[AN: Jordan left me such an opening. *insert evil cackle* Must dramatize all the things! All the things!]
[ANNABELLE’S POV]
When I was a little kid the most terrifying thing was for an adult to tell me that we needed to talk. Usually it came from one of the teachers at the boarding schools I went to. Even if I was positive that I had done nothing wrong just the phrase “we need to talk” set every nerve in my body on fire in anticipation. Would they kick me out? Had I failed a test? Or worse, had my father passed away leaving my life in the hands of whoever he was currently married to?
I used to think that talking it out was the most terrifying thing I could ever face, but now I know it’s not. The most terrifying thing for an adult is silence when you need to talk something out. Liam had appeared furious to find out I was pregnant. I had confirmed I was indeed pregnant with a small head nod. I expected him to rip into me for hiding it from him. Instead he had sighed before speaking one fateful sentence.
“I just---don’t talk to me for a while Annabelle,” Liam muttered before walking off to get ready for dinner. Not only did he not want to talk, but he used my full name. I couldn’t even remember the last time he used my full name.
Now that he knew about the pregnancy we had to talk. Liam swore to quit the band so he could always be there for his family, but would he really do that now? Sure Harry had left, but he would see straight and come back once he got over his anger. But if Liam left because I was going to have his child—I would be the Yoko Ono of One Direction. I would be the woman who broke up a group that has been hailed to be the next Beatles. I couldn’t let him do that. I just couldn’t. I sighed and stared down at my wedding ring wondering what to do.
“So how is married life treating you Liam?” Harry’s mum Anne asked with a soft smile. “Are we going to hear the pitter patter of little feet soon?” I was starting to understand why Harry always said his mum had horrid timing and was way too nosy. Did I have a bump showing already?
“Well—,“ Liam started out before Harry interrupted walking back into the room.
“Mum, this is Liam we are talking about,” Harry chuckled. “He always swore that he would quit if he started having babies. I’m sure he and the missus glove up each night to prevent any little Paynes for now.”
“What did you just call me?” I hissed as Harry grinned.
“The Missus,” Harry teased as if he had never left. “Is that a problem?”
“I’m gonna kill you Styles!” I screeched jumping at him and knocking him to the floor. “I have a name! Say it! Say it!” I tickled him mercilessly without a care for the crowd in the living room.
“Annabelle,” Harry choked out between his peals of laughter. “Your name is Missus Annabelle.”
“Oh you’re gonna pay Styles!”
“Dinner is ready,” Anne called out with a cheerful smile. “You can make him pay after dinner.” Liam helped me and Harry up from the floor as everyone headed into the dining room. I felt a little lighter having lifted up the mood with my attack on Harry. I had missed just goofing off with the lads. Things have just been so tense on this tour.
“Annabelle,” Liam whispered into my ear pulling me against his side before I could make my way to dining room. “Behave yourself. A future mother should not be rolling around on the floor like a lunatic.” He pulled away again practically stomping to the dining room as my entire mood deflated. Why was he so mean? Liam used to be fun. He used to make me smile. Where had my Liam gone?
[NIALL’S POV]
I don’t care if she was using me to move on. I was finally dating Angelica! She was finally with me. This is what the fans wanted. This is what I wanted. And according to Angelica this is what she wanted. I sat next to her at the dining room table taking her hand in my own under the table.
“So Angelica,” Anne smiled as she passed around a basket of rolls. “Tell me about yourself. I want to know all about the girl who has captured my dear boy’s heart.” I swore I heard Harry mutter something about his mother being a “nosy busybody,” but I turned to make sure Angie was okay.
“Well we aren’t together anymore Mrs. Styles,” Angie diplomatically replied.
“Mrs. Twist,” she replied without hesitation. “I remarried. I loved Harry’s father, but I wasn’t in love with him you know? I even tried to make that relationship work for us for several years, but I was only fooling myself. Then I met Robin who is my soul mate. It just feels different.”
“I’m glad you’re happy,” Angie softly replied looking at her plate. “Can you please pass the potatoes?”
“Ah, you love potatoes just like Harry.”
“I don’t love them mum,” Harry groused. “I just eat them.” There was another heavy hanging of silence before his mother piped up again.
“So Harry are you going to apologize for running off and ask the band to take you back? Because now is your chance before the shows start up. You can’t hang out in the pool house forever.”
“Mum!”
