One Last Time - I'll Make It Feel Like Home

Chapter 32 - Louis

"You're not gonna like it one bit, but though.", Liam speaks in a wary tone, probably trying not to freak out Harry too much after what had just happened.

When did the envelope even get in the room?

I lost track of time completely, too focused on trying to coax Harry through it and hopefully being able to make it better before he could have a full blown panic attack.

Harry's entire body had tensed up when Liam and Zayn got our attention, seeming paranoid about anything bad happening. Which, given everything that's happened, is understandable. I'm beginning to get a little paranoid too.

When neither Harry nor I say anything, our silence being a sign for them to elaborate and explain what's in the contracts we're being blackmailed into signing. Because I will sign it within the blink of an eye if that's means getting Niall back.

Are they tormenting him to try to get him to sign them too?

The thought alone makes my heart pick up in nerves and fear about this whole situation. I push the images away for now, letting them buzz in the background, focusing n hearing what Liam's saying.

"-so to sum it all up, it's basically everything we had in our old contracts that were about to expire. And since we didn't want to sign the new ones, they're doing this to punish us for defying them. But they're more specific. Like, I'm not allowed to be too friendly with Zayn when we're in public. The same goes for you two. We also won't have full control over our social media. We have to give them our login and stuff and run everything by a team of publicists they're going to hire."

I hear Harry curse under his breath as I feel tears starting to form in my own eyes yet again from the hopelessness of the situation.

"I haven't even gotten to the worst part yet.", Liam warns us with a sorrowful look on his face, "It says that we're not gonna be allowed to speak poorly about Simon or anyone at Modest and Syco. We're not allowed to mention anything about what they're saying or doing behind closed doors until they give us the go ahead."

I shake my head in denial, desperately wishing that doesn't mean what I think it does. But all hope about that happening is killed when Zayn speaks, his amber eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears.

"It means we can't do anything about what's happening to Ni right now. We can't report it. Or talk about it. It's not going to hurt them.", Zayn chokes on his own sob when his name comes out of his mouth, taking this all extremely hard.

Liam pulls Zayn into his lap, whispering things in his ear to calm him down.

Harry's hold tightens around me, his face resting on my shoulder again making me relax back into him again.

It can't get worse than this.

I'm proven wrong when Liam keeps talking, I feel my blood boiling with rage at the words that come out of his mouth.

"We have to agree on every PR stunt they want us to do without question. We'll have to do as many shows as they want. We have to do a tour in the fall that's gonna go from August and stretch out to June. The album he wanted us to do has to be recorded and ready to go for the anniversary in June. The contract lasts ten years. We won't be allowed to come out as anything. They are going to let us wear what we want as long as it's approved by the stylist they're hiring."

My ribcage stings from having to take such deep breaths in order to not explode and hunt these bitches down. Cause I would.

Liam speaks with no emotion, probably to separate himself from the situation in order to be able to talk about this all so calmly.