Captive (Sequel to Infatuation)

Chapter 18

(four songs—not because of a switch in POV, but because these all fit so well and I love them so much x)

SONG(s) FOR CHAPTER: 

♬ Far Too Young To Die by Panic! At The Disco ♬ 

♬ Asylum by Disturbed ♬  

♬ Coming Undone by Korn ♬  

♬ Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace ♬  

CHAPTER 18

♕ HARRY STYLES ♕

SOMEONE WAS FOLLOWING me Saturday morning on the way to the training center. I was sure of it. I would've bet my life on it. Yet every time I turned around—nothing. Even then, I could feel the nonexistent eyes boring through me, deciphering everything wrong and flawed in me. I could feel the intense gaze the strongest when the invisible body landed his eyes on my head.

I knew I was merely imagining it. No one would follow me, and even if they were, I would've noticed them by now with my chronic paranoia. Of course, no one was. It was all in my mind. Everything was always in my mind.

A minor headache was forming yet again when I walked into the training center. Josh stood near an empty ring with a water bottle in his hands, shocking me a bit. Whenever I had a match soon, he was always chugging alcohol, not a liquid that was good for you.

"You okay there?" I joked while putting on my gloves.

Josh rose an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same. What's with your eye twitching?"

I frowned. Eye twitching? That hasn't happened in a while. But I played it off as if I had no idea. "Headache. So, what do I need to know about my opponent?" I asked, desperate for a subject change.

Josh had no problem complying. "He's about your weight, but he's ten times slower. Really has trouble noting someone's next move."

I nodded, and training began like usual.

Except I had to stop just before it was over because of the headache increasing. Jesus, will these things ever leave me the hell alone? I could hardly go to sleep last night without the constant throbbing in the back of my skull.

It simply wasn't agreeing with my persistence to prolong to inevitable.

Of course, when Josh asked if I was all right, I waved him away. It was to my dismay that he was so curious. This wasn't time for sappy stories, however, because the match was in mere hours. I'll be damned if I lose just because my mind enjoyed playing tricks on me. I hadn't become undefeated just for such a petty thing to demolish the streak.

God, I wished Grace were here. She knew more than anyone. Surely having her close would soothe me in a way no prescription could ever do. I tried to visualize her face in my mind, tried to reminisce the our last kiss hardly two days ago. They were all memories too far away, especially with the violent ones overwhelmingly resurfacing.

"Don't want to tucker you out before the fight," said Josh, handing me a water bottle. "Go lay down, kid. Get rid of that headache."

 If only it were that easy...

But I did as Josh requested, heading back to the apartment Jacob and I bought for about three hours before having to leave once again to the arena. Jacob was out with a "friend" he supposedly met, so I had the room to myself. I was glad Jacob wasn't here. He didn't deserve the burden of my problems.

I debated on calling Grace then, but of course didn't. She was probably busy anyways, trying to impress Evan's family and such. Pardon me—that Evan kid. Miraculously, I wasn't in the mood to care about specifics on his name.