faded

17.0 - crashing in

I don't dream.

I fall asleep easily when Zayn gives me more pills. He leaves the room so I can sleep while he talks to someone on the phone. That seemed like something we would do before, but he was hiding something. I felt him lay next to me before I could be taken in by a dreamless slumber, his breathing was so heavy. I could sense something was wrong by the way his touch seemed to linger too long on my face, like he was learning my features before I faded away, and he forgot them forever.

I fell asleep shortly after. The days we had spent here, already 4 days, seemed to just be one. They all blended together like careless watercolors, and all I could do was try to keep track of time.

I felt him slightly shake me. I opened my eyes slowly, the bright room light confused me.

"We have to go," Zayn says, waking me up a few hours after I fall asleep. My groggy state leaves me confused and unsure of what's going on. The clock reads 2am, his voice is full of urgency.

He helps me off the bed and wraps me in a blanket, his nervous eyes scanning my face as if to make sure I'm in one piece. Hardly, I'd say. But I'm going to be okay, I could only hope we were, too.

"What's going on?" I asked as he lead me out of the room. His hands were on my shoulders as we walked downstairs, the clean cabin surprising me. It looked intact.

"We need to leave," He repeats, "Car is out front."

I frowned, what was happening? Why was he so nervous?

Zayn picked up my bag and his, holding my hand to lead me outside. I had somehow managed to put on some slippers, instantly regretting it because of how cold it was outside.

Zayn was a mess. His hands were shaking, his anxiety was very obvious. I didn't know what was going on and I know that it was bad. Zayn wasn't afraid of anything, so seeing him in this state was alarming.

He helped me in the front seat of a truck with tinted windows. I didn't question him and I didn't say anything. I put on my seatbelt and simply waited for him to take me wherever it was we were going.

Instead of driving back the way we came to go home, he began to drive in the opposite direction. The heavily wooded area was very easy to get lost in, but Zayn appeared to know what he was doing.

"Zayn?"

"What?" he answered.

I gulped. "Is everything gonna be okay?"

He raised a brow, picking up speed on the road. "I don't know right now. I'm gonna take you somewhere safe, though."

"Where?" My stomach dropped.

He cleared his throat. "You're going to the house your father left you in Jersey. You're going to stay there and you're not going to answer anyone's questions, okay?" I nodded. "Liam's arranged some staff so you won't be alone. But I need you to listen, alright?"

He took my head and held it over the console, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead of him. "I will call you to a phone someone's going to give you once you're at the house. Don't you dare call me with the house phone. Don't mention any of this to anyone."

I tried to wrap my head around his orders. I bit my lip, ignoring the stinging. "When will you be back?"

He let out a breath. "Soon. I've just gotten news of a setback and I need to take care of it."

"A setback? What is it you're not telling me? If I'm in danger, I deserve to know what's happening."

He shook his head, giving my hand a squeeze. "Ana..."

"Is someone after us?"

The expression on his face confirmed my suspicion. Who was it? Why? Too many possibilities and I was scared enough. I hadn't gone to the house in Jersey in so long, being there brought back horrible memories. But I trusted he knew what he was doing.

"Who's after us?"

"You, Ana, he's after you."

My mouth was slightly open in surprise. All the color was drained from my face. "Who?"

"Harry."