𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙊 𝙔𝙊𝙐 ↣ 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝘿𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉

HIDEAWAY

I woke up the next morning alone in my bed, to my phone ringing. I answered it without looking at the contact.

"I've been trying to get ahold of you all fucking morning, Mickey? What's your problem? Why'd you leave?"

"Why'd you give me that after I told you I couldn't smoke or drink?"

"That wasn't smoking or drinking!" he laughed a bit after he spoke.

At least he wasn't that mad.

"Still, Donte. I just- don't like that kind of thing. People have drugged me before. I didn't appreciate it then, and I still don't," I said bluntly.

"...you're right," he said after a pause, "it wasn't cool. You didn't eat that much so I thought you would be alright. But it's my fault. I'm sorry, Mickey, can you forgive me?"

Alarms blared in my head.

No!

Run! Get away!

No! No! No!

"Of course," I said.

"Can I pick you up at four?"

I glanced at the clock on my wall. It was 11.

"Yeah, that should be fine. Meet me at the park."

"Why the park?"

"Because, Louis picked me up last night and I told him about- it's probably best if he and Zayn don't see you for a couple days."

"Okay, we can talk about it when I get there. I'll see you at four."

And I knew that when Donte said we would talk about it, he meant he would be explaining to me what I did wrong and then "teaching me a lesson."

That was Donte's thing. He claimed, at least, that it was for my own good.

"Okay, see you. Bye."

He hung up without saying goodbye back.

"Who was that?"

I jumped and looked up, not expecting Niall to be in my doorway.

"...Didge, I'm gonna go meet her and Poe later at the park if that's fine?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Niall said easily. He sat next to me. "Does that medicine seem to be helping?"

I thought about it. I was taking it every morning, and even though it had only been a few weeks, I did feel... different. I was less stressed, that was for sure. Less stressed about the situation I was in with Donte, and Louis, and management.

"I guess," I shrugged.

"You guess," he said.

"Yeah, I don't know," I mumbled. Niall looked at me. "It helps."

"Good," he sighed.

He knew I was only saying that for him, but I supposed he appreciated hearing the answer he wanted either way.

"Okay, that's all I wanted. I'll quit bothering you, you can go back to your teenage girl... things," he said.

I laughed and shook my head while Niall stood up.

"Thanks for checking, Niall. Really. Means a lot."

"Of course, kid. You're my kid." Niall put a kiss on the top of my head. Then, just as soon as he came in, he was gone.