Saturday, September 23rd
Riley's POV
Agreeing to meet with Everett last night did not help anything. It began an argument with Harry, which turned into a cold shoulder night. I even tried to diffuse his anger with kisses dotting his shoulders and massaging his sides the moment he began to change for bed. Instead of it leading to more, he sighed at me and shuffled off to the bathroom clearly annoyed and trying to remind himself to not give in to me.
I went as far as to try a second time when he finally came back to bed almost an hour later with wet hair and a bad attitude. I pretended to ignore that he smelled like cigarettes since he has been cutting back so much.
But after waking up alone in his bed and stretching out my arms only to find myself, pillows, and a pile of blankets I am reminded of how tough today is going to be.
I scour the floor of Harry's messy room to find a deep navy crew neck to slide over my sports bra. I give it a quick sniff just to double check that it is at least somewhat clean and all I notice is the overwhelming lingering scent of Harry. The mixture of coffee, tobacco, and vanilla. I linger in the sensation and breathe it in again to catch hints of ginger and cocoa.
"Riley... Are you smelling my shirt?" Harry's gruff morning voice breaks into the room and I slowly lower the shirt from my face but keep my tight clasp on the material. "It smells like you." I tell him while noticing how tired he looks today.
Harry's normal curls were messy and unruly today. His dark hair framed his face that looked older, tired, and worn out. He had bags under his eyes, there was a light dotting of stubble coming in, and his eyes were red from the lack of a good nights rest.
He grunts while kicking a pair of jeans on the floor to the side of the room in order to pick up a hoodie that was underneath. He slid the black hoodie over the white shirt he had on, and was back to a familiar outfit I have seen him in before. The same black skinny jeans with holes in the knees that he used to wear to the parties I met him at.
Things were so similar, but so different now.
"I have a scent?" I nod to him. "Any good?" I smile. Harry seemed like he was warming up a little this morning.
"It's my favorite. You smell like... well... it's hard to describe. But I love it. And your clothes smell like it all the time." I shove the navy material towards him but he simply scrunches his nose and shakes his head at me.
I shrug and slide on the material before adjusting my leggings.
"Breakfast?" -Riley
"Already ate. There is food downstairs that one of the guys made." -Harry
I didn't want to push Harry and I could tell by the quick responses and nippy tones that he is still unhappy with my decision from last night. I take the cue and leave him. I close the door with one last look to see him slump down at the desk with his head in his hands looking just as stressed as ever.
I make my way down to the kitchen to find it absolutely empty of people but filled with dirty dishes and food. I don't bother with checking what all was on the stove yet and instead busy myself with cleaning. Normally it seems like Harry and Liam do the cleaning, but I have thrown a wrench into their current lives and it seems like it is affecting them in more ways than one. The least I could do is help out a little around the house.
I open the dishwasher to find a pleasant surprise of all clean dishes. After about ten seconds of attempting to put things away I learn I have no idea where things actually go and I start to just open cabinets at random to see their contents and figure out if I am guessing the right places for things.
I get deeply immersed in putting things away that I hardly notice the footsteps behind me that enter the kitchen because I was midway through humming a song to myself and desperately trying to find where these idiot boys would put a strainer. I open my third guess to find a cabinet filled with tupperware lids only, no bottom pieces, only lids. Okay boys.
"To the left of the stove, bottom shelf," my favorite familiar Irish accented friend gives me a tip that startles me. My slight jump was apparent and Niall let out a laugh while he met me on the same side of the kitchen island to open the exact cabinet door he just described to me. Sure enough, there were two other strainers along with a food processor that was still in the box and an assortment of cutting boards.
"This room is organized so chaotically I do not understand any of it." I tell him while reaching for the cutting boards in the dishwasher to store with their matching friends.
"We kinda' just put stuff wherever. We don't mind it really. If you wanna' change things, go right ahead!" Niall gave me a grin while holding his hands up in surrender. I shrug and playfully push him backwards to continue cleaning up.
