Stay: The sequel to Lost

Part 32

Penny reached up and pulled one of the long coats over her, she was shaking, unsure if it was fear or cold. She dialed the number and waited. No answer. She called again. No answer. She tried once more, then she was going to call the police. She didn't know what else to do. She dialed and waited. One ring, two rings, three rings...

"Hello? Penny?" Louis' voice came over the line, scratchy and tired.

"Oh, god! Louis! I didn't know who else to call. I don't know anyone here! I need help, Lou. Please." She was crying, screaming, out of her mind with worry.

"What is wrong? What happened?" Louis sounded more awake now.

Penny tried to breath. "It's Liam. Something is wrong. He's angry and he tried to...he's smashing around. I can hear him. I don't want him to find me, Louis. Help me. Please."

"Where are you?"

"In the closest. I locked myself in the closet."

Louis sighed. "No, like where? London? Surrey?"

"Oh! In London and the new flat?" Penny told him the address.

"That will take me about an hour to get there. Who is closer? Hang on, Pen." Louis' voice went away for what seemed like an entirety. Penny could hear Liam screaming her name. The sound was getting closer. Penny pulled down more coats and waited, trying to make herself look like a pile of dirty clothes. Louis came back on the line. "Penny? Niall lives pretty close. He's on his way. How does it get to your floor?" Penny told him the floor and her door code. "Okay, hang on." He left her again. Moments later he was back. "Are you there? Penny? Who else can I call? What did he take?"

"I don't know. I don't know!"

"Take a breath and think. What did you see? Did he drink anything? Did he smoke anything?"

Penny thought. "No. But he was wiping his nose? And Laughing. He seemed super happy."

"Coke." Louis said. "He cannot do Cocaine. He knows better. This happens every time. He's fine and then flips out. Gets angry, paranoid. Breaks things. I'm in my car, Pen. I'm coming and I'm going to see who else I can get. Niall has a bodyguard with him, so that's better than nothing, but I need to talk to Liam's people. They will need to handle this. You can stay on the line, I'm here, but I've got to drive."

Penny nodded even though she knew Lou couldn't see her. She lay on the floor and listened to the noises. He was down stairs now. She heard banging and yelling. "Lou, should I call the police?"

"I want to say yes, but I also know what that will mean to his career. I'm sorry, Pen. Niall told me he warned you, but I guess we should have just been...I don't know? I guess we just wanted him to have a fresh start? None of the past drama? But, I guess he didn't learn his lesson? Or he forgot?"

Penny heard wood crack and she screamed. "I think he broke the door, Lou."

"Stop talking, okay? Stay quiet."

Penny was quiet, listening to more wood crack.

"Niall says he is there. He's in the elevator. Down the stairs, right?" Louis voice came out of the darkness. "Never mind. He can hear him. I'm going to hang up. You are okay. I'll see you soon."

Penny lay there, totally covered by coats, crying softly, cursing herself. She could hear voices and the yelling stopped. Then she heard even more voices. She heard Jake. Jake was there. He could stop Liam. Exhausted, she closed her eyes and waited.