Hollow (Harry Styles) #Wattys2016

Chapter 86

I took a small, hesitant step towards it, my hand slightly outstretched, but I backed away, not wanting to confront that damn room just yet. I turned and started walking down the hallway towards the stairs, but I stopped, feeling some sort of pull to that fucking nursery. I turned on my heel, almost sprinting back to the door, my hand resting on the bronze door knob.

Again, I hesitated, letting my hand linger for who knows how long. It wasn't until I let out a deep breath that I had no idea I had been holding that I slowly turned the knob, slightly pushing the door open. My breath caught in my throat, my hands clenching into fists. I shuffled into the dark room, turning on the light switch, letting the chandelier I had installed, illuminate the room that would now be empty.

I looked around the pretty, pink room, it wasn't finished yet, but I had plans to make it look like it was meant for a princess. My princess. I stood in the center of the room, taking in everything. Every single fucking thing in here was toying with me, dangling the little shimmer of hope that this was all just a fucking nightmare and I would wake up to find a sleeping, Katarina with our baby still growing inside of her, waiting until the perfect moment to make an appearance into this world.

But, that was impossible. The ache in my chest felt all too real to let me fully believe that this was simply just a bad dream. This was my reality. Our reality. I walked over to the dresser I had set up, a large picture of, Katarina with a swollen belly and my hands on it, both of us looking down, admiring our growing child, with giant, idiotic smiles on our faces. It looked staged, but it wasn't. Niall had snapped that picture while we were in Rio. Katarina thought she felt some movement in her stomach, so I had permanently placed my hands on her until I felt something. It was the faintest of movements, but it was a movement, nonetheless. Niall had just happened to snap the picture at the perfect moment.

It had become one of my favorite pictures of us. I edited it to a black and white photo and sent it out to get enlarged and printed out, hoping to surprise, Katarina with it. I took the large frame in my hands, angry at how happy we looked compared to our current situation. I ran my fingers over the pictured belly, hoping to feel, anything, I suppose. All I felt was the same pain I had been feeling since the early Monday hours only a few days ago.

After moments of staring at the framed picture, I turned it over, removing the back part and pulling out the picture from it's home. I took it in both hands, examining it further without the barrier of the glass. An unexpected gasp left me, fully accepting that this beautiful moment was in the past. Tears started to run down my cheeks, but I bit my lip to keep a sob from escaping.

I turned around, quickly, needing to get out, but my escape plan was hindered by a stack of boxes. My body collided with them, sending them tumbling down to the ground, the teddy bear I got, Sloane rolling, landing right in front of my feet. I picked it up, clenching it in my hand, along with the picture, sorrow and emptiness consuming me.

I left the nursery, shutting the door behind me, hoping that, Katarina hadn't heard anything, making my way down the wall. I had no idea where I was going, but I needed to get away from that fucking room. I ran down the staircase, taking three steps at a time until I reached the bottom, throwing myself to the banister for some support, clutching the picture and bear at the same time. I took a deep, shaky breath, sobs threatening to escape me once again.

My lungs felt like they were working on over time, my heart was beating faster, but the dull ache was ever present. I inhaled deeply, desperately trying to gasp for air, but nothing was coming in, or out. I ran through the first level until I found myself in a bathroom. I shut and locked the door behind me, grabbing the towel off the rack and shoving my face into it, releasing the sobs that I had been holding in while still holding on to the damn picture and bear.