Niall starts grabbing the silverware as I move on to stacking plates.
"So how mad is Harry this morning?" -Niall
"Still in a pissy mood at me for agreeing, you know." I confide in Niall and use this as my therapy and gossip time since I clearly can't do that with Autumn about the current situation.
Niall gives me a humming noise of approval while I hear the clinking silverware find their way into the drawer. This morning Niall was dressed in some blue jeans, black chucks, and a white shirt baseball style shirt that had red and navy stripes on the sleeves at his elbows. His always styled hair was in the typical spiked and pushed back style, but I noticed today his hair looked a little blonder than normal. "Your hair?" I started to ask him.
"Yeah, I got it touched up this morning. Layla had time to fit me in so I figured." I assume Layla must be his stylist. It's funny to think of Niall actually going into an appointment and asking for someone to help bleach and tone his hair before turning him into the little spiky porcupine he is.
Once the dishwasher is cleared Niall helps me by rinsing dishes to hand to me while I organize the dishwasher to the best of my tetris abilities. Once we got the entire washer filled we were left with only a few smaller pieces that Niall begins to hand wash while I grab some moist paper towels and start to wipe down all the counters.
"Much better." I sigh a relief as I toss the paper towels in the garbage and inspect the well done job that Niall and I did in one room in the house. I didn't even notice that Niall had also managed to transfer the breakfast remains into tupperware containers and wash the pots and pans that were on the stove.
As Niall grabs the containers to put away I snatch the top one and a water bottle from the fridge. I toss the container of what looked like some kinda' of skillet scramble on the kitchen island and rummage out a fork to dig in.
Niall grabs a gatorade and uses his hands to pull his body up and sit on the counter next to the sink. Facing me he takes a few minutes of silence while I eat to finally bring up what must have been on his mind this entire time. "So, meeting Ev and them... it's a big deal you know?"
I nod with my mouth full of food. I probably couldn't have spoken if I wanted to. I may be acting tough, but I am full of so much fear it's stupid. I just cannot let Harry know this, I have to remain strong.
"He seems friendly sometimes... It's fake. Don't trust it. Don't trust him. Don't trust anyone you meet there honestly. Only Liam, Lou, myself, and Harry." I nod again. I know he is not trying to scare me, but it does. I don't even know where 'there' is yet honestly.
"We talked about it and decided," I raise my eyebrows and Niall knows I am already curious about who 'we' is. "The guys" he corrects himself, "we texted this morning and Liam and Lou are going to hang back. They weren't told to be there, so they aren't coming. It seems kinda' odd but it might be safer that way because we don't want to piss Everett off more than necessary honestly. He is kinda' hot headed. So, we might all just take Liam's vehicle and ride together. It's the best option and we will be safe and all be in one car then. I am coming with. And Harry of course."
I swallow the lump that is rising in my throat along with the food that is slowly starting to taste like bile due to the rising levels of it in my stomach. "I get it. We will be okay right? He just wants to meet me?"
Niall waits a moment before answering. His eyebrows furrow in the middle and I have never seen him look so pensive before. "Harry and I will do everything to protect you Riley."
***
Today's weather matched the mood in the vehicle astoundingly. Hurricane season was in full effect today as the rain was pouring and even though it was only one in the afternoon, the sky was dark with clouds covering any chance of sunlight. Niall was driving while skipping songs periodically and singing along. Harry was in the front seat steadily on his phone in a bad mood. Even when I came back upstairs after breakfast he managed to avoid me as best as he could, he got gas in the vehicle, picked me up a coffee, and spent some time in the basement, anywhere except around me. Now, I'm in the backseat watching him do his best to ignore me in the car.
