Something Great

82

**Cassidy’s POV**

The ear splitting sound of the phone ringing jolted me awake. It took me a few seconds for me to adjust to my surroundings. The light in the hallway flicked on and I heard someone stumbling in the hallway. It was two thirty am. Somebody was calling the house in the middle of the night. I brushed my hair back from my face and took deep breathes, pushing back the scary thoughts. Only bad phone calls come at night. No, Cassidy, calm down. Instead of sitting in bed and imagining all the possible scenarios, I cracked my door open.

“Shh, ok, I’ll come pick you up, everything’s going to be fine, alright? No, really, I’ll come get you right now. But Ev- ok. Ok. Be safe. Call me when you and Fin are in your car.” I blink multiple times to try and wake up from this dream. Harry’s bare back is turned away me as he paced the kitchen, and Liam rubbed the back of his head, drumming nervously on the table. Niall’s leaning on the island next to Louis who is sitting on the granite. Harry hangs up the phone and thumps his fist on the counter in frustration.

“What’s going on?” I croak, and they turn to me.

“Where’s Zayn?” Liam looks behind me.

“Liam,” I whimper. “What happened to Evelyn?” Nobody answers me and I expect the worse, my eyes filling up with tears.

“C’mere.” Liam pulls me into a hug. “You know Rob has been drinking, right?” I nod into his shoulder. “He came home tonight, really trashed. He knocked around Ev a bit. But the baby’s ok, and Evelyn is going to be alright. They’re both scared. So they’re going to stay here tonight.” A part of me is glad that’s all that happened, but the other is frightened. What if he follows her?

“We better go get some proper clothes on then, lads,” Louis acknowledges their lack-of-actual-pj’s. Liam kisses the top of my head and begins to pull away but I tighten my grip.

“Liam?” I whisper.

“Yes, baby girl?”

“I’m scared too.” I admit.

He rubs my back soothingly and plays with the tips of my hair. “It’s ok to be scared, but everything is going to be fine. She’s on her way right now. Why don’t you go back upstairs and try to go back to sleep. I’ll walk you up? You have school today, too.”

“No! I mean, I don’t want to leave. I need to make sure her and Fin are alright.” I protest. Liam was going to object, but there was a pounding at the door. I let out a small cry, startled by the sudden noise.

“I got it,” Niall volunteered, tossing the newly awakened Zayn a shirt.

“Make sure it’s them before you open the door,” Harry reminded him. Niall checked through the peephole, and nodded at us. As soon as he opened the door, Evelyn came crashing in.

“L-lock the door!” She screamed, slamming it shut and fumbling with the lock.

“You’re safe now, Evelyn. You need to calm down, shh.” Louis coaxed her into the family room and Niall flipped all the locks. My heart pounded out of my chest as I took in each inch of her. A baseball sized bruise was planted on her cheekbone, and on the other side of her face a black ring encircled her once vibrant green eye. Fin was crying hysterically and holding tightly onto her. Harry managed to peel him off her and handed him over to me.

“What am I supposed to do with him?” I hissed, but he had already turned back to Evelyn. I realized that if he heard Ev crying, he would continue wailing, and if she heard Fin bawling she would keep on weeping. Thinking fast, I retreated to my room, attempting to separate them. I bounced him on my hip, patting his back a whispering relaxing words to him.