Darling (Harry Styles)

chap 04

ANNABELLE WILCOX
Louis' Car - Green Day Cafe

Louis looked over to me with a slightly worried expression, my gaze trained directly in front of me. Ever since I entered the car I hadn't spoken a word, the bags under my eyes doing the talking for me.

He was worried, I could tell. And to be frank, I was worried about myself too. I remember being a happy person, an upbeat person—sometimes I see that person again, but she's gone as fast as she comes.

"I can get you a car if you want," he turns his eyes back to the road as the light casts a green shadow, "I don't mind driving you around, but it's always nice to have your own car. Right?"

I shake my head, "I have a car. It's just not.. not available to me right now." I chose my words carefully, even though they still didn't seem to fit how I wanted them to.

He nodded and only stayed silent for a single beat, "Do you want me to get your car back for you?"

His voice was small and gentle when he talked to me now. It was strange hearing him talk like that. He never used to, and he never does in front of the boys either.

A murderer, also my best friend, speaking in a soft tone to me. Strange.

"I don't want to make him angry," I denied another one of his offers, "I did tell him he could use my car when he wanted."

It was really a dumb decision on my end, but that boy had me wrapped around his finger at the time. He could've asked me to jump off a bridge and I would've complied, I think being scared of him at the same time also helped.

Being in love with someone who scares you so much is such a confusing concept, I hated dealing with it. I hated someone having that much power over me, it just ruins the whole idea of independence.

Louis found annoyance in my words, shaking his head, "That was before he fucking tore you to shreds, Anna."

I shut my eyes, letting my head hit against the headrest of the passenger seat, "Let's just let it go, please. How far are we?"

"I've just got to make a quick pick up then we'll only be less than five minutes or so away." Louis mumbled, looking out his window as he clenched the steering wheel to keep himself from trying to talk some sense into me.

I was just excited to make it to the cafe and be able to see Beatrice again. It feels like an eternity since the last I saw of her. The last time she saw me in person, I had bruises scattered on my arms as I had to hold her back from murdering Jacob.

Literally.

After the secret was out, I sort of just hid away. Jacob had moved in with a new girl he had been seeing behind my back after we ended but before the secret of what he did came out, so I had our old apartment to myself. I spent my time alone - I didn't talk to anyone, I have no living family so it was mostly friends that contacted me and got zero response.

After awhile, they stopped trying. Which was something I knew was my fault, but I still felt sad about. I felt more alone than ever without Jacob at that time and it took everything in me not to call him.

That's how I knew I couldn't stay there long. It was as if the memories were screaming at me through the familiar place and I didn't have enough to pay for it anyways. So, Louis' house I came and into civilization I went as a result.