Escape Route (Decode Sequel)

Chapter Twenty Three - Horan Holmes.

Harry. 

“I’m fine,” I grunted, slamming my plate of toast down on the kitchen table. “You can all stop staring now.” I didn’t meet their gazes but I could feel their eyes watching me. I felt a hand rest on top of my shoulder offering a light squeeze but I shrugged it off violently. 

Louis sighed in returned. “It’s okay to be upset.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” I snapped angrily back. He backed off but I still hadn’t looked up from my plate of dry, tasteless toast which I was forcefully shoving down my throat. 

“You can’t keep her here against her own will.”

“She just walked out, you let her. You told me to. Why did you tell me to?” I began shouting as I turned to face him, distain written all over my face. 

“She may be gone for now but she’s not gone forever.” He replied a lot calmer than I was speaking.

“You don’t know that!” I yelled again, pushing my chair back letting it screech against the floor. “I waited so long to have her back and she was gone in seconds. Do you know how cruel that is?” I breathed out heavily catching my breath. “Do you understand how this is making me feel?” I mumbled, shaking my head and leaving the room not allowing them to reply. Their sympathy or optimism couldn’t bring her back here. I could bring her here myself, but if she wasn’t happy, what would be the point? I’d be the one kidnapping her then. 

I cursed myself for not getting a drink at breakfast once I had reached my room. My mouth felt dry and dehydrated but I didn’t want to do the shameful walk back downstairs. I leant back against the mattress and let my head swim with thoughts. She was living with her old flatmates - whom she hated over me. She wouldn’t even look at me. She couldn’t tell me what had happened, what was happening. She was tearing my heart apart and it seemed like she didn’t care. I didn’t know what to think anymore. I didn’t have a clue what to do. Why was letting her go, good for me? What was she scared of?

Running my fingers through my hair it was evident I needed to shower. Lacking enthusiasm I hauled myself of the bed and towards the bathroom. I wasn’t a fan of cold showers but the icy temperature would distract my thoughts for a few minutes. I felt the goose bumps rise against my skin as I shivered under the steady stream of water. My hair was long enough that it tickled the tops of my shoulders when it was soaked. 

I wrapped myself up in my towel tightly before I caught a cold. As I started brushing my teeth I noticed the other toothbrush still sitting in the cup, without any thought I swung my arm at it and watched it fall to the floor. I didn’t want to be angry at her, at all. But she had been through so much, been so strong and now it felt like she was just giving up. Giving up on us. Was I not worth fighting for?

“What?” I mumbled through the foam in my mouth when I heard a knock against the door. I didn’t hear their reply, I was too busy focusing on brushing my teeth. I opened the door, making Niall jump half way through his sentence. “I didn’t hear a word of that,” I muttered before walking back to the sink and spitting the foam from my mouth. 

“It’s not like it was important anyway,” he replied sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and pushed around him towards the wardrobe. 

“What is it Niall?” I had my head half way inside a pile of t-shirts when he began rambling on again. “I can’t hear what you’re saying when you speak that fast.” 

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” 

“Depends, if there are any words longer than five letters can you manage that?”