Savior

The Girl that Goes Missing

He rears back as if I had slapped him, "Her?! What about me, huh? What about my happiness? I'm already letting her put me in a ridiculous white tux for the wedding, don't I get a say in where we will spend eternity?"

He's ranting now and people along the street are sending him nasty looks as we make our way back to the apartment, "I thought you didn't care where you lived, 'as long as you're with Eliza'?"

Which is quite true, he's mentioned that about a dozen times –making me gag about a dozen times. Although, maybe he was just saying that so Eliza would stop talking his ear off about it.

"I didn't really until I heard she wants to live in the middle of nowhere! Hell, we both talked about it and decided we'd rather stay in Cheshire, close to our family and you guys."

Pride swells in my chest and I pull Niall into me, rubbing my fist against his head to give him a nuggie, though he yanks himself from my reach in disdain –straightening his hair.

"Don't get too full of yourself, it was her idea," He shoots me a glare when I answer his statement with a scoff before continuing in confusion, "I'm just saying, it's weird for her to suddenly change her mind now without talking to me about it."

I shrug lightly just as we approach the complex, "Yeah, it is a bit unlike her to live in the country, I suppose. But, marriage does change people."

The conversation effectively ends there as we climb up the stairs both lost in thought. Niall probably imagining his life living on a farm somewhere, and me imagining what the hell I am supposed to do with the rest of my day without Layla.

It's a little pathetic, but with both of us basically on house arrest the last two weeks it's a bit weird to not have her around.

We've spent nearly every moment together since finding out about Louis and though the circumstances are less than great, it's been the best two weeks of my life.

Much better than the alternative –her packing up and leaving us all behind without a goodbye.

Much better.

Though the nightmares have us both lacking in sleep and the paranoia making us double-check our locked door and looking over our shoulders constantly –having Layla around is like flipping on a light.

Like all this time I've been walking around in the dark and having her return my feelings has made everything bright again, has made me finally able to see.

The grass is a richer shade of green, the sun shines more brightly than ever before, it even seems like there are more stars in the sky when she's around.

Everything... it's just better now.

Life is better with her in it.

It's these happy thoughts that are tossing around in my brain while I am sticking my key into our lock to find that the door is actually ajar. I freeze instantly, every hair on my body standing on end and every nerve suddenly pulled taut.

Layla would never have left this door unlocked.

Holding my breath I crack the door open wider and hear someone clattering around in one of the bedrooms. It's faint, but someone is definitely inside. My breath catches in my throat as I turn to glance at Niall in alarm.

"What is it? What-"

I shush him violently, nodding my head to indicate the door, watching the realization settle on his face slowly. The door creaks loudly when I open it, making me cringe, but the noises continue and I know that whoever is inside didn't hear.