Domineering

Thirty-One

When I wake up in the late afternoon, I know something is wrong.

If Harry was here he would've woken me up and if he wasn't here Eleanor would've brought me breakfast and lunch.

Something isn't right.

I grab Harry's sweater which is on the floor by the bed and chuck it on on the way out of the room. From the top of the stairs I can already hear the conversation that's going on downstairs.

"Repeat it back to me" Harry demands.

"We've been through it enough times mate, we need to move on, what comes next?" Louis throws back.

"Never mind what comes next, just repeat it back" Harry insists with an authoritative voice.

Their conversation fades and I can't make out much of what they're saying.

But just by the tone of their voices I can tell that things are different from how they were last night.

When I get to the kitchen doorway what little of their conversation I can hear comes to a halt. After seeing the suitcases in the hallway, I need answers.

"River" Harry's troubled face visually softens.

"What's going on?" I look between Harry and Louis but Harry is the only one who will look at me.

"Make it quick" Louis mumbles before exiting the kitchen. Harry's eyes follow Louis' path and he sighs before finally looking at me.

"Sit down" He gestures to the chair but I stay standing.

"No, just tell me what's going on."

"For once can you just do what you're asked" he barks at me and I watch he clenches his fists.

No...this isn't happening. The old him is making a reappearance. I can almost feel my face contorting in preparation for tears.

I timidly take a seat.

"There's not much time to explain so I need no interruptions for you no matter what, do you understand?"

"What?" I reply, unsure with what I'm agreeing to.

"Do you understand?" he says more firmly.

"Y-yes, yes"

"I'm leaving the country, there's some things I need to take care of in another branch of the gang and it's better that I'm not in England right now. Only a small group of us are going, Zayn, Louis, Eleanor and a few of the boys."

I'm not going with him.

He hasn't said anything about me.

He's leaving me.

"It won't be for long and I can't tell you where I'm going just in case."

Just in case what? I want to ask but I can't interrupt him.

"But I will protect you even though I won't be here ok?" he continues and I nod slightly. "Niall and Liam will be with you. You won't be staying here. Once it's known that I've left Tarna will try to get on our territory so you're moving to one of our islands just off the coast. Liam will answer any questions you have- a lot has changed so it's important that you know more now."

There's a pause. I don't say anything even though I know he's finished and that I can talk now.

He looks away from me and at the doorway of the kitchen. I can only guess that Louis is standing there trying to hurry him up.

"I'll come back as soon as I can" he adds before leaning forward and capturing my lips in a desperate kiss. I barely have time to react before they're gone. "I need to go, Liam is out front ready to take you as soon as you're dressed."

I don't move.

I don't say anything.

I don't make any effort to show him that I've understood what he's said.

But I do.

I do understand.

And on the inside I'm crumbling.

I watch him leave. I watch him take one last look back at me before walking out the door. When the front door shuts, I lose it.

My throat burns from the screaming, my skin is tight from the crying and I have little dignity left. Liam finds me on the floor of the kitchen, biting down on my finger so hard that I drew blood.

I was only trying to stop my crying.

Liam talks to me as he drives God know where. All I do is stare out the window, wishing that I was anywhere but here.

How could he do this?

How could he abandon me?

-

I hadn't really thought about where I would be living now, or what this 'island' that Harry owned would be like. It just feels strange, like some kind of punishment, being shipped off to an island that would no doubt be a few steps down from solitary confinement.

Logistically thinking, how would living here happen? What about food and water? Am I just going to be spending more time lounging around a house with nothing to do?

I bank these questions in my mind so I can ask them later, once I've come to terms with everything.

Look at me being all optimistic.

When our boat docks and a small group of uniformed people greet us, I begin to think that Harry's gang situation is bigger than I think. He does, after all, own an island.

"They're the staff that help run the island" Liam tells me as I eye them suspiciously.

"Do they know?" Are the first three words I say after finding out Harry has left me.

"Yes, they're almost all relatives of gang members. Niall take River inside" Liam's order is softer compared to the ones I'm used to hearing Harry give but it's clear that Liam is in charge for the time being.

A house, previously hidden by trees, is revealed after we walk down a short path. Niall tows two suitcases behind him and I try to shrink myself further into Harry's jumper which I kept on as something of his to keep.

"Go ahead and look around, don't get yourself lost though, it's a big house so it's not hard" Niall laughs light-heartedly. It's hard to laugh at a time like this, let alone smile.

The house is bigger than Harry's one, clearly intended to accommodate a much larger number of people. On the ground floor there are archers rather than doors that lead into a living room, a kitchen and a dining room. There are also three bathrooms on that floor. On the first floor to the right is a huge office space filled with at least 30 desks. Not including the five desks at the back that I can only guess are for Harry, Louis, Liam, Zayn and Niall. On the left is a hallway that leads off into five large bedrooms with en suites, again these must be for the main boys. The top two floors are more bedrooms that are smaller and identical with en suites. The second floor has a small library, a room I know I will be spending most of my time in. Each floor has a room which is locked with a keypad beside it which requires a pass-code to enter. I don't even look at it twice before moving on.

I'm not concerned with knowing anything at the moment, I just want to find somewhere to sit and do nothing in peace. The window-sit in the library proves perfect for this.

I needn't have questioned about getting food and water on this island because at dinner a plate of pasta is placed in front of me with a glass of water. I drink the water and leave the table to return to the window-sit.

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Just a casual, tiny twist in the story...right? Let me know what you think!