Collide (Impact Book 2) | h.s. | complete

5. Busted

~Harry~

~two months ago~

“How is everything?” I rolled my eyes at the sound of Tanner’s voice. Audra smiled, standing to give him a hug.

“No changes. Harry’s been here all night,” She said, flashing me a quick smile, which I returned.

“Thanks,” Tanner said shooting me a tight lipped smile and I narrowed my eyes. Why was he thanking me for sitting by my girlfriend’s side? Because he has no idea that she is your girlfriend and still considers her his, I thought to myself, my stomach turning.

“I’m going to get a coffee, do either of you want anything.” I shook my head, returning my gaze to Tori’s face, relaxed and serene.

“A coffee would be great. Black.” Tanner said and Audra nodded and left as he took her chair. We said nothing to each other. Our last few encounters, including the one outside the stadium after our concert months ago, had been tense to say the least. Instead, I focused on Tori, her small hand in mine as I rubbed circles with my finger on her palm. Tanner leaned forward and took the other one and my gaze snapped to the joining of their hands.

“There’s no need for that.” I said and he looked up at me, his eyelids low as if her were bored.

“I can touch her … she isn’t your property.” He returned his gaze to Tori and I stood, glaring at his hand. He stood, pulling his hand gently away then turned and crossed the room the small couch, far away from me. “What is your deal, man.”

“You may have been with her longer but you will never understand what Tori and I had,” I said, turning to look at him. Shit. Anxiety overcame me as my admission sunk in. 

“She isn’t dead, Styles, so don’t talk like she is.” He shouted, and I glared at him. “Besides, you’re right, I was with her for longer. And if we’re being honest, her attraction to you was purely physical, she ran to you out of desperation and convenience and nothing you can say will change that.” He said. So he was aware of my relationship with Tori. He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. Then he smirked, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall behind him. "You really think i didn't know? i know her better than you ever will." I snarled. He contemplated for a moment before speaking again. “Bottom line, she was never yours to start with.”

~~~

“Mr. Styles, we’ll be starting our descent in a few minutes.” The pretty blonde flight attendant assigned to my plane smiled as I lifted my eye-mask and nodded.

“Thank you.” I said, turning to look out the window. I pulled my phone from the cup holder beside me and scrolled through my messages with Liam.

From: Liam Payne – I’ll see you in a week mate. I’m flying in to London next Saturday, so I’ll see you then. Until then, Matt has released that you’re on hiatus, so you won’t need to be at any appearances and you don’t have any commitments for the next few weeks. For now just take care of yourself, we need you back.

I locked my phone and dropped it into my coat pocket. I had them all convinced that I was going home to my mom for two weeks of rest and recovery, but that was a lie. I was here to start my search, I had already waited much too long to start looking. As the wheels of the plane hit the ground I gathered my things in my Louis Vuitton duffel and sighed, watching out the window and as soon as I stepped onto the runway from the roll-up steps, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

“Hello?” I answered without checking the ID.

“Harry, it’s mum.”

“Mum.” I repeated, relief flooding my body. “How are you?”

“I’m alright, Matt called me and told me you were coming home.” Busted.

“Yea," i sighed, "I just landed at Heathrow I should be there in a few hours.”

“I’m so glad, we have lots to chat about, don’t we?”

“Yes, Mum we do. I’ll see you soon.” I hung up feeling hopeless before finding my rental truck and taking off towards home.

~Tori~

“It is so beautiful here.” I said, walking beside Tanner. A baseball cap sat on my head, my short ponytail pulled through the back, and reflective aviators perched on my nose.

“I knew you would love it.” He said, smiling down at me. I felt his eyes on me my cheeks reddened slightly. I loved Tanner for what he was doing for me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an ulterior motive for him. If things had been different, I had no doubt in my mind that we would still be together and that in a few years it would have been his baby growing inside of me. I rest a hand on my belly and rubbed slow circles, inspecting an apple in a fruit cart. “I’m just going to go to the butcher and get something for dinner, any requests?” I shook my head, smiling at him. Before he turned away, he took a step closer and took my hand. “Are you alright?” I nodded, glancing around and he did the same before our eyes met. He bent and lay his lips on my cheek for a quick moment and I felt a familiar electricity pass between us. He pulled away and I gulped, turning back to the fruit cart.

“Quatre, s’il vous plais.” (Four, please.) The man nodded and gathered four ripe, red apples and placed them in a paper bag. I reached into my pocket and pulled out some money, handing it to him. He bowed his head slightly but as I turned he gripped my arm. My heart leapt from my chest and I turned back. Scenes flashed before my eyes, of Justin, his assault in the science classroom, and then of Hope, her small hand around my wrist, yanking me firmly in the club that night. I blinked a few times before tearing my gaze from the joining of our bodies and sliding my eyes to the man’s. He let go, reached out and pulled another apple from the cart, sliding it into the brown paper bag in my hand with a wink.

“Merci beaucoup,” (Thank you very much.) I breathed a giggle and turned to see Tanner holding the door to the butcher for an elderly woman. When he caught my eye he smiled and started towards me.

“I got a really good cut of steak, are you ready to go home?”

“Yea, I bought a few apples.” I said as Tanner fell into step with me, sliding his hand into my own. We walked side by side towards our car and slid in. As Tanner turned the key, a flash of blonde hair caught my eye and I squinted, catching a glimpse of a girl, her blonde curls cut short like mine, red lipstick slathered across her small mouth. “Stop the car.” I said, gripping the door handle and throwing one hand out towards Tanner. I tore from the car, walking quickly towards the girl. Tanner called out after me but I hardly heard him, I glanced back behind me looking for other people and when I turned around, the girl was gone. I stopped dead in my tracks as Tanner caught up to me.

“What the hell…” He shouted, and then lowered his voice significantly. “What’s wrong?”

“I saw her, I saw Hope.” I said frantically, looking around us for anywhere that she could have disappeared.

“There was no one there, Tori.” He said, his brow creasing with worry.

“No, Tanner she was right there I saw her…” I said, pointing to where she had been standing, then letting my hand fall. Tanner looked around at the few people around us who had stopped to look.

“Let’s go,” He said, guiding me to the car. As we drove home, I couldnt shake the feeling that not even a week had passed and I already felt like our cover was disolving, and it frightenned me to no end.