I texted Autumn and told her that Harry and I had plans today to have a movie marathon and stay inside avoiding the rain and she totally understood and didn't worry, which is nice. But that meant I also couldn't complain about Harry's bad attitude. The only people I like talking to are Autumn and Niall, and both those options are off the table right now. I instead sip my coffee and listen to the melodic tunes of Kendrick Lamar told by Niall in the driver's seat while scrolling through Instagram. I haven't updated my profile since three weeks before Luke's death, but I never deactivated my account, so now it is just a way to scroll and busy myself.
"Where are we going?" I ask while the song was changing.
No answer.
"Hey Harry." I shake his shoulder to really get his attention because I am over his little tantrum 'tude he has today. I am nervous enough and I do not need this from him today. He should be the person reassuring me and making me feel better, but instead Harry is doing the thing he used to do where he bottles things up and I have to guess what the hell is going on in that dumb boy head of his.
Surprised by the motion of my shaking, Harry drops his phone to the floor of the car and whips around to me in an agitated tone, "Riley, what the fuck!"
"You're being a dick. I asked you a question and you ignored me!" I combat him.
Niall lets out a scoff at the brash nature I normally wouldn't have.
"Whatever." Harry says while snatching his phone back up to resume his ignoring.
"Hello. Dude. I said where are we going? Harry. You cannot just ignore me 'cause you are mad you didn't get your way okay?" My voice was getting louder and it cracked due to the overwhelming emotions I have been stuffing down this morning. I didn't want to cry due to stress, but it was almost bubbling out at this point.
"You are the one that wanted to come and meet them Riley. You made this choice. So just wait and see. I'm not ignoring you, I just don't have shit to say to you right now okay. You are being stupid and I don't want to fucking talk to you about it okay." -Harry
I wince at the words and feel the prick of hot tears forming on the edge of my waterline. Harry isn't mean to me anymore. He has changed and been so nice the past few weeks, why is this happening again and why is he being like this?
"Harry, come on. Don't be a dick to her. She's only doing this because-" Niall cannot finish his sentence before Harry cuts him off louder than ever, "She's fucking doing this because she wants to. There is no other reason. She isn't thinking, she's being stupid right now. You'd think she would have learned after what happened in Daytona but no. Instead she's fucking purposefully being stupid and making dumb choices. Sorry I'm not being supportive of it."
"Enough!" I shout from the backseat. "Stop calling me stupid. I am not being stupid okay. I know what I am doing. How come you are the only person here who is allowed to make stupid choices, huh Harry?"
"My choices were made a long time ago. Every choice I have made lately is for you and for your safety." Harry was screaming and his face was turning red, at this point he was half turned in his seat to face me and all I could see was dark eyes that were full of anger.
"Same Harry. I truly cannot decide if you care too much or not at all, because you must be an idiot to not understand why I want to do this. This isn't me being impulsive or reckless and just doing whatever I want, I am doing this because I think this is what is the best option. I'm not just too stupid to care!" The tears couldn't wait any longer. My speech was ruined by sobs that came in between words while my voice cracked and my nose started to feel stuffy.
Niall hit his limit.
I feel the car jerk as he slams the brakes and horns blare around us. No one approved of Niall's dramatic brake check, including Harry, "WHAT THE FUCK".
"Shut up. Seriously. You need to fucking calm down." Niall directs at Harry before I hear him unclip his seatbelt to whip around to me, I brace for him to yell at me next. "Riley," he starts calm, "I don't get it. I don't know what you plan to gain from this meeting, or any of it. But if you honestly think this is a good idea, then okay. It's too late for us to back down now anyways. Plus, if Everett wants to meet her, he will. This way we at least get to be there and know the time and place. That's one point in our favor, and we don't usually get that. But Harry is kinda' right, you need to make sure you know what you are doing. You aren't stupid, but this plan is by no means smart."
