Be My Escape.

Chapter 22

*Niall's POV*

I was sprawled out across my bed and the yellow blob sleeping on my stomach was keeping me warm. The familiar ringtone startled me and Hank yawned. I pressed the phone to my ear, "Yeah?"

"Niall, you need to listen to me. Now." Harry growled through the phone.

"What the fuck do you want from me?" I am sick and tired of Harry trying to play the nice guy, obviously I know what I need to do without Harry barking orders at me.

"You better fucking listen up, if you don't tell Anna what's going on things will go differently next time you put your hands on me. You better be the one to tell her soon or I will. And I'll be sure to add a few extra details, don't you worry."

My hands were starting to shake and I knew he was right. I'd let this go on for too long.

"I plan on telling her soon, Harry. I won't be taking orders from you." I hung up the phone and slammed it down, I was seeing red.

*Flashback to 6 months ago*

"Hey buddy, you nervous?" Harry slapped me on the back, I could tell he was a bit nervous too. My best friend and I are interviewing for the same position but there isnt as much tension as you'd think.

"Eh, I'm ready for this." I really need this job if I'm going to help my brother out at all. My brother Greg has a rare type of cancer so I moved here to get a good job and provide for him. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get this job, Harry is the more charismatic one out of us two but I won't let that stop me.

We entered the sky-high building side by side. At the time, I didn't know that we'd walk out and things would be very different between us. Harry's family and my family had been close for a very long time, and when we both moved to D.C. we became even closer.

We were sitting on a leather couch in a large lobby, I fidgeted with my blazer over and over again trying to calm the nerves. The woman at the desk called Harry's name first, so I waited.

And I waited.

Finally, he came strolling back into the room and stared at the floor in front of him.

Soon after, they called my name and I made my way into the large office. I took a seat across from a sharp-looking man, maybe around age fifty.

"Niall Horan. Resume looks good, ah you're Irish? Interesting..." He looked over my resume again and I waited.

"Alright, Niall. Here's the deal." He paused and stared at me for a minute. "This is an assistant job as you already know. But there is a little bit more to it than an ordinary assistant would have to take on. You see, my daughter is a bit of a troubled girl. She has some obsession with getting out of here and traveling to Europe. See, I made a deal with her that if she completed college here under my conditions, I'd pay for her to play around in Europe for a year. I can't actually let that happen though. I need her here incase anything were to happen to me, I've got a business on the side that can get pretty dangerous. That's how Annabelle's mother was taken from us... Anyway do you see my problem?"

He was now looking at me for some sort of answer, "I understand. But what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Give her a reason to stay. If I try to do this myself and convince her myself, it will never work."

We shook hands and I was given the job, but on my way out the door I heard him speak again.

"Oh, and call her Anna. That'll really hit home." He had a smug look on his face and in that moment the man in front of me looked capable of only the worst things. I walked out to find Harry waiting for me.

"Did you take it?" He looked a bit disappointed.

"Yeah, I did Harry. Why didn't you?"

He sighed, "I can't do that, Niall. I know you're desperate for money and everything with Greg but I didn't think you'd be capable of that. You can't just use that girl and lie to her like that, things could get complicated."

"I am going to get paid $50,000 more than a regular assistant, I'd say I'm more than capable."

His eyes widened, "You aren't who I thought you were all this time.." He mumbled.

*Back to present*

After that day Harry and I hadn't really talked much. Things had only gotten bad when I fell for Anna. I actually care way too much about this girl, and now Harry was messing it all up. I can't let her leave me in half a year, it just can't happen.

I won't let it happen.