Abducted By Styles [IN RE-EDITING]

• T E N •

After paying for a huge pink cotton wrapped around a stick, I bring it to Caroline and hold it out to her. She stares at it with a nervous expression and that's when I remember that she doesn't know what it is. But that doesn't matter.

Now she'll live the childhood joys she never experienced.

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C A R O L I N E

"You look dashing today, Princess. Would you like to sprinkle a bit of that love on me?" An unfamiliar voice says, and immediately my blood runs cold.

I snap my head back at a man, average height and probably a few years older than me. His sleek brown hair is gelled back and attractive auburn eyes stare deeply into mine. He leans on a candy shelf, dressed formally in a blazer. His shirt is tucked in, and black dress shoes don't even a single speckle of dust on them.

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. Who the heck does this guy think he is? Before I have a chance to say anything, Harry stands protectively in front of me, blocking the guy from my view.

"What exactly is your problem?" He growls at him. The unfamiliar man stands tall from his place.

"Actually, I should be the one asking that. I was speaking to the Princess."
He retorts and bows in front of me. It is my automatic response to curtsy back. He's a royal.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying to be as polite as I can. The man's eyes widen as he stares at me in disbelief.

"Caroline, you don't remember me? Liam Payne? We used to be best friends when we were little." He says slowly and my memory is awaken by flashing images of us playing 'hide-and-seek' in the castle together.

"L-Liam? It's really you, isn't it." I say dumbfounded, squinting at his face. Now that I look at him closely, his younger features are still ghosted on his face. Harry still stands between us, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Liam nods his head smiling, and I move close to him for a friendly hug. He kisses the my forehead like how he used to when we were younger. "I came back to London in confirmation of our marriage."

What?

I pull back and hear Harry cuss in agreement. My heart pounds so hard, I'm afraid it might burst. Marriage? How come no one told me about this?

"Didn't your mother and father tell you?" Liam asks me, shocked. "A few weeks ago, your father asked me to marry you and take you back to Stockholm with me."

My mouth falls wide open and tears start burning in my eyes. I'm not ready for marriage! Especially not with my childhood best friend. That's just so wrong in so many levels.

"I-I can't." I tell Liam, my voice slightly trembling. He shakes his head hopelessly.

"I'm so sorry Caroline, but I guess our futures were tied from when we were younger." He sighs apologetically, reaching out to put his hand on my back but I shove him away.

"Go away, Liam! I want nothing to do with you anymore!" I raise my voice slightly, angry tears starting to cloud my vision. Liam looks taken aback at my sudden outburst.

I can see the cameras flash the and media people invade the store. Harry looks around hastily before clutching my wrist. "Damn it, the paps are here." He states, pulling me in the direction of the entrance.

"Caroline, what happened between you and the Stockholm prince, Liam Payne?" A reporter asks loudly.

"What caused such commotion?"

Video cameras and microphones are shoved in my face and Harry pushes them away.

He shoves us through the crowd of people bombarding me with questions and we exit the store quickly. Fans and the paparazzi swarm around us, some trying to grab onto me. At one point, Harry whispers.

"Run!"

He yanks my hand hardly and I sprint after him. We run the sidewalks recklessly for awhile, waiting for the paps to finally give up. Beads of sweat break out on Harry's forehead, his features hard. He leads me to a corner building and we cower behind a brick wall, our bodies pressed together.

"Are they gone yet, Harry?" I hiss, still recovering from the long run. I hold my chest as I pant in exhaustion. My legs ache down to the bones. Never have I ran so fast and under so much pressure. Harry peers out carefully from behind the wall, soundless watching the paps run in the opposite direction.

"Yup, they're gone. Let's get back to the castle before we get caught again." He says and I nod quickly, allowing him to hold me close. I know one thing for sure...

This is a day I will never forget.