Be My Escape.

Chapter 31

*Niall's POV*

I'd just gotten off the phone with my mum, explaining why Anna and I can't make it for the holiday. She was disappointed of course, I never saw my family anymore. I hadn't seen Greg since I left almost a year ago, I sure missed him...

My phone went off and I figured it was my mum again, begging me to find a way to come home.

But, I was wrong.

It was Harry.

"What?" I groaned into the phone.

"She knows."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror across my living room and my face was as white as a ghost.

"Harry... What do you mean?" I was about to lose it, my hands were already starting to shake. If he means what I think he means, we're going to have some problems.

"I told her everything. She needed to know eventually, Niall. You and I both know that. And her father knows that she knows."

"FUCK!" I yelled, knocking everything on the kitchen table onto the floor.

The line went dead, and I couldn't see straight.

*Harry's POV*

I stepped back into Anna's bedroom and sat down beside her.

"What do you say we play a game?" Her voice sounded happy despite the last 24 hours.

"Erm, sure..." I turned myself so that I was facing her.

"The question game. I'll ask you something, and you need to be completely honest with me. And vice-versa." I nodded and began to think of a question.

"Is it true that Niall has a puppy? I mean, I've heard the rumor but never believed it." I was just joking, but I knew I'd gone too far when she flinched at the mention of his name.

Damnit.

"Hey, it's okay... I was just joking around, Anna." She looked away from me and the happy nature had completely left her.

But she snapped right back into it, "Next question. Where were you born?"

"I was born in Cheshire, a small town in England. How about yourself?"

She had a small smile on her face now and as she spoke, her eyes lit up.

"I was born across the water, in Virginia. But we moved here when I was little, my father needed to be closer to his work. But my mom never really liked it here, and somehow neither did I."

I grinned at the petite girl in front of me and put a hand on her knee, which she quickly covered with hers.

A loud slamming noise echoed through the large house and we both looked up at eachother.

"Harry! Where the fuck are you?! I know you're here, your car's in the driveway, you bastard!" Niall screamed from downstairs. We both got up from the bed and walked over to the door.

I felt Anna grab my bicep and whisper to me in a panicked tone, "Harry... please I don't want to see him. I don't know what he's going to do..."

"He's not going to hurt you." I stomped down the stairs and faced him.

I had a look at him.

Hands shaking and bloodshot eyes.

"Niall... What are you doing here?" I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible.

"What am I doing here? What the fuck are you doing here? I belong here, you're just a piece of shit. You're not supposed to be here, Harry and you know it."

That's it.

"Oh yeah? She knows everything, Niall. It's all over, buddy. You're fucking done for, you asshole. Get the fuck out before I make you." I spat at him.

Just then a figure emerged from the staircase and I wanted to put her back in that room myself. She could get hurt and she knows it.

"Anna, baby, come down here. We need to talk." Niall coaxed, motioning for her to come towards him. She frantically shook her head and it looked like it pained her to even look at him.

He continued, "You need to listen to me, Anna."

Just then, something in her changed and I think Niall saw it too.

She spoke, walking down the stairs and pointing a finger at him. "You lied to me Niall. You used me too, and for money! Niall, you don't actually think I'd ever forgive you for this, do you? I can't believe you would do something like that to me. I thought we'd be together for a long, long time. I thought we'd live in that tiny apartment that I've come to love." She paused, and started to break down as more realization set in. "But none of that was real, was it? Tell me, I need to hear you say the words." She was wiping away tears and waiting for Niall to react in some way, show some emotion even.

*Anna's POV*

I waited for Niall to say something, anything, or even look up at me.

When he finally did I saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I loved you, and hell, I still do. Of course I love you, how could I not fall in love with you, Anna? And believe me I tried not to. I tried to just tell myself that it wasn't real and I was just fooling myself. But who am I kidding, you're perfect. You give me hope, Anna. I want you. I always wanted you. I always will..."

At this, I started sobbing. I brought my hands up to my face because I could literally feel my chest tearing in half. My heart broke for the boy in front of me, and for myself. I wanted to run to him and bury my face in his chest, but I can't.

I felt two arms wrap around me and I looked up to see that it was Harry, and not Niall.

Somehow it was always Harry there, not Niall.

I gripped his shirt and tried to calm my sobbing. His hand was smoothing my hair, and I opened my eyes to see Niall's hands were shaking once again. He balled them into fists and I saw him turn on the wall. All in an instant there was a hole in the wall next to my front doors.

I gasped and stared at him. Niall looked at me with wide eyes and stood there for a second before walking out the door. I ran over to the front doors, but a hand pulled me back.

"Don't, Anna. Let him leave, it's better this way."

"No! I can't do this..." I continued to sob and I ripped open the door, running out onto the gravel.

But I was too late.

I stood there, left in the dust of Niall leaving me.