With shaking hands, I couldn’t help but drive fast. The adrenaline and fear was too much for me to handle.

Anne’s motel wasn’t far from campus. When we arrived, I was on edge. Harry made a small attempt to calm me down, but it did no good. He was just as stressed as I was. Understandably, of course. I still couldn’t believe I was actually doing this and, so far, getting away with it. He settled with holding my hand, a small comfort for the both of us.

“Harry?” Anne’s soft voice questioned when she opened the door of her motel room.

“We came to say goodbye,” he said. “But we have to be quick. We don’t have a lot of time.”

“What’s going on?” she asked, her worried voice matching her expression.

“Andy and I are in some shit, but it’s all going to be okay,” he assured. Anne sat down, a hand on her stomach. Harry was hardly paying attention. “I need you to...I need a favor,” he rushed. “I want you to call the police. Say we’re at the house with you and Dad. I want you to go there, okay? We’re going to take off, but I need you to go back home. I need you to do this for me. I know it’s a lot to ask. Can you do this for me?” he asked, looking at his mother. She took a deep breath and nodded, removing her hand from her stomach. Something was wrong, I could tell.

“Don’t go inside until you hear the sirens, alright? When the cop cars are in the driveway, I need you to provoke him, make him angry, do whatever you can to turn him violent. The cops will be there, and they won’t let him hurt you. Don’t worry. Just make sure he doesn’t see the cars beforehand, and scream when he does something. Get his ass behind bars if you can, alright?”

She nodded, tears in her eyes.

“Tell them we took off before they showed up, and steer them in the opposite direction if you can. We’ll be alright, mum, don’t worry. Everyone will be safe. If they don’t arrest him, come back here and I’ll call you as soon as I can to make sure everything turned out alright. I love you, mum,” he hugged her. She was crying, and she looked tiny next to her son.

“Harry,” she choked out.

“You don’t need to worry, mum.”

“Harry, wait, there’s something I need to tell you…” her voice faded as the distant sound of sirens echoed from the streets outside. Harry and I exchanged worried looks.

“We have to go,” I stated the obvious.

“What is it?” Harry asked his mother, his eyes frantic.

“I...um…”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” he rushed her.

“The baby...I lost the baby.”

The tears on her face came quicker, and Harry sat in stunned silence. He stared at her for a few long moments, and from the second floor I could see the red and blue lights getting closer.

“I’m so sorry,” I spoke for the first time since we’d arrived. Harry didn’t say anything. He didn’t move or cry or do anything. Anne just cried.

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered to himself. I saw his eyes glisten, and I hurried to his side.

“We have to go,” I told him, feeling like a total bitch for interrupting their time of grief. “I’m so sorry. We have to go now.”

Harry hugged his mother tight, kissed her on the cheek, and hurried with me outside leaving his mother there to sob.

We drove out of the parking lot just before the police turned the corner. I’m sure Jack had assumed we’d go there or at least listed it as one of the possible locations we’d hide. I knew the name of the motel had been dropped over me and Harry’s phone conversations at one point or another. Thankfully, there was no way for Jack to know the address of Harry’s grandfather’s house. That’s where we were headed next.

I drove again, despite my lead foot, and this time Harry said nothing about my speed. I slowed down anyway knowing cops were in the area and I was much more likely to get pulled over. We didn’t need to draw any attention to ourselves.

Instead of pestering me, Harry sat silent. He stared out the window with his head leaned to the side, away from me. I wasn’t sure whether to speak or not, so I turned the radio up only a notch or two. Just quiet enough to fill the silence without interrupting whatever thoughts were invading his head at that moment.

About twenty minutes into our drive, he looked at me. He stared at me. I glanced at him, but he didn’t avert his gaze for a single second.

“I was so pissed off about that baby,” he said. “I was so pissed off at my mother, my father, everyone…”

He slammed his fist against his door, but calmed down immediately. I remained quiet, trying to figure him out.

“I hate that I care,” he admitted. “I hate that I’m upset about this. I’m so fucking upset about this. That was my brother or sister. That was a relationship that I didn’t even get the chance to ruin. I don’t know what it would’ve been like. Maybe we would’ve hated each other, maybe that kid would’ve loved me, or God forbid maybe I would’ve loved them. I don’t know. I’ll never know.”

“It’s okay. There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent this. I know it’s upsetting. You’re allowed to be upset.”

“It’s his fault,” he said, his voice low with tear in his eyes. “It’s all his fucking fault. All of it. It’s his fault this baby even existed in the first place, and it’s his fault it’s never going to be born. It’s all his fault.”

“I know, but there’s no use in hating him. We’re not going to see him for a very long time, okay? We’re getting the hell out of here.”

I saw him look at me. Tears covered his eyes, but his lips hinted at a smile.

“Yeah. We are.”

AUTHORS NOTE

heyy happy thanksgiving almost. I'm on break B) yay writing time. thanks for reading!! ily 5ever<3 xxxxx