"No fucking shit." Harry yells from his side but Niall simply puts his hand up in a stop motion in front of Harry's face. I feel Harry getting more red by the moment as the vein in his neck starts to become more evident. "I wasn't done talking, Harry. You," he turns back to Harry again, "stop being a fucking dick. Today sucks, for all of us. Don't make it worse. You don't think Riley is going to look like a fucking mess when we get there now? She's gonna' be all... crybaby, no offense. Everett will love that and use it against you. So fucking get your shit together and stop being an asshole and making today harder. All she did was ask a question. We are going to the warehouse by the way. It's one of the areas where Alex and Ev store drugs, people, money, and where a lot of drops happen. They have three. Two on the east coast and one here. The one here, the one we are going to today, it's the biggest one. It's probably worth hundreds of millions if not more. But don't touch anything and don't agree to anything."
I nodded because my throat felt raw, like I swallowed a bunch of pins and tacks. My face was flush and hot, my eyes stung, my head hurt with a throbbing feeling, and all I wanted was a hug or someone to tell me things are going to be okay. That's not what I am going to get from anyone right now.
Niall starts to buckle his seatbelt and readjust the mirrors in the car, "Now, can everyone fuckin' cool the dramatics and we finish the car ride? We are ten minutes out and I really don't want to have to pull the car over again."
Harry grunts and goes back to his phone while I try my best to calm down my sobs in the backseat. The car ride starts slowly as Niall begins driving again. Only a short moment passes before I hear Harry open the glove compartment to hand me a stack of napkins. In Harry terms this is an apology.
The car ride was exactly ten minutes, and we ended up arriving at a literal warehouse. Even though Niall told me that, I was expecting something else. It looked like just what I imagine a drug warehouse to look like, but my only experience really comes from shows like Breaking Bad.
"Oh fuck." I hear Niall mutter under his breath, and I look up to meet eyes with a man standing outside the doorway of the warehouse.
It seemed instantly as the moment Niall put the vehicle in park my door opened with a hand extending its way towards me to help me out of Liam's vehicle. "Miss Riley, a pleasure."
The man had dark hair, shaved sides with a little bit longer pushed to the side. His eyes were a dark brown and every spot except his face was covered in tattoos. He had no accent, but spoke slowly and full of confidence. He had a large watch on the same hand that encapsulated my own. His outfit was simple, black dress jeans, black designer looking shoes, a black ribbed tank top tucked in, and a black suit jacket that was left unbuttoned. I tried not to stare anywhere too long and instead glance my eyes over quickly.
"You are a vision my dear. Come with me. My name is Everett, I've been waiting to meet you."
Everett didn't let go of my hand as he pulled me towards the entrance of the building and I quickly looked back to make sure Niall and Harry were in pursuit. Of course, they were less than two steps behind me while watching over me like hawks.
At the door Everett lets out a double knock followed by a pause and a double knock again.
The door quickly opens to a dark area and a large man blocking the area. The moment he sees who the guests are he moves aside and sits down in a chair while Everett continues to drag me along. I felt like a ragdoll.
I stared at the floor and tried to ignore all the noises, sights, and things happening around me. I was more nervous than anything. Once Everett stops us I finally bring myself to look around. It mimicked the basement but in a much larger aspect. There were tables everywhere, some with people around them and some empty. There were duffle bags, stacks of cash, totes, drugs, guns, everything you could imagine. It's my worst nightmare in front of me.
"Would you?" I see Everett station him at the table across from me. Niall is on my left, so close I can feel his arm just barely grazing against my own and it's comforting. Harry is on my other side and somehow even closer to me, showcasing to Everett how protective he is. I have zero doubts.
I looked at the table to see what Everett was asking me about, to see a large pile of white substance and multiple joints rolled up in a pile to the side. I shake my head and receive a playful frown from Everett.
"What a good girl you are." His words were venomous and made me feel like I needed a shower.
I give a fake tight lipped smile back to him.
"So Everett-" Niall starts to talk but Everett shakes his head and hands him a rolled up bill instead of listening.
Niall sighs. Looking at Harry and ignoring me. Harry gives a silent nod. We all are aware that Harry is attempting to try and sober himself, and that I don't do drugs, so this means Niall is going to have to be the one to appease Everett's request here I assume.
