Conflicting Attractions // h.s

55\\Shattered

Harry

(this chapter contains some drug use in the second half of the chapter).

After eating out with Phoebe, I headed back to my flat. Gemma wanted to talk to me about something and I knew this wasn't going to be a good thing. I had no idea what she wanted to talk to me about and that scared me a little bit. She's very unpredictable and that's one of the things that confuses me the most about my sister. But I wouldn't trade her for anyone.

I arrived back to my flat as Gem was sitting on the couch, a drink in her hand as she sipped it slowly. I closed the door and put my keys in the bowl by the door as she looked up at me. She sipped her drink one more time before she got up and hugged me tightly. "Whoa, are you alright? What happened?" I asked as it was odd that she hugged me.

"Where have you been?" her voice cracked when she spoke. I didn't know if that was because she had been crying about something or whether she had been informed of some news moments before. "I've been trying to call you for the past few hours and you only just picked up before you come home."

"Gemma, I was with Pheebs. Now what's the matter?" I asked her again as she let go of me, wiping her tears before she sighed heavily. I knew something was wrong but I didn't have an idea of what. She went and sat on the couch before putting her head in her hands as I walked over and sat down next to her, putting my arm around her shoulder. "Please tell me what's got you so upset?"

She sniffed before she looked at me. "Mum just rang before," she croaked and I already knew this wasn't good. I put her head on my chest as I hugged her. "Robin's been rushed to hospital. She thinks this might be it, Harry," she started to sob in my shirt. I took a deep breath as I didn't want to cry right now since Gem was, it would only make her feel worse.

I let her sob on my shirt as I wiped a few stray tears from my eyes. "Alright," I spoke after the long silence. "We're booking flights and getting over there as soon as we can. I don't want mum to be alone at this time and if this is really it, as morbid as that sounds; we're going be there for her. So you get on your laptop and book us three flights."

Gemma sniffed before she looked at her. "Three?"

"One for Phoebe. Robin really liked Phoebe at Christmas and I don't think he'll forgive me if I didn't bring her with us," I said as she nodded. "But as soon as, Gem. We need to be there for mum and for Robin."

She nodded again as she gave me another huge hug before she went into her room, leaving me alone with my thoughts which weren't good. I couldn't stop thinking about mum and how heart-breaking it must be, watching her love slowly drift away from her in the blink of an eye. I sighed, wiping my tears away before I reached for my phone in my pocket. I dialed Phoebe's number as it started ringing.

"Hey babe," she answered in such a happy tone. I knew the next few moments of this call will most likely break her heart in two. "Miss me that much?" She giggled as I smiled. She always knew how to make me smile when I'm not feeling the best. I sighed gently. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Uh," I started. "I, uh, heard from my mum and Robin's been rushed to the hospital," I said, my voice cracking at the end of the sentence. "She thinks this might be it. Gemma is booking flights right now to get there as soon as possible."

"Oh no, Harry, I'm so sorry," she spoke as I heard the heartbreak in her voice. "That's good you're going over there as soon as possible as your mum is going to need it."

I wiped a few tears off my eyes again. "Are you able to come with us?" There was a little bit of silence afterward and with the state of my mind right now, I thought she wouldn't be able to come. Mostly because she's been having a lot of time off work – mostly paid and given to her because Louis is a great person but with what he's had to deal with lately, I don't think he's going to be a very giving person.