Escaped

Chapter 22

Escaped: Chapter 22

Perrie came down the stairs, with some serious bed head, and looked at us with an amused expression on her face.

"What'd I miss?" She smirked.

Liam and I stood in the kitchen. We had been doing the dishes. But now we were both soaking wet with had bubbles in our hair.

"Just Liam being an idiot," I remarked.

Perrie giggled. "So nothing new, then?"

"Hey!" Liam pointed a finger at her threateningly. "You want some of this?" He gestured to the bubbles in the sink and on the floor.

"I don't think so," Perrie laughed.

"Then keep your mouth shut."

"Yes, sir," she mocked and walked into the living room.

The front door opened and Niall, Zayn, and Harry all walked in, with somewhat grim expressions on their faces.

"Woah," Niall said when he got a look us. "What'd we mis-"

"Save it," Liam chuckled and splashed some more bubbles in my face. "How'd it go?" He asked them.

"He's taken care of," Harry answered. "But we need to talk."

"Is everything okay?" I piped up.

I saw Louis and Eleanor come inside, behind them.

"I thought you guys weren't coming back until tomorrow..?"

Louis shook his head and Eleanor ignored my question, taking her bag up to our room.

Zayn interrupted my thought. "Everything's fine," he said although I didn't believe him.
"It's nothing you need to worry about." He smiled.

"M'k," I said, trying to be casual, despite my growing concern. "Go on Liam. I'll take care of this."

He nodded and followed Zayn, Harry, and Louis out of the room.

Niall turned to follow them but then stopped. He walked over to me, gave me a quick hug, and slipped out of the kitchen.

Okay, I was really getting confused now.

I wiped the bubbles from my hair and started digging through the drawers for a rag to clean up the water from the floor.
There was a small hand towel hung over the handle of the oven so I just used that. I'd dried up the floor and counter tops when I heard the raised voices from upstairs.

I was curious and I'll admit, a little nosy, so I crept up the stairs and down the hall.

"How the hell could anyone have taken these?" Someone, Liam, yelled. "No one knows where we are!"

"I don't know," I heard Louis reply. "Apparently someone does."

I heard the sound of papers rustling and Harry said, "Calm down, mate. We'll keep her safe."

Her? Who were they talking about?

"Why would they even think-" Liam started. "Do they know we kidnapped her?"

Oh. That's who.

"I don't think so-" Zayn said.

"Besides," Niall interrupted. "We can all admit, that isn't really the case anymore.."

"What're you talking about?" Liam asked. "She'd still make a run for it if she could."

Did he really think that?

"I'm not so sure," Louis said. "I was talking to her earlier and she said that even if her parents payed the ransom, she didn't want to go back to them. To him."

"You mean-"

"I don't know, man," Harry cut him off. "I think we're starting to grow on her." I could almost hear him smiling in that cheeky way.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Yeah," I said. "I think so too."

I gave them a small smile.
They all looked up, surprised to see me listening.

"Sorry," I said looking at my feet. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just... got.. curious."

Liam gave me a look.

"Charlotte, do you know how dangerous it could be for you to know any of our business?" He asked me.

"Yeah, well I heard my name," I defended. "So I think I have a right to know."

Niall, Zayn, Louis, and Harry all kind of started to nod.

Liam sighed and rubbed the back of his neck but eventually gave in, handing me a couple papers.

No, not papers. Photographs, I realized.

I looked at them and saw that they were of me and Liam. The night I'd heard about the ransom on the news. When I'd run from the cabin. The pictures only showed Liam gently carrying me inside.
Anyone who didn't know, would've assumed that we were friends, or something more, not a kidnapped girl and her captor, as we had been at the time.

"So..." I looked up at them, trying to keep my cool. "Somebody is threatening you? Using me."

Harry nodded.

I felt tears coming to my eyes.
Things were all going down hill and it was my fault.

"Hey," Liam said, removing the photos from my hands and setting them on the desk. He ran his hands up and down my arms, comfortingly.
"It's going to be alright. Everything's going to be alright."

I could only pray that he was right.