Niall takes the bill between his fingers and rolls it out to reroll it again, this time into a tighter straw shape. I've seen drugs in movies and know what is about to happen, but it is still completely different seeing it here, with him, in person.
Niall takes a deep breath before taking a step forward. Meanwhile Everett pulled out his wallet to bring a card out to start chopping up the powdery substance on the table and separating. He was sliding the drugs across the table to form into thick long lines. I wanted to say the drugs were cocaine but Niall told me not to trust anything, so that assumption could easily be wrong.
Niall bent down while lodging the rolled bill into his nostril and snorting up one of the lines entirely to clean up from the table while using a finger to close off his opposite nostril. When he stood up he let out a small cough and took the bill out to throw on the table while using the back of his hand to wipe his nose.
Niall shook his head while snorting the air twice more and using his thumb to close the opposite nostril he snorted from.
Niall began to take a step back towards Harry and I, but was halted with Everett extending his hand with the same bill he momentarily used, "Ah, ah. Niall. Waste not."
Harry speaks out, "Come on Everett. There's eight fuckin' lines here mate. He doesn't need-"
"Harry. Shhhhhh. Unless you'd love to help Niall then he can handle them himself. Right Niall?" Everett's eyes were black as he smiled at Harry before shifting his gaze back to Niall. His smile made me feel nauseous.
Time felt slow.
Harry and I waited while we had to just watch.
Another one.
Another one.
Niall coughed and wiped his nose.
Another another another.
It felt like this was ongoing forever.
I barely noticed when Harry's hand brushed against my own. The warmth against my cold hands should have been a relief but I was clammy, nervous, and out of my element.
Once it was done I was scared. I didn't know how much drugs that really was, but it seemed like too much. Too much for one person at least. Niall's head seemed to be slightly lulling back and forth and he looked disoriented. He turned back to face us and Harry moved away from me to put his hands on Niall's shoulders to steady him.
"Mate. You okay? Are you okay, Niall?" His head was hanging and I could already see that Niall didn't seem okay. Niall lifted his head and his eyes were a mixture of bloodshot and dilated pupils. His complexion looked pale and there was a light layer of sweat forming around his hairline. Niall looked anything but okay.
He gave us a lopsided grin and chuckled lowly. "Yeah, 'sgood mate." he gave a thumbs up but we both knew Niall and this isn't him now.
"What a performance. And you two didn't even offer to help, what friends?" Everett snarky mocks Harry and I for checking in on our friend.
"Why are we here?" I confidently ask Everett, now upset that I had to see him treat my friend that way. Is this what working for Alexander and Everett is like? I don't like it and I don't like them. No wonder Harry and the guys are scared of these monsters, they have no regard for human decency and how to treat anyone.
I don't get a response from Everett, instead he pulls a phone from his pocket to slide up to his ear, "yes, she's here. Yes. She will. No. Harry won't let that happen. Yes. I promise. Both of them." He brings the phone down to end the call and set on the table.
"Who was that? Harry won't let what happen? What's happening to us? Both of us?"
"No darling. Not both of you, both of them." Everett points to Niall and Harry.
"What are you planning on doing to them?" I practically shriek and Harry has finally had enough of my outburst, he clamps his hand over my mouth and positions himself in front of me to block my body from Everett. Harry's stature is so much bigger than mine, his 6' frame towering over my 5'6" one.
"Riley. Fuckin' knock it off." Harry quietly hisses at me.
He removes his hand but the look of anger has not washed off his face yet. He slowly goes back to his stance next to me and Everett is left grinning at us across the table. "I won't do anything to them, pinky promise and cross my heart." Everett draws an x shape over his heart before holding out his pinky finger towards me to join in, "but, potentially today if you are presented with an offer and you decide to decline it, it might come with the price of your little boyfriends lives." He ushers to Niall and Harry as he said it.
"What offer?" Harry interrupts this time.
