Stumbling (H.S. / A.U.)

Chapter 26

**SURPRISE TRIPLE UPDATE CAUSE... WHY NOT??? Lol**

CHAPTERS 26, 27, AND 28 are new new new!!

Loveeee you guys!

Saturday, September 2nd (still)

Harry's POV

Niall and I had been cleaning up while most of the house was sleeping, recovering, or escorting one night stands out of the house this morning. "You've been checking your phone NON-stop H. Did you really piss her off that bad?"

I shrug while glancing at my phone once again.

Nothing.

I texted her three times and even called her numerous times. Why was Riley ignoring me? I know I upset her... but we have kinda' talked since then and chatted... It seemed like we were fine. Plus, she had told Melody she was going to come to the party.

"You texted her yesterday right?" I ask Niall, "Did she respond to you?"

Niall was in the process of picking up a bra by the straps that he dangled in the air for a moment while listening to me, he gave a grin before slingshot shooting the lingerie into a garbage can on the other side of the room. All the trash cans in the house were over half full of empty bottles, cans, cups, and random unmentionables. "Yeah I told her to swing by and bring a suit for the tub. Did you see how popular the tub was last night? I knew we should have gotten it a while back. I even saw two girls making out in it!"

Niall didn't read the room very well or he was extremely oblivious of how anxious I was while asking about Riley. He rambled on about the party, people, and specifically girls that he saw enjoying the hot tub last night.

I check my phone again, wondering if I missed a notification. The last time I texted her was marked as 'read', but with no reply.

Harry to Riley on 9/1, 11:56pm: Riley, text me back. I'm worried.

Why would she read that and not reply... she couldn't be that mad at me. Niall continues talking about the party while my brain tries to focus on every interaction I've had with Riley in the past week. I audibly groan and find a pack of cigarettes on the counter to which I help myself to. I was thinking somehow that revisiting all our interactions would help me realize what happened to get her to ignore me.

"Do not light that inside Harry. Are you listening? Hello???" I look over to see Niall staring at me.

 "No, sorry. I am kinda' worried Ni." I tell him honestly. He furrows his brow and starts to look deep in thought for a moment, considering what I said.

I flip the cigarette between my fingers while leaning my body against one of the counters. My hand was splayed out on the tile countertop while a trash bag laid at my feet from the previous moment of actually cleaning. As I rotate and flip the unlit cigarette between my hand I notice how chipped my nail polish was, reminding myself to fix that at some point. If I keep my nails painted I won't feel tempted to bite them when I am anxious, and I am anxious a fuck ton of the time. 

"Have you asked Autumn?" Niall asks me while using one of his arms to swipe entirely across the dining room table and ushering everything that once was on it now into the trash. He paused  cleaning to continue talking to me, "I am sure if anyone has heard from Riley it would be her. Maybe Riley decided to take an easy night. She worked on homework and fell asleep or something. I bet you're worrying over nothing H. Just like you worried she was a murderer." Niall rolls his eyes at me with a small chuckle.