“Harry stop being an ass and apologize to the girl. It’s obvious you still care about her. And as of the end of this dinner you aren’t staying here anymore. Either you join the band again or just live on the streets.”
“Mrs. Twist, Anne,” Louis implored. “You can’t just do that to Harry. You can’t force us to come back together after he broke our trust like that. We as a band have to agree to let him return.”
“Then agree,” Anne ordered with a grim line to her face. “Because I’m tired of watching you all act like four year olds when the youngest of you is eighteen! You are all family, related or not, so start acting like it! You can’t just throw fits, hold grudges, and never speak again! Robin and Gemma get your coats! We are going out to eat!”
“Honey, are you okay?” Robin asked.
“And when we return you all had better make up. In fact, I don’t care if you do, but you all will be out of my house by midnight. Harry included!” Anne shouted before dragging Harry’s immediate family out of the house. I had never seen Harry’s mum behave like that. She was always sweet and smiley.
“Holy shit Harry,” I chuckled. “Your mum just went postal. Just shows she doesn’t understand anything at all.”
“You want to try talking about my mum again Horan?!?!” Harry shouted standing up and wielding a butter knife in his hand. “Cause if you want to go we can go!”
“No,” I stumbled over my words as Angie pulled her hand away. “That wasn’t what I meant. I just meant she doesn’t know what we all went through.”
“What we all went through,” Harry threw out a humorless chuckle. “We?!? Tell me Niall. What suffering have you gone through in the past six months? A hangnail? A paper cut perhaps?”
“Harry don’t,” Zayn warned.
“Oh I’m going there Zayn,” Harry replied smacking the knife down on the table and standing up straight. “The past six months are your fault! You are the one who stole the woman I love! You should be apologizing! Not me!”
“I didn’t steal her!” I shouted back now rising in anger. How dare he accuse me of doing something so shady? “I would never do that to you! You are the one who misjudged a situation and ran off! You abandoned your family Harry!”
“This isn’t my family,” he hissed surveying the room. “My family would have come for me. None of you did that. If it was Angelica you all would have raced after her. But when I left you all quietly accepted it.”
“You aren’t a helpless teenage girl Harry!”
“I’m not helpless!” Angie shouted standing and running from the room in tears.
“Shit. Angie honey I didn’t mean it like that,” I called after her as I started to follow, but Eleanor blocked me.
“This is something you and the lads need to work out. Anna and I will go talk to her,” Eleanor ordered in a voice that brokered no argument. I simply nodded watching them both leave after my girlfriend. Way to go Niall. She agrees to date you, and you screw it up only four hours into the relationship.
[ELEANOR’S POV]
“Sweetie,” Anna said rubbing her back as I stepped onto the back patio. “Niall didn’t mean it like that. He just meant you are precious to all of us. Plus you are young.”
“God Anna,” I groaned. “You really need to work on your mum speeches if you are planning on having that kid. You are just making it worse.”
“She’s trying mum,” Angelica replied always trying to stand up for those she cared about. “I’m not really mad at Niall.”
“Good,” I replied. “You shouldn’t be. He just misspoke. If I had a quarter for every time your dad said something stupid I would be a millionaire.”
“I’m upset because Harry is right. We didn’t go after him. I mean months later we did, but right when he ran off we just chalked it up to some stupid tantrum. We didn’t go after him to let him know he meant something. That he was special to all of us.”
“I know that sweetie, but the situation with Harry is different,” I stammered.
“No it isn’t Eleanor,” Angelica coldly replied sinking my heart. What had happened to Mum? Why was she making the relationship we built together turn into a crumbled mess.
“Sweetheart—,“ I tried before getting cut off again.
“Angelica,” she hissed. “My name is Angelica. You don’t get to be my Mum until Dad marries you and makes me call you that.” What the hell?
“Angie stop it,” Anna replied stepping between the two of us. “You don’t get to turn on Eleanor just because she doesn’t understand.”
“I do too understa—,” I was cut off by Anna.
“Shut up Eleanor! You don’t understand. You don’t at all. You think you do, but you don’t understand at all. Angelica apologize.”
“But,” Angie protested.
“Apologize! Now!”
“I’m sorry El—,” she broke off as Anna sent her a hard glare. “I’m sorry Mum. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“It’s okay,” I replied even more confused. “I know you are just hurting sweetie. Why don’t I go get Niall so you two can talk?”
“Just go inside Eleanor,” Anna ordered stunning me into silence. She glared until I was forced to obey her orders. Just when had I lost control of my own family?
