Darcy // h.s

29: Taken

  "You're joking. She's gone!?" I practically screamed. He nodded furiously and leaned in, giving me another kiss. This one was unfortunately short-lived, but it was sweet at the same time. I didn't know why Vanessa was gone, but she was. She had given up and everything was going to be okay.

  "Niall and Paul went out to get fried chicken, and we're going to watch Mean Girls on Netflix to celebrate." Harry smiled, kissing the top of my forehead. It felt peculiar celebrating after someone who wants to murder you doesn't murder you, but I could care less. Things were going my way, for once, and I was determined to enjoy it.

  "What a romantic date," I teased as his nose brushed against mine. He shrugged, a smirk plain as day on his face, trying to bite back his excited smile. "But as long as I'm with you that's all I need."

  "I think I love you, Darcy Monroe." Harry whispered.

  "Really?" I asked, serious now and over my giddiness. He'd never told me something like this before, we'd never been this serious. I knew deep down that I had loved Harry all along, but I never admitted it to myself or said anything on the surface. I felt a surge of energy run from my fingertips to my toes as we walked into the wide hallway.

  "Yeah, and my mum said that she'd love to see you sometime. So maybe before we go on tour in the summer you can see her again." He suggested.

  "And we could go to that playground again, where you got stuck in the slide." I laughed at the memory. We had been sixteen, only two days after our big auditions at the X Factor. He was practicing his song and singing it to me for the millionth time, and he had slid down the slide and I had to pull him out.

  "I had a big butt back then. Now it's all muscle, though." He wiggled his eyebrows as we entered the bigger one of our rooms, where the rest of the boys were lounging around watching a game of football. Louis was into the game the most, sitting right before the screen and staring at it like a puppy.

  "Darcy!" Zayn shouted, coming at me with outstretched arms and a goofy grin on his face. The Zayn that I was used to seeing, silent and mysterious, was not this guy. But I didn't hesitate or back away when he scooped me up and paraded me around the sleek black couch in front of the television.

  "Be quiet! Rafael was about to make a goal and I need to concentrate!" Louis screamed. It seemed like our whole entire floor was infected with this poison that made us bubbly and cheerful, and I really didn't mind it. Most of the memories Harry and I made together were all sad, and for once it seemed like everyone was in a good mood.

  "You can take my spot, if you want. I was just about to call my mum." Liam said, getting my attention by waving a hand in front of my face. It hadn't occurred to me that I had been spacing out, but Liam and the sound of a shrill ringing noise snapped me out of my trance.

  I held up my finger at him, signaling for him to wait, as I checked the caller I.D. When I looked at the name flashing ebfore my on the screen, my heart rate quickened and I felt myself go pale. Luckily, the room was dark and my sudden change of color wasn't noticeable for anyone.

  I glanced around the room, the boys had all filed in and were either chatting or, like Louis, watching intensely at the game. I was going to have to face them sometime. I couldn't just ignore them forever, and I had to make things right. It was better sooner than later, because who knows if the'd give me a chance later?

  "I'll, um, be right back." I mumbled, slipping out of the dark room and sprinting down the long hallway into the bathroom beside my room that didn't have the hot water. Before my phone went to a voice machine, I flipped it open without even knowing what to say.