Instead of answer again, Everett continued his stance of pretending our questions never existed. He grabbed a joint from the table and stuck it between parted lips while digging through his pocket for a lighter. Once he lit and blew out a light layer of smoke between us everyone directed their attention to the front door.
"Always you with the grand late entrances." Everett says to a tan blonde man who walks over to the table. The man grabs a secondary joint from the table to mimic what Everett had previously done.
The area is quiet except the noise of cracking from the flames ripping through the paper and burning weed. "Niall. Harry. Riley I presume?" the man says while holding in smoke before billowing it out towards my face. I couldn't help but cough at this which amused Everett like the asshole he is. "My name is-"
As if I had enough lessons from all the guys continuously always cutting me off, "Alexander. Yes, I know who you are. It's impossible not to after you followed me around. That was you right? The cute little blue sports car right?" I tried my best to sound tough.
Harry smirked at my sarcastic tone. Niall was still spaced out trying to remain as sober as he can after what he did. Everett looked entertained by the interaction on display. Alexander was unphased and continued smoking.
"So rumor tells me that you're quite the feisty one Riley Elizabeth Anderson." He said each name as a separate word, over enunciating it. "You went to Gainesville High. Graduated with good grades. Sorry about your boyfriend. Tragic story that is. Then you whisk away to college with your little bestie to start a new life. Gorgeous apartment by the way. Love the chair, very Harry Styles future girlfriend of you."
The idea of this man stepping foot in my apartment gave me the ick. "Almost all of that is public knowledge, and you can see what my apartment looks like on Autumn's Instagram... which isn't private. So, congrats, you are as good at sleuthing as the reporter in the Hannah Montana movie. Want an award Alexander?"
Harry gave my hand a squeeze, and this time it felt more like him supporting me rather than telling me I should stand down with my sarcasm and attitude towards the guys.
"Riley darling. We are all on the same side here. What is with the hostility?" Alexander smirks. "If anyone has the right to be upset with someone here, I think it is me."
"Why is that?" I take the bait and ask.
"Imagine how embarrassing it was for me to find out, not only does Harry have a little girlfriend, but also he and the boys spent their time driving all the way to Daytona to rescue said lassy all because she found herself in a small pickle."
I want to rip this dude's face off because of how condescending he is.
"That was pretty embarrassing to learn through a fucking letter darling." Alexander slammed his fist down and quickly tried to regain his composure. He snubbed out the rest of the joint on the floor under his boot and used his hands to smooth his pants and calm down.
Everett pulls a paper out of his pocket and Harry is the first to react. Harry let out a gasp as he recognized the same thing I noticed moments later. It was a postcard of Daytona but taped to the front was a picture of all the guys and I standing in front of the monitors of the Daytona warehouse where I met Mick, Shark, and Avery. Everett flicks the paper around so we can see the other side while the card was held in the air by two of his fingers. It was messy handwriting but still legible:
"And you thought your golden boy told you everything. Imagine not knowing about his little girlfriend, his vacation to Daytona, and the fact that he is one step closer to Aiden than you will ever be."
The air feels thick while everyone is trying to dissect just what is happening and what the next move is.
"So, you're pissed?" Niall is the first to react, and given the state of him not being entirely sober, that's not the best thing.
Everett puts the card down on the table where Harry's eyes fall and continues to stare. My eyes were on Harry trying my best to read whatever is going on in his brain and hoping that I can figure it out.
"Pissed? Niall, I am furious. How am I supposed to have trust in Harry when apparently I know nothing that is happening and he is entirely comfortable in lying and hiding things from me? That's not how I thought we treated each other."
I wanted to yell, to scream, to fight, punch, hurt this man. What do you mean this isn't how we treat each other? You treat the guys like they are worthless and useless... yet you are standing here and trying to act like their friend. You practically groomed them from children into these murdering, drug dealing, monsters that they are now, but are sad when they do something wrong.
I have so much on my mind that I want to scream and shout, but I know better. This meeting might be the worst idea I have had yet.
To be continued....