Bound (Harry Styles FanFic) PUBLISHED -- SAMPLE ONLY

33. Count On You

Kelsey’s POV:

          “Kelsey, are you missing Harry?”

          “Why didn’t you go with him on tour?”

          “Is it true you’re cheating on Harry with a friend?”     

          “Is this entire marriage a scam?”

          I kept my head down as I pushed my way through the crowd of photographers, my sunglasses covering most of my face. Thankfully, I got into the Range Rover quickly and safely, and I started up the car. Pulling out of the mall parking lot, I drove down the road back to the house.

          For some reason, tears stung in my eyes as I drove. The paparazzi situation had been a lot worse ever since Harry left, and I slowly found myself hating about the fact that I had to go out in public. Everywhere I’d go, there would be a bunch of photographers snapping pictures of me; either from a distance or their cameras getting up close and personal with my face.

          As I pull up in front of the house, Frankie the security guard opened the main doors so I could drive through. Once I parked the car, I grabbed my bag and shoved the door open in frustration, before storming into the empty house.

          The house was huge, but when it was just me in it, it felt extremely empty. I ran a hand through my hair, frustration taking over me as I plopped down on the couch with a sigh. I tossed my bag on the other end of the couch with a sigh. Shutting my eyes tightly, I leaned back on the couch, relaxing myself for a moment.

          I hated the paparazzi with a new found passion, and it just made me feel really bad for Harry and the rest of the boys. They had to deal with all of this on a daily basis, and I can only imagine how this felt for them, and here I am complaining about it after only experiencing it for a couple of minutes.

          As I pulled my shoes off, I turned on the TV and flipped through a few channels. Harry had set up the TV so we got several American channels – bless him – so I switched over to MTV in hopes of watching Awkward. Although that was crushed when I saw that there was an interview taking place.

          With One Direction.

          Leaning back in the couch comfortably, I watched their interview for a while that wasn’t live. The boys were being goofballs, spinning around in their stools and hitting each other with the microphones. What idiots, I thought to myself with a slight chuckle. As I watched, my phone began to rang, and I unconsciously picked it up, answering the call.

          “Hello?” I question as I watch Louis slap Liam’s chest on TV.

          “Hi,” Harry’s voice replied as he stretched out the word, causing me to smile.

          “Hey,” I smiled, sitting up. “What’s up?”

          “On the tour bus,” he says. “What’re you up to?”

          I chuckle. “Watching you guys on TV,” I tell him, “some MTV interview.”

          “Wow,” Harry chuckles, and I hear some noise in the background before the shut of a door, muffling whatever the noise was. “How was work today?”

          “Ahh,” I hesitate. “It was… Good.”

          Harry was silent for a minute before he spoke once again. “Tell me the truth, Kels, how was work today?”

          “It was good,” I assure him.

          Harry sighed. “So you’re not going to tell me how you got mobbed outside of the mall?”

          I let out a sigh, my head bowing as my eyes shut tightly. “Technically, that didn’t happen at work. It happened after.”

          “Doesn’t matter, Kelsey,” Harry says. “You need to tell me these things, rather than having me find out through Twitter.”

          “In my defense, I got home a couple of minutes ago,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “Look, I don’t want to be someone to complain when she gets mobbed. It’s no big deal, I just don’t say anything and just jump in the car. It’s fine.”

          I heard Harry sigh. “How do you think this makes me feel, Kelsey?” he asks. I stay quiet. “Knowing that I’m on the other side of the world, while you’re getting mobbed by middle aged men with no protection? It makes me nervous.”

          “I know it does, Harry,” I say. “But come on, I’m a big girl. I can protect myself. Besides, it can’t be that bad. I mean, Eleanor and Danielle seem perfectly fine.”

          “Yeah, but –”

          “Seriously, Harry, don’t worry about it,” I cut him off. “I promise, I’ll be fine.”

          Harry sighed. “If you say so.”

*~*~*~*

Over the next couple of days, I had grown a bit used to the paparazzi following me around. Whenever they did, I kept my mouth shut and my head down, shoving my way through. Every time something like that happened, it obviously made its way to Twitter, which meant Harry saw it. And every time he did, he would immediately call me and ask how I was, if I was okay, stuff like that.

He was so sweet, it was unbelievable. And I felt bad that he always felt so nervous whenever I went out. But now that I didn't have work for about a week, I didn't really have to go out. So I just stayed home and was my lazy old self, sometimes calling Eleanor or Danielle over if they were free. Otherwise, I’d spend days in the house reading the several books I have. Although as I read, my phone starting ringing, and I saw that it was Julia, Logan’s mom, calling me.

I frowned a bit, unsure of why she was calling me. Answering her call, I put my phone next to my ear. “Julia, hi.”

“Kelsey, thank God.” Julia’s voice was pure urgency, causing me to shut my book and sit up in attention.

“Julia, what’s wrong?” I ask. “Is everything alright?”

Julia sighed on her end of the phone. “I wish I could say it was, dear,” she says. “It’s Logan.”

Nerves bubbled up inside of me as I gripped my phone tightly. “What about Logan?” I ask, my voice wavering.

“He got into a really bad football accident,” Julia informs me. “H-He tore a muscle and his spine is a bit damaged, not to mention he banged his head a bit too. He’s at the hospital, though. It’s bad, Kelsey.”

I felt my heart drop into my stomach at Julia’s words. Even if I was upset with him, Logan was still my best friend. And knowing that he was in the hospital because he was severely injured made guilt wash over me like a tide. I’m his best friend, and here I am ignoring him like the Plague.

Sure, he said some pretty bad things about Harry. But I think him being the hospital overrules that. Like I said, he’s my best friend, and this time, I have to be there for him like he has been there for me like these past couple of years. So standing up from the bed, I grip my phone tightly as I speak.

“Hang on, Julia,” I say. “I’m about to book a flight to Miami. I’m coming down there.”

“You are?” Julia asks, surprise lacing her tone.

“Yes,” I say firmly as I turn on my laptop. “I have to be there for him. It’ll feel so wrong if I’m not.”

Julia sighs. “It’s so good to know that Logan has a best friend he can count on.”

Once again, the guilt tide washes over me as I bit my bottom lip. “Yeah,” I say. “He can definitely count on me.”