[ZAYN’S POV]
They had been shouting at each other for the last twenty minutes nonstop. I did my best to tune them out as I cut into my steak. No sense in letting good food go to waste. I didn’t see any point in me adding my two cents in when all the sides were covered at this little shouting match.
Harry was shouting at Niall accusing him of stealing a best friend’s girl. Niall was calling Harry a big baby who threw a tantrum when it was all his own fault anyway. Louis was telling them both to stay away from him daughter. And Liam was trying to keep them all from screaming….by screaming at them. Yup. Welcome to my life with a famous boy band. Next week we can all braid each other’s hair.
“Guys we need to have a nice, calm discussion about Harry rejoining the band,” Liam shouted. “Please stop yelling!”
“I’m not letting that little pisser anywhere near my family!” Louis screamed. “He destroyed my little girl!”
“She isn’t little Lou!” Harry screeched back. “She is eighteen and an adult. She is entitled to make her own decisions without your nosy little behind weaseling its way in!”
“And she chose me!” Niall butted in.
“Only because I’m not there!” Harry snapped. I sighed and tuned them out again watching as Eleanor walked in surveying the scene at the dinner table. Hopefully things went better out on the back patio. Although if I had to guess by the look on Eleanor’s face things were heading downhill very fast.
“El,” Lou barked. “Is Angelica okay? I’m going to check on her.” Eleanor blanched before glaring at him. Usually Louis was the doting boyfriend when it came to Eleanor. He always tended to notice when she was upset, but it appeared his entire focus was on Angelica instead. “Eleanor?”
“So you are going to do it too?” Eleanor asked as she stomped towards the front door. “I have done nothing, but be supportive to all of you, and you both treat me as if I'm some loser in the way. Well don’t worry Tomlinsons! I’ll stay out of your way from now on!” She slammed out the front door finally creating a vacuum of silence in the room.
“What the hell is her problem?” Louis asked. I sighed picking up my phone and sending a text waiting on the reply.
“Maybe it’s that time of the month,” Harry snickered making Louis half smile.
“You know Anna told me that when girls live in the same place for a long period of time their menstruation cycles tend to sync up,” Liam supplied.
“Well look at Dr. Payne,” Niall laughed. “Menstruation cycles Liam? Where the hell did that come from?” They all burst into laughter their previous fighting forgotten. When the laughter died down they all sat at the table enjoying the quiet for the first time. I felt my phone vibrate in my hand and smiled. It was time to tell them the plan. Except Liam interrupted my moment.
“Anna’s pregnant,” Liam practically whispered. “She’s pregnant. This isn’t how I planned it. We are right in the middle of our careers, and my wife is pregnant.”
“Are you going to quit?” Harry bravely asked.
“No. Yes. I don’t know,” Liam sighed burying his head in his hands.
“Don’t you want the baby?” Niall asked.
“That’s not it,” Liam muttered. “Anna is my dream girl. I have always wanted a family with her….just not this soon.”
“Does Anna want the baby?” Louis asked.
“I—I don’t know,” Liam replied looking more heartbroken than I ever thought possible. “She hid it from me. She knew she was pregnant, and she hid it from me. Why would she do that?”
“We aren’t the ones you need to talk to,” I calmly replied. “This is something you and Anna need to talk about. Just you and Anna.”
“But it affects the band too—“
“We will survive no matter what decision you two make,” I said standing up and gathering my now clean plate. “We always survive because we are doing what we want. Now we should clear the table and help Harry pack.”
“P—Pack?” Harry stuttered out in shock. “Zayn I am not coming on tour.”
“Yes you are,” I replied as I set my plate on the kitchen counter and walked back into the dining room to grab the water pitcher. I tossed him my phone. “Simon and management have ordered you to return. You have one week or they will sue you for breach of contract.”
“B—But I paid the penalty,” Harry mumbled. “They said I was free and clear.”
“They found a loophole,” I replied with a grin. Thanks to the dogged efforts of the best contract lawyer in England a loophole had been found. Thank goodness because that chap cost me a fortune to hire for all this work. He even billed me per minute for his phone calls including when he kept me on hold. Bastard. “So go and pack. Liam can help.”
“I don’t want him on tour,” Louis and Niall replied simultaneously.
“Tough luck,” I replied. “You are all on contract.” They all grumbled and groused before finally giving in and helping to clean up the kitchen and pack Harry’s things. I smiled as I watched my plan come into action. Now I just had to get them to all work together without the threat of a lawsuit, which might be trickier than I could even begin to imagine.
