Insatiable [h.s]

99

!!! THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ THE AUTHORS NOTE. !!!

... good luck

July 11th, 2020

When Niall pulled up to the house, I leaned up in my seat in pure curiosity as to what I was seeing. It had originally been planned that he was going to drop Chloe and I off out front, park the car, then help me get upstairs instead of going through the garage since it would be a longer walk.

But what none of us expected was to see Harry's car out front in the driveway with the trunk open, Harry moving towards it from exiting the house.

I saw that he was walking with a slightly limp, a boot on his left foot to show that he had broken it.

"What's he doing?" I murmured quietly as Niall pulled to a stop about 20 feet behind him.

Harry didn't even turn around to look at the car as Niall parked. He just continued walking towards his car with a luggage bag slung over his shoulder.

With my eyes still on him I started to open the car door and get out. It was like my body was moving before I could even properly think about what I wanted to do.

"Rori, are you sure this is a good idea?" Chloe gently asked from the backseat.

I turned to look at both Niall and Chloe, "I need to talk to him."

"She's right." Niall flashed a look back over his shoulder to Chloe before he was looking at more again. "We'll go park the car in the garage and wait for you inside."

I simply nodded, my eyes going back to Harry as I fully got out of the car now. I shut the door behind me and I took a few slow steps towards him. He never looked at me, but I watched as he tossed his duffle bag into his trunk.

"Hey." I managed weakly.

"They said you were still supposed to be in the hospital." Harry spoke with his hands up on his trunk, his head lowered down to the ground.

I nodded even though he wasn't looking at me. "Yeah, but I couldn't stay there any longer."

"Why?"

I shrugged, "Needed to come home I guess."

"You almost died. You shouldn't be traveling." And with that he slammed the trunk closed using much more force than was necessary.

I jumped at the sudden action but kept my eyes on him. I watched through his back window as he rubbed his hand down his face, then pushed his hair back from his forehead.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah." He answered shortly. "I'm fine."

"Look, I just wanted to—"

"You don't have to say anything, Rori." Harry finally turned to face me. "Doesn't matter."

My eyes met his for the first time since he had come over to me in the warehouse. My eyes flicked over his features, pausing briefly on a set of stitches near his hairline, then continued down to look over the rest of his face.

The face I've memorized. The one I've grown so use to seeing smile, and the eyes I long to see sparkle. The face that had started to feel like home to me.

But now, staring at Harry it felt like I was looking at a stranger.

His skin was pale with dark circles that showed his heavy sleep deprivation. There was no life left in his eyes. No sparkle or shine. No glimmer of a smile traced his lips.