Stole My Heart- 1D Fanfic

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Georgia’s POV

The door banged closed behind me, and Louis jumped in surprise. He made a joke about racehorses in Panama, which I’m not sure I would’ve gotten even if I wasn’t extremely distracted. As it was, I simply ran past him at full tilt, barely acknowledging his indignant remarks as I bustled by. 

The air outside had been cold, December now out in full force around London. The last month had passed in a blur, ever since returning from Liam and my's weekend in Wolverhampton, everyone’s lives had picked up. The boys were doing promos and interviews in gearing up for the release of their album, and I was attending classes and working double shifts to save up for our trip to Venice. I'd even almost gotten used to the constant publicity surrounding my "new" life. The first time I saw my face, blown up and plastered across the Daily Mirror, I'd done a double take, mouth falling open. Now, after quite a few such covers, the shock had worn off, leaving in its place resignation. When I started dating Liam, this was what I'd signed up for. So we dealt with it, along with everything else that was going on at the same time. And the lower the temperatures reached, the busier life was. 

On this particular day, I was bursting with anxiety. I barreled into Harry’s room, attempting to hold myself together. He met my eyes reluctantly, and I was gratified to see that though he was a degree removed, his expression was filled with emotion. Mostly pity, but sadness and anger were in equal parts, weaving the background. 

“Is it true?" A brief nod. "Are you sure? Absolutely certain?” I whispered, already knowing the answer, but dreading it all the same. 

“I got an angry email this morning. It’s definitely happening. They’re not going to take no for an answer. I’m sorry, George.” He averted his gaze, studying the blustery snowfall out of the paneled window. 

I felt a tear forming, but was quick to brush it away. Taking a deep breath, I  shook my head, clearing it of all emotion. I’d gotten good at it over the years. Through the teasing, the “accidental’ pushes in narrow hallways, being locked in bathrooms and outwardly pretty snarls, then more recently every unkind word, slap in the face, and mental and physical jab delivered at Alex’s hand, the one thing I was always sure of was my ability to completely shut down. For almost five years, emotions had been a hassle, extra baggage, unnecessary for living, and I’d been hesitant to change a good thing. While hiding everything, you can’t get hurt. 

Then five singing idiots and a girl with ADHD had pulled me into their world, and something told me that a stony face and a heart of ice would be quick to melt and crumble. And almost from the moment I’d met them, I’d begun to feel. Unwillingly at first, only letting down a few barriers. I didn’t want to forget how to throw the walls back up. But things like happiness, joy, and friendship crept in; I’d felt wanted for the first time in a long time. The other emotions, fear, sadness, jealousy; they’d all seemed a small price to pay for everything else. The good things. And the balance always tilted in their favor, so the bad ones were like the monsters in the closet: shut away and rarely thought about. 

And I knew I was right, that all this was worth feeling again, because with Liam everything was different. Whenever he was with me, there wasn’t any fear, he eased sadness until it was just comfortable nostalgia, and jealousy was a distant memory. Everything seemed perfect, and though initially there was a feeling of rushed temperance surrounding our time together, after almost five months even I’d felt settled where we were.