[ANNABELLE’S POV]
“That was cold Angie,” I shot out as soon as Eleanor was back inside. “She has been nothing but caring to you.”
“Yeah right,” I scoffed. “On her own terms. You think Dad would keep her around if she was a bitch to me? She only behaves to keep him happy.”
“That’s not true and you know it! Stop using your anger for Harry against El. She deeply cares for you.”
“No she doesn’t. None of you do. I’m some great little project for all of you. You all just want to make sure the poor little orphan will say good things about you to the public!” I couldn’t take it anymore. In that moment I saw red. I raised my hand and struck her hard across the cheek. The backyard was silent except for our breaths as I watched my handprint rise up in red on her cheek. “What the hell Annabelle?!?"
“How could you?!!” I roared finally getting my breath back. “How could you ever say those things about those people?!? Say all you want about me. I don’t care anymore, but those people do not deserve your derision and scorn. Those people have loved you from the moment they met you. You are their whole damn world!”
“N—no I’m not.”
“Oh really? Then they just treat you with kid gloves because they do that with everyone? It’s not because they care about your feelings? Or because they just want you to be happy? Right now in that dining room are five men who care about nothing but your happiness.”
“But Liam—“
“Liam only pushed to see Harry because he knows you miss him. You are their child, and they want you to be happy. They want to take care of you.”
“Well maybe I don’t want to be treated like a child,” she snottily replied. I shook my head towards the ground before looking at her again.
“Then grow the fuck up,” I replied before stomping inside.
[HARRY’S POV]
I sighed as I placed the last of my things underneath the bus. While the lads had begrudgingly helped me to pack my stuff the help had ended there. It appeared I still had a lot to make up for. I closed the door underneath the bus wondering what this tour was going to be like. It was already past midnight, and my mum had practically thrown a party when she saw I was all packed up. She kissed my cheek and shoved me out the door.
Some mum she is.
I leaned against the back of the bus sighing. I still wasn’t ready to get on the bus and deal with everyone inside. Liam and Anna were avoiding each other. Louis was on the phone trying to get Eleanor to return his calls. Niall was having some deep conversation with Zayn about something. Most likely me and how much he hated me since every third word appeared to be my name. And Angel---well I hadn’t seen Angel at all yet.
As if my mind had conjured her up I saw Angel standing on the porch to my mum’s house while my mother kissed her cheek and talked softly to her. She nodded quietly before turning and making her way to the bus. She almost didn’t see me until she ran into me. I caught her, and that’s when I noticed the bright red handprint on her cheek.
“Angel,” I whispered. “Are you okay? Who did this to you?”
“Leave it Harry,” she croaked out. “I deserved more than what I got. I got off lucky if you ask me.”
“But Angel—“
“No,” she sniffed wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “She’s right. I need to grow up.”
“Angel you are a grown up—“
“I’m sorry Harry,” she whispered leaning her forehead on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”
“You were going through your own stuff Angel. It’s not your fault. The guys are right. I misinterpreted something completely innocent.”
“I’m dating Niall,” she said stiffly as she raised her head up to face me. “He’s a sweet guy, and he cares about me.”
“I know,” I replied moving closer and pinning her against the back of the bus. “He’s always loved you.”
“Then what are we doing now?” she asked her lips a breath away from mine.
“I don’t know. Do you want me to stop?” I breathed out admiring the moonlight reflected in her eyes.
“No,” she replied with a soft smile as our lips met in a passionate kiss. I couldn’t tell you how long we stayed in that embrace. Just that we didn’t pull apart until we heard Louis calling for Angelica. “I have to go.”
“Yeah,” I softly agreed as I kissed her forehead gently. “I’ll give you a minute before I come onto the bus. Just in case.”
“Thanks. And Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too Angel.” I paused and dismissed any fearful thoughts letting the riskiest thought spill from my mouth. “I’m in the bunk on the other side of the bus. Under Zayn’s. Sleep in my bunk tonight? Nothing funny. I just want to hold you in my arms again.”
“I want that too. See you tonight,” she said with a nod before racing to the bus’ front door where Louis waited for her. I watched from around the corner of the bus as they hugged and talked. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I couldn’t let go of Angelica. Not to anyone. Not even one of my closest friends. Even if it meant losing everything I had ever worked for. She was my something great.
So with a deep sigh I tightened my jacket around myself and headed to the bus’ front door.